Balmoral Boot Porn

I was never quite the biggest fan of pairing black with a burgundy and/or an oxblood/merlot type of color, but I must admit that the more that I studied this prototype of mine (for wear-testing), the more that the combination of colors grew on me. Having friends and colleagues try it on, wearing jeans, suits, dress casual trousers etc., the more that I felt that these colors actually go quite nice together. It never presented itself as being too dressy for one thing, yet too casual for another. Meaning, that when my colleague tried it on with his navy suit, I felt that it complemented the outfit quite well and when tried on underneath a pair of jeans, it happened to smarten up the outfit. That being, while it's contrast is subtle and not in the least ostentatious, it still provides a great deal of pleasure to the eye, overcoming the monotony of two colors too close in tone. I am still not sure if this will be a colorway that I offer for my first collection, but nevertheless, I am now pleased to have at least had it made up, which gave me the chance to absorb its subtle yet elegant contrast....

Shoes Of The Week - Crockett & Jones Boot

It's funny because the last time I was in Spain, working out my prototypes, I was thinking of the different combinations of colors/materials to use on my balmoral boots and a medium brown paired with a snuff suede was precisely what I had in mind, until I saw these boots by Crockett & Jones..... While my boot is quite different, aesthetically in shape and pattern, and using similar colors is by no means copying, being the weird individual that I am, I am now having second thoughts about using these colors as I do not want have something that is too similar to someone else's shoe/boot. At least not for my first collection....but then again, I have a couple of months to think about it and when my prototypes are all finalized, I am planning on giving all of you a chance to influence the different color options that my shoes will come in.

But anyway, back to the subject at hand. When I saw these, I was pleased nonetheless, not only because I like them and enjoy shining shoes that I like, but also because these shoes come from an individual that appreciates nice shoes and it always makes me happy to meet people like this. This is already the second pair of his that I have put on the blog and am sure that there will be more to come...

I won't be posting until at least Sunday, so I wanted to wish all of you not only a fantastic weekend but a wonderful New Years!! Enjoy the festivities......and until 2012!

Best,

Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Today's Favorites - Caulaincourt

I wanted to try and squeeze out my usual long-post that I do on Mondays, but I simply have not had enough time, as I prepare for my flight to Spain and such. But as I hate to leave my blog content-less for too long, I figured that I would give you a little tidbit to hold you over until I get back on Thursday. I know that I have been showing a lot of boots lately but I just can't help it as the majority of lovely things that I have been seeing, are in fact boots. This one above by Caulaincourt (go to site at your own risk, my computer denied access) just might take the cake however. The mix between tweed, colors, a touch of burnishing and brogue detail were simply perfect, not leaving a single trace of lack in style or aesthetic. And while I had always heard of this brand before, but never really putting much thought into them, I will now definitely keep them on my radar after seeing these bad boys....

Well, it's that time to be off now, as I head out to have a quick lunch before my flight. Optimistically thinking, my prototypes will be all sorted out by the time I come back, but realistically speaking, I will at least have one (if not more) round of corrections. Just know that after much talk about releasing my own shoe line, it is creeping upon realization. Thanks to all of those that have been loyal in following my progress, I only hope that I do not let you all down....

Enjoy your week and be back on Thursday!

-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Today's Favorites - Carmina Balmoral Boot

I have never actually had the pleasure of holding a pair of Carmina shoes in my hands, but I have always appreciated what I have seen in pictures and all of the nice things that most people have to say about them. While they tend to not stray too far outside of classic styles, I did notice this pair on Ethan Desu's blog a little while ago and was quite taken aback by the uniqueness of them. There was no description of what they were for, but I could only imagine that they must have been an MTO, as this is not a combination that you see often, especially in RTW circulation. And even though it did not make me say 'WOW' for some unknown reason, I feel that I would love to have them and would gravitate towards them more than I think. Something about them really captures me, but in a way that is almost indescribable. The seem to have these little subtle qualities that make them really stand apart, but only after 3 or 4 glances do you notice them. I feel that they come up higher on your leg than your average pair, the stitching along the facing is not quite straight but not quite as curved either when it comes to the edge of the vamp/quarter, and that the mouth of the boot (above ankle) is a lot smaller than most openings. And all of these details make me think that this is truly inspired by what they used to wear in the late 19th, early 20th centuries.... I applaud the person that designed them...Well done!

Globalization: The Rise & Fall of the Shoe Industry

As it quickly creeps up to the end of another 365 day chunk of my life, I thought that it would be nice to reflect on what has happened, what is happening and the possibility of great change to come, within the shoe world. Let me start off by saying that for most of my life, I had the feeling that 2012 (the year that I turn 28) was going to be a significant year for me. I don't why, but for some reason I always felt that age 28 was going to be a year of greatness, where many significant things happen. While I won't divulge into the personal things, this upcoming year will hopefully mark my official entrance into the shoe industry, not only as someone who has supplied the world with information, but more so, as someone who supplies the world with a product that they can truly appreciate. However, the more time that I spend in the shoe industry, observing everything around me, the more that I feel there is so much to work on, as I truly believe that for many, the idea of quality has been swiftly replaced by the idea of a high profit margin. This unfortunate idea has led to the demise of many brands.

