Blog Archives - Page 34 of 78 - Footwear Plus Magazine

Noah Waxman’s sophomore collection plays with textures and introduces wedges for women.

Most people leave the Netherlands with a renewed appreciation for cycling, tulips and pancakes, but during a stroll in Amsterdam, Noah Waxman found his calling in a pair of handmade shoes placed in the window of a cobbler’s studio along one of the city’s famed canals. The shoes were clown-like with elongated toes. “They weren’t your average shoes and I immediately wanted to know how he made them,” the designer says. Waxman felt comfortable with knocking on the shoemaker’s door, even though he didn’t know a lick of Dutch.

Western Chief updates classic styles and launches two noteworthy collections.

For Spring ’14, Western Chief is updating the 3D character boots that the Kent, WA-based brand launched to rave reviews 14 years ago, in addition to launching two collections. The original Lady Bug and Frog 3D boots will get an upgrade with bigger eyes for a friendlier look. The styles will ship beginning in early October.

The latest styles from Muck Boot Company and Ranger offer performance with panache.

Spring is the season of sudden showers and soggy socks, but no matter how uncomfortable things get underfoot Muck Boot Company’s range of rain offerings for Spring ’14 has consumers covered.

The Ranger brand leads the way with the debut of the Puddleton packable boot for women and children. Retailing for $40, the foldable styles are 100-percent waterproof and can be easily tucked away after a rainy commute to the office or a wet walk to school.

Maison Martin Margiela and Converse collaborate.

French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela gives all-American Converse kicks an avant-garde makeover for fall. The first-time collaboration features Chuck Taylor All Stars and Jack Purcell sneakers, each completely hand-painted in Margiela’s iconic white paint. Covering all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, they naturally crack and shed their outer coat of paint to reveal the original colors beneath.

Actress Elisabeth Rohm announces charitable initiative.

Actress, author and activist Elisabeth Rohm has worked in the trenches as an American Red Cross volunteer spokesperson and as a Celebrity Cabinet member for years, and this month sees her teaming up with women’s sneaker and sandal brand Therafit in an effort to drive funds for the charity. For every purchase of Therafit’s red athletic sneaker during the month of September, the brand will donate $20 to the Red Cross. Additionally, Therafit is offering a $20 discount to consumers.

Samantha Pleet revisits Darwin’s journals for Spring/Summer 2014.

Short film “Arcadia” featuring Samantha Pleet’s Spring 2014 collection and Wolverine 1000 Mile by Samantha Pleet shoes premiered last night at the Wolverine Company Store in New York’s hip Nolita nabe. Directed by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Maximilla Lukacs, and narrated by Tennessee Thomas, the Darwin-inspired film is a dreamlike exploration of the universal quest for an ideal paradise; a sort of Eden. Click here to watch the film.

Sloggers branches out of the garden and onto the street.

Most brands hope that positive online reviews will sway new consumers to click “buy.” In the case of David Hoyt, president and owner of the Los Angeles-made Sloggers, glowing remarks nudged him along to take his second-generation, 65-year-old garden and lawn footwear company into the realm of fashionable rain boots and shoes. Comments on Amazon have been generating a buzz beyond those with green thumbs. “Nurses started wearing our shoes. People walk their dogs in our boots. People were wearing Sloggers for any occasion that called for waterproof footwear,” he says.

Wolverine 1000 Mile by Samantha Pleet continues to put its best foot forward for spring.

When Wolverine Worldwide decided to add a women’s collection to its heritage-inspired 1000 Mile label, the 130-year-old men’s boot brand was eager to approach it from a different angle than men’s, and it wasn’t long before Brooklyn-based fashion designer Samantha Pleet made it onto the company’s radar. Known for her whimsical clothing, Wolverine knew Pleet’s mystical-meets-modern design aesthetic would translate perfectly into footwear. Now four seasons in, the latest collection includes five new styles and the design team is already putting together ideas for Spring ’15.

Japanese brand Shoes Like Pottery crafts simple canvas kicks.

Here in the land of the free and the home of the handmade, we make a big deal out of all things artisan–and things don’t come craftier than small-batch sneakers. Meet Shoes Like Pottery, a line of simple unisex canvas lace-ups produced by 140-year-old Japanese company MoonStar. “The big difference is it’s not a molded outsole,” points out Matt Butlett of trading company Marubeni Corporation, who brought the brand to the U.S. in November.

Nelly collaborates with Honey Nut Cheerios.

Talk about random. Nelly has teamed up with Honey Nut Cheerios on a Nike LeBron X “Must Be The Honey” iD. That’s right. The St. Louis-born rapper/investor/entrepreneur/actor is releasing cereal-themed sneakers. They are bright yellow and feature “Must Be The Honey” and Buzz the Bee lace locks. Must be the honey? More like must be the money… Only 250 have been created and so far they have fallen into the hands of Bow Wow and Nick Cannon.

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