I made my first sneaker purchase of 2018 and it was love at first fit. $150 factory fresh straight off the manufacturer’s site- no raffles, lines or reseller hijinks. From a distance, the average consumer wouldn’t even notice how hype they are, but up close the beauty blossoms, and on foot- they make me feel bad for other sneakers. Time reveals the true soul of a shoe so I’ve decided to rock these for a year before claiming they’re my favorite sneakers ever. Maybe I’d even buy a second pair- does anyone ever do that? Off the top, here’s why I think they’re so great:
They’re from a longtime maker of athletic footwear, but not the “big 2” (Nike & Adidas), who both frankly bore me these days.
The branding/logo is present, but very tastefully incorporated into the design to where a fool would have to zoom in to see what kind they were unless they were a sneaker hawk expert.
They’re majority leather (meaning cowhide, sorry PETA) – two different textures on the outer, and smooth leather on the inner lacedeck and heel. Meaning they’ll last better and won’t get stinky like your boy’s petroleum-based overpriced sneakers.
The removable insoles are leather topped. You have no idea how disappointing sneaker shopping can be when shoe after shoe asking over a hundred have the same chintzy fabric-coated insoles that you’d find on any Payless cheapos. Nothing feels better than leather- the perspiration absorbing qualities will keep your feet fresher longer while molding to the shape of your footprint in a way inferior synthetic coating could never.
The insides of the tongue are leather- a nice buttery padded leather that rests against the bony foot tops ever so lovely you can almost hear thy feet say “ahhh…” when I give that final tie-up.
The outside of the tongues are suede. After trying many brands of leather sneakers, my observation is that leather tongues (due to the nature of athletic shoe construction) rubbing against leather insides of the lacedeck can elicit a creaking sound while walking. A little dab of Obenauf’s or petroleum jelly has remedied this on past sneakers, but these with the suede up against leather- brilliant! No squeaks, no goo needed . The tongues never slide too much and they don’t even have nor need lace-slots.
The laces are perfect length. Minor thing, but seven times out of ten I replace the stock laces when I buy shoes because they’re usually way too long. Everyone removes their shoelaces and measures them upon purchasing right? They’re 49 inches and that’s the sweet spot between the 54″s that come stock with most sneakers and a more manageable (yet too short) 45″. Like Minnie Riperton sang “The simple things…”
They look killer and I feel like a superhero when I put them on.
So these sneaks are great at first step. I feel like I can wear them anytime with anything dressed up or down, but let’s see how I feel a year from now. Peace!
I’m going to write something nice about flip-flops (the double F-word) for the first time ever, specifically these Island Slipper men’s Paniolo sandals handcrafted in Hawaii, USA that I happily purchased with my own Benjamin.
Popdiatry recommends not wearing flip-flops on city streets, while travelling (planes and trains), and definitely not while driving. I was looking for something that surrounded my foot with leather, and these do that.
If you’re going to flip-flop, do it right and spend a little more than it would cost for lunch at Wendy’s. These are your feet! Island Slipper has lots of designs using leather, suede, and denim- materials we feel offer a happier foot-feel than plastic/foam.
When it’s summer, and I’m at my place working on the computer for long hours, these cowhide leather-topped flip-flops feel perfect on my bare feet, and I look forward to the natural wear they will incur throughout the many years I imagine owning them.
They have some arch to them, a heal cup, and a non-marking rubber deck outsole, so you won’t scuff up the yacht.
Island Slipper makes sandals for men and women, and offers true number sizes (not like S/M/L/XL) The slippers are made upon order and find their way to your doorstep in about three weeks after confirmation.
The embossed leather pattern is very cool, asymmetrical, and florally Hawaiian they way I imagine a Hawaiian shirt pattern.
I have an inexpensive pair of foam slides for walking around after a shower, but they were very un-chill to wear for long periods of time with their ultra-synthetic feel. When I slide my feet into leather Island Slippers, I want to keep them on.
The Island Slipper staff was very friendly and helpful, and I look forward to sharing more thoughts about their unique products.
We’ve been a fan of Oregon’s KEEN and their penchant for coming up with eye-catching, functional designs for outdoor types. (I love my left/right socks). I recall seeing their UNEEK line of open-air footwear hit the scene, but it wasn’t until I inspected the latest UNEEKs up close did I get a little mEsMeRiZeD by the tapestried system of interlocking cords that attach the sole to the upper, creating a sturdy, ornamental web around your foot.
