This is the last week of winter. You heard me right. Ice is making its annual migration from off the mountaintops and into my coffee order.
Get ready for spring: it’s gonna be a hot one, especially if these boot and denim companies keep dropping fire.
Nicks Handmade Boots
Famed tannery Horween has a new leather. It’s called Shackleton, and Washington-based Nicks Boots is jumping on the opportunity to wrap their premium footwear in the latest and greatest.
Nicks is offering two new boots up for sale in Horween’s Shackleton: the Maxwell and the Traveler. Both boots come in three different color options, including Cognac, Greener Pastures, and Brown.
The boots are sure to feature the top-notch durability that comes with all Nicks Boots, but now with a leather that boasts a buttery hand feel, a teacore center, and a waterproof upper.
It would be a hard choice to pick between the Maxwell and the Traveler, but if push came to shove, I’d personally go with the Maxwell. I’m a sucker for a badass lug outsole on a boot built like a tank.
Helm Boots
If you need to kick in the boardroom door and ask for a raise, Helm Boots got you covered.
The Austin based boot brand just dropped the Arran. This is their latest brogue style shoe.
The Arran features Full-grain Calfanil leather on the outside and black leather lining on the inside. The upper comes in Burgundy, Tan, or Black and features a simple yet elegant design in the perforations on the toe.
Helm Boots said they drew inspiration for this brogue from the history of hardworking style from the good people of Scotland and Ireland. I personally have family lineage going back to the Aran Islands, so I can already hear my ancestors telling me to put these on my feet and avenge the death of my great-great grandfather (ngl probably going to ignore that second demand, sorry ancestors).
The Arran’s are going for $275 a pop.
Division Road x Easy Moc
Division Road teamed up with Easy Moc to create the spring-time moccasin that looks to be a worthy addition to any wardrobe.
The Rambler 3-Eye Moc features a hand-sewn moc toe construction, is leather lined, and walks on a durable Vibram outsole.
This collaboration is dropping in two different colors and is featuring leather from a defunct Maine based tannery, Tasman. This means, this is a limited release that won’t likely ever be made again.
I usually am not a big fan of true moccasin shoes, but there’s something about the rugged style and daily driver buildout of these that’s really speaking my language.
Check it out while you can. As of this writing, some sizes are already starting to sell out.
Hiroshi Kato
The denim professionals at Hiroshi Kato are producing a number of white Chinos to get you ready for a sunny walk down the boardwalk or drinks on the dock.
These are their Axe Denit in Heather White, a bold and vintage look made from their crazy soft ‘denit’ (a fabric blended from denim and knit).
I personally would never trust myself with white pants. Beer two, without fail, ends up dripping on me.
But if you have the poise, the gravitas, the cajoles, and the ability to eat and drink like an adult, then you should put these on your list.
Stock at Hiroshi Kato comes and goes with the changing of the season.
Gustin
If you saw that last post and thought, ‘that’s not loud at all’, then this is the post for you.
Gustin started a crowd-funding campaign to drop this mustard-orange denim.
To men, yellow typically means, ‘woah buddy, hit the brakes’. But every once in the while, you gotta stare straight into the sun (not many times though).
The fabric comes from the North Carolina denim factory Cone Mills, so you know there’s serious substance to these pants. The white weft is sure to wear in with a subtle washed out look over time.
The 10 ounce weight of the fabric is also right on point to wear comfortably in the summer. Plus you won’t ever have to worry about spilling mustard on your pants (ketchup is another story).
I’m curious to see if this campaign reaches its full backing and comes into existence. But if you’re feeling bold, I say go for it.
See You Next Week
I have this front patio. It’s the spot to be three seasons out of the year. Although it’s facing the street, it still feels secluded from the world because of the privacy and shade of a massive Poplar tree.
I do my best thinking under this Poplar. It’s mature, about 40 feet tall, and has thousands of leaves that make the most beautiful sound when they gently rustle in an afternoon breeze.
Every year, the Poplar would turn a brilliant golden hue before shedding its leaves for the winter.
Well, this tree happens to land about two feet onto my neighbor’s property. And while I was at work the other day, he cut it down.
I don’t know the exact reason for the tree being chopped down in its prime, but the hole it’s leaving in my front yard is stark.
Life is always in motion. Sometimes the things you love can be taken from you without notice.
Looking out at the freshly cut stump, I thought of my friend Ray. I’ve been meaning to call him for months, but again and again, I would get distracted.
After more than a half of a year of playing this disappointing game of thinking “I need to give him a call”, this February I found out Ray had passed away.
Cherish the shade while you have it.