August Special is a new shoe brand – they launched online back in May – and it’s an interesting proposition I think. Comfortable versions of traditional shoes that have more style than most in that combination, and rugged styles that are actually made in a refined way.
The reason the design is good is that the founder, Joseph Pollard (below), is very experienced. He’s been a menswear designer for more than 20 years, primarily at Polo Ralph Lauren and RRL, where he ran the outerwear and accessories/shoes categories at different points.
He’s English and worked for Duffer of St George among others in the UK, before going to the US to work for Abercrombie and then Polo. He made a lifestyle change in 2019 when the family moved to Philadelphia.
“I took a little time off, maybe six months, while the kids got settled in school,” he says. “We’d made one major move before – to the US from England – and I knew how hard it could be. But after that I started thinking about what I wanted to do next.”
Joseph wanted to do something he believed in, made on his own terms, which is of course a very Permanent Style-type motivation, tying together many brands we cover. Joseph is, like many of those, a product person first and foremost.
The first product he created, the Augie loafer, came from a desire to make a tougher and more comfortable version of Belgian loafers he had worn in New York. “We moved from Brooklyn to the Upper East Side when he had kids, and I used to wear Belgians all the time,” he says. “I knew the shop, and I’d walk to the office in them.
“But when we moved to Philadelphia, that didn’t really work. I’m sure people do wear them here, but that’s more of a country-club set than we are! Basically I couldn’t wear them to Home Depot – the city would just chew them up.”
He’d also never been much of a fan of the Belgian Shoe’s little bow. “It’s too fancy for me. My wardrobe is a mix of tailoring and workwear – jackets and denim, chambray shirts and loafers. You can do that look with a dressy slipper, but it’s not my style.
“By the way Simon, that might seem a very current look but the Duffer guys were all doing it back in the day – their standard was a Crombie coat, jeans and a good shoe.”
OK, so what makes the Augie (and the chukka boot, the style I own, above left) interesting?
The first thing is the last. It’s based on old 40s and 50s shoes, which had a slightly more orthopaedic shape, curved on the outside line and straighter on the inside, with a narrower waist.
The example of this that most readers will be familiar with is the modified last from Alden. But while that can look very unusual, August Special is more moderate. I find it both very comfortable and not the kind of thing anyone would notice.
The emphasis on comfort goes through into the construction too. The insole has a full-length piece of memory foam, which your foot sinks into in a satisfying way. The midsole on the loafers is then a piece of sports foam, wrapped in leather. That’s what you can see between the sole and the upper in the pic below.
At first I wasn’t sure about the way that sole looks, but I like it more now I appreciate the functional reasons. I also like the fact it’s not the same rubber unit that everyone in the world is slapping on suede loafers, trying to be an Open Walk or a Belgian with very little extra to offer, other than perhaps cheapness.
The sole on my chukka boot is a more standard Vibram and there isn’t that extra foam in the mid-sole, but I’ve still found it more comfortable than any other chukka I own. I’m not so keen on the contrast between black rubber and natural leather in the sole edge and heel, but that’s a personal preference and will darker over time. Darker suede or leather options would have less of a contrast.
The design is based off boots issued to US Navy pilots, who presumably had a functional reason for the lower height. I wasn’t sure about that height to start with, but I rather like it now. I’m not sure I’d have it as the default for my chukkas, but it seems part of this boot’s style and character.
The other thing that’s interesting is August Special’s combination of rugged and refined.
The chukka’s upper is one piece of full-grain leather, unlined, with a supporting piece around the heel. The thickness of the leather gives it a rugged look, but the quality of it means it’s soft and comfortable – more so than the thinner leather on an Alden chukka for example.
The make is very good, benchmade in Tuscany close to the area the veg-tanned leather, laces and other things come from. The welt is slim for example, cut close to the upper and running 270 degrees around the boot rather than 360 (so not including the heel).
Personally I don’t think these points make the boot any less rugged, just less chunky in shape. I’ve only worn them with jeans and workwear chinos so far, but I can see how this style might enable them to be a little dressier – with tailored cotton trousers and a cashmere knit for example.
The loafers didn’t quite work for me – I seemed to be in between sizes, and while the lacing of the chukka made fit easier there, the loafers had no such luxury. Still, Lucas has a pair and they work really well for him. There are other versions of the loafer coming in the future too, so I will try those.
The thing I love most about the August Special shoes, though, is how good they look beaten up. When Joseph came into the pop-up shop in New York recently, that was the thing I liked the most. It’s his look of the loafers with workwear chinos and a loose chambray or white oxford shirt that really appeals to me, I feel would be relevant for a lot of readers.
I also saw a pair of chukkas on Sean Crowley (an old colleague of Joseph’s from Ralph Lauren) and they looked fantastic. I can’t wait for mine to get to that stage.
augustspecial.com
Some facts in anticipation of questions:
- I wear an 9.5 (US) in the chukka, but was between 9.5 and 10 in the loafer. My standard now in something like Edward Green is 9E (UK). August Special only comes in an E width
- August Special is only sold online at the moment, and is based in the US. There is no wholesale at the moment, but that might change in the future
- The boots are Goodyear welted and can be easily resoled. The loafers are Blake stitched and are harder – August Special has no current solution there but is planning to offer a resole service in the future, including on those
- The shoes are all made in Italy
The chukka boots are being restocked in February
