UPDATE: Before you get into the main part of this post, know that the Stafford Camlin boots are going fast. Like, way fast. They might not be around many JCP stores for much longer, in fact, according to this post from Dappered.com. But the suggestion they offer there, while different in looks and quality, could work in much the same way as the Stafford Camlins.

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As temperatures dip and the sun fades across the horizon (a pretty bleak picture, no?), most of us are heading toward fall and…brace yourself for it… winter. That means snow, cold temperatures and several quite noticeable wardrobe changes. If you’re fortunate enough to live in a place without significant temperature deviation, you might be in luck, and you can keep those summer shorts and polos in rotation for a decent amount of time yet. For those of us who live in other, less forgiving locales though, cold weather is in sight, perhaps even by the start of next month. Fear not, though. In terms of versatility and possibilities, fall is perhaps the best season for menswear. The potential for layering sweaters with button-downs (and pairing those combinations up with slim pants and a crisp pair of shoes) should be exciting for those of us who live in colder climes, even with the possibility of freezing temperatures.

Namely, there’s one item that can take those of us in the cold through the fall and winter with relative ease and extreme versatility. They seem to be dwindling rather fast in stores as of now, but JCP’s Stafford Camlin wingtip boots could just be the snag of the season. Make no mistake, these are definitely a “wear anytime” boot, too, but it seems fall and winter is the particular sweet spot for boots.  This particular pair was picked up on significant clearance about three weeks ago, in the last size available at the local JCP, so beware.

The JCP Stafford wingtip boots in the flesh.

JCP underwent a pretty extensive revamp through Nick Wooster a while ago, and have since been shifting slightly back toward the old ways, but with the upcoming fall line and these boots, they have some winners hanging around. As to the boots, they’ve already received high praise across the board, and the looks really can’t be beat. And for that price, too, you can experiment with their coloration a bit, as well.

For about $75 (or less depending on if you can snag a pair on the cheap before new stock comes in), you get a boot that works with jeans, chinos, cords, you name it. A boot with as solid a color of this also provides a nice bit of texture to an outfit, and something like this boot would go nicely with a  blue-on-blue combination. They’d work well with a darker-colored corduroy pant, as well. And even a crew-neck sweater and jeans tie in with these boots.  With fall, too, comes a richer palette of colors, like those burgundy pants as shown below.

Pants by CPO Provisions, from Urban Outfitters.

Furthermore, they’re the perfect answer to the business-casual shoe that’s just different enough. It’s a boot, so it’s not a full-on dress shoe, but it’ll still provide loads of nice looks in the office (or perhaps trekking across campus) as the weather gets cold.

The boot style and perforations help set this shoe apart.

This particular pair has already seen a bit of break-in duty prior to fall, but there’s no question that they’ll be a staple through the fall and well into the winter. Since they’re not the priciest boots on the market, they can take a bit of a beating without too much worry, feasibly. And what’s more, they fit pretty comfortably. As Joe from Dappered notes in the above link, they do run quite large, so sizing down is critical. However, with that in mind, it makes perfect sense to hop on a pair of these boots while they’re still around.

And when cold weather does hit, you can reach for these boots time and again without worry about price tag or scuffs.