Who is BRIGHTON 1535 in Kaki for?
For anyone who dresses in earth tones and would rather the shoe joined that range than broke it. It works with wide chinos, a flannel shirt and a short quilted coat, and equally with a dark dress and a thick sock if you fancy throwing the outfit off balance. This is a shoe for long Sunday walks, for hours on your feet and for floors that aren't always dry. If you want height without climbing onto a heel, here are five centimetres that ask nothing of you.

Design and stride
The platform is a single Softlight block, 5 cm tall and far lighter in the hand than it looks. There's only 1.5 cm between heel and forefoot, so the foot lands almost flat and the stride comes out long and even. The vertical ribbing along the edge gets dirty: grit lodges between the grooves and comes out with a dry brush once it has dried completely. You notice the height mostly on kerbs and stairs, and you forget it after ten minutes.

Materials and construction
The build is 360º Stitched Strobel: the upper is closed underneath with a seam that runs all the way round the foot and is then joined to the sole unit, with no rigid board in the base. The result is a shoe that flexes across the toes from the first few wears and a smooth interior with no ridges under the step. The upper is khaki nubuck, short-napped and matt, and the lining is 3D Textil PL, textured, keeping the foot off the leather and moving a little more air in warm interiors. The insole is removable and the interior is chrome-free tanned. Flat tonal laces, five pairs of metal eyelets and a heel pull tab for getting them on quickly.

Size guide
Comfort last: broad across the toes, closer at the heel. The nubuck gives a little along the flex line after a few wears, but the length doesn't change, so take your usual size; sizes 36 to 42. If you use your own orthotic, lift out the standard insole and you recover just enough depth for the instep to clear a thick sock.