Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
There is nothing quite like a nice pair of handsewn moccasins. They’re simple, comfortable, and a major part of the Americana fashion style. While there are a ton of types of handsewn’s it’s hard to beat a good pair of blucher moccasins. They’re slightly more substantial and formal than boat shoes or camp mocs while still being a strictly casual shoe (related reading: “Boat Shoes, Camp Mocs, and Blucher Mocs – Know the Difference“).
While the east coast is home to dozens of different hand-sewn makers we’ve chosen a select few to make our list today.
1) L.L. Bean: Handsewn Blucher Moc in Cactus/Natural
If you aren’t sure how regularly you’ll wear a pair of blucher mocs or just don’t want to spend a lot of money then L.L. Bean‘s Handsewn Blucher Moc are a fantastic choice. While their quality isn’t quite as high as those from made-in-Maine brands the construction is still solid, the moc toe is still stitched by hand, and the leather is still very durable. Each pair is made from a waxy leather feature a preppy, camp-style oustole.
Available for $89 from L.L. Bean.
2) Quoddy: Blucher Moc in Natural Chromexcel
Quoddy is one of the most popular US handsewn makers, renowned for their wide range of styles, leathers, and sole options. This version of their Blucher Moc is constructed using Horween’s Natural Chromexcel leather, a waxy pull-up leather that contain tan, brown, and grey hues. The toe is handsewn using a cross-over baseball stitch pattern, and the upper is sewn to a red brick camp sole.
Available for $298 from Unionmade Goods.
3) New England Outerwear Co.: Cataumet in Grey Suede
If you are anything like me you won’t find yourself wearing a pair of handsewns everyday. The nice thing about wearing something sparingly is that you can choose a more unique build, as it won’t be standing out on you daily. New England Outerwear Co.‘s Cataumet in Grey Suede is a perfect example. The leather is a beautiful, neppy light grey and features slightly contrasting white stitching on a natural Vibram Christy sole.
Available for $280 from New England Outerwear Co.
4) Rancourt: Robinson Ranger Moc in Black Bison
Rancourt‘s Robinson Ranger Moc comes in a range of leather, but the black bison really stands out. The highly textured and slightly shiny black bison leather matches perfectly with the black Reltex Lactae Hevea latex sole and contrasts beautifully with the antique brass eyelets, natural midsole, natural hand stitching, and tan laces.
Available for $305 from Rancourt.
5) Eastland Made in Maine: Blucher Moc in Dark Olive
There is nothing quite like a nice pair of olive colored shoes. They versatile while still not being a super common color, making them an easy fit into your current footwear rotation. Eastland Made in Maine’s Blucher Moc in Dark Olive is pretty dark for an olive leather, but that might make it more appealing to those of you who are still on the fence about buying a pair of shoes that isn’t brown, black, or tan. Each pair is built on a dark camp sole that tonally matches the rest of the shoe.
Available for $310 from Neiman Marcus.
Plus One – Yukuten: Ghillie Moc in Brown
Blucher moccasins are often pretty unique, which makes choosing a Plus One quite difficult. And to be honest, dozens of Yuketen mocs would fit the bill quite nice. That said, their Ghillie Mocs are true standouts. They feature three different Horween leathers with a range of different textures, a honey color Vibram mini lug sole, and a unique leather loop style lacing system. They are finished with a natural edge and natural stitching, which really ties everything together.
Available for $462 from Yuketen.
