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

Today's Favorites - Rider Boot Co. Sketches

Looking at these, makes me feel bad about my sketches. Not that I couldn't draw something this well. I am sure that I could (well, almost as good) if I actually put my mind to it, but I just don't think that I have the patience. My simple sketches take me long enough. Drawings like these would take me like 4-5 hours, minimum. But I cannot deny that they are absolutely amazing! If you go to the website, you will see how the shoes look IDENTICAL to the drawing, that's impressive! I have always been curious about how companies translate idea to final product and whether or not it is done by sketches or has been taken over by computer imagery. Finding these images gave me a breath of relief to know that some still do it the manual way of free-hand sketching. While computers make amazing imagery and graphics and have paved the way for many industries, sometimes things done the old-fashioned still have the one-up in the wow-factor! Drawings of shoes, for me, is one of them!

Pictures Courtesy Of: Rider Boot Co.

My Ideal Boot

Last year I wrote about The Perfect Boot and how a nice dress chukka could take you a long way, and frankly, I still agree with that but considering it is 2011, I wanted to switch it up a little and tell you about my ideal boot!! I have always been a big fan of how people around the world dressed in the late 1800's-early 1900's, also known as the Victorian and Edwardian era's. If you are unfamiliar with this way of dressing you can always watch movies such as Dorian Gray or Sherlock Holmes to get an idea. But to briefly tell you verbally, these two periods were a time in which people had the decency to always look sharp and by that, I state that the act of wearing a suit and dress attire was the norm. And part of that dress attire, as you can imagine, was some sort of dress shoe or boot, which brings us to the subject at hand.....

Boots At Top Of Page: Crockett & Jones (Clarence model)
Boots Above (4 Pair): Edward Green (Shannon model)

The balmoral boot, aesthetically, has to be my favorite boot and is obviously the inspiration behind this post, particularly the C&J model at the top of this page along with the black & white version of the Shannon model by Edward Green (above, left). Back in the Victorian/Edwardian days, you would have found that this was a favorite for the smarter dressed men of society. Considering that the streets were not paved as they are today, it was imperative for men to have nice dress boots that could help protect from the sludge that was inevitably everywhere. And because the balmoral boot is the dressiest boot there is, you can see why it was the go-to option for the men of these time periods!

Boots Above Top Row: Left - Edward Green; Right - Foster & Son
Boots Above Bottom Row: Rider Boot Co. (both)

While obviously not exclusive to British shoe companies, you will notice that the majority of my pictures do come from British shoe companies. I feel that because they were such a crucial piece in the sartorial realm of men in those time periods (periods characterized by British ruling, and fashion), British shoe companies seem to always have a model available in their current offerings where as shoe companies from other parts of the world may or may not be offering one at any given time. Nevertheless, the balmoral boot remains (as it did in the Victorian/Edwardian era's) a quintessential piece in the wardrobes of the men who still care to dress with some exuberance!! And this is because, as you would know if you own a pair, it is a boot that can easily go from day wear with jeans, to work wear with suits, and then to evening wear with trousers and a button-up shirt. Now if only I owned a dang pair, I could have taken pictures to model that image for you!!!!!!!!!

Boots Top Row: Left - Cliff Roberts (British Bespoke Shoemaker); Right - Carreducker
Boots Middle Row: Left - Stefano Bemer; Right - Gaziano & Girling
Boots Bottom: Gaziano & Girling

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!

Today's Favorites - Random's

Here are a couple of random shoes for you. The top shoes (spectators) are by Rider Boot Co, the gray sneakers are by Bally and the bottom two pictures are shoes by Neil Barrett. The others I am not completely sure about. Enjoy nonetheless!!

Boots - A Man's Necessity

Whether it's one of those disgusting Mark Nason boots, a simple chukka boot or a nice dress boot I feel like every man in his right mind wants or needs to own at least one pair of boots to solidify his manhood. "Boot: The man's shoe!" Maybe it is just me but ever since ads have created something showing what a man's man looks like and the fact that in the ad, this man is almost always wearing a pair of boots, I feel like this idea of having a boot in the wardrobe has become eminent to one's sartorial completion. And I think that it is great because I am a big fan of boots, certain one's that is!! Earlier I did an article on the perfect boot (here) in which I stated that the proper dress chukka could go a long way in versatility and function but of course I also think that there are many other styles that are essential to the completion of many looks and a balanced wardrobe.

Let's go through the different types of boots:

Lace Up's

Balmoral (Closed Lacing):









Left Boots: Stefano Bemer
Right Boots: Gaziano & Girling










Left Boots: Koronya
Right Boots: Rider Boot Co. (Picture provided by Leffot)

Derby (Open Lacing):










Boots Above: Edward Green (Pictures provided by Leffot)











Left Boots: Alden (Picture provided by Leather Soul)
Right Boots: Alden (Picture provided by Leffot)    


Slip On's

Chelsea's (2 Gore Boots):










Left Boots: To Boot New York
Right Boots: Gaziano & Girling (Picture provided by Leffot)













Left Boots: Gaziano & Girling
Right Boots: Edward Green (Picture provided by Leffot)


Zip Up's:

Boot Above: To Boot New York


Chukka's -Go to 'The Perfect Boot' to see many different styles

I particularly like the Edward Green boots under the lace up derby section. The pairing between the calfskin and a pebble grain gives it a great balance between casual and dress. It has the cap toe design creating more of a dress feeling while at the same time has the nice thick sole and the copper eyelets that lends it the casual look. Although I would not pair it with a suit you could dress it up with a nice set of trousers and a button up shirt and look very presentable but could also throw on a blazer with a nice pair of jeans over the boots and also come out with a great look. It's hard to find that perfect boot that can go so many ways with different styles/occasions/looks and be affordable at the same time. I have yet to make a boot for myself but it is definitely in my line up for what I need to do next so that I can truly complete my wardrobe!

But for all those guys who buy boots such as Mark Nason, Jo Ghost, Robert Wayne etc. (Look here for examples) and wear them with your tight T-shirts and True Religion jeans that are so baggy you could probably fit my entire torso inside the pant leg of a size 30......PLEASE spare yourself the embarrassment!!! You are not cool and you look like a joke. Buy yourself some grown up boots and become a real man!!