Lumar Jacket

Following their previous collaborations Timberland and colette have created a new "Lumar Jacket" together. A total of 73 jackets have been produced. Nice amount, but why this number? I am curious.

The checkered design is good, but my favorite detail is the leather part on the back and shoulders. Great color of the leather and featuring the logos of both parties. Available from the 11th of October in the colette store.

Girls and Cars

Rene sent me a blogpost about girls and hotrods last week. I must say the combination of those two ingredients are to my liking. I was not aware there was such a thing as a hotrod pin up. The person who came up with that idea deserves a prize.

I found out that the pictures were made by David Perry. This photographer started to document the underground hot rod culture in California back in 1991. He has published multiple books, and has worked for companies like Apple and Comme des Garçons. Not bad at all. Here is a selection of his hotrod pin ups.

(all pictures courtesy of David Perry)

ICON Land Cruiser

The ICON FJ series is a vintage (1960-1978) Toyota Land Cruiser rebuilt by hand. Simple old school design meets modern performance. The ICON is available from $96.000. Now you have a good reason to save your lime green Lamborghini for carnival. 

(via SLAMXHYPE)

Cobbler Tools

In the store we are always surrounded by leather products. Because of this, I can not help thinking about how cool it would be if you could repair or create your own goods. A belt or a wallet, or maybe my own boots.

During a meeting with Gabor, head of RW Lifestyle Europe, he showed me a little book about leather crafting he brought home from Japan. Later that week Teppei, the drummer from Thrice came in the shop and showed me a bifold wallet he made himself. Such events do get me inspired.

While checking out literature and tools about how to create leather items I found this set of antique cobbler tools on Ebay. It is a charming collection of hammers, knives, blade handles and other tools. Hard to see if they are still fully functional, because the tools look a bit decrepit...

Duluth Pack Travels

This vintage canoe pack from Duluth Pack has some experience. You can see it has aged beautifully and has been decorated with patches during its life. You can tell from one of the patches that this American pack has even seen Sweden.

We will have new packs in stock in a few weeks. We are waiting for Scout Packs and Utility Packs in olive green, navy blue and the waxed canvas. Keep you posted.

(via WMCF)

Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay

Undoubtedly this is something that must have inspired Nigel Cabourn to make the collection he made for hisFall/Winter 2010 collection. Earlier we posted his Mountaineering Book, that shows many similarities to the pictures that I found at A Continuous Lean.

On May 29th in 1953 these guys where the first to conquer the mighty Mount Everest without all the fancy equipment used nowadays. I am in awe. The Nigel Cabourn winter collection is for sale at Tenue de Nîmes in Amsterdam.

More America in Color

Alfred T. Palmer, TVA's Douglas Dam, Tennessee, 1942.

Last week I stumbled upon some more pictures made for the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information. I found out that the complete FSA-OWI Collection consists of 1,600 color and 16,400 black-and-white photographs. Amazing.. Here is a small selection. The complete collection can be viewed at the website of the Library of Congres.

John Vachon, Pennsylvania Shipyards, Beaumont, Texas, 1943.

Alfred T. Palmer, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California, 1942

William Rittase, Pioneer Parachute Company, Manchester, Connecticut, 1942

Mountaineering Book by Nigel Cabourn

Nigel Cabourn has presented his lookbook for Fall/Winter 2010. And not in the usual way: he is showing his cold weather garments outdoors and in a very impressive manner. The black and white photographs are made by Matt Hind and collected in a "Mountaineering Book". Can not wait to get my hands on a copy.

American Optical

Several companies have claimed to produce the original aviator sunglasses. This is not strange because there are multiple companies who supply the US Military, or at least have supplied them in the past. American Optical is one of the companies who used to supply the army.

Aerial view of Southbridge and the American Optical Company, via Digital Treasures

The company was founded back in the 1830's by William Beacher. During WWI, AO supplied the US Military with two frames: the "Liberty" and the "Victory". A stunning 2,5 million of these were produced during that period. In 1917 AO built 8 mobile units to support the army. In WWII they supplied the US Government with bomb sights, gun sights, aviation goggles and sunglasses. If you look at the number of sunglasses alone, a total of 5 million pairs were produced.

