Its inspiration comes from the same place as that Moody Blues classic. Too old for you? Play it without a second thought while you roam the streets, sophisticated, flexible and light. Connect with the most influential city in heavy metal and punk. You've got all the durability, style and comfort your feet need to dare.
Rubberised nylon behaves differently from leather: it doesn't take fine creases, light rain runs straight off the surface, and a damp cloth brings back the matt finish. On the 1894A that finish comes in a muted, greenish khaki, closer to washed military green than to sand, with the slightly stiff texture of a coated fabric. The toe cap is black Menorca leather and cuts the colour off sharply, precisely where the shoe takes the knocks. Orange is used sparingly: the heel pull-tab and a side panel below the lacing, two notes of colour on an otherwise sober shoe. The laces, in a pale green-blue, are the boldest decision in the combination and the one that changes the whole shoe.
Who is BIRMINGHAM 1894A in Kaki - Orange for?
For anyone moving around the city in winter in wide jeans, corduroy or cargo trousers, who wants a low shoe that can handle wet streets. The khaki works with parkas, padded jackets and heavy knitwear without asking anything in return. It's a new addition to the BIRMINGHAM family, and the rubberised material makes it more urban and less classic than its matt nylon siblings. Sizes 36 to 46.
Design and step
A low lace-up shoe with six pairs of eyelets and a short tongue that lets you fine-tune the instep. The Softlight sole stands 3.5 cm high overall, with a block profile and a flat footbed: no drop, the foot resting level. It weighs little for the volume it has, which is exactly what you want when the day means ten hours on tarmac.
Materials and construction
The Softlight sole is joined to the upper with 360º stitching, visible all the way round, a system that spreads the load and stops the shoe opening up at the join. Above it, the upper combines rubberised nylon with Menorca leather at the toe and the heel reinforcement. The lining is 3D Textil PL., a textured fabric that lets air move and doesn't flatten under a thick sock. The insole is removable, so it can be dried separately or swapped for an orthotic. The interior is chrome-free tanned.
Size guide
The last is a comfort one, wide in volume with a rounded toe. Rubberised nylon doesn't give the way leather does, so all the adjustment happens through the laces: tight over the instep, looser at the top, and a high arch settles in. With a thick winter sock your usual size works without pinching.
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Heel Height (mm): 40
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Shim: Standard last
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Closure: Laces
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Manufacturing: 360º stitching
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Exterior material: Calf leather, Rubber nylon
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Insoles: Removable microfiber
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Outsole: Softlight
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Type of heel: Plane
