I picked up a pair of Yuketen Maine Guide Ox FO by accident about a year ago. I have always loved handsewn moccasin styles from Maine, and Yuketen’s slightly offbeat sensibilities add an extra level of interest for me. That intersection of style, fashion and old school craftsmanship is rarely seen in the shoe-making world. So when this barely used pair appeared on eBay, I put in a low bid, not really expecting to win, but win I did and ended up with what would become one of my favourite pairs of shoes.

The Maine Guide Ox is a low version of Yuketen’s signature Maine Guide boot, Yuki Matsuda’s interpretation of the hunting boot. Pairing true moccasin construction with thick boot soles makes for a comfy pair of boots, and my low top versions are no different.

Continue reading “1 year on: Yuketen Maine Guide Ox FO “ →

I guess I’m a bit of a sucker for punishment or I don’t learn from my mistakes, etc. As a pimply teenager I had a pair of off-white converse allstars like just about everyone else and the toe box was completely wrong for my foot shape. My pinky toe would constantly rub against the side of the shoe so I either had a blister or no skin on it left by the end of the day. Fast forward to a couple of years ago when white sneakers were all the rage and I was too cheap to fork out for a pair of common projects, so of course I go out and get me a pair of leather Jacket Purcells. The leather was shit and of course they were hell for my pinky toes!

Fast forward some more to more recent times and Nigel Cabourn’s army style sneakers kept coming up on Instagram. Something about the utilitarian aesthetics, chunky soles and old school colours appealed to me. But you know, I had enough sneakers I don’t even wear so I filed it away in the back of my mind somewhere. But they kept coming up! I saw a cool pair of “all-weather boots” on the Drake’s website and the “made in Japan” description and I couldn’t help doing some research.  Continue reading “Review: Nigel Cabourn high top army trainers” →

Maybe I’m getting old or I’ve always had old man sensibilities. I mean, I do wear alot of cardigans and tweeds. I have always had an affinity for split toes. I originally had my eye on a pair of suede Dovers on the 606 last from Edward Green. But I was torn between that makeup and the more common dark oak. In the end, the fantastic burnishing on the calf won and I’ll be saving for a pair of dark oak calf Dovers in the future.

In the meantime my search for a pair of dark brown derbies/apron toes took me in other directions. There’s surprisingly few options. Suede Norwegian split toes (NSTs) can be had from EG (as mentioned), Carmina, Alden, Tricker’s, Allen Edmonds, Crockett & Jones, and Paraboot.

Continue reading “Review: Paraboot Chambords in dark brown suede “ →

I had a bad run a couple of years ago where I bought a few loafers that were half a size too small (the perils of buying without trying!). My first lament was a pair of Alden tassel loafers in colour #8 shell cordovan (the Brooks Brothers version). I think the Aberdeen last is just too pointy for my fat, wide toes. The length is actually fine and I get a bit of heel slippage but halfway through my day, my fourth toe feels like it’s about to fall off. My second lament was a pair of Rancourt beefroll penny loafers in natural chromexcel. The strap was painfully tight initially but I even got through that and the leather actually moulded to my feet quite well. But I think the tightness around my big toe contributed to a bit of stretching and caused a bit of a squeak with every step if I walked too fast. So about 2 months ago I ordered a cheapo shoe stretcher off eBay.  Continue reading “The Stretching Experiment” →

This drop is live again right now with 8 days left. I was one of the guys who joined the very first drop last year so I thought I’d do a quick write-up of my experience with them. For those who don’t know what Massdrop is, it is basically a group buy/made-to-order type setup. A drop appears for a limited time and the more people join, the cheaper it becomes. Usually the orders don’t start getting made until the drop finishes, so the trade-off for a lower price is that you can sometimes wait for weeks to months for your goods to arrive.

Continue reading “Massdrop x Allen Edmonds Chukka boots – 5 months on” →

Shoe trees are essential when taking care of your shoe investments. I have talked about shoe trees and how to properly take care of your shoes before, but access to good quality shoe trees have always been a problem in Australia. The Americans have pretty nice selection of shoe trees from brands like Woodlore, but shoe trees weigh quite a bit (they are made of wood and metal after all) so the shipping might cost as much as (or more than) the shoe trees themselves. EBay sells shoe trees but the sizing is a bit hit and miss, it’s usually not cedar, the quality is generally terrible, and the shipping is still not that cheap. So I had pretty much resigned myself to buying Florsheim shoe trees due to the lack of options. Until now!

Continue reading “Finally, shoe-trees for Australians!” →

I love my moccasins and own quite a few pairs. Now it is important to distinguish between true moccasins, moccasin-styled shoes, and loafers.

True moccasin construction

A true moccasin is one where the leather is wrapped/shaped from the ground up around the last, then another piece of leather to sewn on top  to form the vamp (the top part of the shoe over your toes). This means the sides and bottom of the shoe are all one piece of leather. A sole is usually sewn to the leather under where your foot goes, and there is usually an insole attached inside the shoe. Here is a handy diagram courtesy of Russell Moccasin Co. The sewing is usually done by hand and there are a number of companies in the New England region of America that specialise in hand-sewn moccasins. Continue reading “True moccasins” →