Welcome to the first issue of The Editorial by Everyday Wear. In this newsletter we want to give you a behind the scenes look at what we talk about as we plan out the posts and items you see on Everyday Wear.
For this first issue, we take you through our thoughts on boots, which stemmed from some discussions of what post-pandemic Men’s footwear will look like. The fall weather and prospects of outdoors socially distant happy hours, needing us to have a sweet pair of boots to show off. And us wondering and worrying if anything we buy now, will be useful should we find ourselves back in the office.
We hope you enjoy, and welcome your feedback.
Stay safe,
Ben & Steve
Classic Boots
When you think of classic boots, the work wear boot comes to mind. With their heritage coming from hard, manual work with long days on your feet, they often are very durable and comfortable — this is why they are a great footwear consideration for your wardrobe.
Often the toughness can make for a long break-in period, but a good pair will mold to your feet and keep your comfortable all day. With today’s pushing of ultra cushioned athletic shoes, you may think you know comfort, but the hug of a well fitting boot is something else. Of course there is some trade off on padding, but you have something that is stable and stays comfortable all day.
With that, fit is key. Boots are something hard to order online without ordering multiple sizes, as even within a brand, sizing can vary between styles a built on different lasts. Sometimes brand customer service or r/goodyearwelt can also give some good ideas on sizing.
A little heel slip is normal in a new boot (but not too much), and while some say the boot should fit like a “firm handshake” at the start, there is a fine line between snug that will stretch a little and too tight. The ball of your foot should also fall at the flex point of the boot (usually the widest part of the forefoot).
Classic workwear boots will also often be Goodyear welted, which is a method of attaching the sole and the upper in a way that they can be easily resoled. This is desirable, because once you’ve found the perfect pair of boots and broken them in, why toss them just because the sole is worn?
Moving over to an adjacent category, dress boots actually have a long history in menswear. Other than with formalwear, men wore heavy boots for work and lighter boots otherwise. Modern dress boots can vary from a simple pair of Chromexcel leather boots to what basically amounts to an extended calf leather or shell cordovan dress shoe.
Why dress boots over shoes? Less fuss over the length of your pants. Have a pair that is slightly short? They will look great with the height of a boot without having to worry about your socks. I even find that the shape of a boot even hides that from the eye. Also, no more chilly ankles in the winter or in a cold conference center.
Performance Boots
Heritage boots, work boots, dress boots, cowboy boots — they will always have place in fashion, but why can’t boots have no break in and be as comfortable as possible right out of the box, and over any terrain? The risk in doing this is that you might make the boot look like a stereotypical hiking boot. Mesh, seude, metal, chunky rubber — those served a purpose when gear was heavy and trails sparse, but in 2020 we know a lot more. And we have for a while. Boots can look good, be supportive, but still feel like walking on a cloud.
Back in 2016 Danner launched its “Performance Heritage” line of boots with the Mountain 600. You probably know it, because it was and remains an instant classic:
Danner took a classic mountaineering boot look, and applied a modern sole and performance to the footbed of it. The problem here is that fashion still matters, it always does, and those boots scream tech-bro — weekend hike of 1 mile to grab that good Insta, before you go drink a PBR in Portland.
But, it spurred a movement of boots that could look great like a boot, but perform beyond what others expect, and more than that be comfortable to have on your foot all day long — because most of the day is standing and sitting around. Not working in mines, or on trails. Concrete is hard on your feet, padding is nice. And a side note about waterproof boots: just say no. For the same reasons you take your rain jacket off inside, you don’t want or really need waterproof boots in all but a few scenarios.
Which brings us to now, and now we see this trend of performance boots all over. Cole Haan has been doing this a while, but has yet to be super successful in marrying the look. Brands like Forsake are pushing hard on performance, while struggling to find the balance.
And then this year Danner releases the Logger 917:
So yeah, that’s a sharp boot. So while there remain true performance boots for outdoor adventures or rucking itself, there are brands like Danner making the future of performance boots. With, as Danner says, performance quality and heritage style.
