Black Rubber-Soled Derbies

A selection of all-weather staples.

Last month, I wrote about a piece of clothing I don’t really need — a long, voluminous raincoat. Unfortunately, problems don’t come alone. One question leads to another, and here I am in search of a pair of black rubber-soled derbies.

Unlike with outerwear, I have only one pair of rainproof shoes, not counting leather sneakers and hiking boots. Should I find a coveted raincoat, I won’t have appropriate footwear to accompany it. Last fall, I went on a trip in a pair of leather-soled longwings. It was mostly raining, and by the time I got home a week later, the soles had started to mold. Fortunately, I was able to get rid of mold, but I have avoided wearing the shoes in the rain ever since.

Raincoats aren’t meant for the rain either, since proper ones should not have a hood. So, technically, I could wear a raincoat with my leather-soled longwings or crepe-soled desert boots when it’s not raining. And I probably would. But I still want to make sure that, theoretically, I can take a raincoat out in the rain. Hence, even though I haven’t found a proper raincoat yet, I am already on the lookout for a pair of shoes to accompany it. You’ve gotta be prepared when tackling contrived problems.

In all seriousness though, it wouldn’t hurt to have a pair of rainproof shoes that fit into more classic outfits — something that goes well with grey pants and sport coats as well as jeans and hoodies. I figured black, rubber-soled derbies would do the job fine.

But although by definition informal, rubber-soled derbies come in different shapes. Most Meermin and Carmina shoes, for example, have a sharp toebox, resulting in a look that’s too dressy. Sanders’ British Army derby, with its square toes, is on the other side of the spectrum. Below, you will find a selection of derbies that, although drastically different, hit all the right notes.

Honestly, I’ve already pulled the trigger on one of the pairs. Can you guess which one? Share your answers and more options in the comments section below the article.

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