Classic British shoe maker, Herring recently extended their brand by branching into Luggage. The new luggage range includes everything from wash bags to large weekend holdalls, all finished in a super soft dark brown waxed leather.
In keeping with their heritage, Herring has named each bag after a London landmark. Our favourite is the Dorchester, a weekend-sized holdall with two external zip pockets, sturdy webbing strap handles and a large internal zip pocket. The base is stiffened with brass stud detailing to help preserve the leather. A close second is the Ritz wash bag.
Let’s face it; most of us amateur runners live in urban environments with limited access to unblemished cross country paths and tracks. That said, once we do manage to skip our way through the traffic and bypass the concrete highways, many of us like to get as close to cross country running as we can – even if a jog around the local park is stretching the term a little. Personally, I like to get onto the softer ground as soon as possible and having had to pull out of a recent 10K run after my knees took too much of a pounding on the London streets I was keen to try out the new K-Swiss Blade Max Trail trainers and quite literally put them through their paces.
The first thing that struck me about them was their solid base. I certainly felt confident looking at them that these would give me a more robust tread out on the wild pathways of Tooting Common. As I set off the sky was grey and there had been a fair amount of over night rain – water which as I would discover had left the ground soft and slippery. I was interested to see how the trainers would cope with these relatively treacherous conditions.
I took a deliberately difficult route that I would knew would take me across soggy fields, dangerous branches, hills and the obligatory inner city dog poo. I hit the soft wet ground first and have to say that my new footwear definitely gave me superior grip. Nobody likes running through wet mud but after a few paces I found that my confidence had grown and I no longer needed to run delicately as you do with standard running shoes, rather I was bouncing over the mushy ground. My only concern being what my wife would say when I returned home covered in mud. Next was a more cross country section through the trees. Many an ankle has been left sprained by stray roots popping out from hidden crevices but again the trainers stood up well and I felt comfortable that my knees and ankles were in safe hands (metaphorically speaking of course). Finally I headed down a shale pathway full of rocks that can often poke through less robust footwear, leaving you either off balance or with sore feet. Not a problem anymore as the solid sole made light work of the uncertain terrain.
I certainly give the K-Swiss Blade Max Trail a big thumbs up. Wherever you run, you’ll likely find yourself traversing across a range of different terrains, from concrete streets, to soggy marshes, or bumpy ground. The K-Swiss Blade Max Trail gives the right amount of protection combined with a soft running action. They’re not necessarily the quickest trainers out there but then that’s not what they’re designed for.
British luxury footwear and accessories label Jimmy Choo has opened its first men’s only store in London.
You can find the new store, which extends across two floors, in fashionable Burlington Arcade where you can browse the complete assortment of Jimmy Choo men’s shoes.
A favourite among women for years, the brand debuted its men’s shoes for autumn/winter 2011. The collection includes styles such as lace-ups, loafers and side zip boots, as well as slippers, biker boots and trainers, all creating the perfect balance between classicism and Rock ‘n’ Roll style.
The store reflects the global design concept for the men’s collection, and its interior colour scheme of charcoal grey, black and silver evokes a modern gentlemanly aesthetic with a hint of a 1960s Mayfair playboy. Ebonised wood fuses with grey flannel and English pewter hardware to further reference the sartorial inspiration.
Describing the store, Tamara Mellon OBE, Jimmy Choo founder and Chief Creative Officer said: “I want it to feel as though you are walking into a gentleman’s club, with all the luxurious appointments and comforts. It’s a mod update on an English men’s smoking lounge.”
The NBA lockout may have been extended until November 30th, but that hasn’t stopped Nike from rolling out their new campaign “Basketball Never Stops’”
The ad features some of the finest players in the game including: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki and Amar’e Stoudemire, with cameos from Questlove, J. Cole and Duke’s Coach K. All focusing on their undying love, passion and dedication to the game of basketball.
With fans the most hurt by the lockout… the campaign plays on emotions and works as a bit of a PR job to protect the NBA’s public image. It will be interesting to see what happens if the entire season does go down the drain.
