Moc Toe Classics

Our friend Wytse from Red Wing Shoes came to our store for a quick interview and to take some pictures. He also took the opportunity to shoot some of our vintage pairs. The 877 and the 875 displayed above and below are amazing. They are some of the ultimate classics in our store. 

Follow Red Wing Shoes via their new blog on redwingheritage.eu. It will be updated frequently. The Q&A will be released soon. Have a good weekend!

Beckman Black Cherry

We are familiar with the Beckman model as a dressed work boot. This shoe deserves a bit of  extra recognition. The Black Cherry stands out from the 3 other colorways in originality. It gives some Rock&Roll attitude to the boot and has some similarity with Cordovan leather. Only because of the burgundy color, because it is not made from the same animal. 

When I mentioned this in the S.B. Foot Tannery our guide told us that a few years back Red Wing Shoes had the intention of using Shell Cordovan for their shoes. They ordered the Cordovan leather but the delivered hides could not match their quality standard. That was the moment RW instructed the S.B. Foot to produce their own dressed leather. The result is now referred to as Featherstone from which the Beckman collection is made.

Wooden Crutches

Lately I have been enjoying hunting for all things vintage more and more. It started a few years ago with a focus on vintage Ray-Bans and my Omega watch. This old hobby has grown into an Ebay addiction looking for watches, denim, jewellery, jackets and old army stuff.

Just now I found these old army crutches from the 40's. Buy them and you are able to break a leg and still look cool. I am joking around, but you have to agree contemporary crutches are hideous. Isn't there a designer who can do something about it? In the meanwhile you can buy them at Apothecary Zero as interior decoration.

Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots.

Today I found some cool pics via the LIFE archive in Google. Looking for old denim pics I came across a picture of veteran performer Vaughn Monroe enacting the song "Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots." My curious nature made me gather some background information. The song was a hit from the Cheers in 1955. Vaughn covered the record.

This song is supposed to be the first real biker song. Not sure how the pictures were used in the magazine, but they look great. Vaughn wears a classic leather jacket, his straight cut jeans folded up high and he wears a pair of aviator sunglasses. Who knows what kind of motorcycle this is?

Listen to the original record from the Cheers below.

Volkswagen 166

Having a car in Amsterdam can be a real pain in the *ss. Sometimes it seems a boat would be more useful in the summer months. No traffic jams along the canals and a lot of fun during Queensday. A bit of both would come in handy though.

This type 166 "Schwimmwagen" was used by the Germans in WWII. It is the most mass-produced amphibious vehicle ever. The design looks like an army bath tub on wheels. Really cool. The black colorway seen above is way better than the camouflage. (Pictures via Serious Wheels)

Camouflage Tie

A tie can spice up your appearance. It provides your outfit with a touch of sophistication when you are dressed casually. The 100% cotton ties from The Hill-side are great for this. The camo print is a bit unusual for a tie but that is a good thing. The fabric is sourced from Kojima, Japan. Made in the USA.

'Overdressed' is an alien concept to this tie. Available for €79,90 in Red Wing Shoes Amsterdam.

Carharrt BBQ

Enjoying warm evenings with friends, grilled meat and chilled drinks is much fun.Therefore the need for a good BBQ is obvious. I used to go for a cheap instant BBQ, but my past experiences have learned these are far from ideal - they're to hard to fire up and keeping them hot is even harder. Not anymore: Carhartt is currently selling a foldable BBQ. It is made from stainless steel and comes with a carrying bag. They were already sold out in the Amsterdam Carhartt Store so I just bought mine via The Original Store for 25 pounds. (via Selectism)

Concrete USB Stick

This Concrete USB Stick from Kix Berlin will put some weight in your pocket. You will be able to store extremely heavy material. Ok, no more jokes. These USB sticks come in 1 and 4 GB versions. Good design. (via LifeonSundays)

Levi's Track Bike

While browsing around for more pics of the Levi's cycling denim, I came across a special Levi's track bike. It was made with the help of UNIK bikes, Fixerati - both from Belgium - and Brother Cycles from the UK. The blue paintjob is sick, the denim stitching, denim saddle and grip tape are also cool details.

The red parts could be skipped as far as I'm concerned: too visible, compared to a red tab on the jeans. Also the backpocket on the saddle looks nice, but I can't imagine this is comfortable to sit on.The bikes will be given a away as a prize for a Share and Win game on FB for Levi's Europe.

Levi's Cycling Denim

Levi's is introducing specialized cycling denims. As 90% of my body is always covered in denim and as the proud owner of a fixie I wanted to see what this is about. Cycling blog Prolly sat down with the creative team and put some items to the test. The collection will consist of both jeans and a jacket. Levi's has developed a special nanosphere treatment to avoid stains and smells.

The denim looks a bit cheap unfortunately but the details on the jeans are nice. A zipped back pocket, a U-lock holster, fluorescent 3M lining on he cuff, a gusseted crotch - nice - and a higher cut back area. The jacket is a rebuilt version of the trucker jacket. It has a stretching construction around the back, with air vents, 3 pockets, a scooped tail and longer sleeves. Levi's will release some special editions so I am hoping for a jacket in Cone denim with my name on it. Click here for more pics.

Nigel Cabourn Red Army Satchel

The Army Satchel by Nigel Cabourn is a precious piece from his collection. It is inspired by one his father used when he served the army in WWII. It is made from bright red oilcloth cotton (waxed canvas) and has a big main compartment with big zipper and 2 small front pockets. One piece available in our shop for €529.90. Made in the UK.