KEENfootwear.com
KEEN threw a party last week on Orchard Street in NYC to showcase the UNEEK 02 line, which they feel perfects the build of the 01s with even more thought on how the cords (flat and rounded) work with the natural shape of the foot. I’d knee-jerkedly put them on a list of “things to wear instead of flip-flops”
Photo: KEEN
On display, they had the prototype collection of what would become the UNEEK, including the OG pin & thread over last:
I got to chat with members of the Keen team, and they assured me these would probably be good for river-tubing. It takes a stroke of confidence to uniquely call your thing U-Neek. I’d say that KEEN delivered with what are essentially little engineering masterpieces. I’d consider trying them out on the beach, probably while bumping some Eek-A-Mouse, and maybe a little Chronixx.
The Green Festival Expo calls itself America’s largest and longest-running sustainability and green living event. I took a walk around the 2016 New York City Green Festival Expo to see what they had.
It seemed like 75% of the exhibitors fit snugly in what most would categorize as GREEN. The rest was rather “anything goes”. Enthusiastic Green Expo greeters threw around green plastic frisbees by the entrance of Javits Center North and cheerfully guided guests to the green table-clothed rows of exhibitors. I paid the reasonable entrance fee of fifteen greenbacks and commenced the stroll.
Who’s the greenest of them all
All in all, it was a fun event. The folks working the booths I visited were kind and helpful. The overall vibe was earthy, crunchy and friendly, but I had to get a little grouchy towards some of what I saw, so read on with good humor.
SOCKS THAT GIVE, TREAT, FEED & TEACH
Cause marketing is here to stay. That is- products where a portion of the proceeds go to a charitable cause. Conscious Step socks are made in India from fairtrade certified organic cotton in an ethical, worker-friendly environment and come in four main styles, each with an embroidered graphic representing the cause their sale goes toward.
Water socks = Water.org
Book socks = BornToRead.com
Red ribbon = UNAIDS.org
Food socks = ActionAgainstHunger.org
Tree socks (Limited Edition) = treesforthefuture.org
The stockings are well-designed, quality to-the-touch, and the packaging makes them ever so giftable. What kind of monster doesn’t want to conquer starvation, AIDS, pollution, and illiteracy?
If it were that easy…
With Conscious Step, or any other cause-marketer, the empathetic among us must rely on the benevolence of the entity when it comes time for charity to be delivered. The grouch in me wonders if you make a $50,000 donation to a charity and don’t tell anyone, wouldn’t you be helping more than a company that donates a smaller amount to the same charity then makes the act part of their brand identity? “Millennials like to buy products they think are helping people” say the Wall Street market watchers. I do believe we all want to help.
Many wonderful people do hard work for non-profits around the world, but it is discouraging when trusted sources become embroiled in scandal or at least have serious questions raised about their donations.
One of the most successful cause-marketers in the footwear category, with profits north of $300 Million, has been TOMS Shoes with their “one-for-one” model of giving a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair sold.
A thoughtful expose done by Tiny Spark found that TOMS founder was essentially a reality show bro with evangelical tendencies who did drop shoes off to poor African villages whether footwear was needed or not. Bain Capital Private Equity bought 50% of TOMS in 2014, and the company continues to thrive and expand into eyewear using the same 1-4-1 steez. No data is available on the current state of worldwide barefootedness.
In a world full of pressing problems, most philanthropists pick a single issue to concentrate their forces around, so Conscious Step servicing multiple charities seems rather ambitious. With a positive outlook, I commend their idea and will observe how they evolve. Did I mention the socks look really nice?
NERVE STIMULATING SANDALS
HiDow Acuslippers
Hi-Dow (pronounced High Dow) makes a variety of products that employ the latest in TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation). These Hi-Dow Circulation Slippers are affixed with rechargeable lithium battery-powered sensors that can be controlled with a number of iPod/tablet-like devices offered by HiDow.
HiDow Circulation Slippers can be activated wirelessly by a TENS device
Green how? Using TENS devices to treat nerve-related pain instead of drugs is probably better for your mental environment. Consult your doctor before trying footwear equipped with electrical nerve stimulators.
