Quarter Perforations, High Sheen, Half Brogue Oxford

A closed-laced silhouette with brogued cap toe, it reframes menswear tradition with clean lines and corrected grain leather with PU finish, offering surface uniformity and water resistance.

KIOMI’s black semi-brogue Oxford represents an industrially streamlined interpretation of traditional menswear formality. The design ethos underpinning this model reflects a pragmatic modernism: minimalist tailoring and a visually coherent silhouette. This model is a semi-brogue Oxford—also known as a half brogue—characterized by its closed lacing system and decorative perforations across the toe cap and quarter edge. Intended for formal business settings, smart-casual wear, or dress occasions, its aesthetic restraint is deliberate. The omission of an extended wingtip or flamboyant medallion underscores a desire for visual clarity, aligning with KIOMI’s contemporary reinterpretation of classical menswear codes. It is a shoe designed to suggest tradition without entrenching itself in it. The upper is crafted from corrected grain leather, likely chrome-tanned and polyurethane-finished to enhance gloss, water resistance, and uniformity. The absence of visible grain and the high surface sheen suggest either split leather or heavily pigmented hides designed to obscure natural imperfections. Suppleness is limited; creasing behavior indicates a lack of depth and resilience in the fiber matrix, distinguishing it from full-grain or aniline-finished leathers. This treatment ensures low maintenance and high visual consistency but restricts breathability and tactile nuance. Ergonomically, the last follows a standard almond-toe profile, avoiding both aggressive chisel tapering and rounded bulbosity. The vamp is shallow, the instep low, and the arch drop moderate—characteristics that reflect a design optimized for mass-market foot shapes rather than tailored fit. The waist exhibits minimal sculpting, and the overall fit is configured to accommodate neutral gaits without prioritizing orthopedic calibration. As such, this last balances visual formality with broad wearability but does not engage in anatomical sophistication. Construction follows a cemented methodology—standard in mid-tier dress shoes—wherein the outsole is bonded to the upper and insole using adhesive, eliminating the need for stitched welting. The lack of welt stitching further confirms the use of this method. While cemented construction offers advantages in cost control and profile slimness, it inherently sacrifices resoleability, foot flexibility, and long-term durability relative to Blake or Goodyear welted counterparts. It is a logical choice for occasional-use formal shoes but unsuitable for sustained daily wear in professional settings. The outsole is composed of synthetic rubber, matte-finished to simulate the appearance of leather while offering superior grip and weather resistance. The heel stack appears to be molded from compressed fiberboard or rubber composite—uniform in finish, likely a single-piece unit rather than a traditionally stacked leather construction. The heel pitch is moderate, providing acceptable posture support without delivering significant energy return or ergonomic dynamism. This configuration supports short walking intervals but lacks responsiveness for extended standing or motion-intensive use. Inside, the insole is molded from polyurethane or EVA foam, overlaid with a pigmented synthetic micrograin lining embossed with the KIOMI logo. The comfort-first nature of this insole is evident in its focus on cushioning rather than orthopedic structure. Beneath the footbed likely lies a fiberboard lasting board, a thermoplastic heel counter, and a low-density toe puff. While sufficient for infrequent wear, the use of synthetic linings and molded components restricts breathability and increases the potential for microbial buildup over time, particularly in warmer climates or during prolonged wear. Stitching across the upper is machine-executed, appearing consistent at 6–7 stitches per inch, in line with industrial production standards. Edges are sealed and pigment-coated rather than folded or skived, evidencing a cost-efficient but less refined finishing process. There is no wheeling or burnishing, and the brogue perforations—precisely laser-cut or die-punched—lack the irregularity or subtlety of hand-finished detailing. The aesthetic result is clean but not artisanal, mechanically precise but untextured. Structurally, the shoe features a wholecut illusion, using brogued overlays to define vamp and quarter boundaries rather than traditional panel seams. This design reduces the number of structural joints, but at the cost of internal reinforcement. Without dedicated vamp overlays or reinforced quarters, tensile stresses are absorbed directly by the upper material—a trade-off that reduces durability but enhances visual simplicity. Grain direction is consistent but uncalibrated, and there is no evidence of tension-point pattern matching or artisanal alignment. Toe structure is maintained by a medium-stiff fiberboard or celastic insert, offering temporary shape retention that degrades under sustained pressure or environmental exposure. The slight deformation visible suggests the toe box will lose definition over time, particularly if worn frequently or stored improperly. While this compromise supports short-term comfort, it limits durability under workplace demands or formal rotation. The closure system employs a standard five-eyelet closed-lacing configuration, with blind punch-through eyelets and no grommet reinforcement. The spacing and alignment are consistent, though machine-done, and the absence of metal reinforcement is visually appropriate for formal footwear but reduces structural durability under repeated strain. The facing is correctly angled, but lacks any evidence of manual refinement or finishing. The high-gloss finish is achieved through a factory-applied polyurethane lacquer, producing a mirror-like surface but eliminating the possibility of breathability or polish layering. There is no evidence of wax-based patina development or hand-finished tonal modulation. The visual effect is immediate and uniform—well-suited for short-term presentability but incompatible with traditional shoemaking depth. Decorative elements are limited to perforated quarter medallions and cap-toe broguing, executed with restraint and complemented by soft pinking. The overall design avoids ornamental excess, positioning itself as office-appropriate without veering into theatricality. There are no kilties, buckles, or contrasting overlays; instead, the form adheres to a quiet classicism reinterpreted through cost-sensitive construction. The heel cup is internally reinforced with thermoplastic or fiberboard, contoured gently and free from external embellishment. The topline is raw-cut and pigment-sealed, lacking the folded edge or cushioned collar typical of higher-end designs. Grip is moderate, but without anatomical shaping or plush containment, heel slip may be experienced by wearers with narrower heel widths or high arches. Arch support is minimal, with flat midfoot construction and a waist that exhibits no appreciable sculpting. A plastic or absent shank results in limited torsional rigidity, compromising structural support for users requiring underfoot correction or long-duration stability. The design is adequate for occasional, low-strain wear but not for gait-sensitive or ergonomic performance. This model draws stylistic cues from mid- to late-20th-century business formal typologies, echoing British and Continental city dress aesthetics without accessing their craft lineage.

EU 42 ≈ US 9

SKU: 006126