The latest offering from Converse, brings street style and the unique, eco-urban mark-making art form Yarn-Bombing together, to create the Knitted Cuff.
HOTTEA, is one of the many artist working in the medium across the US. He got into Yarn-Bombing after being shot by a taser gun and spending three days in jail for graffiti. By changing the medium he works in, he was able to continue augmenting his environment without damaging it…lowering his risk of being caught by councils and police.
HOTTEA as well as a number of other Yarn-Bombing artists’ joined up with Converse and Foot Locker to bring their unique artform to the campaign and Europe, using threads of yarn to artistically link every day street objects, giving the environment its very own version of the knitted cuff.
The shoe comes in a number of colourways including a knitted red, black and white woollen cuff with a grey canvas upper on a high top silhouette. It is also available is a series of plaid collars .
The Knitted Cuff by Converse is available now exclusively at Foot Locket for £54.99
Who says autumn/winter means you have to opt for black shoes?
T & F Slack Shoemakers London is the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Tim and Fiona Slack who are as dedicated to making ‘modern classics’ as they are to each other.
They take the classic ‘Oxford Brogues’ or ‘Derby’ shoe shape and give it a contemporary feel with fantastic colour combinations, stitching details and fabrics for the modern gentleman.
Choose for a selection of ready-made shoes or have a bespoke pair made to order from their Notting Hill shop or using their ‘build your own’ system at Selfridges or Liberty.
The manufacturing factory in West London produces around 150 shoes per month using an eclectic mix of simple, modern machinery to old-fashioned salvaged from other shoe factories.
Last week a good friend posted a video explaining the benefit of Vibram Five Finger shoes, made entirely by fans. At first I was hugely cynical, after all they do look completely ridiculous. However, my friend is a bit of a fitness fanatic and I figured he probably had some good reasons for converting to “barefoot running.” With this in mind I began to do a little research and discovered there might actually be something to this whole Barefoot thing. Below I have put together a guide on how to get started. Personally I plan on picking up a pair to try it out for myself, but we would love to hear if any of you give it a try too.
Since the 1960s athletes have been competing in races barefooted and, with the recent increasing wave of interest in barefoot running, many people have raced to purchase minimalist shoes and jumped, quite literally, feet first into the sport. The reason being that with natural, ‘shoeless’ running, the lateral edge of the human forefoot is the part which strikes the ground with the most force. Running in padded shoes typically alters this as more emphasis is placed on the heel and the area towards the back of the foot – which has been claimed to cause more stress on the heel, knees and hips. Therefore many athletes became interested in the sport to strengthen the foot and help improve speed.
Although not strictly a shoe-less sport, there are various ways of tackling barefoot running; some runners wear specially adapted socks, some opt for running moccasins (like outdoor bedroom slippers) and some use minimalist shoes that resemble ordinary running shoes but are constructed from very thin, unpadded materials and have a flat sole with minimal tread. It isn’t, however, as simple as changing your running shoes.
It’s Not ‘Ready, Steady, Go’….
Going from padded, structured running shoes to minimalistic ones is quite a physical change for
your feet and not one which should be presumed easy or natural. It is essential that you train the foot and leg muscles gradually to run in such minimalistic shoes to help reduce injuries and lessen metatarsal stress. Due to the design of barefoot running shoes it is actually recommended that you alternate; training in barefoot shoes whilst running in your specialised running shoes. As Daniel E. Lieberman*, professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University states, “If you’ve been a heel-striker all your life you have to transition slowly to build strength in your calf and foot muscles.”
Choosing Your Minimalist Shoes
The first consideration when choosing your first pair of minimalist running shoes is the thickness, or profile, of the sole and heel as you want your feet to immediately sense and communicate to your brain the type of terrain you are on, adapting to a natural running style. Avoid shoes which have a built up heel as these encourage you to over point your toes when running, which could lead to foot damage.
Secondly, think about the flexibility of the sole and check there is no arch support. Barefoot running is all about training your foot arch to naturally flatten so a stiff sole and arch support will only preventing the muscles from acting in this way. A good way to test this is by seeing if you can twist and bend the sole of the shoe with ease. Obviously it needs to protect the sole of your foot from the environment, but flexibility allows your foot to become more familiar with the ground.
