With sockless weather in full swing, we’ve been rediscovering an Iberian alternative to mandals or the usual deck shoe. Welcome to the wonderful world of espadrilles.
A footwear tradition in the Pyrenees—where rugged ventilation is a necessity—espadrilles date back to the 1300s, but recent years have seen them adopted as a unisex shoe by high fashion crowds. While they’re a common sight on the streets of Paris, they’re still catching on stateside. The trick to the canvas wonders is the braided jute rope bottoms, both surprisingly soft and slick enough to keep the shoes from getting too funky over the course of the summer.
More on the rope-soled moc»
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Band of Outsiders returned to do another version of their successful Sperry Top-Siders revamp, and we have to say that they turned out pretty well.
They swap the treated leather for treated wool, making it a little less susceptible to dunking, and the deep green is more army than navy, but how many of those shoes ever see the top of a sailboat anyway? In this case, we don’t mind a little creative anachronism.
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Rag & Bone
Kempt compatriot and American hero Michael Williams (better known as the man behind A Continuous Lean) is out in Vegas for the Project trade show. Things got a bit weird, but he managed to file the following dispatch for Kempt. Godspeed, Michael!
Being in the apparel business, coming to Las Vegas trade shows are a necessary evil. The adventure begins at the airport when you see twenty people you know load in to what is endearingly referred to as the “garmento express,” a plane where you can’t walk to the bathroom without hearing someone say “feel this quality.” Once you arrive and get yourself settled in, the ping pinging of the slot machines gives way to the soft embrace of convention center fluorescent lights.
More info and photos from the western front»
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The plaided Sperry in Vegas got us thinking: it’s almost boat shoe weather again.
This one is a more weathered look than we’re used to from the usually summery brand, but it’s a good direction for them to go in. After all, the summer doesn’t last forever.
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