Footwear to go with our jackets

[Seb Lucas]

I don't even spend much money on jackets either and let alone anything else. Not much in a way that I always make sure to have sold one or another for enough to cover the next purchase but having a collection of pricey jackets just hanging in a wardrobe, waiting for a day I'll feel like wearing it... That's the stuff nightmares are made of. No thanks. Pricey stuff is scary.

What is the definition of "Pricey"...that is the $64,000 dollar question ?

Pricey depends on your personal value system and sometimes on your income. I'm an aspiring minimalist and I have always found that material possessions actually own you.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Years ago I lived in South Korea and at first I wore old clothing. My boss made a point of asking me why I didn't buy new clothes and then politely instructed me that I should dress smartly for people. I've wanted to go back there for years- it was quite a thing to have to be tactical in how I dressed for others and to be surrounded by people, who, as they were on display to each other all the time in a small place, put maximum effort into appearance. Tailoring there was easily affordable and usually good - amusingly, people preferred very expensive branding, and that it be visible on the sleeve.

That sounds abominable.

 

[zebedee]

That sounds abominable.

Yeah, the sleeve thing was gauche. Most people also kept super-fit.

 

[El Marro]

It is funny that I'll spend a considerable sum of money on jackets but am not willing to do so on watches, footwear, jeans or anything else, really. A bit like going to the supermarket and spending 15 quid on red wine and 60p on a loaf of bread. Not for breakfast, obviously.

I will definitely drop serious dough on a nice pair of boots but I draw the line when it comes to jeans. I always seem to either put a stain or a hole in every pair of pants I own sooner or later and I just can’t see spending $400 for something I know I will ruin. That said, I do have plenty of jeans that cost well over $100...

 

[Bfd70]

^and a shirt or 2

 

[JMax]

Picked these up for little on eBay. HH. An custom outfit based in San Francisco called Al's Attic. Perhaps some of the good folks here have heard of them, I sure hadn't. I really like the boots. Solid and the soles are made of of tire tread. Pretty comfy actually. Already scuffed from riding in them.

 

[Feraud]

Does anyone have experience with the sizing from Rancourt & Co.? Do they tend to run true to size? I am eyeballing a pair of their chukkas.

 

[Psant25]

Does anyone have experience with the sizing from Rancourt & Co.? Do they tend to run true to size? I am eyeballing a pair of their chukkas.

I had a pair i think was similar to the blake boot. I found it closer in size to a shoe or sneaker as compared to RW, whites, wesco, etc I generally sizing down a 1/2 size from sneaker/shoe for a good fit. so I think when they say TTS that is what they mean

 

[Feraud]

thanks!

 

[Downunder G Man]

Lucchese Classic Ropers in Cognac/ Whiskey "smooth steerhide" for today's northbound Harley ride.
$240 USD delivered to me in Australia ( admittedly 12 years ago !). Re-heeled twice since , resoled once.
I have these styles in Ostrich , Hippo , steer and Goat. All Roper low heels. Some of them for 30 years+
Maintained by a traditional old fashioned cobbler/bootmaker here in Perth WA. The only one I trust !
Cool start today , but to be 27C by mid afternoon.
Indian Ocean backdrop , perhaps out of sight 15 fully laden oil tankers hove to and anchored.
The main WA refinery is perhaps 120 K's south of this photo spot.
Full oil tankers all over the world apparently. Perth fuel price down to 87c/ litre. Lowest for way over 10 years.
BECAUSE you can't drive anywhere of distance AND all the working from home scenario.
Phone camera shot of course , apologies for the quality , but you get the idea.

 

[58panheadfan]

RW 875 from 07/04

 

[58panheadfan]

RW 2911, Engineers, brown

 

[58panheadfan]

Crafrite, Engineers, HH black

 

[58panheadfan]

RMC, Buco Engineers, HH black

 

[Edward]

The notion that sneakers should be built like work boots is nonsensical.