Thirdly, remember that the lighter the shoe the better. If the shoes weight is distributed unevenly
(i.e. heavier at the toe or heel) it will cause a bias tendency in the way the foot moves with the shoe and go against its natural movement.
It is advisable to go for a mid-sole level to begin with. The Nike Free Run range has a helpful 10 point number scale which helps identify the thinness of the soles – for example models with a 3 in the name will be more flexible than those with a 10 (which is the thickness of an average running shoe), making the range a good starting point for first time minimalist shoe buyers. Alternatively, Saucony have the Kinvara or Mirage shoes which are also mid-point shoes.
For the more extreme, hardened barefoot runner, the Saucony Hattori shoe claims to be Saucony’s lightest general purpose running shoe ever, or try out the Vibram 5 Fingers shoe which was the first of its kind on the market and the shoe of choice for many barefoot runners. Sportsshoes.com has a large range of minimalist shoes and is a good place to compare models if you are unsure.
First Steps ‘Barefoot’
As is normal before any running, stretch your hamstrings and calf muscles. Lieberman also suggests that it is a good idea to massage the arches of your feet as this helps in the breaking down of scar tissue and healing.
To begin barefoot running, it is a good idea to try it first on a hard, smooth surface such as a tennis court or running track – rather than a bumpy street. Your feet will naturally adjust to moving on this surface by forefoot striking, rather than the heel striking we tend to do in padded running shoes.During your first barefoot run do not exceed more than a quarter of a mile as your foot muscles will tire more rapidly. Leave a ‘rest day’ between each training session and remember that training your feet to run in this way will take time so build up distances by no more that 10% each week. If at any point you experience pain, stop!
Due to the focus on footwear padding and support in today’s shoes our feet have adapted to these luxuries as ‘the norm’, making barefoot running almost an unnatural, new feeling for us. Our feet have evolved to run in specialist shoes, so it will take time for them to adjust to minimalist running and they will be in discomfort to begin with. Sore, tired muscles are normal, but bone, joint, or soft-tissue pain is a signal of injury and if any of these occur, stop running immediately and see your chiropodist.
It is important that you continue to wear your padded running shoes when running long distance
or partaking in any race whilst you train your feet to run barefoot. Only when you feel 100%
comfortable running barefoot and experience no discomfort at all can you start to run in minimalist shoes more often.
Running shoe specialist Saucony highlight that minimalism is isn’t an end, it’s actually a means – and many footwear retailers agree. Brett Bannister, MD of Sportsshoes.com, believes that, “Minimalist shoes can be built into your training regime to help strengthen your feet and leg muscles, but you still need to pick the right shoes and be careful to make the transition slowly.”
Minimalist shoes are very much an excellent training aid which can be incorporated into your
running routine to great effect, but not the be-all and end-all of your running routine. Going back to basics with barefoot running is an exhilarating experience and definitely one you should embrace – just remember to play it safe!
The slipper seems to be making a bit of a comeback this season, and one of our favourites has to be the Monarch shoe by Herring. We can’t help but imagine Hugh Hefner rocking these around his mansion; smoking jacket on, pipe in hand and bunnies on call. These shoes, as the name suggests is fit for royalty, from its velvet upper to the hand embroidered ‘Herring Crest.’
This beautiful house shoe has been hand made in the UK, and requires a certain style to really pull off…. In other words you can’t just throw these on with any old bathrobe. The quilted lining of the shoe ensures comfort and warmth, while the strong leather sole and heel ensures the slipper is hard wearing. We know they are meant to be worn inside… but we would almost be tempted to rock them outside too.
The Monarch shoe is available for £135 in 5 colourways including Navy, Purple, Green, Wine Red and Black velvet.
We have been predicting for a while now that the desert boot would be a popular trend this season – and it looks like we were right. Nike, is the latest brand to jump on the band wagon with the Ralston Premium TAPE sneaker.