VEGAN SHOES
If there’s something to be admired about those who identify as vegan, it’s the valiant effort to keep consistent across their lifestyle. Synthetic leather, or pleather- once thought of as a cheap sign of fakeness gets a rebirth as vegan-leather. I have no idea if there are any animal byproducts used in the glues on these shoes, or if there exists any internationally recognized vegan certification. The well-respected Moo-Shoes store uses the term “cruelty-free” to describe the products they sell. PETA tells aspiring vegans to look for shoes made from “faux leather, synthetic materials, waxed canvas, cotton, microfiber, polyurethane, cork, mock croc and fake snake” so I’d assume Wills Vegan Shoes use some combination of the above. They had vegan versions of many popular men and women’s styles all hovering around the hundred-dollar range.
What about your socks, belt and underwear- are those vegan too? If you take off your shoes at a vegan’s home for dinner and they see “vegan” on the inside, will you get an extra piece of seitan ?
A couple isles over, I did have a piece of “vegan” fudge that was quite good. In 2016, vegan shoes are a thing and Wills London is doing that thing. Popdiatry recommends never eating footwear, vegan or otherwise unless they are deep-fried in peanut oil.
CURE-ALL INSOLES
BestSole Inc. offers some unique polyester insoles that contain glycerin (not the explosive kind), and serve to be a peaks & valleys landscape for your feet that BestSole claims they’ll massage while walking.
Image: massaginginsoles.com
Do your feet, ankles, knees, hips or back ever hurt? Do you like massages? Ever feel fatigued? What about heel spurs, Morton’s Neuroma, Plantar Fasciitis, spinal problems, or diabetes?According to this evangelical Bestsole pamphlet- these massaging insoles can address all of that and more.
Their copy stops short of saying these things can cure cancer then hits you with generic quotes from “satisfied customers”. WB – a “camera man” from ESPN says “THEY ARE WONDERFUL”. JD’s son from the Navy claims “Boot camp marches were made easier with these”. Notice there are no endorsements from ESPN or the US Navy directly. A logo from the Pedorthic Footwear Association graces the front, but it is unclear what they have to do- if anything- with this particular product line.
Of course the friendly folks at the booth insisted I try them for a test walk. I was wearing my Finn Comfort Linz boots with leather/PU coated cork footbeds perfectly fitting with some cotton socks – no way am I sliding these in to walk in a 3 foot circle to try to judge whether they’ve cured my Morton’s-Plantar-Spur-Spinal-Bunion in 30 seconds. Since I wasn’t in immediate pain there was no need for these joints. If they’re powerful enough to cure many maladies, couldn’t they have unwanted side effects? (Other than disappearing $45 from your account)
So-called premium insoles are big business; This product is a neat idea, and I’m a made-in-USA product supporter, but spare me the late-night-TV snake-oily sales tactics. I’d ditch the creepy pamphlet and concentrate on comfort and durability.- maybe pay an athlete to endorse them. Please visit an actual doctor if you suffer from any of the conditions massaging insoles claim they can treat.
GREEN GREEN GREEN
Quinoa and hemp were plentiful here. I snacked on some jackfruit, gobbled some quorn (a fungus-derived protein), got a flyer for a documentary called “Cowspiracy”, learned about the plight of American wild horses; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery had a table there (their grass is green, and they offer good walking tours). LiveOnNY was there (organ donation).
Despite some of the stuff being questionably green, you have to understand that exhibitions like this need to fill all their spots to give their mission momentum. The zany mix of exhibitors was rather interesting in a carnival sort of way. The same expo will be visiting Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland before the year’s up so keep an eye out if you’re near those locales. There’s plenty to see for all ages, and I’d love to know what you think about what I thought about the Green Festival Expo.
Special thanks to Oscar The Grouch for inspiration
Rick from Massachusetts and I have been talking about shoes and sneaks since the 90s. When he’s not battling blazes as a member of the Brockton Fire Department, he also does paintings with a sneaker theme; check the lobster Nike piece^
Rick’s daughter graduated from The Culinary Institute of America earlier this month and jumped right into working at one of the premier bakery/cake shops in southern New England. She copped a pair of the Vans Sk8 Hi KS to wear at work.
I haven’t seen a pair since I heard they dropped last year. The idea is the classic Sk8 Hi body is modified to meet the needs of professional chefs; Water repellent canvas uppers, more comfortable footbeds and the inside-out rubber waffle soles make these Sk8 His a stronger version of the originals.