Yeah, the direct comparison rather struck me as odd. I haven't bought a pair of sneakers since, I think, about 2006; I stopped wearing them altogether around 2007. I'm just more comfortable in a good leather boot or brogue. I also came to dislike footwear that is effectively 'disposable' - can't be reheeled or resoled. All subjective preferences, of course. But criticising a sneaker for not having the same construction as a workboot is like criticising a dog for not being a cat.

It is funny that I'll spend a considerable sum of money on jackets but am not willing to do so on watches, footwear, jeans or anything else, really. A bit like going to the supermarket and spending 15 quid on red wine and 60p on a loaf of bread. Not for breakfast, obviously.

What it comes down to is that for those of us for whom money is not unlimited but who yet are fortunately enough to have some level of disposable income to spend on things which are not purely utilitarian, there will be choices to be made on where and how we direct that finite supply of disposable income. For me, it's certain types of clothing because what I want to wear simpyl can't be found on the high street. I'll spend more on jeans than just buying supermarkert pairs becasue it's the only way to be able to find what I want to wear, in the fit and look I want. Ditto shoes and leather jackets, less so shirts and underwear because I can fidn what I'm happy with affordably. Money no object, I can imagine being tempted to havesome jeans made in Savile Row, just out of curiosity...

I was really good at frugality when I was earning a great salary in Hong Kong. As soon as I returned to the UK, a smaller salary somehow made me spend too much. Minimalism is a good way to live, but the catch is that most people I know (including me) have owned a lot of stuff before being able to buy the one or two durable, expensive things that don't require rapid replacement. Whether or not this will be the case in the future I don't know, but I've been able to to throw away cheap things and buy the hardier, permanent things- what made minimalism possible was that I didn't have to depend on cheaper stuff. It was a sort of regressive hypocrisy!

Are you familiar with the Captain Vimes theory of economics? I think that has a lot to do with these things.

Yeah, the sleeve thing was gauche.

It's one of those absurd fashions like keeping the shop tags on your baseball cap to show off that it's 'legit' and not a copy / fake. Those tags are there for the benefit of the salesman when he lifts a suit off the for you to try, and are supposed to be rmeoved after purchase. People who are hung up on labels kept them on so other people would know what they are wearing.... I'm sure I'm the sort of old fart who isn't supposed to get it, but fashion always seemed to me to be acting out some sort of insecurity. The label thing.... not buyin a label's product because you like it or they are offering what you want to buy, but buiying *a label* because that's like a seal of approval - it's afashionable label, so it's ok to wear that..... Why not just wear what you like?

 

[red devil]

It's one of those absurd fashions like keeping the shop tags on your baseball cap to show off that it's 'legit' and not a copy / fake. Those tags are there for the benefit of the salesman when he lifts a suit off the for you to try, and are supposed to be rmeoved after purchase. People who are hung up on labels kept them on so other people would know what they are wearing.... I'm sure I'm the sort of old fart who isn't supposed to get it, but fashion always seemed to me to be acting out some sort of insecurity. The label thing.... not buyin a label's product because you like it or they are offering what you want to buy, but buiying *a label* because that's like a seal of approval - it's afashionable label, so it's ok to wear that..... Why not just wear what you like?

It's the show-off attitude, back in the 80s or 90s - not sure when exactly - expensive fashion brands were asked to make their logo bigger by a substantial part of their clientele...

 

[Monitor]

For me, it's certain types of clothing because what I want to wear simpyl can't be found on the high street. I'll spend more on jeans than just buying supermarkert pairs becasue it's the only way to be able to find what I want to wear, in the fit and look I want. Ditto shoes and leather jackets, less so shirts and underwear because I can fidn what I'm happy with affordably.

All this awesome clothes is really nice and I gotta admit, knowing I'm wearing something with origin does make me feel better and more confident but while I dunno, six years back, I wouldn't even consider wearing a mall leather jacket, right now I feel I can just as happily wear anything that I happen to like and not care what the little tag says, as long as I'm happy the way I look.
I always felt that fashion is a crutch to style and once you get there, you can't go back to prioritizing fancy font over what makes you, well, you. I'd still rather have my wardrobe be all made of something fancy like the brands we like here but I won't ever look down on a good fitting pair of jeans, as long as I like them.

