Boat Shoes - Sebago Fall/Winter 2011

While I still consider myself a relatively small-time blogger, at least in terms of daily hits, I have recently had the pleasure of being invited to a couple of events/showcases for several shoe brands, one of which, as you can see above, was Sebago. It's great because I always enjoy seeing shoes in the flesh (no surprise there) and also being part of the introduction to new brands/seasons/sub-lines etc. While Sebago is definitely not a new brand by any means, you can say that as of recent they have been positioning themselves differently, aiming to hit new markets and thus, in a way, becoming a classic brand with a 'new' feel. And while classicists might turn their nose to this idea of becoming more modern, I think that with the way the shoe industry is going, most older and historical companies, have to get on board with the times, or they might just get left behind. Sebago, being a staple company in recent American history, has done a great job of repositioning their image due to their recent collaborations with young, fresh designers.

With all of this in mind, Sebago just recently had their Autumn/Winter 2011 launch party at the Soho House in London and I just so happened to get invited. It was a lovey day and since the party was being held on the rooftop deck terrace, we were able to enjoy a little sunshine, snacks and all of the cool shoes that they are releasing this upcoming season. While some of the shoes were indeed, models that I have seen from previous seasons (such as my Billy Kirk collabo's), there were a lot of new colorways, as well as some fresh new designs and models. If you have read my blog for awhile, you might be able to guess my 'likes' by now and therefore understand when I tell you that I had my eyes set on the gray pair with the red sole that is called 'Abenaki' and was a collaboration with Mr. Ronnie Fieg (top left pic, above). For those that may not know, Ronnie Fieg is a designer who, in my opinion, is taking over the casual shoe industry at the moment. His talent and story are inspiring and I can only hope that one day he will look to design dress shoes as well. Who knows.......?

As you can see, Ronnie Fieg, was not the only collaboration in the house. There were shoes by Billy Kirk, a shoe/bag combo by Filson, as well as shoes by Vane. As I have said before, 2010 and onwards marks the era of collaborations and many classic companies have hopped on board to give a revamp to their image and it has worked. I absolutely love the idea too, because you have these designers that may have a passion for all sorts of products and instead of being pressured to start their own line of product, they can now just bounce around and do contracted design pieces for such and such company. This new way of getting shoes styles from all avenues is absolutely brilliant!! As much as I want to start my own shoe line and am in the process of doing so, I still would be flattered if another company came up to me and asked for a season's piece......maybe one day.

Well, as usual when the sun comes out, the boat shoes do too and ever since Sebago stepped it up in the design department, I can say that I have been absolutely loving their styles. I have one pair and am definitely going to be looking to get another, one of the Ronnie Fieg collabo's for sure. And if you are in the market to get some boat shoes too, I would give my recommendation to look no further than Sebago, for right now, they are as fresh as it gets. They even do ladies shoes too, as you can see from the two pictures directly above. Alright everyone, I am tired and have other work to do so enjoy the rest of your bank holiday if you are in the UK and everyone else, realize that Friday is just around the corner!


-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Today's Favorites - Imai Hiroki Slippers

I love the internet!!! When using it, you constantly have informational gold just at the end of your fingertips, so long as you know how to capitalize on it. That being, I was able to discover this Japanese bespoke shoe maker (or more he discovered me), Imai Hiroki, who makes some of the most incredible shoes that I have ever seen and has some of the most beautiful pictures of Japan on his site.

After punching through each link on his website (which is completely in Japanese) I came across this lovely collection of amazing house slippers. In reality, there are no words to describe just how cool these are and I guess that if you are not a shoe freak -- like me -- you may not even understand where I am coming from, but man, do I wish that I owned one, if not 5, of these! I mean, really.....how often do you see the insole of a shoe (or slipper) with a hand-patina finish? My guess would be.....NEVER! And that is what is amazing about this guy and most Japanese makers for that matter. They are so insanely obsessed with shoes, that they will take every detail in the shoemaking process and either spend 3 times the amount doing it (to make sure that it is perfect) or create new, little details that you would never have thought about, such as hand-finishing the insole.

Even though I can make my own shoes, when I come across a unique maker such as this, I still say to myself, "I would want a shoe made by this guy!"

Shoes Of The Week - Laszlo Vass

I know that you hear this all of the time from me, but I have really been in the mood for a pair of double monks, as I do not have a pair. Those and some loafers!! This pair here by Laszlo Vass is simply stunning. The color is unique and delightful, the monk strap (the actual part) is just the right design, and the buckles are subtle and simple. What more could you ask for? Maybe a slimmer sole? Naw, that's the way Vass likes it and to be honest, that's what I like about them. I love how they will create this super sleek shoe, in terms of last shape, yet then add a pretty beefy sole, but not too big like some Norwegian construction, just big enough. It's a look that you don't see often but certainly draws attention to the eye, as it is like a paradox, in a sense. But because of that, when you see someone wearing a Vass shoe, you know immediately that it is one. That's clever branding for ya!!