I grew up in Sk8 His and from 1990 to 2010, could not have imagined wearing anything else. I could envision these Vans being wearable in many different workplaces where black shoes are required. They sell for 75$, but it looks like they’re almost all gone. Who knows if Vans will make more.
Spotted on the walls of Delancey St. Essex St. NYC subway station
I’ll be following up to see how she likes them. The KS Vans seemed to get slammed in reviews on Vans.com, but a poster named Jim the Hiker wrote that they are the best hiking shoes ever and that in the woods he stunts on all the people wearing REI gear. I”m sure you can still skate in them too.
I had to know what Rick wears when he’s not in firefighting gear, and he sang the praises of these boots by Keen.
Thanks Rick and congratulations Brianna !
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In the quest for a perfect shoe lay many opportunities to take an already great pair to the next level. You can upgrade laces, get the stock insoles coated with leather, or get elements dyed to the color of your choice.
We loved these Mauri patent leather/ostrich-leg toe sneakers. The snow-white leather inners gives them a great orca look on the shelf, but like your favorite white tee neck- they’d be hard to keep clean for the long haul.
The white leather was supple and soft. My shoe doctor Boris at East Village Shoe Repair combined some black dye with a little thinning agent (to open the pores), and applied the mixture using a soft brush.
All visible white leather was turned just as black as the outers; The wearability and likability was Darth Vadered up something serious.
They were given a finishing rub with a horse hair brush then left to dry for a couple.
For the first few wears, we’d avoid light-colored socks as there will be naturally be a little rub-off from the dye job.
Like a great stylist for your hair, an experienced cobbler will know exactly what can be done to custom dye your kicks. Thanks to East Village Shoe Repair at 1083 Broadway in Brooklyn, New York for letting us snap shots. I’m sure your smartphone can help find a capable cobbler near you.
AN HONEST TAKE ON WHAT THE BIG AMERICAN STORE HAS FOR FOOTWEAR ENTHUSIASTS
Coming from Boston Massachusetts, and living in New York City where there are no Walmarts, I had no idea what to expect when I accompanied a relative to WM store 2904 in Brockton Massachusetts on a quick mission to fill their levothyroxine prescription.
LOTSA LACES
I lied in the previous paragraph. I remember places like Caldor, Bradlees, Ames, Jamesway and Zayre and expected Walmart to be a jumbo Voltron of those.
I was impressed by the shoelace endcap – two actually filled with a wide variety of colors, lengths, and styles (think: dress, round, flat, oval, workboot, etc..). I got me these Kiwi 72″ leather laces ($4):
Kiwi leather laces (made in India)
These leather laces need no aglets could be cut to any size with a good pair of of scissors. At 72 inches, you could half them and end up with two pairs of short laces.
The trouble with ordering never-seen shoelaces online, is you might not be aware of the actual color, texture and stiffness. I find most of my favorite shoe-shops do not have a great selection of laces. I often scout the Duane Reade, CVS or Walgreens-type places for the randomly located shoelace endcaps; You know the ones. Walmart shoelace endcaps are Texas-size versions of those. I dug the big selection at Wal. I also bought some 45″ grey athletics ($3).
MANY SOCKS
Men’s socks at Walmart
I’m a man who loves buying quality made-in-USA products, and the mart had enough basic styles to hold me. I ended up picking up a six-pack of white made-in-USA Starter no-show socks ($7). I was surprised at the amount of USA-made options there were- at least in the men’s sock section. They also had a wide selection of diabetic friendly soft cotton socks by brands like MediPeds.
The women’s sock isle at Walmart
Keeping in mind many socks are unisex; some even listed as such, the ladies have their own sock section that is bigger than the guys’- it’s like a whole street. There weren’t as many women’s socks made-in-USA here; Even the American flag stockings on the rack below were made in China. To be fair, elsewhere in the store Walmart had some tee-shirts with a “Made in the USA” graphic on the chest which were in fact made in the USA.
