I am not a declared sneakerhead. I do not line up outside of stores for special releases, I do not know how to jump the digital lines for the newest shoes, and I do not have a shoe rack full of rare shoes in multiple colorways. But…I do love a cool sneaker and these sneakers are the coolest I have ever owned.
I own some gorgeously crafted shoes, some timeless pieces, and some sneakers that are clean and easy to wear. These sneakers go a different way by capturing everyones attention, these shoes are lit….literally.
I am late to the party as these came out at the beginning of 2015 but I have loved them for a long time and finally thanks to a good friend was able to get a hold of a pair. The shoes are a tonal Black snakeskin and they have a special trick based on the xenopeltidae snake (hence the Xeno in the name). When you catch them in the light the shoes show off a rainbow spectrum of colors which changes with the angle of the light. Shine your flash on them from your phone and they look out of this world!
I can’t wait to play a show with these on and ask fans to only use flash photography.
Speaking of photography, kudos to my good friend Andrew Neel for putting showing off his skills and shooting these shoes whose features are very hard to capture accurately.
A week ago I was in L.A. with Citizen Shade. The trip was planned within a very small time frame; I bought my plane ticket 5 days before I flew out. This would be my maiden voyage to the west coast and as such I needed to make sure I packed enough pieces to put outfits together that would still be representative of my style, regardless of the weather.
The first, most important part of packing is first deciding what your baggage will be.
I was going to be gone for 7 days and would only be bringing a carry on suitcase. In order to bring a larger suitcase I would have to pay the checked bag fees, something I was not interested in doing. I have travelled with suitcases, duffles, messengers and the likes and decided to opt for a small suitcase and my Ruitertassen bag. My suitcase would serve as my workhorse, to carry the bulk of my items and my Ruitertassen bag would be my technology bag; it also would double as my daily bag while in L.A.
What did I pack?
4 button down tops
4 pairs of pants
3 pairs of shoes
(1 pair of low-top vans not pictured)
Denim jacket
(Field Jacket not pictured)
Lightweight zip hoodie
Accessories
Toiletries
Laptop
Studio Headphones
External Hard Drive
DSLR Camera
Cables,chargers, etc. for the above
Now I am not going to give you all a detailed description on how I packed this all in a suitcase because there are people who are far more talented packers who have broken down the many methods to get your wardrobe from point A to B. I will give you a basic run down of what I did.
WEAR THE BIGGEST ITEMS ON YOUR FLIGHT
On the plane I wore a henley, hoodie, field jacket, black jeans and my tall black boots. Now you may be thinking, why would anyone wear all of this on a flight. I wanted to get one decent jacket to L.A. but knew there would be no way to get it there in the suitcase, so I wore it. The hoodie is great for comfort and warmth when planes get chilly but also serves as a social barricade. Headphones in, hoodie up and you are in your own world.
When considering what I would wear in L.A. I had to think, nice weather, building layered outfits and pieces that serve multiple functions. While I have some really cool patterned shirts, some bright pants, and some other loud statement pieces, I needed to build my looks minimally to craft an interchangeable wardrobe.
For tops I went with button downs and knits with neutral colors:
*ok so I snuck a little color in there
Pants followed the same mission:
Tech
While I was out in L.A. I was to be documenting the whole trip via video and in order to do that I would need some serious storage. I brought my 1TB external and would dump footage after every day of activities. My Canon 60d was my main shooter and was great for both photography and videography during the trip. From the studio to the beaches, it was all filmed. We are releasing the Vlogs and you can tag along here! CITIZEN SHADE VLOG
That gorgeous dopp kit by Razor MD held all of my essential toiletries and did it in great style! The dopp kit was included in last months Sprezzabox. The monthly service put together a travel box in perfect time for my journey. Sign up for yours and get 10% off your first box with the code thedl.
All of my tech fit inside of my gorgeous Ruitertassen bag and I even had a TSA agent say he really liked my bag when I was going through security. Quite the compliment from someone who sees bags day in and day out.
Summary
When packing for a week trip try to consider your destination, it’s climate, and your purpose there. I knew I would need clothes for photo and video shoots but also just to work in the studio. Find pieces in your wardrobe that serve multiple functions and bring those along for the adventure.
Most of the clothes pictured above are from J.Crew as they have a very clean unbranded aesthetic. There are other great brands that have the same options, just remember neutrals are key.
Love at first sight is the best way to describe my introduction to Grant Stone. This emerging company crafts, Goodyear-welted shoes made with quality leather sourced from respected tanneries in the USA and Europe. When I first heard that Grant Stone shoes were manufactured in Xiamen, China I was honestly sceptical. As many of us know the “Made in China” mark carries a slight stigma and has been associated with products made with lower quality materials or less attention to detail. This could not be farther from the truth when discussing the shoes built by Grant Stone.
Unboxing
What’s inside?
One shoe for each foot
Extra laces
Two truly nice shoe bags with wooden bead ties
One polished metal shoe horn with bottle opener
Construction
The foundation of a building is what ensures that a building will stay standing for a long time. The foundation of a pair of shoes is equally as important for the longevity of the shoes. Grant Stone builds their shoes with a Goodyear-welt which in short means that many layers of materials combined with the best stitching (lockstitching) guarantees the longest life possible for your shoes. Every layer is attached to the backbone of the shoe, the insole. Goodyear-welting is one of the oldest, most time-consuming way to craft shoes, but creates the most durable products.
Grant Stone uses a veg-tan leather insole, welt, midsole, outsole, a steel shank and cork filler to create the platform for the shoes. If you have been with my blog for a while you have heard me talk about how veg-tanning is the best way to tan leather. This natural process brings the leather to life in a way that chemical dyes simply cannot. (More on veg-tanned leather in my Ruitertassen bag review) The cork filler and leather insole adapt to your foot over time to create a shoe that is personally formed.
The upper of the shoe is constructed with quality leather which is infused with liqueurs and oils in the “hot stuffing” process. This particular pair of shoes has the natural-edge finish which allows me to wear the shoes in both a dress and a more casual manner. This was definitely a selling point for me on this specific color as I bridge the gap between dress and elevated casual often.
Styling
The brogue work on the shoe is gorgeous and attracted me immediately. The overall look of the shoes compliments both a suit and a pair of jeans without seeming out-of-place. I paired them with a pair of selvedge denim for a day around town and they instantly became the center piece to my outfit. The last that Grant Stone uses is formed slightly larger than your typical shoes last so I was recommended to size a half-size down. This advice put me spot on in the pair of shoes that I needed!
Final Thoughts
I have not worn these shoes long enough to give you an honest wear test, but I have worn them enough to get the soles scuffed and create some character throughout the upper. My observation of the wears that I have put them through leads me to believe that these shoes will take the every day beating in stride and last me for years to come.
The price point on these shoes is right around $300 which is almost 50% less than the American made shoe legends, Alden. With that being said you may have to sit down and consider if the name and heritage alone is worth the cash to you. The quality of Grant Stones work seperates itself from some of these other big brands and gives them the ability to stand on their own. I am always looking for brands who are doing something special, something unique and something that pushes against the current. Wyatt the director of Grant Stone is doing just that. He is making quality shoes that rival the biggest American companies and charging a fraction of the cost.
Head over to Grant Stone and check out all of their options!