Updated:
Jan 19, 2024 | Published: Oct 11, 2022 by Charlie
Charlie is a New Yorker, vegetarian, and tech wear aficionado. He\\\'s worked in the industry with Truman Boot Co. and his deep knowledge of product and retail are on display in our weekly Five Plus One and Sale Finder Shortlist series.
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.
If you’re a Heddels reader, chances are you already have a favorite pair of boots (or three). But once you’ve worked with the brown, beige, and black boots of the world, where do you go from there? Well, navy is a good place to start. While there are a ton of interesting colors and textures of leather that all look good in their own right, it’s hard to deny the inherent beauty and patina potential that blue leather brings to the boot party.
If you’re looking to jump into the blue, we hope this edition of Five Plus One can signpost you to some stompers you’ll be happy with for years to come.
If you’re new to welted footwear, we’d recommend checking out the following articles:
When it comes to boots and shoes, Grant Stone is a fan favorite that brings great value to the table. The brand’s stalwart Deisel Boot is a plain toe derby silhouette that’s as classic as they come, but the added visual interest from Horween‘s Navy Chromexcel gives these boots so much more depth. They’re finished with a brown edge dressing, silver-toned brass eyelets, and a studded rubber sole, which results in a boot that’s just a lil whimsical whilst still being easy to work into your wardrobe.
2) Tricker’s: Stow Boot in Horween Navy Chromexcel
Tricker’s style of footwear is definitely a love-it or hate-it kinda thing — the large diameter brogueing and undyed leather storm welts make them easy to identify but are definitely a bit much for some people. That said, their Stow Boot in Navy Chromexcel takes these design features and accentuates them with deep blue, understated hues. These boots feature an undyed leather storm welt with matching leather outsole, brass eyelets, and light brown laces. Together, all these beige details offer a charming contrast that helps the navy leather shine.
Navy boots aren’t necessary the color you’d choose to wear every day, and unless you find yourself wearing a suit daily you’ll likely not find yourself reaching for balmoral boots either. Regardless, Carmina‘s Balmoral Boots in Navy Cordovan feature both a formal style and an eccentric colorway, and the two come together beautifully. If you are fine dropping nearly a thousand dollars on a pair of boots you’ll wear only a few times a year or have a style to facilitate wearing them frequently, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a more attractive pair than these Horween shell Cordovan beauties.
Edward Green is one of the most respected footwear brands out there, and their iconic Galway is almost inarguably their most popular style of boot. While I think most of us would go with a more traditional brown, color #8, or black color if we’re picking a pair of boots, their Utah Navy has a ton of charm. The dark navy leather is made even more suitable with tonal hardware, stitching, sole, and edge dressing, which, at least in this author’s opinion, draws all the attention to the boot’s elegant proportions.
Corbi & Sons‘ Ralph Boot is a bit different from much of what’s out there, but they’re a beautiful pair of boots in their own lane. They feature a ton of charming details, like the horizontal split halfway up the quarters akin to some military boots, the apron toe, and a silhouette that is just interesting. While the pattern is a bit of a hodge-podge (in the best way possible), the construction appears to be stitch down with quality materials.
Plus One – Heinrich Dinkelacker: Buda Full Brogue C
While there have been a lot of interesting boots on this list, it’s hard to deny the immediately eye-grabbing beauty of Heinrich Dinkelacker‘s Buda Full Brogue C in Navy Shell Cordovan. With a strong toe shape, padded ankle opening, shearling lining(!), shortwing brogue pattern, and norwegian welt, is there anything they didn’t think to add? The style is a bit out there, but that’s just what the Plus One is for. Plus, can any of you say you didn’t find yourself looking back at these pictures again and again?
