horween leather sneakers | The Style Guide

Editor’s note: Expect these posts once a week on Fridays — consider this a jumpstart on reading for your weekend downtime. Expect a mix of style and non-style content. For more entries, click here.

Do you ever reach the end of a week and look back at what a whirlwind it was? That was the case for me, starting even as the week kicked off. Live music is a real passion of mine, and in place of my typical Sunday dinner, I bought a last-minute ticket to The Meadows Afterparty — shows following the first-ever iteration of The Meadows Festival, to see an all-time favorite band, The Temper Trap! Talk about an unexpected Sunday night opportunity and a tremendous show, at that. If you get the chance, the group’s new album, “Thick As Thieves,” adds a dash of blistering Southern rock influence to their impressive discography (hearing “Sweet Disposition” live was an absolute treat for a Sunday night!).

That led into another unexpected, last-second opportunity — you haven’t lived until you’ve scrambled to snag a ticket on StubHub for Bastille, the extraordinary pop-rock band who blew up the airwaves with “Pompeii” three years ago. It was a very rare treat to see them play at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, one of my favorite venues in New York City, as part of a special mini-tour preceding a truly global effort in support of their excellent second album, “Wild World.” It was made all the more special by the small crowd (see this video as an example!) and the fact that they played nearly all the way through the new album — soon-to-be hits like “Blame” and “Power” are truly live standouts! Catch them on tour if you get the chance (nudge, nudge). Of course, I took it all in stride dressed for a rock concert. It’s a privilege to be able to catch so many great shows multiple nights a week, especially here in the Big Apple! Please go see Bastille if you get the chance — you won’t regret it! And as to the rest of the week, well, we’ll just have to catch up on all things menswear below. It’s bound to be just as busy of a weekend, as I’m hosting my family up from Florida — look for a full personal style blog post coming on Monday!

So, get this — National Sneaker Day is coming up on October 9th (who knew?) and the folks at Brooks Heritage want to set you up right, namely with an array of colorful, classic silhouettes that they’ve perfected through the decades. Having checked out a pair of the brand’s Chariot Heritage sneakers, I can vouch for their comfort and quality! See how to style them (for warmer weather, admittedly) in this personal style blog post.
Speaking of National Sneaker Day — have you caught wind of the stellar made-in-America partnership between New Balance and Danner? The two brands have teamed up on the American Pioneer Project, one part domestic manufacturing effort and major parts stellar menswear collaboration. First up — the made-in-Maine Danner x New Balance 585, a heck of a premium sneaker made from Horween leather, featuring the kind of silhouette you can wear easily with a blazer and dark blue denim. And thereafter — the Danner Light x New Balance Boot, a hybrid hiking boot featuring New Balance’s signature color palette and a neat blend of materials (we’re talking Horween leather, Cordura mesh and grey suede, to start). Shop ’em now, wear ’em all season!

Although a stylish cardigan is a fall menswear must-have, it’s just as essential to have a closet stocked with other sharp sweaters — like these Jamieson’s of Shetland Crew Knits as covered by Well-Spent this week.
We all love a rugged Western shirt (like the one seen in this #OOTD), right? Well, GQ covered an especially expensive iteration this week — oh, boy.
In need of a new briefcase? Give THE WINGCASE a try — the brand just launched a Kickstarter funding effort for what they’re calling “the smartest briefcase in the world,” complete with a built-in charger and two-in-one functionality via removable compartments. It’s funding quickly, so get on it while it lasts!

Oh, and one last thing — if you need a durable, heritage-quality leather jacket, check out this week’s #OOTD covering a great option from U.S. Authentic, a brand that’s new to the scene but doing things the right way when it comes to stylish outerwear.

That’s all for this week — keep up with this weekend’s menswear looks via Instagram, and in the meantime — stay stylish,

-Beau

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

Does it get better than high-top sneakers made in America out of Horween leather? Only when they carry the Tanner Goods name.

When it comes time to write up each week’s Style Pick, it’s often a pretty tough call — this week, there was no doubt about the item to feature. Hands-down, the stunning, splurge-worthy and incredible-looking Tanner Goods Court Classic Mid took the top spot. The reasons why are too numerous to count, but we’ll try to outline them nonetheless. These terrific high-top sneakers are coming at you via a partnership between Tanner Goods and another equally excellent purveyor of American-made craftsmanship, Rancourt & Co. The brand has been making shoes domestically for nearly 50 years, and if its recent foray into sneakers is any indication, they’ll be around for at least that long going forward. In this instance, they’ve turned their expertise toward the classic high-top sneaker, done up this time in fantastic Natural Horween leather and a really distinctive Honey Vibram sole — that’s nearly the best of the best when it comes to footwear, all boiled down into one shoe. The Natural leather of this pair of sneakers is going to age positively beautifully over time — and for the price tag, you’d be better be darn sure to hang onto ’em for years to come (they certainly qualified for my Style Wish List). It’s another great addition to the Tanner Goods footwear family –last fall’s P.F. Flyers Center Hi collaboration took a rich-looking Indigo Horween leather and redid it in much the same fashion. Talk about a pair of sneakers that’ll turn heads — and they’re extremely limited (just 80 pairs made). How exactly can you wear these guys, though? Just you wait.

Handmade in Maine from a company with nearly five decades of heritage.

Easy answer there — the distinctive color of these sneakers really lends itself well to rocking with dark denim or slim grey selvedge denim particularly, although they’d also add a nice pop to slim stone chinos. Lest we forget that spring and summer are about lighter colors and textures, don’t rule out how they’d look beneath slim light wash jeans alongside a natural pocket tee. And they’re the type of sneaker that can easily work with a blazer-and-tee combination (a personal favorite of this author). For the more stylistically adventurous, they’d add a great shot of color to a slim blue chambray suit this season. When you need dress stylishly for a spring bar crawl, they’re a solid option, too. The antique brass hardware finishes off the sneakers handsomely, and you even get a limited-edition coaster and key fob made from the same high-quality leather. It’s the little details that make the difference when it comes to style, and this pair of sneakers gets them absolutely right.

Would you invest in these Tanner Goods sneakers? How would you style ’em?

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Tag / horween leather sneakers

The Friday Read: Bastille, U.S. Authentic Leather Jackets and National Sneaker Day

Style Pick of the Week: Tanner Goods Court Classic Mid Sneaker