These days Zhao wears designer knitwear and Italian brogues, a taste of the fancy imported fashion sold on his e-commerce site, Shangpin.

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From the inch-thick brogues of the actors to the neon signs on the walls of the barroom set, it's as convincing as a deathbed confession.

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The appeal of these slightly fogyish bicycles is the same as the superiority of a pair of well-made brogues over the latest flashy training shoe.

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As a result, Istanbul-based Ramazan Baydan has had to recruit extra staff to meet orders for pairs of the "Model 271 brogues, " Britain's Daily Mail said.

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From junior candidates insinuating their battered brogues onto the doorsteps of elderly voters to smartly suited veterans fighting to keep their names out of brewing scandal, politicians are routinely perceived as untrustworthy.

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Those among us who already own either Marc Jacobs's "Mouse" shoes in white or Robert Clergerie's white brogues (from the summer season before last), or anything similar, should haul them out of the closet immediately.

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My first stop was the Goodwill store, where I replaced my tattered rags with a clean and minimally decent brown suit, unironed shirt, overcoat, wool socks, and a pair of brogues that were no better fitting than my wingtips but more appropriate to the season.

NEWYORKER: Wakefield