Wearing Boots: The Future of Menswear Post-2020
One thing we have been thinking a lot about is what fashion in the office looks like going forward. While the west coast tech companies will largely remain unchanged, that is not where most people work. As we both worked in offices that were smart casual, and business casual, respectively. And we both feel that moving forward, COVID will have pushed our offices more casual than they were before — indeed the longer it takes to get fully back into offices, the more casual things are likely to trend we would guess.
But, we would speculate this will start with footwear. Most people won’t mind putting back on a button down and chinos to head back to the office. But the moment they move from slippers/flip-flops back to oxfords, they will quickly remember how uncomfortable those can be.
And when you are pushing for fashion/style changes, it’s easier to start with shoes, as no one is going to fight you — everyone wants more comfort on their feet. And, for men, people just don’t care what you have on your feet. So if business culture is going to cave, it will start with footwear, not jeans.
And that’s where boots come in. It is easy to move from a dress boot or oxford, to some of the heritage work boots and blend that into your wardrobe for the office. Or to grab a performance dress boot or some of the nicer looking performance boots and slide those in under the radar.
Eventually, as some of us head back to the office, pay attention to people’s feet, because that’s where cheating on dress codes is likely to start. After all, men used to wear hats when they were outdoors. And the common belief as to why that actually stopped is simply because JFK did not wear a hat, and JFK is cool. Most of the cool men’s style icons are wearing boots.
Boots We Like
Steve
I recently got a pair of Red Wing Heritage Classic Mocs and love them. The wedge sole is super cushioned and comfortable, and the break-in wasn’t bad (as I hear it can be on the Iron Rangers).
My (business casual) dress boots are the Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill Boot. As my first boot purchase, they have served me well (although I wouldn’t pay over $250 for them, and they can sometimes be found for around $200). If I were buying now, I’d probably buy one of the Grant Stone options in Crimson Chromexcel (watch their B-grades section, the defects are usually not noticeable and the prices are significantly discounted, this is how I got my two pairs of dress shoes). The only negative is that Grant Stone uses a steel shank which can set off metal detectors.
As far as hiking boots, I’ve been wearing Vasque Breeze boots for as long as I can remember. They’ve worked for my feet for many miles over multiple pairs, so I just haven’t put forth the effort to look for something else.
Ben
I am still wearing my Thursday President boots for business casual, and smart casual wear. They are great boots and like a halfway when it comes to the types talked above. They are not the end all lifetime boots that we first talked about. But they also really aren’t performance. I will say that I have not worn them a ton since lock down, and I am not really sure what the future holds for them. My other boots for business casual was a pair of Cole Haan Chelsea boots, and since the heel on one is showing the nail already, I am going to not link to those as I don’t recommend them at all.
For casual and hiking, I only wear my GORUCK MACV-1 boots. I think they are just fantastic. They are beyond comfortable and performant. But they look not good at all. While the looks have grown on me, and while I think it doesn’t matter to most people, they are nothing like the Danners we talked about above. They are pure performance with no style considerations. So on par with most hiking boots I guess.
For me, I am going to be getting a pair of those Danner Logger 917s, they just look stellar.
Recent Reviews on EDW
Wellen Stretch Chore Coat — lighter weight, casual chore coat in an organic cotton/hemp blend.
Taylor Stitch The Camp Pant in Dark Olive Duck Boss — great work wear pants in a hard wearing hemp blend.
Ben’s first look at the Western Rise Versa Hat
Sales Worth Checking Out
It seems like everyone is launching their Black Friday/holiday sales early this year — here are some that are worth checking out:
Bluffworks — escalating discount starting at 10% off $200 + 50% off suits and separates
GORUCK — some great Black Friday deals, as well as some new items dropping throughout the holiday season
Grant Stone — 30% off orders over $400 (excluding shell cordovan)
Western Rise — up to 25% off
Wildly Good Merino Wool Crew Socks — review coming, two pack for just $20 (these were provided for free for review purposes)
Wool&Prince — 15% off woven shirts + free neck gaiter, boxer brief, or sock bundle with $150 purchase
Where possible, links in this newsletter may earn Everyday Wear money when you purchase using the links.