Novelty socks at WalmartRubber Dotted Slipper Socks at Walmart
AS SEEN ON
Far away from the other shoes and socks, this Walmart had a small section displaying all kinds of products that are “As Seen On TV” – stuff advertised on television in the form of commercials or infomercials. I spotted these Miracle Copper Socks that I do remember seeing the ad for. The descriptive language used on the packaging is abjectly far-fetched. Metal used in fabric construction is nothing new. Some astronaut underwear contains silver. Miracle Copper Socks hit you with line after line that make it seem like their product will heal injuries.
On the back of the box there was a random Caduceus– the snake-pole insignia that I suppose is meant to give the impression that these socks are endorsed by a professional medical organization which they are totally not.
Endorsed by Dr. Who? (Pardon the blur)
Non-profit consumer watchdog group Truth In Advertising, Inc. says it best. “Miracle Copper offers no clinical data to back up the claims that their product reduces swelling, boosts circulation, or massages achy legs and feet”. The odor control claim has some validity, as copper may ward off bacteria, but Miracle couldn’t leave it at that. I’m sure they’re not the worst socks in the world, but the snake oily packaging kept me from copping a pair, although I’d happily accept a test pair from the company for a fair review.
WAL-o-SHOES
Shoelaces, socks, TV miracles- what about Walmart’s shoe selection? I’d venture a guess that If you’re reading this blog and other online content about shoes, you’d probably be into footwear more substantial than what Walmart offers.
Shoes hanging out at Walmart
One theme is that most of the shoes at this Walmart are boxless and hanging on racks priced around what you’d pay for an appetizer at P.F. Changs. It’s as if shoeboxes are banned from the store.
Faded Glory Slip Ons
I noticed a lot of the shoes were inexpensive versions of familiar name brands; like these (above) Faded Glory slip-ons which one could cynically call Canal Street Vans.
Inexpensive Avia sneakers at Walmart
Although designer footwear for kids is now a thing, I can see not wanting to overly spend on children’s shoes which they’ll likely outgrow or ruin before even grasping the abstract concept of fashion. Not for nothing, you could walk out with the whole cart pictured below with mostly Starter and Avia for under 200 bucks.
W-mart also had a decent insole and accessory collection, including plenty of Shoe-Goo, which I have fond memories of seeing my skater friends using to repair ollie damage back in the day.
Insoles and footwear accessories at Walmart
Based on my visit to this one store; Sneakerheads and shoe-freaks may not find any kicks to fall in love with at Walmart, but it may be worth a visit if you’re hunting down your dream laces, and want to stock up on some trooping socks.
I think I overhear much “debate” about Walmart in the papers and on the web. I can say walking around this particular store, I noticed nothing out-of-the-ordinary or outrageous. I was probably the weirdest cat in the building taking pictures of socks with my camera phone. To comment on socio-political aspects of Walmart is way beyond the scope of this blog. I spent 14 bucks and my relative got their script filled.
As a nod to baseball great Yogi Berra who died last night at age 90, allow me to offer my own version of a Yogi Berra-ism to end this piece:
Nobody likes Walmart because everyone shops there.
Why do we spend bundles on third-party insoles like the kinds shown above?
Our footwear had no insole of their own
Our insoles are lost, thrashed, or unsuitable
Once upon a time Dr. Scholl might had well been my podiatrist. I’ve tried everything from the gel heels to the thin, perforated cushiony things. No knock on Scholl’s and the like, because they all offer many useful products within and beyond the insole category. There are sole options sold at grocery and pharmacy stores, usually grouped with everything foot related- sometimes they were a quick fix, but left me largely disappointed for the following reasons:
The partial ‘heel-cushion’ ones never stayed well in the shoe
the super-thin ‘pillow’ ones never stayed well either
I hated walking with the gel ones, plus they never stayed well
Gluing these consumer products into your shoe is never recommended, for if the insole doesn’t work out, you’re stuck. Having to re-adjust cheap insoles every time you put on or take off your shoes is not good. Just a glance and seeing that bunched-up perforated piece of chintzy medical looking stuff won’t get you excited to put on your kicks and face the day. I tried the Superfeet product because I wanted something to stay solidly inside my footwear like it belonged there. I was loving the rounded heal shape as well.
Superfeet (no affiliation) come in different colors, each tone a different thickness and design. The Black and the Carbon (gray) are thinnest when it comes to maxing toe-room. You can pop these in and out of your shoes, stealthily adding ergonomic arch without neutralizing wiggle room. It’s what SF calls biomechanical support. The heel is rounded to better seat our round calcaneus (heel bone); Unless your feet are flat, the arch on a Superfeet can add great underfoot feel where before was fatigue.
