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Fred Collins HOT SHINE!

Here it is folks, straight from the 1941 publication of Wenatchee's own Fred Collins SHINE BOOK, love the last step:

Obscure Chaco statistic

The Hipthong by Chaco: bottom model in retail sales, top model in pro-deal sales. Source: some 'bum I know.

Old pic, circa 1925

I feel so dirty...

As much as I rake Crocs over the coals you'd never expect to see me in a pair...and you NEVER will. However, I'm wearing these shoes from MION today despite them being so many of the same things I HATE about Crocs. I just have a bit of a thing for these even as, dare I say, Crocesque as they are. One obvious advantage is they're somewhat adjustable using MION's unique "Super Structure Cord" lacing system which radially envelops the shoe while anchored near the toe and at the heel, with the slack is taken up by a small tensioner. The footbeds are very comfortable and supportive relative to other offerings in this type of footwear and I feel I could walk up a wall these soles are so grippy. So nice work once again Martin Keen (actually pronounced Maaaah-tee?), not only another great shoe but another stellar brand, what's next?

Little?

I am a bit offended here. I'm having a hard time with Simple's tag line: "a nice little shoe company (tm)". I always thought that I had a nice little shoe company here. One that has a personal relationship with each and every customer that comes through our door. I just don't think you can have an investor relations tab on your website and still be considered "little". Keep in mind here folks that Simple is just a brand within the Deckers Coproration not a separate company, and anyone doing over $300 million in gross sales is not little. In comparison to my measly no where near a million in sales a year figure that certainly makes me the "littler" of nice shoe companies. So really my gripe here isn't about Simple's shoes, they have some really hip "greenish" stuff and a great website, love the Kid's Loaf by the way. It's just about folks trying to portray themselves as something they are not.  It's OK to be big, this isn't a futile hatred of all things corporate, I just don't like it when big corporations try to convince us that they are the "little" guys.

20 million Aussies can't be wrong...can they?

Could this be the worlds most practical boot? Lightweight, tough as nails, weather resistant (personally I say waterproof) good fit (for a slip on) and not a bad looker either, all the ingredients to make for a great piece of footwear. Add a good after market insole to these and you've got a hard to beat package for everything from a day in the garden to a day on the job to a trip to dinner with your girl (put a little elbow grease into 'em first). The boot you see here is a good evolution from the original "Blunnie" most of us have seen before. They have taken today's technology and added super durable TPU (thermo-polyurethane) outsoles to a proven upper design. Once again, a company keeping it simple and making a stellar product.

I wish everyone in the shoe business was this cool

Mark Paigen, Chaco 2004, long video but everything you ever wanted to know about Chaco from the man that started it all. via Egan Blog

Regional favorite... XTRATUF!

A buddy of mine used to fish in Alaska every year and always came back wearing these obnoxious rubber boots for a week or so until he realized it was nearly 90 degrees here. He always said they just felt right to him. Proving you can take the boy out of Alaska but can't take the Alaska out of the boy. There was certainly an "Alaska-ish" smell to go along with the boots. Upon further investigation, it seems many folks up there just can't get enough of their XTRATUF boots.

XTRATUF boots in Alaska have a following that goes beyond their obvious practicality in a sloppy, muddy, rain drenched climate. Sitka, Alaska even has an event dedicated to these brown beauties called the "Running of the Boots". First started by a lone Sitka streaker wearing nothing BUT his boots, it has become a community tradition for over 10 years now encouraging not speed, but creativity in a  Pamplona type run through the streets in costumes as well as their boots.

NPR has a great little piece you can listen to HERE all about the 4 distinct "ages" of an XTRATUF boot.

I hear there is even a girls soccer team in Juneau that is called the "XTRATUFS" (3 time state champs no less!). So as far as regional footwear goes I think the brown bombers of Bethel take the cake, XTRATUF boots.

Van Gogh, shoebum?

Gotta love Vinny Van Gogh, I think he was a shoebum...

The sandal only a fakir could love

When I read the description of these sandals I thought they were talking about the @hnu T ilden (just kidding Kurt) but it turns out they are fakir sandals. Contrary to popular belief, a fakir is not that guy who won't let you merge on the highway, but actually a religious beggar from India who practices meditation to completely control their physical sensations, most commonly seen walking across hot coals or lying on a bed of nails. A practice that could help people wear their new @hnu sandals through an entire day (once again, just kidding).