Daniel Craig’s Bond wears the Church’s Philip shoes with his suits in Quantum of Solace, and they do their work without being noticed. A black calf oxford with a quiet punched toe cap, it is the kind of shoe a man buys once and has resoled for years. We think it answers a question most men ask too late: what goes with a dark suit that is smart without being stiff?
In the film
Bond wears the Philip with his suits in the formal situations of Quantum of Solace (2008). Sources agree on the model and the colour. None we have seen pins it to a single scene, so we do not.
The details of the Church’s Philip shoes
A quarter brogue. The Philip is an oxford with a punched cap toe, sometimes called a quarter brogue. The perforations are confined to the toe cap, so it is dressier than a full brogue and a little more interesting than a plain cap toe. It works with business suits without looking like a uniform.
Black calf. The upper is black calf leather, which takes a polish well and gives a clean, dark line under a trouser break.
Oak bark leather sole. The sole is oak bark leather. That is the traditional choice for a dress shoe: it can be resoled, and it ages with the shoe.
The maker. Church’s was established in 1873 and is now part of the Prada Group. It is a maker that has long worked in the English dress-shoe tradition, which is the context the Philip sits in.
Wearing it now
We would rank a black quarter brogue as the most useful dress shoe a man can own after a plain black oxford. It suits charcoal and navy suits and a dark flannel in winter. We would wear it with a dinner jacket only if you accept it is a shade less formal than patent or plain calf. Keep the rest simple: trousers with a clean break, dark socks, a good polish and shoe trees. Rotate pairs so the leather rests between wears.
Sizing. A 2010 forum post, relaying a Church’s sales adviser, says the Philip runs true to size. Treat that as a starting point and try a pair on if you can.
Availability. Forum reports from 2010 say Church’s had finished the Philip run that year, so we treat it as out of production and found second-hand; our button runs a search on eBay. Pairs are worth a careful look if you can confirm the size and the condition of the sole. A black calf quarter brogue oxford from Church’s current range is a shoe in the spirit of the Philip.
See more of Bond’s tailoring in Quantum of Solace and our guide to Daniel Craig’s Bond.
In the same spirit
These are current alternatives, in the spirit of the look. None is the piece from the film.
- Crockett & Jones Highbury Black Calf (No Time To Die): a black calf dress shoe from a maker with a long English tradition.
Specifications
| Style | Quarter brogue (punched cap toe) oxford |
|---|---|
| Upper | Black calf |
| Sole | Oak bark leather |
| Maker | Church’s |
| RRP | Not confirmed; out of production |
For the maker’s current range, see Church’s own site.
Questions
Does Bond wear Church’s shoes in Quantum of Solace?
Yes. Several sources identify the formal shoe as the Church’s Philip in black calf. We have not matched it to a single scene.
Is the Church’s Philip still made?
Not as far as we can tell. Forum posts from 2010 say Church’s had finished the run, with only bespoke orders available at the time, so pairs are found second-hand.
What is a quarter brogue?
It is a shoe with perforations only along the edge of the toe cap, with no broguing on the rest of the upper. It is dressier than a full brogue.
Can you wear it with a suit?
Yes, and that is what Bond does in the film. It suits navy and charcoal business suits well.
More shoes from the films are in our shoes section.