Gold Ray-Ban Aviator

Looking for a special pair of aviator sunglasses? I found one. It costs only $1990 dollars and is made of 14K gold. That is a little over 50% gold in the frame. Definitely a collectors item and not something to walk around on the beach with.

It is a limited edition from the 80's, only 1,000 pairs have been made. The frames were manufactured in Germany. It features 58mm brown mirror glasses, special "GOLD' branding, a wooden box and warranty. You can find the Ebay auction here if you feel ready to empty your savings account.

Europeans by Yamandu

Our friend Yamandu Roos is currently traveling in Scotland for his ongoing project called 'Europeans'. As always he travels alone, mostly driving his red Peugeot 205 called the "Eagle". On his trips he takes photographs of the people he meets and the European landscapes he crosses. Yamandu does it the oldfashioned way: without a digital camera so the output remains a mystery until he is back in Amsterdam. The result of his previous trips around Europe is simply amazing and can be seen on his Flickr page.

For his current trip to Scotland Yamandu took a pair of Red Wing Shoes 877's with him. He is giving them a rough time in the highlands. Luckily he takes pictures regularly with his phone. We have already seen him ride horses, walk through the mud and pick wild garlic. Follow Yamandu on his ongoing Europeans project with us through twitter and his website.

Mustang Station Wagon

In Europe, you don't see a lot of American muscle cars. Now, with gas prices reaching record heights every week, chances of you spotting one, outside a vintage car show, are becoming slimmer every week too. I have always been a fan of Ford Mustang's and their high-powered counterparts produced by Shelby. Especially the first "generation" of the car, which was produced in 1966.

This is the first time I encountered pictures of a Mustang Station Wagon. Can you imagine this car in your driveway? Not bad at all: a hearse meets muscle car. It seems Ford never produced Mustang Station Wagons themselves. Either people involved with Ford did so themselves or custom car builders produced it as a prototype. (via Fffound)

The Hill-side for Japan

The Hill-Side has created a pcoket square and has pledged to donate all profit of this item to the International Rescue Committee.

According to my source: "The character printed on the square reads "Wa," which is actually an 8th Century written name for Japan. Having a unique, hand carved woodblock made for this project, only adds to the special feel of this pocket square. Today, the idea that Japanese culture is based upon "wa" or harmony is a source of faith and pride for Japanese people." (via FREEMAN)

Great to see this kind of initiative to help Japan and the victims of the earthquake.

Red Wing Stoneware

Our friend Birgit traveled to Japan a while back. She found these cups from Red Wing Stoneware Co. and thought it was Red Wing Shoes merchandising. Unaware they have no direct connection to the shoes she took a picture for us. We knew that Red Wing was also famous for its pottery, but we were quite amazed it is sold as far away as Japan.

Red Wing has been the place for pottery since German immigrants introduced it there in 1865. There have been multiple companies producing a variety of stoneware. This florishing business continued until 1967, when Red Wing Potteries stopped its production. The industry could no longer compete with Asian competitors. This old style of pottery is still highly valued by collectors and enthusiasts. A number of companies currently produce pottery in Red Wing. For instance Red Wing Pottery and Red Wing Stoneware, which produced the cups above.

Resoled Red Wing Engineers

Boot Repair Shop Hukurokuju is an authority on the repair of boots. Something I can pretty much only tell by looking at their blog, as their website is entirely in Japanese. However, the pictures of their resoled boots are stunning. This is actually an understatement- the images speak for themselves.

Take a look at this pair of resoled 2268 Engineers. They replaced the original rubber outsole with a thick leather one, with a layer of rubber underneath. Amazing. This takes breaking in your shoes to a new level. Follow the Hukurokuju blog here.

Honda CB160 Cafe Racer

Do-it-yourself projects are good to keep you off the street. The outcome is not always what you expect, if there is any outcome at all (looking at myself). This Cafe Racer Honda CB160 that I found recently might have been made on a "coffee cup budget", the end result looks cool. Not too much fancy stuff, just cool details and "an amalgamation of parts". Read more info here. (via Return of the Cafe Racers)

Hallet Docks Video by Red Wing Shoes

The next episode of the Red Wing Shoes video series is a testimonial from Hallett Company. This company from Duluth, Minnesota enters its fifth decade in the business of transloading, stockpiling and delivering a variety of bulk commodities for the maritime industry. President Jerry Fryberger , with the company for 47 years, explains why work boots are mandatory on the work site where cranes, trains and heavy equipment pose safety hazards. Even Carhartt gets some unexpected exposure..

Filson Red Label

Filson launches Red Label, which is designed by Japanese nanamica. Included in this collection are both apparel and accessories. Shown above and below are six versions of a Shooting Upland Shirt, 3 Bush Shirts and one Button Down Shirt.

Also in this collection are 3 bags in 3 colorways each: a field bag, a tote and a zipped tote. The clean red, white and blue bring me in a Queensday mood. I sincerely hope the sizing of the shirts is not too Japanese- oriented, otherwise it will be hard for us - tall Dutchies - to fit in. Prices of the shirts are around €200,- a piece. (via Selectism)

Jam Home Made x Dickies

Japanese maker of jewelry and accessories Jam Home Made celebrates its 10th birthday by collaborating with Dickies on 3 special 3/4 length colorways of the chino. Jam has done some collaborations in the past with Stussy and Adidas, but this is more to my liking. The short version of this  classic chino is - what I would recognize as - Japanese styling. Wear this with an Work Oxford or Work Chukka,  only proper socks allowed or no socks at all, and you could be a model in the Free & Easy. 

Cool details are the strap to taper your pants, embroidery and Jam Safety Pin keychain on the back. The strap is ideal for using on a bicycle. The pants will be released in May in Black, Grey and Khaki.