In 1958 the Original Pilot model was manufactured specifically for the US Military and offered maximum protection and comfort. In fact, it was the first pair of sunglasses on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and the crew of Apollo 11 mission.

I recommend you check out Dick Whitney's American Optical History website if you're interested in the history of American Optical. His website might need a design update, but it contains tons of information. In our store the Original Pilot is currently available in 3 colors: Silver, Black and Matte Chrome. Gold will be available on short notice.

Fear and L.L.oathing

(via Wary Meyers)

Reproofing Waxed Cotton

When I bought my Levi's by Filson Trucker Jacket I received a small can of Filson Wax. This was enclosed in the package from the USA to reproof my jacket if necessary.  This is because creases can cause tearing of the waxed fabric after a long period of use. Reproofing makes sure you can use your waxed product forever. If you have never seen a waxed jacket or bag check out Filson, Barbour or the Duluth Packs (from which the last one will soon be available at our store).

Today Archival Clothing has posted a very good guide on how to reproof you own jackets, packs and caps. Just surf to their blog, get the stuff you need and do it yourself.

The Docks of New York

One of the last silent movies ever made, this movie shows George Bancroft playing the role of a blue collar worker. A coal stoker who, as simple and as cruel as a child, saves a woman from suicide and shows her a good time. The trouble with her is that she has had too many good times. They get married, but to him the wedding is nothing but a gag, the result of a drunken moment. To her, it means an escape from sordidness and her only shot at respectability. They are both pitiful, for there can be no common understanding between them.

For me this is a movie that truly shows the working class in the late 1920's and how hard life was ''back in the day''. A movie worth watching even if only for the nice style and feel of this great era .

(via criterion)

Heritage Leather Co.

Heritage Leather Co. was founded in 2000 by Jesus Munoz and Gustavo Gonzalez. Great to see that such a young company specializes in producing goods with the quality of the old days. Their product range contains mason bags, all kinds of tool pouches, aprons, suspenders and other accessories for the working man.

No coincidence that we instantly fell in love with the brand, especially with the tool bags. All canvas bags are made with 100% natural cotton duck. The handles are made of saddle leather. This natural tanned leather is sturdy and stiff, which resists damage from tearing and years of use. The bottoms are made from Top Grain Moccassin leather: strong and tough but still supple and abrasion resistant. The upper side of the bags features either a iron or aluminum frame which easily slides open.

We carry 2 sizes at our store: the 16" and the 20" with aluminum frame in either natural or navy blue canvas. The smaller version is ideal during the week for work or leisure. The bigger variant is commonly used as weekend bag. Or you can carry your tools around off course..

A Lifetime of Boots

It is amazing to have footwear that looks better over time. Dirt, grease, creases and other marks give your shoes more character. Some even refer to their shoes as a way of showing their identity, as it is common among denim enthusiasts. The more worn out they look, the more precious they usually become. The boots on the left are brand new. The ones in the middle are mine and just 3 months old. On the right there is a heavy worn-in collectible which we received as a present at the opening. They do look amazing, don't they?

It is not heresy if you want to keep your boots clean, we however feel strongly that Red Wing Shoes are made to be used. Treat them rough, because they can stand a beating. This will make the boots even more unique. Nevertheless you should care for them in a proper way. Clean them once in a while and condition them with oils or protectors. Feel free to contact us if you need some advice on shoe care for your Red Wings.

Kenton Sorensen iPad Portfolio

Kenton Sorenson leather products are all cut and sewn by the man himself in his workshop in Wisconsin. A great yet simple design, this iPad Portfolio is made from natural tanned leather that has been oiled and conditioned with beeswax.

As we love our products to age well this would be the right choice for us.

