If you’re a member of a special society or group that loves men’s bare feet and toes, or if your partner or spouse has a foot fetish and loves admiring, touching or more with respect to your toes, congratulations. You’re in a special minority.
Winter in the north is a bitch. In terms of smart and effective outerwear, an alarming number of men I observe are ill-prepared. I don’t know if it comes from lack of thought or some hyped sense of virility, but these same men are also felled by colds, flu and other debilitating winter ailments that negate the “I’m too tough for hats, gloves, heavy coats and boots” idea. When it’s 10ºF with snow on the ground, a fleece zip-up and sneakers don’t cut it.
I have to admit that I think of galoshes as something worn only by old men. In some circles, galoshes are referred to as “overshoes” or “rubbers,” which is much more fun to say. But as it its with many tried and true ways and means (think safety razors, classic rules of tailoring and other rehashes of things that have been around forever), the old men are on to something.
I’ve written it before, I’ve done a podcast on it, and I’ll say it again: a smart wardrobe starts with good shoes. While there are some places where one could cut corners or “cheat” with less expensive shirts, ties, pants, and even suits, shoes are the one area where playing it cheap really doesn’t pay off in the long run.
And when I talk about shoes, I’m talking about real shoes from companies whose heritage, foundation and strength is shoes. This doesn’t include designer labels who grind out a new collection every season. If someone has the money to blow thousands annually on the new and fabulous, super. I’m not interested in that, and I don’t think most pragmatic and discerning men are, either. It’s about shoes that work now, will work next year and will continue to work for the rest of your life. Good shoes can be expensive, but they are worthy investments. This is about the long game. Take good care of them with regular conditioning and shining, heel and sole maintenance and cedar shoe trees between wearings, and they’ll last longer than a good car.
For the cooler months, I have a thing for chukka boots. They’re handsome, masculine, elegant and practical for just about any occasion, depending on the color and finish. Suede is obviously a more casual flavor, while polished leather in a dark shade with a matching (or closely matching) sole can also be worn in dressier suit and tie modes. I have a few pairs, and they’re my steady fall/winter go-to boots with suits or jeans.
[singlepic id=176 w=320 h=320 float=left]Quality footwear is one area of a man's wardrobe that can't really be done on the dirty cheap. It's hard to find good shoes and boots, i.e. ones that aren't trendy and that will last, for…
Good shoes are one area where a man can't really skimp or play it cheap. Iconic British lifestyle brand Barbour partnered with shoemaking icon Grenson to make the Grenson Barbour shoe. This beautifully produced video was created to promote the…