mmmm, massage

i know it’s winter and you’re thinkin “what the hell is he doing posting friggin flip flops today.” but really, there’s never a bad time to pick up a new pair. you need something to keep your feet off those cold bare floors right? plus, it’ll be great to have a swank new pair when you head to warmer climes for spring break. and hell, maybe some of you are in oz right now laughing at me as i freeze my butt off.

it may not look like much but anyone who’s worn a pair of adissage flip flops can tell you that the little nubs that both support and massage your feet are wonderful. oka B doesn’t over-do it, limiting the nubs to the parts of your feet that will appreciate the massage, not the parts you put all your weight on (which is what makes the adissage uncomfortable at first). plus these oka B flip flops are more environmentally friendly – they’re antibacterial, making your environment nicer since they won’t get funky, and they’re made with recycled materials, making everyone’s environment a little cleaner.

buy from Oka B

cadence

some things require no explanation or debate among men, they are universal truths – a ducati 916 is simply beautiful. kate beckinsale looks good in PVC. and army boots are a totally acceptable choice of footwear. especially newer high tech ones with the leather bottoms, cordura tops and high tech soles. thank you oakley. we owe you one!

and  we all owe kenneth cole too. he’s taken the classic army boot fit and style and dressed it up enough that you can wear it out. he’s kept all the classic touches like a stiff lower, and broken in top, speed laces and of course the shiny black leather. but he’s also dressed it up a bit and made it a bit easier to deal with. check out the full length side zipper, for instance. now it won’t take you 10 minutes just to get your boots off. and the brown is a nice altenative to the oh so predictable classic black.

buy from village shoes

buy from macy’s

change your stripes

i don’t want to start a sneaker war, i know there are people who are loyal to just one brand. but other than airheads (as in nike air), i don’t think anyone will deny the classic good looks of the adidas samba. they’re the right thing for almost any season and any occasion, especially the black ones. but these days, all the cool kids are rockin kicks in crazy bright colors.

these are the perfect comprise – the black shoe is still versatile and a little dressy, but the stripes are dayglo green instead of the usual white, lending these a little more street cred than your usual sambas. i don’t know who at adidas or zappos (they’re exclusive to the online shoe seller) is responsible for this combo. but i would like to give him or her a big sloppy kiss

buy from zappos

kicking it into gear

motorcycles are the ultimate accessory. they make pretty much every guy look good and we know it. even when you’re not on your bike a few motorcycle related items give most of that same manly flair. the cut of a classic cafe style motorcycle jacket makes most irresistable and a good pair of motorcycle style boots make you feel just a little more badass. put on your shit kickers and kick some shit.

double H makes serious boots for serious cowboys, and they also have started making some quality boots for the less serious among us. the metro has everything a good modern boot should have to wear with a nice pair of jeans. remember, you’re buying boot cut jeans, so your jeans go over your boots, and not tucked into them. that’s why the metro is a half boot, it doesn’t come up to your knees so it’s easier to put on (and get off), but it still looks great sticking out from under your jeans – even when you’re sitting down. it’s made of broken-in brown leather. has a slightly boxy toe (round toes are for combat boots, not dress boots). and it has a full harness – a coup de grace of bike attitude. meet the tougher, more attractive you.

buy from sierra trading post (hurry, they’re running low on most sizes)

shoes as suits

many of us never have an occasion to dress up. i personally don’t own anything nicer than “business casual” or “fancy dinner”. maybe because so many of us can go our whole lives without ever donning a suit that designers have decides to bring the suit to the one thing we can’t go without when we dress nice – shoes. just today i saw so many classic suit materials dressing up casual shoes. marc jacobs has covered vans slip ons in some pretty serious plaid. harris tweed, a mainstay of movie professor sportjackets has shown up on a pair of nike air wovens. and clarks, which are already doing an amazing job at making stodgy hip again, have made hip again a bit more stodgy with a pair of charcoal grey pinstripe wallabees.

these are just some of the best examples. i saw charcoal wool gravis, seersucker alifes and a host others too. the mj x vans slip ons are pretty sick, but sadly no one is selling them online. clarks sells the pinstripe wallabees, however.

buy from zappos

sportin wood

there’s two patterns that will be all the rage when it comes to next year’s shoes – wood grain and snake skin. trust me. you’ll see them everywhere. so why not lead the pack instead of follow in back. medium, who make stylish, but simple, comfy shoes have teamed up with house industries, font maker extraordinaire, to bring you some fashion forward goodness.

the arborist is a pair of low chukkas (which are so unbelievably back in style now) with an all over wood grain print. and they come with 5 free fonts from house too. five totally make-your-own-retro-inspired-surf-culture t-shirt fonts.

buy from medium