The burgundy suede shoe, has clearly been inspired by the desert boot silhouette, with its minimalistic construction, three eyelets and matching flat laces. What I like most about this shoe is the subtle attention to detail, from the embossed Nike logo on the tongue, to the tape seams and even the corresponding burgundy soles, coming together to create am understated yet eye-catching urban look.
The Nike Ralston Premium TAPE is set to go on sale October 8
The utilitarian look is set to be big this fall. Both practical and stylish this look is perfect for damp fall weather. Michigan based brand, Wolverine, have been making wonderful rugged boats since 1883, combining tradition with modern style. This season, the Wolverine No. 1883 collection, is comprised of eleven new styles all with an emphasis on fine craftsmanship, heritage and distinctive designs.
My favourite has to be the Wolverine Mayall boot which features a butter-soft full-grain leather upper, plaid woven print lining, fold down functionality for extra versatility, and rubber grips to prevent you sliding around the sidewalk.
The Mayall boot is available here for $225 USD or £142 GBP
Popular British shoe brand, Kurt Geiger, has recently relaunched their website with a new online shop. To celebrate they are releasing the very stylish Lincoln boot exclusively online.
The chukka will once again be a massive trend this fall, and I love this incarnation of the look. Made up of a pressed wool upper, with suede accents around the laces and a thick wedge sole, this shoe will keep you right on trend and will look great with a pair of dark washed jeans.
The shoe will be available next month through Kurt Geiger
Growing up in Canada, winter boots were probably the most important part of your fall/winter wardrobe. So it always shocks me that come winter here no one seems to have appropriate footwear. After talking to a few people, I have come to the conclusion it is because most men believe that proper winter boots can’t be fashionable.
Well guess what…. you’re wrong.
Sorel was originally founded by William H. Kaufman Inc. in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (where I went to uni), and have been associated with the development of durable, comfortable cold-weather footwear since 1908.
In many ways they are the Canadian version on Hunter boots… and have created a loyal following by taking functional forms and making them stylish. Sorel has just revealed their Fall ‘11 collection and the Mad Boot Lace is a perfect example of this.
Inspired by the Mad Men of the 50’s and the Sorel Pro Flex of the 80’s, the Mad Series is water-resistant and made from full grain leather. As usual they have done a brilliant job combining iconic elements from their past and reintroducing it in a modern yet functional design.
This week Foot Locker launches the exclusive the PUMA x Deadmau5 collection.
Over the years Canadian electro DJ/producer Deadmau5 has rarely been seen rocking anything other than PUMA gear while performing, so it’s no surprise that the two have finally teamed up to create this capsule collection.
According to the PUMA, the collection was “Beat-inspired” and “designed to get you off your feet and dancing to the music. Electro coloured inspired combinations and detailing that include the iconic oversized mouse head, are just some of the features that make this collection all about personality, music and Summer fun.”
Last December Jimmy Choo announced they were set to launch the brand’s return to footwear. And now after months of waiting, they are finally ready to launch the collection in collaboration with Mr. Porter
Given the months of hype around this new collection, I do wonder if they can possibly live up to the hype. That said if the short film ‘Walking the Line’, they created for the Men’s AW 11 collection is anything to go by, I am going to say – YES!
On a side note I love that the film is set in New York’s High Line park, as I had the chance to visit last week (see picture below). For those not familiar, the High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. Recently it has been converted into a beautiful mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. If your in New York make sure to check it out.
In 1829 Joseph Tricker, master shoemaker, founded the company R.E. Tricker Ltd and five generations later his family continues to make beautiful shoes with the skills and service ethics of the past.
Perhaps better known for their classic brogues and oxfords, Tricker’s also produce fashionable, high-quality boots – perfect for fall weather. My favourite has to be the “Super Boot C Marron,” which comes in a clean, wingtip-free dark chestnut brown leather. Set atop a wooden stacked heel and completed with tonal leather laces and minimal stitching. These sleek lace-up boots would look perfect with a good pair of dark denim jeans. The classic British boot is available now for £325 at Present London.
From:Another Winter For Fairisle?