Shoes Of The Week

I can't say who these who are by, but I must say that they are absolutely AMAZING!! These have to be the coolest roller-skates I have ever seen in my entire life, and while that it not a hard feat to overcome, no one can deny just how absolutely fantastic these are. Granted, I would have much more appreciated the actual boot as a normal wearing shoe, but the person who skates in these will definitely be the most stylist skater ever to have lived! 

I love the fact that they coupled these skates/chukka boots with the fat skateboard-shoe laces, something that you would never see paired with a dress shoe and just seems throw off this entire look even more! This idea certainly shows just how intricate art can become depending on how elaborate the artists mind can be. I only wish I knew who made these. I know that Anthony Delos has done something similar but I am not convinced that those are his shoes. Nevertheless, I would not mind having those as my roller-skates, that's for sure!

Picture Courtesy Of: Parisian Gentleman 

                                For The Discerning Few

Today's Favorites - Donald Pliner

I can't really say that I am particularly fond of the shape of the oxford and the way that it's toe box seems to severely slant upwards, but the idea behind these shoes is absolutely amazing! Red detailing on a blue shoe just might be one of my favorite color combinations, if done properly. The oxford reminds me of a bespoke shoe that my colleagues were making while I was training in Italy. It was similar in the idea of having navy paired with hidden red detailing but did not have the red sole and, of course, since it was bespoke, it was 9 million times better looking. And can you guess who it was for?? A daring Japanese customer! (You have to admire their lack of fear in wearing bold shoes) Anyway, one thing I love about Donald Pliner is that he sure is not afraid to go outside of the box and while some of his stuff can be a little too far outside, he also has his moments where he creates just the things I have always wanted to see sitting on a shelf of a shoe department!

Today's Favorites - Grenson Spring/Summer 2011

It really doesn't get much more exciting than this!! For the Spring/Summer 2011 lineup, Grenson is offering all of the things that I wish every company would offer: colored laces, contrasted colored soles, teal/blue colored shoes, some form of saddle shoe, spectators etc. I love the fact that someone (besides me) has made a teal colored shoe that can be sold to the world. I really hope that many distributing stores buy those shoes so that I can catch someone in the act of wearing them. How awesome would that be!! Grenson had a big year in 2010 and I feel that with the direction that it would appear that they are going, 2011 is going to be even bigger! And I am happy about that. It is refreshing to see a major company releasing shoes in non-traditional styles, using lots and lots of COLOR!!!

Photos Courtesy Of: The Shoe Buff

Shoes Of The Week

Being from Seattle and America for that matter, I have never really needed to own any protect-your-feet-from-snow type of shoes. I have always liked the idea of these types of shoes but was always put off by the chunkiness of them, not really being a big fan of the clunky looking soles that they tend to have. But now I live in England and with the way the weather has been changing, I fear that I am in great need of a pair of this type of shoe. What you may not know about Europe if you have never been there, is the fact that you spend way more time outside than the average American, at least for travel. It's much to small to always get in your car and drive to where you need to go. Most of the time you find yourself walking there or taking public transportation. And that means that you are much more exposed to the nasty weather that comes about.

This year has shown a big trend in the popularity of these types of shoe and while Red Wing, in my mind, is the catalyst behind this look, my favorite model that I have seen thus far is the one above and below by Cole Haan. While it has all of the same aesthetics as all of the other models, I feel that it looks much more sleek. Maybe that's just me or the fact that the picture is doing the shoe great justice but when I saw this pair, I wanted it bad!!

It ended up being like 8 inches of snow fall (20 centimeters) and I was shit out of luck without any proper shoes!!

Colored/Contrasting Laces

Shoes By: Markowski

When it comes to French shoemakers and French men, in general, I have to say: THEY ARE THE MOST DARING!!!! Even more so than the stylish and bold Italians, the French will do things that no one else does or even tries. A close second may be the Japanese. But where else can you find bright blue shoes paired with pink laces and actually see someone wearing these on the streets? Some of you may find these shoes and this idea ostentatious and even just plain ugly but I think that it is absolutely fantastic that there are so many people in that country who are not afraid to actually admit that they like color and will put that out there by wearing some of the wildest shoes you could ever imagine. And better yet, they are not afraid to throw some imagination into their shoe creations by adding colored laces that are completely contrasting to the rest of the shoe. The only other maker who I know that will commonly add this feature to his shoes is Paul Smith, another gentlemen not afraid to show his love of color!

Shoes Above Top Row: Corthay (both pairs)
Shoes Above Bottom Row: Left - Corthay; Right - Paul Smith

As I always preach, the smallest of details can turn something relatively boring into something exciting and unique. For instance, the Corthay shoe (above, left) would have been just another version of a black brogued-wingtip, common as any other with just a different last shape. But adding the yellow/golden ribbon laces to it just put it into a whole other category of shoe. It is no longer just some common brogue, it is now force to be reckoned with. It is unique, eye-catching and ultimately, immaculate! While it was always a handsome shoe, it became that much more handsome by the simple addition of colored ribbon laces! And as you start to pay attention you will start to notice that this idea is almost exclusive to French makers and I appreciate them that much more for their ability to step of out the box and add a dash of color into their products.

Top Shoes: Left - Rider Boot Co.; Right - Saion
Middle Shoes: Left - Markowski; Right - Stefano Bemer
Bottom Shoes: Markowski

If you are a person who appreciates coordinating colorful outfits, this feature in the shoe will add a million more possibilities to the sartorial outcomes produced from your wardrobe. How great is that!! Obviously, if you have never done this before, it might be hard the first few times because, no doubt about it, people will stare at you. The thing that you need to do is just tell yourself that they are admiring you and that you are damn stylish. And guaranteed, as long as you put two colors that go well together, you will be damn stylish and better dressed than many people out there! For those of you reading and thinking that this is emasculating and that no real macho man would do this, you are wrong! A real man, secure and confident, doesn't give a shit if others judge them negatively (for their sartorial decisions) and wears what he wants because he wants to! So don't be afraid to put your pride aside and try something daring!

Shoe Of The Day

I have said it twenty times before and might just say it a million times more: DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!!! How cool are these shoes by Pierre Corthay? Laces matching the lining: Brilliant!! That is one thing that I love about French makers; they are not afraid to push the envelope and try things that you would normally not see. And because of that, the shoes they create end up being some of the most intriguing and unique shoes around. I would love to just try these things myself but have a hard time finding dress laces in bright and unique colors. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find these? I would love to get laces in every color!!

On a side note, sorry for the long wait in another full-length post. I have been on vacation for the past couple days, attending a wedding of a dear friend. I will be back on track next week. Thanks for your patience. Other good news is I received my visa to go back to Europe. This means that I will soon make another pair of shoes to share with all of you!!

Shoe Of The Day

I totally forgot to add this on the burgundy shoe post so I thought that I would give this Sutor Mantellassi shoe some love on the Shoe of the Day section. Not only do you see a burgundy suede, which is extremely rare, but then they went and paired it with a green sole and laces. AMAZING!!! I love the idea of this shoe and the thought of all the different color combinations this shoe could produce. What about a blue suede with a yellow sole and laces? How crazy would that be! Go Sutor!!