So years ago I saw on Instagram (I believe it was Papanui’s) a pair of John Lofgren donkey punchers. At first I was like wtf is this? It was a pair of boots, but with lace holes that seemed to extend further down the vamp than normal so that they kinda looked like an angry pug. And then there was this funny moustache thing coming out from the laces and the curvy, slightly effeminate heels. I was not immediately taken by the style but the image swam to the back of my mind to be retrieved at a later date.
During my visit to Blue Works vintage clothing I saw Steve wearing a similar design but without the moustache (which I later learned is called a false tongue or kiltie). I believe his are a two-tone version where the upper and the lower leathers are different colours. The combination of extra lacing and rounded toe makes for a heavy-duty, tough-looking boot. Steve was wearing his with OG107 fatigue pants and I thought they looked bloody great. I learned that his pair was from Wesco and I slowly but surely fell down the rabbit hole of Pacific Northwest boot companies. Continue reading “Smoke Jumper”