I most likely would have never thought of these things one year ago, but as I try and work out the pricing of my own shoes to make a fair price for my customers, the more that I realize that so many shoes are insanely marked up, for what seems to be solely for the purpose of their name being etched on the shoe somewhere. This idea hit me quite hard when I was wondering around the shoe floor of Galleries Lafayette in Paris a little while back. Never before had I realized that so many brands charge incredibly high prices for such low-quality products. It simply boggled me. There were shoes that were in the same category of pricing as Edward Green but were about 1/100 of the quality. Go figure....It suddenly dawned on me that because of globalization, companies around the world were able to flourish internationally and take their business to levels never seen before, but also outsource cheaper labor while at the same time raising their prices. And in 2011, this is what we are left with. But I believe that I am not the only one who has noticed this and others, like me, are hoping to use globalization in a positive way to get more fair prices to the people.

There was a time when the US and the UK (more so) flourished as shoemaking industries and were known for making only high quality products. But once these companies became able to use factories across the world where laborers charged a significantly lower fraction of the cost in respects to their native workers, many of these factories dried up and disappeared, leaving only a memory of what used to be great. But now, as factories across the world are sprouting up in places that you would have never thought of, able to do good work for fair prices, there could be a change. This change may not occur next year, or in 5 years, but I am betting that many people (consumers) are becoming more conscious of what makes a shoe worth it's cost and companies will start wising up to the fact that people will not buy a £600 shoe when it is only worth £50.....

Photos Courtesy Of: Style Forum
They show a goodyear welted boot made to order from Vietnam

The Perfect Winter Boot

Septieme Largeur

A few weeks ago, I did a post about the 5 Essential Shoes for Winter and listed that a heavy brogue boot would definitely be one of those shoes to get you through these cold months. What I did not realize then and just recently stumbled upon was the fact that there is another boot, not too far off from this, which I believe could be the ONE shoe (boot) that anyone would ever need for the winter season. That boot being, a light brogue boot with a leather sole, preferably as an oxford as seen here by Septieme Largeur. The reason that I did not think of this, is because you rarely see them. But after getting a pair and thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. Not only does it look good casually but can also be paired with the thicker suits that one tends to wear during the colder months.

As you can see, the features of the boot give it everything it needs to be as a dress shoe: slim sole, sleek last shape, normal heel height etc. The only thing that makes it casual would be the metal, ring eyelets (the bottom ones, as the trouser should always cover the top ones). But they are so nondescript that they create the perfect balance of being not too casual for pairing with suits, but just casual enough to make these boots look real good with a nice pair of jeans. The design, quite admirable, is something that I would have never thought of. And that's why I did not mind actually getting a pair, knowing that I would not put something like this into my first collection, and will now have to think about whether or not I will ever add it at all, for fear of having to give these away!

Edward Green (ladies) -- Leffot

Laszlo Vass

Rider Boot Co.

Perfetto

After wearing them a couple of times and thinking about their versatility, I realized that this very well could be my go-to winter shoe. It's dark, elegant but casual and can be paired with the majority of outfits that one could create, with the exception of fancy dress. That being, I figured that it's the perfect winter boot. Now as a second choice, as the oxford version is hard to find, I would have to say that the derby brogue boot is a good contender. I would not pair it with a suit but it makes a darn fine shoe for jeans and the likes of winter-type trousers such as moleskins and corduroys, just the things that I gravitate towards (as I am sure that you do too) once that weather gets so cold that I can feel it in my bones. And after re-evaluating my shoe collection, I see that oxford shoes are something that I do not really need to add any more of, and boots are something that I have far too little of. Good thing there will be 3 different boots in my first collection. I won't mind nicking a couple of pairs....

Alden

Edward Green -- Photo courtesy of Leffot

Shoes Of The Week - Perfetto

Hands down, these are among the coolest boots/shoes that I have ever seen. Every single detail is bang-on, the styles are amazing and the mixtures of fabric with leather are extremely well-executed. The more that I see shoes that are either designed, or made by Japanese people, the more I feel that the Japanese are surely becoming the masters of shoes. I had never heard of this brand, Perfetto, but upon stumbling across them, I fell in love instantly. And what shoe love wouldn't? After researching a little, it seems that they were an up-and-comer at the last Pitti Uomo, which means that with cool shoes like this, we can expect to hopefully see much more of them as they get purchased by stores around the world. Granted many stores buy rubbish shoes, so maybe we won't, but nonetheless I believe that they will be successful. And believe it or not, this model above, is definitely an example of something that I would still buy, even when I have my own line.....

On that note, let me tell you that I will be getting 8 of my 13 samples on Monday, so be on the look out for a picture or two, for sneak-previews sake!

Majority of Pictures Courtesy Of: The Suitorial

What I Am Wearing

As the weather gets colder and colder, I am having to go through all of my different jackets, in order of thickness. Right now, it's not so bad, so I usually wear my newly purchased rain coat. This should last me until the end of October, where upon the super cold weather will come and I will need to upgrade to my proper overcoat. But the nicest thing about this time (Autumn) is that I feel like this rain coat is not so much a big hindrance, but more of a lovely accessory. It adds a lovely layer to each outfit and can be paired with almost anything from jeans to suits and maintain a fluid look with each. It's nice when you can find a jacket that does this for you and so you can imagine that I was thrilled when I found this for only 40 GBP.

Shoes: Gaziano & Girling 'Wigmore'
Jacket: Uniqlo
Trousers: H&M
Bow Tie: Gieves & Hawkes
Shirt: Primark