PARBLEU - LUXURY SNEAKERS FOR BRIGHT HEADS

Parbleu began in 2016 with one guy. A sneaker enthusiast in heart and soul. Growing up in the eighties and nineties, he watched from the side-lines the phenomenal rise of US and German sportswear brands. Too young to buy those air-filled masterpieces, yet old enough to understand their significance. When he was eventually able to buy his own footwear he finally got to nurture what was by then a healthy sneaker fetish. And put together an awe-inspiring collection of the best the sneaker industry had to offer.

But as he grew older, his tastes changed. Moving towards the so-called classic sneakers. The simpler the better. And it’s with this attitude he design Parblue sneakers today: sophisticated retakes on classic silhouettes. Using extraordinary premium materials, to provide you with a superior sneaker for a fair price. 

Go check yourself on their website or in some high end stores in Amsterdam like 1 and Pauw.

THE PRIDE OF REDWING,MN.

"Welcome to one of the most unique and charming places to visit along the Mississippi River. From our beautiful bluffs, abundance of outdoor activities, historic sites and world famous boots and pottery, Red Wing offers a one-of-a-kind getaway." 

This is how Redwing is promoted by it's visitor centre, and indeed it is that charming town along the mighty ol' river and the bold eagles circling above the beautiful bluffs. But my mission was the Redwing Boot Company. Founded in 1905 by Charles Beckman a local shoe merchant. I visited the museum filled with the rich history of the brand and ofcourse I posed in front of the Icon. In 2005, Red Wing celebrated its centennial anniversary. A size 638 ½ D boot was built in honor of the milestone, standing 16 feet tall and weighing 2,300 pounds, qualifying it for a Guinness World Record.

GRENSON SHOEMAKERS FOR 150 YEARS

One of the English sayings is "Don’t throw old shoes away before you have new ones" Nothing is more correct than this, but with an offer like Grenson has for this Fall/Winter 2016 it won't hurt your feelings to get rid of your old Broque's. 

In 1866, William Green begins making shoes in the loft above the Corn Merchants in Rushden, Northamptonshire. At this time shoemaking was done by hand in the houses of outworkers and William would hand out the work by visiting them individually on a daily basis.

As his business grew, he needed to increase production, and machinery had just been introduced so he moved in 1874 into his first "factory" at Green Yard. This was one of the first factories in the World to use the Goodyear Welted method of shoemaking.

The business had grown enough to require bigger premises and their success was such that they could afford to build a state of the art new factory at the corner of Queen Street and Cromwell road. This is the factory that they left in 2013 to move to the current factory.

GRENSON X NEW BALANCE COLLAB

New Balance X Grenson

In 2010 an idea was born.

Imagine a true collaboration where two factories actually came together to manufacture one shoe.

Then, just to make it a bit more difficult, imagine if one factory was a traditional English benchmade factory and the other was a sneaker factory, and imagine if they were at opposite sides of the country

Five years later they created a shoe that has been partly made in the Grenson factory in Northamptonshire, and partly made at the New Balance factory in Flimby.

It’s a limited edition of only 800 pairs, and for 399,95 euro's they are yours.

ONE SHOE. TWO FACTORIES.

WOLVERINE COMPANY STORE - NEW YORK,NY

Last week during my visit to New York, I stepped by the Wolverine Store in Elizabeth Street.

The store opened it's doors 2 years ago, next to find the best selection of Wolverine boots you also can find General Knot Ties, Filson Bags, Left Field Chino's and much more in this well curated and decorated store.

The Wolverine brand has been the sturdy sole that helped shape the nation for over 130 years.

Founder G.A. Krause believed in the possibility of opportunity. He dreamed of owning a shoe company and tannery that employed his values of quality craftsmanship and incessant innovation. In 1883, he founded a small company with a handful of employees.

By 1901, Krause organized the Rogue River Electric Light and Power Company to bring power to Rockford, Michigan, allowing him and his sons to build and operate a shoe factory. By 1903, they were making 300 pairs of shoes a day. Krause was a true revolutionary, later selling shares of the company to its own employees, becoming one of the nation's first profit sharing plans.

In 1921, flush with success, the company took the name Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Corporation. Wolverine’s headquarters still remain in Rockford, Michigan today.