It’s never fun to ask yourself which shoes you should wear to a funeral. But that’s exactly what I wondered last summer before a memorial service in Michigan, my beloved home state. After a few moments of indecision, I defaulted to my usual answer, context be damned—Aurora Shoe Company’s buckled Middle English shoe, a pleasantly bulbous silhouette crafted by hand from full-grain leather. I might’ve been miserable, but at least I wouldn’t be uncomfortable.
My love story with the…

