July 2010
Words, Images Judith Ecochard
It was a gangbusters hot Sunday outside, but cool and calm indoors at the recent ENK Menswear Tradeshow, located waaayyy over on 28th street at a spacious renovated brick wall former industrial venue that is ideal for these types of events.
As always, (THANKS) the press/pr guy gave us the 411 on this hot shoe collection…
First off was the footwear brand Vintage, now a refreshed brand owned by H.H. Brown Company, itself a Berkshire Hathaway/Warren Buffet guided conglomerate.
With the tag line:
“Some People Think That Fine Shoe Making Is A Lost Art, At Vintage Shoe Company, It Is Our Heritage”
this Born in The USA company has been divvying up their handcrafted finesse, using ultra soft leather that’s been washed in a proprietary, industrialized way (we thought the leather was made form the pricy buffalo kind),
----with exacting stitched uppers sporting a lot of hand crafted details, comfy memory foam footbeds that bounce back, …
AND
Welt Construction…
All in the same factory that’s been around since 1883.
For the S/S 2011 looks that we saw, it was back to the archives for styles that stand the test of fashionably forever---
Including Chukka profiles (VAUGHN), Jodpher (VANCE), Moc Toe Lace-ups (VINCENT), Chukka Sport –like a hiking boot (FREDERIC, and Engineer kickers (ELIJAH), harness pull-on boots (VICTOR), Western (CHARLIE), Tanker (ISSAC) and Jump boots (NATHANIEL).
AND: Loafers ((WILLIAM), Brogues (HARRY), and Cap Toe (MATTHEW)
FYI: Women’s also available and equally coveted…we saw the line-up at Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow this week.
Priced around mid $200s---Made in Martinsburg, PA
Under the same corporate umbrella, KORK-EASE, a San Fran. peddler since 1953, gets new owners, a new attitude and a fun website for 2010.
We saw some great leather flip flops with supportive footbeds, and the outsoles that the brand is acclaimed for…
Plus a terrific, versatile leather slip-ons and tie-ups, lifestyle casual, that’s handsome, well made, and a dapper option for barefoot feet everywhere there’s a rise in the temps.
WALK-OVER Shoes by George. E. Keith SINCE 1758 (!!!!!) is a label with history.
As in, the George E. Keith Company “first made a custom line of Walk-Over Shoes in the early 1700’s…standing for style and quality..."
What we saw---leather uppers, linings and insoles,
Light-weight (really) Red EVA bottoms for color pizazz,
Updated leather hues and combination soles….
Navy and Green=Cool
Like these so old they’re hip white and “dirty” buck uppers in basic saddles, derby and mini lug oxfords (in suede too, nice), cap toe and wingtips,
...so Cambridge and Princeton lace ups with perforated designs---in suede, and chukkas two eye boots.
Even the guys we know that think premium denim jeans are supercilious---will admire the sardonic twist of these shoes.
BONUS POINTS: MADE IN NEW ENGLAND
