We’re inching towards fall, which means a new Viberg collection in the format that we’ve come to expect: a series of drops that build out a theme using new ready-to-wear makeups, all drawing on a gradually expanding stable of patterns, lasts, leathers, and outsoles. That approach is definitely unique in our corner of the industry, and it lets Viberg offer a wide array of options without navigating the complex logistics of being largely powered by custom orders.
This Fall’s concept is “uniforms for the modern worker”, and Drop 2 shows a very different side of it than we got in the first drop back in August. Drop 1 went heavy on nappy leathers, in particular Mojave Janus Calf and Marine Field Shoe, which is simultaneously less formal and more rigid. Besides the two N1 boot models, which are a straight-up riff on a historical military boot (the *surprise* N1 Boondocker), there was an interesting contrast between what were pretty clearly military inspired colorways—every boot but one was olive green or tan—and the fact that of the 19 models released, fully half were sneakers or slippers.
Dare we read this as commentary on the cultural rise of militaria and workwear playing out alongside the fall of the boundaries between home and work?! Do we need to intellectualize suede colors that much? Can we intellectualize suede colors that much?!?! Apparently we’re trying to! But hey maybe they’re just boots (and sneakers and slippers) and throwing a million leathers at a tight-ish lineup is a tricky and expensive and highly inefficient task.
Either way, the second drop looks quite different—full of formal calfskin in darker browns and black deployed on more formal patterns (only one wedge sole to be found here). Did we mention that there’s a brand new model, the Regent, a single monk strap (!) on equally brand new 1905 last? Said last is more contoured and tighter fitting than the 2030 but still rounder and chunkier than most dress lasts, especially on a Ridgeway sole with a scalloped welt. The 1905 made its way onto some Bastion Oxford makeups as well, and it’s very at home there.
As for the leather, we’re mostly seeing that calf that we mentioned earlier, specifically calf from Tannerie D’Annonay in black, cigar, and cognac. Annonay is almost synonymous with exactly this sort of dressy, shiny, fine grained calf that would’ve been and obvious and safe choice to wear to the cubicle twenty years ago. On beefier models (and even Viberg’s “dressy” models have some visual heft) it leans into the formal-streetwear vibe that was helped into existence by loafermania and which has only grown from there.
In addition to the calf, there’s Waxy Commander in Coyote, Mohave, and Charcoal. The waxed suede from C.F. Stead has become something of a Viberg staple over the past few years, and it certainly isn’t gone yet.
Viberg’s been angling in some direction for a few years now, although it’s often been tough to pin that down outside of: somewhat away from what core customers came to expect in the decade previous. That direction now seems to be solidifying. And despite the curveball of a monk strap shoe from a brand that still makes (a few) actual logging boots, it’s no stretch to say that this drop is Viberg’s most well-thought-out, cohesive, and honestly just damn good looking seasonal release we’ve seen in a minute.
Okay, on to some highlights:
Service Boot 1035 in Nero Teacore Horsebutt: $900
Just like in Drop 1, there’s a lone service boot in Nero teacore horsebutt from Italy’s Conceria Maryam, this time on the round-toed but fairly shallow 1035 last. Snuck in (convincingly) amongst the French calf, these remain only a stone’s throw from the more utilitarian Viberg boots of previous periods. And are just a really nice looking black boot.
Viberg Regent Shoe in Cigar French Calf: $850
The new kid on the block looks really different to most of the monks out there—further from the #menswear connotations and closer to a chunky derby without being exaggerated. French binding on the quarters and strap is a nice touch. There’s this “cigar” color…
Viberg Regent Shoe in Black French Calf: $850
…and a murdered out version…
Viberg Regent Shoe in Mojave Waxy Commander: $810
…but maybe the most interesting of the bunch is the Waxy Commander model, whose leather choice pushes it even further from an even remotely formal dress shoe.
Viberg Chelsea in Cognac French Calf: $970
The Chelseas really show off the shine and break of the calf…
Viberg Slipper in Black French Calf: $735
…which also pushes the welted slippers into SERIOUS SHOE territory. If you needed some Vibergs to wear to the opera, these are it.
Viberg Service Boot 2030 in Cognac French Calf: $900
The iconic 2030-last Service Boot (see its complete history here) also gets the French calf treatment, which makes for a fun juxtaposition with the stitchdown construction. There are plain toe…
Viberg Service Boot 2030 BCT in Cigar French Calf: $920
…and brogued cap toe options…
Viberg Navvy Boot in Cigar French Calf: $960
…in addition to a duo of Navvy Boots (cigar and black) which seem to have edged out the Halkett Boot—for now. We have to say the vaguely new-entrant Navvy boot—built on also-new 1940 last—looks damned good, and quite distinct from (and less utilitarian than) the Service Boot.
Viberg Rockland Blucher in Charcoal Waxy Commander: $790
There’s a plethora a shoe options too, though sadly we’ve been deprived of a French Calf 145 (oh, what could have been). We’ve got plenty of Rockland Bluchers though, and this makeup kind of does the distressed-streetwear-derby thing without the exaggerated proportions and finished of the more avant-garde offerings on the market.
Viberg Savoy in Black French Calf: $850
The Savoy, Viberg’s Algonquin Split Toe, also gets a nearly the full range of leather treatments, from minimalist black (where the extra details make for a welcome addition)…
Viberg Savoy in Mojave Waxy Commander: $810
…to rough and tumble Waxy Commander, rounding out the welted shoe lineup. The other detail of note? All of the makeups are lasted on the new 1905. We have a sneaking suspicion we might be seeing this last a whole lot from now on.
Overall the collection ends up mirroring Viberg’s own history—it takes military inspired patterns and uses them a bridge between the hardcore stitchdown boots we associate with “work”, and the wide variety of often contradictory things we look for in the kind of footwear most people wear every day in 2024. Most Viberg customers—or potential customers—aren’t doing intense, manual work or clocking in to a cubicle in a pressed shirt for a nine to five. What fills the amorphous space between those things? We might not have an answer, but Viberg is sure trying to find one, and it’s damned interesting to watch unfold.