Superfeet Black insoles were an excellent solution for my Frye Arkansas boots, which have no insole and were downright uncomfortable to walk a lot in before I found this solution.
Superfeet Black
Toe room, like leg-room on a plane is so key. I wondered if the Superfeet Carbon were even thinner than the Black.
Superfeet Carbon
Above pics from company site. Straight off the cell pics below:
Which are Thinner ?
The Carbons are; Their overall construction uses less substance than the Black. The heel material feels the same, but the foam used for the cushion body is honeycombed and squishier than that of the Black. The foamed/cushion part of both are approximately 1/16th of an inch thick in the all-important toe area. The Carbon are less dense and with the perforation, can be pressed thinner than the Black, making Carbon the thinnest in the Superfeet family.
DJ Squeaky Boot
One weird thing: The Carbons made a squeaking sound when I used them in my workboots (Chippewa and Frye). It seemed like the cupped shape of the heel interacted with the stiff inners of these kinds of boots in such a way that an audible sound happened as I stepped and they flexed. The occurrence was intermittent, but I imagined how it could even become embarrassing in a public setting where silence was required. The Black heel design features stilt-like stability construction which seem to keep the calcaneus part from flexing, and I experienced no such squeaking when I wore them in the same boots. The Carbons did not squeak when worn in the soft fabric inners of my New Balance sneakers. I tried them in two different pairs. Feet are shaped all manner of types, and different shoes are built in different ways so your mileage will vary. I’m curious to know others’ experiences in other kinds of shoes, so feel free to post in the comment section ladies and gentlemen.
To my naked eye and hand, I could discern no difference between the plastic-like material used in booth of these products’ heel.
I don’t blame Superfeet for calling the Carbons “Carbon” instead of “Gray”, and the loud light green color of the underside could have been any color, but they looked HD enough for me (Mr. consumer) to spend $50 for a pair online. Superfeet Black run around $30.
They’re both essentially fabric-covered foam beds attached to plastic heel/arch pieces- in other words the Black may contain the same carbon as the Carbons. I did not take materials to a lab for analyzation.
Measure Twice, Cut Once
As you can see, I learned to cut more carefully when I copped the Carbons. Unless your size is just right, you’ll want to trim your premium insoles with large high-quality shears, snipping slowly and carefully. Think slivers, not chunks
Popdiatry recommends trying these or any of the other pro-sumer insoles out at REI and LL Bean-type places (running shops, etc..) to ensure you have the right starting size. It’s always a great idea to keep whatever stock insoles came with your shoes to use as a tracer for cutting the Supers. If you don’t have the original, you can also try using some 99-cent cheapos as a guinea pig before you start hacking the expensive ish.
Superfeet also makes the Black DMP insoles (not tested, but felt), which are just the Black with memory foam instead of the regular fabric. This adds girth making the DMP thicker than the Carbons or regular Blacks- I narrowed this article down to the thinnest.
Mix N’ Match + Overtime
You should use these suckas for multiple pairs of shoes. Carbons are currently working full time in my New Balance running shoes, and pulling a second shift in some NB walkers. Chance are, one of the shoe pairs will die before the Superfeet, so they’ll occupy another pair someday soon.
The fabric material that touches your foot on both B and C have a solid synthetic sensation and feel good with a wide variety of my favorite socks.
Allow me to comment on the photo above. Some thoughts about foot powder are below. In an attempt to cancel the squeaking sound described before, I even cut corners off the bottoms of these (it didn’t work).
Avoid dumping large amounts of foot powder into your shoes/socks. A light dusting once every few days is plenty.
Most any body powder will be adequate for shoe use. Alternately, we would never use something designed as foot powder for the rest of the body.
More About Insoles
These days I love me a good leather insole, or some coated cork like Naot, Finn Comfort, and BIrkenstock does. I feel like when you start spending more than $300 on shoes- they should include an adequate insole. One nice thing about removable insoles is that you can remove them for an air-out. There are times though when you’re going to want to add sole to footwear that doesn’t have any, or upgrade to something more biomechanically respectful of the shape of the feet and make you feel a little more super.
Shout out to Dr. Scholl’s and Spenco. We look forward to trying more insoles of all kinds!
