August 6, 2010
Compass footwear trade show
This week I went to the Compass footwear trade show, and it was amazing. I forgot to take pictures of any of the shoes, but I was really excited about a lot of what I saw there. Some highlights:
- The Eastland Made in Maine collection is amazing. Very soon they are putting out a collection of handmade moccasins using Horween leathers and made in the USA. They’re basic models are very similar to Quoddy and the many other moccasin/boat shoes out there, but they also have some more interesting boots and other models. Sartorially Inclined has some great pictures of the line from the capsule show.
- The Wolverine 1000 Mile collection has expanded to include many more new models and designs. Coming soon are a few canvas boots, a denim boot, and a 1000 mile boot made with shell cordovan. The Wolverine agent gave me a Horween leather keychain, and I’m way too excited about it.
- Timberland’s Abington line has some great new models coming out, many of them using suede.
- Mark McNairy’s various lines all look great. The Bass Weejuns collaboration is very nice and there was a big selection from his New Amsterdam line being shown as well.
- I kind of love the Florsheim by Ducky Brown collection. They have such a large collection of shell cordovan and Horween leather longwings, some in really nice colors and some in tacky colors. They’re made in China, but I’d be interested in seeing how they hold up since they use such high quality leathers.
April 15, 2010
Summer shoes: Quoddy for 3sixteen Deck Chukka
I just got these in Navy and they’re my new favorite shoes. I haven’t had many opportunities to wear them just yet, but I’m sure I will get a lot of wear in these as the weather warms up in NYC.
Quoddy hand sews these for 3sixteen in Maine from Horween Chromexcel leather. There have been a lot of collaborations with Quoddy lately by a lot of larger retailers (J. Crew, Urban Outfitters) and some smaller companies, but these are my favorite that I’ve seen so far. I love Sperry but these are far better in terms of quality, appearance, and comfort, definitely worth it if you want something that will last.
January 15, 2010
The Deer Hunter | LL Bean c. 1969 « A Continuous Lean.
The Deer Hunter | LL Bean c. 1969 « A Continuous Lean..
1969 LL Bean catalog scans, includes tons of bean boots
January 9, 2010
Bean Boots
LL Bean 10″ Maine Hunting Shoe
I’d been looking at these for a while since I desperately needed winter/rain boots and they fit in pretty well with my newfound fascination with New England. These are hand-made in Maine by LL Bean and they usually last at least 20 years or so. It’s nice putting these on instead of ruining my other shoes by exposing them to salt and snow. Also they’re great for when I go duck hunting!
January 6, 2010
My first boat shoes – J.Crew and Sperry Chukka in brown nubuck
I got my first pair of boat shoes as a Christmas present this year. I’m usually not into the more standard looking boat shoes, but I saw these and they did something for me (not sexually).
Trip to Boston
Went to Boston for the first time while on vacation in December. Some random highlights and pictures:
- The Eastern Standard by Fenway Park is a great restaurant/lounge that plays great music. Every part of my meal was great and it was decently priced.
- The Isabella Gardner Museum is inspiring. Unfortunately they are very strict about not allowing any photos to be taken inside.
- The New England Aquarium is amazing, I obviously am fascinated with jellyfish and they had a bunch
- The Museum of Fine Art is great. I want to go back but I’m going to settle on going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art instead.
BrownBoots 