If you happen to love this shoe like me and want to find it, it can be purchased at: Zimmerman & Kim

The owner, Reto, is a lovely fellow and speaks great English so just send him an email if you are interested!

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Customer's Shoes - Corthay

I have never had the pleasure of actually dealing with a pair of Corthay shoes in the flesh before but just two days ago I was able to actually hold, admire and put a wicked shine on a pair of his classic two eyelet derby's called 'Arca.' Let me tell you, they are absolutely stunning and are the real deal. You could easily tell the quality was superb and that the shoes had all of the components to actually justify the price tag. It may be hard to tell because of the pictures but the color seemed to be of his classic 'aubergine.' The customer was asking me what color I think that I should have added in order to bring out the shoes' patina and ideally I would have loved to have some sort of purple, close to the shoes's color, but I didn't and just thought to add neutral, even though I am not a huge fan of neutral, as I believe that it does not bring up the shine as well. I am not sure if the customer actually dealt with Corthay himself, but he said that the guy who sold him (that he believed to be Corthay) the shoes recommended adding blue. As my blue wax polish does not have a super strong pigment, I figured 'what's the worst that could happen?' As it would be, the shoes did change color, slightly, into a more grayish tone. Nonetheless, they turned up beautifully and it was pleasure being able to finally meet and shine some Corthay shoes in the flesh!

Good Products Deserve Good Treatment

It's funny when you notice other people who wear $1000+ shoes and they throw them around, don't use shoe trees, cram their foot into them without a shoe horn and basically just abuse them. You think, "wow, they sure don't value those expensive shoes that I wished that I owned." But you can bet your bottom dollar that they are not driving their Ferrari through a hail storm or parking it outside their house? Granted, the price is quite different between these two products, but the principal is the same, as a pair of Corthay or John Lobb Paris' RTW shoes would be the equivalent of a Ferrari in the shoe world. And while you have these people who are blessed to be so rich that they just don't care, you also have the intelligent individual who buys nice stuff and wants to preserve it. Maybe to pass down to their children or because they enjoy maintaining their products? Who knows? But up until recently, at least in the States, it was hard to find those products that truly allowed you to properly maintain the articles in your wardrobe.

Due to that lack of being able to find decent products to maintain the clothing in a gentleman's closet, one man by the name of Kirby Allison, decided to do something about it and in turn created a company -- that stocks those premium products -- called THE HANGER PROJECT. The name came from the fact that he would purchase bespoke suits and when it came time to take them home, he would receive them hanging on these shitty $2 hangers that were barely fit for a t-shirt, let alone an expensive, hand-made suit. Anyone who cares about clothes knows that if you do not hang a nice suit properly, it will eventually drape awkwardly and deform. Therefore, he aimed to design and create a hanger that would be fit for a king and all his bespoke suits! And that's what he did. But supplying only hangers for suits was not enough and he therefore decided to find some of the best products around for maintaining shoes as well, and that's where I come in!

As a fine believer of maintaining the beautiful shoes that many of you are purchasing, I thought it best to highlight such a company as this. A company who believes in promoting good products that can help stretch the value of your money from the lifespan that is being added to the articles in your wardrobe. Because after all, two different men can own the same shoe and based on the way they treat it, have it last for a very different amounts of time. And the three things that can create this difference: are shoe trees, shoe horns and shoe polishing products.

Because I have already stressed the importance of shoe polishing and shoe trees in past posts on my blog, I figured that this time I would emphasize a little bit on shoe horns, as I feel that they may tend to be overshadowed. I know many men that would not even think of using a shoe horn and I can say myself that I have been known to forget to use mine as well, and because of that have seen the consequences, of which I do not want to replicate in my other shoes. And that is: fraying heels. So it is important to use a shoe horn, every time you put on your nice, expensive dress shoes. And the nicest one that I have used thus far, is always the one made by ox horn, as displayed above. So remember, if you value your clothing, treat it nicely and buy the products that can help maintain them, just as you would your car!

http://www.hangerproject.com/

Today's Favorites - Rider Boot Co.