And there are still so many things out there I'd like to own while at the same time I know that if I buy it all, none of it will ever get to the point where I want it to be because I'll have too much stuff to wear and never wear a single piece enough. Especially if makers keep on releasing more stuff and they do. Japanese makers aside, look at Schott just a few years ago, three cross zips, two cafe racers and a bunch of junk was all they had. In 2015 you really had to have been a dedicated fan to even take them into consideration next to Aero, Vanson, etc.
Now they're releasing a mega premium jacket twice a year, made from best hide available. I wouldn't be surprised they come up with something Shinki this year because why not?

Lol, not sure where I'm going with all this, just something I've been thinking about...

 

[Edward]

All this awesome clothes is really nice and I gotta admit, knowing I'm wearing something with origin does make me feel better and more confident but while I dunno, six years back, I wouldn't even consider wearing a mall leather jacket, right now I feel I can just as happily wear anything that I happen to like and not care what the little tag says, as long as I'm happy the way I look.
I always felt that fashion is a crutch to style and once you get there, you can't go back to prioritizing fancy font over what makes you, well, you. I'd still rather have my wardrobe be all made of something fancy like the brands we like here but I won't ever look down on a good fitting pair of jeans, as long as I like them.

I see that as simpyl finding your style feet, and being confident enough in yourt own tastes and ability to spot quality to not feel you always have to pay out the big bucks for what you want. It's a maturing of your own style and understading / knowledge of that style. I found the same with guitars - started off two guitars of the same generic design looked much the much, then I got to where I could tell all the differences and always wante the pricey one.... and then I reached the level of zen calm where I can tell the differences, but I can also confidently decide that the more expensive one, even if appreciably better in some nuanced manner than another, is not the one I want or need, I can buy the mid-price option and be happy with that, happy that I have what I want / need and that to me the higher price version either isn't worth it, or just doesn't wiggle my wire for whatever reason. It's a positive palce to be in. Now, if only I could play worth adamn on any guitar....

And there are still so many things out there I'd like to own while at the same time I know that if I buy it all, none of it will ever get to the point where I want it to be because I'll have too much stuff to wear and never wear a single piece enough. Especially if makers keep on releasing more stuff and they do. Japanese makers aside, look at Schott just a few years ago, three cross zips, two cafe racers and a bunch of junk was all they had. In 2015 you really had to have been a dedicated fan to even take them into consideration next to Aero, Vanson, etc.
Now they're releasing a mega premium jacket twice a year, made from best hide available. I wouldn't be surprised they come up with something Shinki this year because why not?

There's definitely a lot to be said for reaching a point where you can enjoy seeing new bits come out without necessarily craving to have them all.... (That said, if ever the £10m+ lottery win comes in, I'll be straight on the train to Gala with a 'two of everything, please!' shopping list!). Also interesting how one's tastes change over time. I haven't bought or worn a new pair of sneakers in clsoing in on fifteen years now; I love Irvins and Grizzlies, things I thought I'd never wear or like even fifteen years ago. I'm even experimenting with a bowler hat now, which until maybe eighteen months ago I'd have rejected out of hand. I'm the last one to go minimalist, but there's definitely a lot to be said for practical considerations as to whether I'd ever wear something, no matter how cool it might look....

 

[red devil]

I really should have been in Japan by now...

 

[Blackadder]

Just out of curiosity, how is a good sneaker supposed to be made? What are the feature to look for? And what is the top of the range?

I don't know. Perhaps the youtuber means these
https://www.endclothing.com/row/new...ather-co-m1400bh-made-in-the-usa-m1400bh.html
https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/levis-new-balance-1300-release-date-price/
https://www.esquire.com/style/mens-fashion/a30397/epaulet-cordovan/
https://www.heddels.com/2018/04/epa...sehide-sneakers-is-inspired-by-vans-sneakers/