Double Monk

Nick and Chris Schaerf are brothers who've taken leave of their former pursuits in the medical and legal professions to ensure that fine, quality shoes can again be available to any Melburnian man in a proper abundance of styles and sizes.

Located on Smith Street, Fitzroy, Double Monk has such an exquisite, sizeable, floor-to-ceiling stock of English shoes that when you walk in you feel as if the universe just had one big material upgrade. And to top things off, at the back of the store is a well stocked bar, some armchairs and some particularly welcoming company. Chris and Nick want you to enjoy yourself and they only want you to consider buying the fine things they sell because they think you’ll enjoy them.

Stocking brands like Crockett & Jones, Edward Green, George Cleverley, John Lobb and Rubinacci, prices start at $485. If it seems pricey, keep in mind that some of these shoes take longer to make than a Porsche Boxster, and that these brands are not available for any old retailer to flog. Beyond shoes, the shop also sells a selection of various products that the brothers are passionate about – think Rubinacci ties, Corgi socks, Marvis toothpaste, Fox umbrellas and superb Saphir shoe-care products.