MORESCHI
Goatskin Cap-Toe Oxford Brogue
Spectator
Circa 1990

Euro 440

Goatskin, traditionally spoken of as Morocco leather or Kidskin, is used for making fine gloves –the Kid gloves of the Victorian era, still made today- shoes & boots and a variety of accessories and is prized for it softness and surprising durability. Shoes made of Kidskin are know for their superior accommodation to problem or irregular shaped feet. Of course they are a pleasure for any feet. Unfortunately, Moreschi has not shown this shoe, their once signature spectator in goatskin, or any other shoes in this lovely material, for over 20 years.

These superb shoes exemplify an aspect of sartorial history. They were first sold at Wilkes Bashford, a San Francisco Bay Area Shopping Institution for over 40 years. Wilkes Bashford opened his eponymous store on Union Square 1966, across from its current location, as a way to serve a “bold, conservative” customer, according to the store’s Web site. He was among the first retailers to bring many luxury Italian brands, including Giorgio Armani, Brioni and Versace, to the U.S. and to introduce small recherché brands like Gravati to his elegant clientele.  Wilkes eventually expanded the store, moving into the current seven-story townhouse in 1984. A man of great taste and with a preternatural eye for fashion, he towered above the rank and file in the industry and, himself, turned out to advantage as he always was, was often named to Esquire’s International Best Dressed List from 1970s onward.