Not far from the Brockton border in the Massachusetts south shore town of West Bridgewater lives a fantastic brick-and-mortar footwear store called Asacks.
Red Wings and Chips for days
The family run footwear shop has been providing a personal touch to shoe-selling since 1974.
Rather than the newest, hottest products from your favorite brands’ catalog, Asacks is filled with factory-seconds, slightly irregulars, and selections that just may have came out of a time capsule.
ZIG-ZAG slip-ons, what?
They have more workboots for sale at a decent price than you can shake a Brannock at, and also plenty of slippers, sandals, sneakers and dress-shoes.
You never know what you’ll find on their well-stocked racks.
Browse stacks and stacks of (mostly) Chippewa and Red Wing footwear wall to wall, including many of those brands’ made-in-USA offerings.
Along with multiple widths, Asacks also has a fine selection of sizes over 13.
Dear Bigfoot, they have your size.
A size 20 pair of Red Wings
The shop itself is industrially decorated with mostly handwritten, and hand-cut signage.Sock and lace displays offer a unique selection unmatched by your average mall-style footwear shop.
You’ve got to love a place that uses a last as a paperweight.
No one manufacturer dominates Asacks. yet around the store you’ll see novelty/promotional items like Reebok chairs, Chippewa lights, this All-Star neon sign, and that supercool Asics clock.
I’ve been coming to Asacks since before cell-phones. I’ve scored various New Balances and even a pair of made-in-USA Sauconys there (many years ago).This time I walked out with a pair of American Handcrafted Chippewa 25262s in my favorite tan rodeo color for 99 bucks (reg. $150 at least). They’re labeled imperfect because of some scratches on the side, but boots are going to get scratched up anyway.
Thank YOU!
Asacks Footwear, 265 N Main St, W. Bridgewater, MA 02379
They also have a second Cape Cod location on Main Street in Buzzard’s Bay
Wanted to travel light. Needed to bring a business suit; Bought a Skyroll Garment bag from a Manhattan Men’s Wearhouse in which you can fit a couple suits, other clothes, and a pair of shoes (in one of the cylinder partitions)*
*Look for an extended Skyroll review in a future post. For my purpose, I was able to pack enough for a 2-3 day jaunt and cancel out the burden of a big old case; Think more like dufflebag.
STUCK DOWNTOWN
In the shade of John Hancock Center/Water Tower Place, yes Near North Side; Yeah, where all the mall stores and annoying walkers are. I thought positive, had a little time between tasks, so took a stroll around-a-few-blocks in search of inspiration.
Rushing up Rush Street
I was wearing my Frye Arkansas boots (no affiliation), so on N Rush Street, I gravitated into their flagship store to see what they’ve been up to lately. The big Frye flagships, of which there are four in the U.S., are set up a like countryish museums, with lots of leather, dark wood.. a certain kind of mood. Most of the men’s made-in-USA footwear is in the very back.
TheFryeCompany.com
Frye has some interesting patinas going on that fill good space away from the standard browns and blacks. Some of their leathers are even tumbled with stones in a wood drum before construction. Though not always a fan of pre-busted wears, I really like the “smoke” distressed waxed suede on their Prison Boot (dig those inside-out eyelets too), and another color they are calling “gaucho” on their stuff. My year-old Arkansas are plain black (rubber sole) and it was cool to view some other colors, especially the painted and stonewashed leather shade they call Whiskey.
The Frye Company “Whiskey”
I make my boots travel friendly by swapping the stock laces out to 45-inch fabric ones, or else you’d be stalling in the TSA line tying those long leather laces that come with many of the Fryes.
Up the block there was a Vans store where I bought a swell pair of 45-inch polyester flat laces. I made quick work of a Mexican lobster roll at Da Lobsta on E Cedar.
I window-shopped through the little Church’s store on E Walton. The made-in-England brand’s NYC store is closed for renovations, and the Chicago one is the only other location in the country. It was proper to see the entire collection up close. If Frye was museum, Church’s have their men’s and women’s shoes presented more like a jewelry shop.
Game-wise I could totally see maturing Doc wearers wanting to take the British style to the next level and getting into the Church’s line. Most of the shoes appear at quick glance like they’re from 1930. Closer inspection reveals flourishes of modernity on the inners and soles plus they have some leather sneaker/shoe hybrids on the roster. Above images are from Church’s website.