I must say that these are absolutely stunning!! The fabric on these just might be one of the nicest one's that I have seen thus far, paired with a boot or shoe. I particularly like when a black leather shoe (or boot) is paired with a fabric that is a mixture between black and white, which in turn gives off a gray look, as is the case with this amazing herringbone tweed by Rider Boot Co.. For me, this is how a black shoe should be made, in order to take away from it's flatness and to give it more character. And to give away a little about my first design that I am working on and getting the pattern cut for, I will say that it is of this nature, that being, it will be a shoe composed of a flannel fabric and black leather. Having this boot in mind, I am quite pleased that I have been seeing more and more balmoral boots being made and put into production, although these are MTO, it's still nice to know that they are becoming more and more available. I must praise Ron Rider of Rider Boot Co. for the lovely designs and beautiful boots that I have seen of his inventory because there is nothing like a nice boot!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Leffot

Shoes Of The Week - George Cleverley

These just might be one of the prettiest brogues that I have ever seen. They simply look immaculate and have a very clean-looking feel about them and that is always what drives me towards a shoe. The gimping (shark teeth like design around hole perforations) is very small and does not detract from the design as some brogues do when their gimping is large and overbearing on the eye. And the color -- it's quite unique. They call it beige antique, but to me it brings the memory of those candy square caramel's that I used to love when I was a kid. Whatever it is, it is lovely.... I was also quite shocked when I learned of the price being as low as $850 (you might be thinking that I am crazy calling that low), especially since most British makers of that caliber, retail in the States for no less than $1000. So, to all of the British shoe lovers out there, now is your chance to pick up some handgrade's for under the 1k mark! To all others (including myself), let us admire as it is most likely WAY out of the average man's budget!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Leather Soul

My Shoes #21 - Sperry #1

 

On that note of American's favorite summer shoe and Sperry's, I just recently got back one of my favorite shoes of all time. For me, the navy blue and white classic Sperry boat shoe is universal! I can wear them with anything except a suit and the outfit will coordinate. And to prove just that, I decided to dress them up a little bit for this party that I want to and create an outfit that was one part English Dandy and one part classic American boy. That being, I had my Sperry's and some jeans but then paired that with my button-up, waistcoat and bow tie. And the look seemed to hit the target because many people were diggin' the outfit. So that just goes to show that if you are a proud owner of a pair of Sperry's there are far more outfits that you could create rather than simply wearing them only with your shorts or chinos. Now, I just can't wait to get back all of my other 7 Sperry's that I have waiting for me in the States. But they are going to arrive just in time for summer so be on the look out!

Driving Loafers - Europe's Summer Shoe

Depending on where you live in this world, there is always a shoe that acts as one's 'go-to' model once the hot days of spring and summer start to show their face. In tropical places you have the flip-flop, in the States you have the boat shoe, and in Europe you have espadrilles and even better yet, the driving loafer. But the greatest thing about driving loafers, is that if you have the right model and you wear it properly, it can go a long way in the wardrobe and be worn with more outfits (from casual to dress) than any other summer shoe out there. The question is: why is it so popular in Europe, particularly Italy and France, yet so uncommon in the rest of the world?

The evolution of the driving loafer is quite interesting, depending on how you look at it. I may be wrong here, so feel free to let me know, but common sense would say that the driving loafer was originally created so that rich people could have a nice shoe that they could use while driving their car in order to prevent two things: dirtying the floor (from dirt, mud, wetness etc.) and wearing out the back's of their shoes. With that in mind, it would have appeared to be a luxury that only few could afford, because how many people could actually justify owning a pair of leather shoes, just to use while driving? Not me (unless it's a pair of cheap slippers). But then someone intelligent (perhaps Diego Della Valle, owner of Tod's) saw a niche in the market -- the idea of a soft, flexible and comfortable casual shoe -- with these 'driving loafers' and introduced them into the public where they have been a huge success ever since!

So you might be wondering by now, 'what frickin' brand is it that makes these loafers?' Well, let me tell you. You see, the beauty of writing a blog is that you have small, up-and-coming brands that write to you that want to get their name out, and it's great because many of them actually make a cool product that deserves to be shown to the world, and the problem with other fashion publications these days is that if you don't pay them, you are not getting any space on the pages. But as a humble blogger who loves shoes and spreading the knowledge of them, I get to enjoy being introduced to brands, like Bobbies (who makes these loafers), and then being able to share them all with you! And to give you a little bit of background info, Bobbies is a Parisian company (France) who -- as you can see -- makes unique and colorful loafers. So when they sent me their website to check out and I saw those bow-tie loafers, I immediately fell in love with them, because I just thought that it was the most clever and unique idea, and it looks cool too! So if you are dying for a pair, then look no further, because here you have a brand that makes every single color that you can think of and pretty much sells them all for under 100 Euros!! Happy shopping!

 

Picture Above Courtesy Of: The Sartorialist