If I can be permitted to editorialize for a second… I have been locked in a combination staring contest/battle of the will with one of the models in this week’s roundup for months, and am now mere centimeters from the abyss.
Out of fear of speaking its name I’ll leave it you to guess which one, and I’ll write you if it gets me. In the meantime, you’ll find some absolutely banger Yuketen bluchers at Dashing Chicago, the return of the leather sole on Withered Fig’s latest Viberg collab, unlined Alden loafers at Brick + Mortar, and more, in this weeks: Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week.
Yuketen Italian Blucher in Truffle Whiskey: $660
Dashing has been slowly expanding their Yuketen lineup, a process that continued this week with the release of two more leather options for the Italian Blucher. At first glance, the brand Ben called, “eternally in contention for the Most Interesting Footwear Brand Going Award“, might seem a counterintuitive choice for a (relatively) formal and classically styled outfit like Dashing. But despite absolutely dripping with details (an aggressively pinked collar and backstay, hand-stitching around the plug and at the heel, a pinked kiltie…) I genuinely couldn’t tell you whether they’d be more at home with the milsurp/selvedge crowd or here, alongside 120 needle cashmere dress socks from Bresciani.
The Italian Blucher uses Vibram’s Tuscany outsole, attached via a 360˚ flat welt. The midsole insole setup on these is intricate, to say the least, with no less than seven components (most of them are veg tan, but there’s some memory foam at the heel too, as well as an “arch support cookie”. Tasty.) The two new additions to the lineup? A leather called “Truffle Whiskey” (the specific tannage is unclear)…
Yuketen Italian Blucher in Black Suede: $649
…and a black Conceria Opera suede tanned in Tuscany.
Withered Fix x Viberg Service Boot in Washed Col. 1071 Horsehide: $940
Releasing at 12pm EST today (4/5), Withered Fig’s new Viberg collab is based on a pair of Richard’s own grey kangaroo service boots, acquired at Viberg’s 2017 sample sale and since patina’d into a worn brown. Somewhere along the process of “reinterpreting” that pair, French binding worked its way onto the uppers, as did a French Oak Bark tanned outsole, both nice touches. They’re built on the 1035 last, with double row stitchdown construction. Meanwhile in British Colombia…
Viberg Rockland Blucher in Olive Guidi Calf: $790
…Viberg’s HQ hasn’t just been cranking out collabs, but a handful of in-house limited release models as well, including two Ivywood shell cordovan models that sold out in approximately the time it takes a photon to pass a hydrogen atom (247 zeptoseconds). For us mortals, there’s also a Rockland Blucher in some absolutely gorgeous olive calf from Guidi, finished with a 360˚ scalloped welt and a Dainite outsole on the 2030 last.
Brooklyn Clothing x Wesco Hendrik in Charcoal Roughout: $775
Brooklyn Clothing, who are in the yearlong process of celebrating their thirty fifth birthday (possibly pre-dating actual Brooklyn? We’ll check.), have just received a well timed restock of their first Wesco makeup: a Christy-soled Hendrik boot on the MP95 last, with single row stitchdown construction and charcoal roughout uppers. The pattern is cap-toed, with five eyelets and two speedhooks. Not easy to get stock Wescos these days! And these are great ones.
Unmarked Boots Archie in Full Brown: $390 (Made to Order)
I was about to call Unmarked out on this one–look at the black Supergrip half soles and the brass eyelets–but admitted the upper is a very full, rich brown, even if the boots aren’t fully brown. If you’re a boot lover and not a linguist though, the short chunky lace to toe patter is, suffice it to say, excellent—one of the better monkey boot patterns out there right now. Unmarked is also running a sale at the moment, with 25% off ready-to-ship boots and 20% of the rest of their lineup.
Oak Street Bootmakers Trench Boot in British Tan Domane: $518
As a tannage, Seidel’s Domane is a bit of a chimera, saturated with oils like their work leathers, hot-stuffed with waxes like their pull-up Double-Shot tannage, and dyed only on the grain side for a teacore effect. As an upper though, we can certainly appreciate the appeal of the vision, and so can Oak Street. They’re releasing it in British Tan on a Trench Boot, with a 360˚ flat welt and a Dainite sole…
Oak Street Bootmakers Field Boot in British Tan Domane: $518
…and on the shorter shafted Field Boot, with a chunkier Itshide commando sole beneath the flat welt.
Brick + Mortar x Alden “Ravenna” Indy Shoe in Black Chromexcel: $675
Murdered out Indy boot-shoe on the Trubalance last… yes please. The “Ravenna” from Brick + Mortar has a a black Chromexcel upper, with five black eyelets and a 360˚ split reverse welt, all sitting atop a thick wedge sole.
Brick + Mortar x Alden 17831F Penny Loafer in Brown Chromexcel: $688
Brick + Mortar also has two new loafer makeups: this van lasted unlined flex penny loafer in brown CXL, with a single leather outsole and a 360˚ flat welt…
Brick + Mortar x Alden LHS Penny Loafer in Dark Brown Suede: $688
…and these unlined leisure handsewns in a cool, desaturated brown suede, with the same 360˚ flat welt and Van last, and a single waterlock outsole.
Truman Boots 79 Service Boot in Black Waxed Flesh: $500 (Preorder)
It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had some Horween waxed flesh in the roundup, but this week Truman put an end to that dissatisfying dearth by opening up a preorder on these 79-lasted service boots. The preorder affords some customization options—your choice of a cap-toe or plain toe, and commando, regrind, or wedge outsoles—but the basic setup here is a 6″ pattern with a 270˚ flat welt on the 79 last.