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Maybe I'm biased, but I think these folks are pretty sharp. LINK

Vibram...actually pronounced like Victor?

According to Tony Post, CEO of Vibram USA yes, Vibram is pronounced like Victor, with a soft "i". Well no matter how you say it their new "shoes" certainly break from convention. The most important theme in the Vibram FiveFingers marketing campaign is simply that you can now have shoes for the things you would rather do barefoot. From their homepage:

BAREFOOTING (bare·foot·n) n. 1. The exhilarating joy of going barefoot without leaving yourself exposed; 2. any activity requiring unconventional footwear offering the protection of a thin, flexible Vibram skin; 3. an intelligent way to deepen your connection with your natural surroundings.

I am assuming these will be "gloves" for your feet and in the right conditions this is the ideal piece of footwear (anyone making shoes for your hands yet?). They are certainly less bulky than sandals for boating, able to curve and form around boulders for greater surface contact and I could see using them for travel or as a camp shoe due to their compact size. After all, it makes sense for a company that makes 30 million soles a year to take things to the next step. How are the 100 some odd manufacturers using Vibram's soles going to take to a supplier now being a competitor? How will they feel? How do they fit? What about you freaks with Morton's Toe (long middle toe)? Looks like retail is from $70-$100. I have a pair on their way so keep checking for my full review, until then, here's a good start.

Breaking News (or wind)!

Look out folks! Just when you thought the country was "blue"ing up a bit. Here comes the biggest news from downtown Niwot, Colorado since the acquisition of Jibbitz: CROCS, Inc. is teaming up with NASCAR to bring you nothing but the finest CRAP to add to your already atrocious shoes. Oooh, can I get the Dale Jr. clogs ma... please?

You can find REAL car racing HERE.

Feet and fingerprints

Feet and fingerprints, no two are exactly alike. That's why we cannot expect every shoe out there to fit each us perfect right out of the box. If you are close, or as like many folks, bought a pair a hair too narrow don't fret! Find a local shoe repair shop, preferably one with 87+ years in the business like American Shoe Shop, Inc. in Wenatchee, WA (sorry for the shameless self promotion). They should have the know how to fit you just right. Stretching is always easier to do in the width of a shoe, but usually a small bit of length can be gained as well. If you have lumps or bumps on your feet, many attachments and or specialized stretchers are available to suit your individual needs. Don't sacrifice the fit of an entire shoe just for a small bunion on the outside of your foot. What I'm saying here is that if you have a small spot on a shoe that bothers you, don't go to a size that is too big for the rest of your foot just to fit that one spot. Stretching is usually $5-$10 a pair and certainly beats having to buy a new pair.

Russell Moccasin Turtleskin Turkey Hunter w/ Turtleskin SnakeArmor in Mossy Oak Breakup Weather Tuff Leather

This is NOT a joke. The great folks at the Russell Moccasin Co. of Berlin, Wisconsin make this redneck beast and actually quite a few really nice true moccasin construction pieces of footwear. Huh, you ask? Well, in true moccasin construction one solid piece of leather wraps up from underneath your foot creating what Russell Calls a sort of "hammock' of leather to conform around your foot's unique features. In most other forms of shoe construction the leather is always pulled down over the top. Essentially the vamp of a moccasin is the insole as well.
Although this post pokes fun at Russell here a bit, I have to stress that the Russell Moccasin Co. makes some of the finest handmade  moccasin style shoes and boots available. You can take a look at their line or order a pair of custom shoes for yourself HERE. Too bad I'm not a member of Safari Club International, I could have a pair of the frightening ostrich boots to the right.

Boots and booty

I know my focus has been a bit boot-centric lately, and now because of one picture my wife thinks BOOTY-centric. For those of you who happened upon my site accidentally while searching for nude pictures of Heidi Klum, please don't get the impression that this site is devoted to ugly boots! Here's the proof:

Ugly sandals too (thanks Mion)!

Boo hoo (Birkenstock)

Birkenstock USA is having a rough couple of years. Sales are down, transfer to employee ownership has not gone well, making a move from beautiful Novato, CA to Kentucky, the Deutchmark and Euro are kicking their ass, they are offering half the shoes they did 2 years ago (actually a good thing) and who knows what else. So what do you do when the chips are down? Raise prices and ad a $15 fee to any order under 12 pairs. That is exactly how you thank your base of specialty retailers that brought you from an obscure German novelty to a household name in comfort, thanks! I blame it all on Heidi Klum (yes, those ARE Birkenstocks, from the German Boutique collection), yet I'll probably still wear mine everyday.

Dem are purty...

Cowboy boots are incredible to me. I have owned 1 pair in my life and they nearly killed me. Some folks swear they're just like slippers, not for me. The way that cowboy boots are constructed allows the maker great liberties in designing the shaft or leg of the boot, a reasonably easy to paint canvas if you will. There are some great designs out there, but when worn they are usually covered by the pant leg. What really impresses me is when the vamp gets the same treatment. The shaft of a cowboy boot always stays the same shape. The vamp must be stretched and pulled over a last making it much more difficult to adorn with inlays or stitching. Although you would be hard pressed to ever get me into another pair, I do appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry that can once again be found in this American tradition. The pair above is from Stallion Boots, very nice.

Oh, to be a rock star

What a niche these folks have targetted: Beattle boot replicas! A must for any real rock 'n roller. This one to the left is said to be THE original worn by Liverpool's finest. Really nice craftsmanship from first glance. Makes me wanna twist and shout for a hard days night on that long and winding road...sorry.  You can see the whole collection HERE.

Old school

Nick's Custom Boots, made in the Peoples Republic of Spokanistan (term of endearment for Spokane, WA) are the epitome of old school. Not like Adidas Shell Toes on Run DMC but truly made by traditional craftsman with tried and true methods: all leather, exclusive of the outsole, with heavy three sole stitch down (Norwegian Welt) construction. And these certainly will never be a fashion statement, no fashionista is tough enough to wear these big bad boots. If you are fighting fire in the sticks of the Northwest, these are the boots you wear. There are very few people out there still making shoes anything like this. As far as I can tell, the few left are all in the Northwest: Viberg in Victoria, B.C., White's (includes Hathorn and Buffalo) also in Spokane, and Wesco in Scapoose, OR. This is, I assume, due to their proximity to the forests and roots in logging boot manufacturing. Nick's is the cream of the cream of the crop though. Concentrating ONLY on boots, you won't find a fishing rod or camo clothing at Nick's boots. Stiff, hard, and miserable to break in, but once they are there, you know it, the comfort that can only come from leather being pummeled into submission by hours on your feet, truly a boot made for the long haul. By the way, I'd love to know about any other regional footwear types, send 'em HERE.