Workshop Suede Derby

Derby shoe in faux suede with a lugged rubber sole, a darkened round toe and four eyelet lacing. It is the work shoe with a boot sole: it sits between our Desert and our Blue Ridge boot, lower than one and firmer than the other.

The upper has a short nap and the hand of suede. It is a synthetic suede, not cowhide: the Desert and the Blue Ridge are real suede, this one is not, and that is part of why it costs what it costs. The toe takes the darkening that old work shoes picked up from time and polish: it comes deeper than the rest and fades into the body tone little by little.

The vamp is closed, in one piece, with no seam at the toe. The lace runs through four pairs of darkened metal eyelets, and the double stitching that goes round the sole is visible, as on factory footwear of old.

The sole is what changes the piece: rubber with deep lugs along the whole length, a heel of about 1.2 in (3 cm) and a midsole that gives height without looking like a platform. It is a boot sole on a low shoe, and it is what holds on wet floors and dirt.

Goes with jeans rolled at the hem, with the Red Tornado trousers and with the Tailored Pleated Corduroy Trousers. It is mid season footwear: closed enough for the cold, without the weight of a boot.

About the colors

Camel is the toasted suede tone, the classic work shoe color. Taupe is a warm grey brown, which looks grey in the shop photos and has a brown ground in person. On both, the toe comes darker than the body, on purpose.

Specifications

• Faux suede upper, darkened toe
• Lugged rubber sole, heel of about 1.2 in (3 cm)
• Lace closure, four pairs of eyelets
• Synthetic lining
• Low cut, below the ankle

Sizing

Measure your bare foot, standing, heel against the wall, from the heel to the tip of the longest toe. Compare with the foot length column.

How to measure your foot. Standing, barefoot, on a sheet of paper pushed against the wall. Mark the tip of the longest toe and measure from the wall to the mark. Measure both feet and use the larger one. If you fall between two sizes, take the larger one.

Foot length, not shoe length. The Label column shows the EU number printed inside the shoe, which follows the maker's scale and does not match US sizing. Always use the chart above.

Care

• Brush the dust off with a soft bristle brush, always in the same direction
• Dry stain: suede eraser or a lightly damp sponge with mild soap; do not soak
• Do not use polish or leather cream, which would stain the synthetic
• Dry in the shade, away from heaters