(via Context Clothing)

Hand Brake

A hand brake perforated like Swiss cheese. A bit of oxidation makes it look very nice. It would be amazing to fit it on my fixed gear. Maybe a bit smaller of course. I wonder if it is only for decoration purposes or if this was mounted on a motorcycle for weight reduction. (via Ride the Machine)

Lacing Lessons

Last week a lady came in the shop and wanted to try a pair of 6" Mocs. I noticed she laced her boots up in quite a peculiar but nice looking way around the speedhooks. I asked her why and she explained this made sure your laces would not slip. She did this with all her hiking boots. I learned a thing or two about lacing during my career from Adamski, but it is never too late to learn about the functional varieties.

Hand Colored Photos

These photos where gifted to the Library of Congress by David A. Rector. Sioux Oglala indians lived near Missouri and were considered a very important tribe. These pictures were originally black and whites, photographed by Herman Heyn in 1899, to be colored in by hand later on.

I could go on about the historical background of this tribe but I would rather just share these amazing pictures and show you what hand-painted enhanced photos can look like.

Army Desk

A good part of the interior of our Red Wing Shoes store consists of vintage tools and stuff we sourced ourselves. Joachim and I drove all around the country to pick up nice stuff from all kinds of places: from the wide plains of the Dutch polders to the antique shops in Wisconsin and Minnesota, no place was safe from us at the beginning of June.

One of the cool things we came across was a military crate / portable table. Two chairs and a table were tightly packed in the crate. It was painted in an unusual light green color. We found it at a military dump that even had a MIG airplane on its property. It was a bit too big for my balcony..

Anyway, I like this military theme for the office or house as well. This Swedish Military Officers desk is ideal to stuff your belongings in. The other field table is also really nice. Both items are listed on Coleman's Military Surplus. (via A Time To Get)

Chabott Engineering

Check out this very nice short movie about Shinya Kimura and his company. A very well-known name in the world of custom motorcycles, especially in Japan. Read a good article about him here.

(via KitsuneNoir)

Red Wing Cupcakes

Despite my healthy diet I like something sweet every once in a while. Do wake me up at night for brownies, cheesecake, cupcakes or grandma's old school apple-pie. Our friend the Queen of Tarts made special Red Wing Shoes cupcakes for us. How cool. Come get an espresso at our store today and try one of the cupcakes.

It would be a shame if I had to eat them all myself.. NOT..

Nom de Guerre x Red Wing Shoes

Last winter Nom de Guerre and Red Wing Shoes joined hands for this collaboration. Known for their military inspired themes they did a nice job on this one. We do not come across a lot of these because it was produced in very limited quantities.

The owner of this size 11 is a nice guy from the UK who was in our shop yesterday. He is interested in finding a new owner. Too bad they are not my size, otherwise I would have expanded my collection for sure.

Traveling Denim

I often wonder what the story is behind a piece of clothing or some old pair of shoes. Where have they been, and what could they tell us if they could speak? Usually words are what you need to tell a story, but sometimes a worn down piece of denim or an old shoe can spark your imagination and you form your own story, without words.

Documentary maker Takayuki Akachi reveals a bit of the mystery. He films a girl in a timeframe of two years on all her travels and closely follows the fading process of the denim she wears. And even though forming your own story is cool, this is a story I couldn't imagine..

America in Color

Joachim came across a great gallery on the blog of the Denver Post. The images shown are reproductions of color slides that were all made in the USA during the 30's and 40's. They are a selection of a 2006 exhibition called Bound for Glory: American in Color. This is a good follow up on the post by ACL on the Tennesee Valley Authority which I showed you earlier.


Many of the pictures available from that period were taken by the Farm Security Administration (FSA). They sent out photographers to document the effects of the Great Depression on rural, small-town populations. Most of these pictures were made in black and white. The ones in color are rare and beautiful. When the USA engaged in WWII, this program was continued by the Office of War Administration.

I have a selected a few for you. Do take the time to check them all out here. I am searching for more in the meanwhile and will keep you posted.