Guys searching for that two-tone look might not do better than these Oak Street Bootmakers Trench boots featuring Horween Chromexcel leather/Peanut suede uppers, calfskin lining, and Vibram soles with stacked leather heels. Your only question will be “what belt do I match with them?”.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens comes out in a few weeks and everybody’s celebrating. You can find just about any consumer product branded with the Star Wars character family, but UK’s Irregular Choice has fan girls and boys going extra nuts with highly imaginative offerings like lightsaber, R2D2 and Vader/Stormtrooper high-heels, and these Chewbacca boots (faux Wookie fur). 

The great American Russell Moccasin Company has been hand-manufacturing top-quality outdoorsy footwear in Wisconsin for over 100 years, and I had to hide my credit card when I saw they released some of their models, like the traveling sportsman chukka, in bumpy Ostrich leather. Russells are made-to-order; They offer men’s and women’s fit and a “no-quills” option for the Ostriches.

You’ve got to respect L.L. Bean for continuing to manufacture their signature Duck Boots in Maine, USA despite a straining demand. The Maine factory is busier than a beaver and you may have to sit on a list for your size/style. Any shoe worth having is worth waiting for right? Cheap imitations featuring the “duck” toe are a dime-a-dozen, but to me it was always the chain patterned sole that made these boots original and wicked unique.

The leather/rubber combo ducks have been around for ages, but L.L. does offer a few variations on the original, like these waxed Canvas tops, which strike me as the perfect boot for All-Star partisans to wear in the rain. On the topic of sizing- the duck boot design dates back to before boots had insulation and thus leaves room for very heavy socks. Popdiatry normally recommends buying your correct Brannock size, but Ducks most definitely run big so for normal wear get a size down if you can get ’em at all.

This year Halloween fell on a weekend. Somewhere between the 90s and the 00s the spooky holiday went from a kid thing to an adult thing, and for the open-minded- we’re all wearing costumes all day every day anyway. So Ash Costello, the singer for New Years Day, has her own line of gear with Iron Fist including these superfly Bat Wing Boots made from vegan (synthetic) leather attached to a mega chunky sole. Platform lovers will be in ecstasy, and the wings are removable for use with other footwear in your collection all year ’round.

At quick glance, these are some black men’s boots. Closer research reveals that they are Viberg Service Boots with moosehide uppers attached to Dainite soles. The moosehide is referred to as Black Unicorn leather and is produced by one of England’s most respected tanneries. Viberg also flips these into a roughout scout version, and I’m putting my credit card into a frozen ice block right now..

Above images are all from respective manufacturer websites. This post contains no affiliate marketing (;