Best Foot Forward

The Spectator

Back in the Roaring Twenties, a young man wishing to express a certain brand of bold elegance- moxie, if you will- would have but one choice in footwear: the Spectator shoe. A high-fashion, two-toned, brogued leather wingtip, the Spectator sauntered about on the edges of reputable society on the feet of gangsters, jazz musicians, and cads.

The shoe at first, was a bit flashier than was considered gentlemanly; however, it was eventually popularized by the Duke of Windsor, and soon began showing up in Fred Astaire movies, summer house parties in the Hamptons, and Kennedy family vacation photos.

For years, the Spectator shoe was the epitome of casual, luxurious style. Think Gatsby-style garden parties, art deco glam, and the Golden Age of Hollywood.

It is precisely this brand of glamour which inspired Charleston’s new Spectator Hotel, which boasts a prominent location at the corner of State and Linguard Streets in the French Quarter, a block from the City Market. The swanky boutique hotel opened in July of 2015 and, in short order, earned a spot on Garden and Gun’s The South’s Most Stylish Hotels list, and was named one of the 10 Best Luxury Hotels by USA Today. Just shy of the hotel’s first anniversary, The Spectator was named #1 Hotel in the Continental U.S. by Travel + Leisure, and #2 Hotel in the World.