Last time, we followed Sean Connery’s footwear journey over the course of nine years and six films. This time, we’ll take a look at a unique case in James Bond film history. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a bit of a contentious entry with fans and has gotten more respect over time than when it was first released. It would be George Lazenby’s first and only film in the long-running series, allegedly because he and his agent thought the character would be archaic in the coming 1970s. Despite him not lasting long in the role, his clothing has stood the test of time… ruffled front evening shirts and polyester golfing suits notwithstanding. But how do his shoes fare?

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Like Connery, Lazenby makes his entrance wearing James Bond’s signature dress code: black tie. But unlike Connery, Lazenby is wearing patent leather shoes. Their style, which is plain apart from the side elastic gussets used to ease them on and off, is not far removed from Connery’s taste for side elastic slip-ons. Here it is a different style than the short, Chelsea-boot-like footwear worn in Goldfinger and Thunderball, with smaller slanted gussets that connect the vamp to the sides of the shoe. This probably made it easier to get his shoes off at the beach before rescuing Tracy.

Although patent leather does give Lazenby a more traditional black-tie look when he makes his entrance, he wears black calf for his ill-fated wedding, pairing it with a black stroller jacket. One could argue that the side elastic is too sporty for semi-formal attire, but would anyone dare to criticise 007 on this given how sharp he looks? These shoes are perfect for anyone who likes clean lines or getting through airport security without a hitch while fully dressed.

Lazenby wears another style of black calf slip-on where the quarters connect over a low vamp, likely worn with both navy three-piece suits and the navy blazer. This shoe style sadly isn’t seen in the film itself, but is visible in behind-the-scenes set photos as well as the press conference announcing Lazenby as the next James Bond. During this press conference, it was worn with the same navy herringbone suit, white shirt, and navy knitted tie seen in the film when he visits M’s office. Thus, these may be the very same shoes worn in that scene but not captured on film. Set photos of a deleted scene appear to confirm them as the style worn with the navy chalk stripe suit worn when he speaks with the real Sir Hilary Bray. (Many thanks, by the way, to Thunderballs.org, for all this information.)

Looking at promotional images, it appears that these are the same shoes Lazenby’s Bond wears with his distinctive, double breasted navy blazer. He also wears them for a promotional still wielding the iconic Walther PPK. Because of their plain toe and strap, these shoes pair equally well with both suits even though they’re not traditional lace-ups. Similar styles are still available today from brands like George Cleverley and John Lobb.

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The film has some interesting shoe styles not seen elsewhere in the series. One of them might be best referred to as a monk slip-on. The strap and buckle are only for decoration, being too low on the toe to have any function, but this allows them to slip on and off with ease. Bond wears this style in cream calf, matching a cream linen suit, and in brown suede with his brown golfing suit and orange mock turtleneck. This latter combo looks a bit dated to modern eyes but there’s no denying that it makes a bold statement.

White or cream shoes have gone in and out of fashion throughout the decades. A light brown calf shoe, or the brown suede Bond wears with his golfing attire, might be better choices to pair with a cream linen suit today. Regardless of color choice, this shoe style fits into today’s fashions quite well and would work with anything from a sport coat and jeans to a suit. In black or dark brown calf leather, they’re comparable in formality to the double monks that are all the rage today.

Of note, shoe maestro George Cleverley makes close to the exact style today, the notable difference being that this version, only available bespoke, has three holes on the strap for adjustment. Of course such practices have always been standard when costuming Bond films. Diamonds are Forever, for example, had an interesting assortment of shoes and boots made bespoke for Sean Connery by John Lobb Ltd.

He wears one more buckle and strap shoe, a classic part of Highland dress, in disguise as Sir Hilary Bray. The shoes are black calf and look much like a typical brogued wingtip apart from the way they close. It’s an alternative to ghillie brogues, the Highland shoe which Sean Connery wears as part of his own kit. There is a small, functional buckle for the strap and a large decorative one near the toe. The cutout underneath the strap, where laces would usually be, is similar to many women’s shoes. For any other formal dress code, brogues would be considered too sporty to be acceptable. These shoes are available from many Highland dress outfitters, such as Kilts & More. Like the rest of this outfit, they should only be worn if you are of Scottish descent and then only with the appropriate getup. They would look quite out of place with a lounge suit rather than a kilt.

More conventional brogue shoes are also worn while he is in disguise. These medium brown calf, three eyelet, wingtip derbies fit with Sir Bray’s country-inspired attire and are worn with Bond’s copy of his tweed three-piece suit. They have crepe rubber soles, which are an unusual feature on dress shoes. The soles are too smooth to offer any traction in the Swiss mountains, but may have been intended for walking around the British countryside back when it was more common to dress up for it. These shoes are perfectly appropriate for other sportswear, blazers, flannel suits, and casual attire such as the cardigan Bond wears with the same shirt and trousers. Although it doesn’t stop many menswear enthusiasts, shoes like these are trickier to look right with city suits, especially in this colour. Both Bond and Bray play it safe by pairing them with a sports suit. As part of the whole outfit, they help George Lazenby look a little older and old-fashioned. But there’s nothing actually wrong with wearing brown tweed and brown brogues whether one is 29 or 39 years old.

The shoes worn by George Lazenby, like most of his wardrobe, have dated remarkably well. They have stylish closures or vamp details to add a dash of youthful energy, but are grounded by a classic last shape and colours. They may have been trendy in the late 1960s, but don’t look odd as winklepickers now do. His ruffled front shirt is brought back down to earth with a perfectly-fitting bespoke dinner suit and sensible plain slip-on shoes, the same style of which round out his semi-formal morning dress as well. It’s unknown exactly who provided the footwear, but it’s likely an English shoemaker or perhaps more than one. George Cleverley might be a contender since all the shoes, apart from the brogues, have a slightly chiseled toe per their house style. But this feature is not unique to them alone when it comes to English shoemakers. It is unfortunate that we cannot tell the exact shoes worn with the Glen check and light blue suits. However, either of the black calf styles work perfectly with them and are likely what were used.

All of Bond’s own shoes in this film are slip-ons, which the Bond of literature would certainly approve of. The brogues he wore in disguise may not be a fair representation of his personal style, but he nonetheless wears them with the same confidence he does everything else. Confidence can help you get many things, as it helped Lazenby get the part of James Bond, but well-chosen shoes and bespoke suits certainly help in having that confidence to begin with. How do you feel about the footwear of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service?

Giselle GAUTHIER

Instagram: @nouveauvintagegiselle

Giselle is a menswear expert and freelance writer who gained an interest in dressing well upon re-watching James Bond movies, researching what makes him so stylish, and later engaging with others in online spaces to learn more. She has written about tailored clothing for over a decade through her blog, Nouveau Vintage, after being inspired by others to share her passion.

MATT SPAISER

Instagram: @bondsuits

Matt Spaiser is a graphic designer located in New York. After years of research, he founded The Suits of James Bond in 2010, creating the ultimate resource for James Bond style and the first catalogue of all of 007’s outfits. If you have any questions about James Bond’s clothing feel free to contact Matt.

The Shoes of James Bond: George Lazenby's Sensible Youthfulness