INDEPENDENCE ON OAK
In-the-cut on East Oak Street in a waythat no dingbat may find, lives a place I would tag “must visit” in Near North. Independence has damn-near the whole collection of footwear by Oak Street Bootmakers on display, along with select made-in-USA clothing and useful accessories like shoe-care kits and bottle-opener keys.
Pic: Popdiatry
Less department store, more like a friend’s nice apartment, the guys who maintain Independence are very involved in its workings and are happy to talk all manner of shoes, clothes and life while you browse. Other customers in the store may join in conversation and give shoe and food recommendations. That’s the type of vibe this spot gives- just a great shop for the American man near Lake Michigan with a friendly crew.
Patina again. I love the color Oak Street refers to as ‘natural’ on their models. It’s a kind of oily golden that you can envision looking better with age and conditioning.
Oak Street Bootmakers “Natural” color
Oak doesn’t play when it comes to making shoes. They now offer plenty of loafers, bluchers, oxfords and boats featuring the same Horween Chromexcel leather and tough construction of their big boot brothers.
Oak St. Mocs @ Independence
For me it is all about the boots. We’re impressed with how O.S.B. has matured, making tiny improvements along the way, and getting into low-tops. Their natural roughout (rough side of leather out, smooth side in) products are very sweet. Though do you ever notice what happens to light rough leather boots when worn a lot with bluejeans? The blue dye may stain the tops; I feel like Oak Street channeled this by dropping these dark blue roughouts, with a “pajeana” baked right in. Cobra Commander could wear these on a date with the Baroness.
Oak St. Indigo Roughouts @ Independence
You have to feel the insides. To ready my feet for the day they marry some Oak Streets, I purchased a pair of their made-in-USA majority-cotton socks ($8) in a unique shade of burnt orange/red.
Oak Street Bootmakers
WHY NOT SOME UNDIES
Icebreaker have been on our deep watch-list for a while now. When I happened upon one of their nine U.S. TouchLab shops located on E Walton Street, I went in and dropped $33 on a pair of their Merino wool underwears. The Icebreaker rep says these drawers can be worn for three times the normal length of regular undies before washing due to the fabric’s absorptive nature. They’re wool, but spun so thin the front is double layered lest they be nearly see-through. They guarantee the product; Look forward to a review in Off The Path soon.
Icebreaker Anatomica Merino Wool Briefs
MIDWEST VINTAGE
Thanks to an old pal who lives in Chi, I rode shotgun in a Subaru through Wicker Park and Bucktown way away from the skyscrapers and mega-malls. We drove past the Horween leather tannery and I took a big whiff. I got a glimpse of Chicago’s new greened elevated rail path for bikers, runners and walkers The 606. We needed a retro sensory overload and It was at a vintage shop in Wicker called Kokorokoko where I saw some mind-blowing kicks that I never imagined existing.
L.A. Gear “Election 88” HIgh Tops with a license plate lace-tag!
Yes that’s Michael Dukakis on a removable velcro “All-Star” patch, and yes there was a George H. Bush one included. What?!
If the 80s and 90s were magic, you could cast spells with items from Kokorokoko; Cassettes, patches, VHS workout tapes, trading cards, Metal, New Jack Swing, Bulls, Hulk Hogan, select footwear and more. You’ll find something here whether you were born the 70s like me or the 90s like recording artist Tink, who came through for some shopping recently.
instagram.com/official__tink
Let thebright colorsof latelast century surround you, and pop-culture past rewind you. I forgot to check the size or where those LA Gears were made (Korea we think), but if you can get over to 1323 N. Milwaukee Ave quick you might be able to scoop the Election 88s in time to wear for July 4th when you’ll never be asked “where’d you get those?” so much in your life. Kokorokoko !
Before I knew it, it was time to go. I packed my laces, socks and underwear in the remaining space in the Skyroll and hopped a cab.
The Skyroll didn’t let me down. I packed my things just like the instructional video showed, and got it even better on the way back. You do need a large flat surface to get the pack correct: bed, table, clean floor; The garment bag is advertised as carry-on friendly but I checked it both ways because JetBlue.
PS: Water Tower Place has an amazingly wide variety of places to dine and lots of great stairs to climb.
