Shoes 'n' Boots of the Week: Nicks Shell Cordovan, Project Pandion Launch, and Some Sales

Despite the summer heat, big boot mania is in full swing, with no shortage of new releases clocking in at a full 8 inches. One of our most interesting releases though, comes in a little closer to the ground. Project Pandion is a…project…that’s been a long time coming, and this weekend, they’ll finally be available in stock. Find out more about them, alongside Division Road’s exclusive new White’s chukka, and some extremely limited shell cordovan at Nicks.

And of course, check out all of our previous roundups here.

[Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a small commission if you make a purchase. It’s essential to keeping the site alive, so we really, really appreciate it.]

Division Road x White’s MP Sherman in Urban Brown Re-Tan Waxed Kudu: $853

If you’re looking for ready-to-wear boots with White’s hand-sewn stitchdown construction, Division Road’s collaborations are always top-class. Their newest release uses C.F. Stead’s waxed kudu, a vegetable re-tanned pull up leather which uses the skin of the eponymous wild antelope. The first of the duo is an MP Sherman on the 5050 last, with an all eyelet hardware configuration and commando half soles.

Division Road x White’s Chukka HSC 853 in Snuff Waxed Kudu: $800

The HSC 853 is a Division Road exclusive—White’s regular lineup doesn’t have a stitchdown chukka, let alone a hand-sewn one. These are built on the (comparatively) low arched Northwest last. Like their standard chukka, the 853 forgoes the usual counter cover in favor of a counter that’s stitched in between the upper and the lining. All in all, they’re among the chillest of White’s hand-sewn stitchdown boots, and the waxed kudu uppers and Vibram 206o wedge soles keep them distinctly casual.

Nicks Anniversary Shell Cordovan: $1,795 (Made to Order)

Shell cordovan is difficult to work with in just about any context: it’s dense, difficult to cut and skive, and prone to tearing. Combine that with the need to find shells big enough for a boot with quite a few pattern pieces and a high shaft, plus the difficulty of lasting it over a fairly pronounced toe, and it becomes clear why Nicks has only made a handful of boots in the leather so far.

They’re available in a B, D, or EE width in sizes up to 14, and with a shaft heigh up to 7″. There’s no V100 option either, only 430 mini-lug, V-bar, western-comp, or leather outsoles—then again, you probably shouldn’t be fighting fires in these anyways. Horween shell colors available are dark cognac, black marble, or Color 8. The black and white image on the product listing is more of a visual aid for the specs than anything else; these have never been run before. Limited to 30 pairs, with almost half already gone.

Nicks Custom Configuration Boots in Aspen Horse Front: $729 (Made to Order)

The other new leather at Nicks is Horween’s Aspen horse front, a soft vegetable tannage with a light glaze. Because it’s thinner than other Nicks leathers, they’re combined with a 2-3oz leather lining. This time you’ve got the full range of options to choose from, including three colorways: acorn, #8 burgundy, and dark brown.

Visvim Cossack Boots in Dark Brown: $1,945

Visvim’s boots are, in a word, maximalist. In the case of the Cossack Boots, that means an 8″ lace-to-toe pattern clicked from a “patchwork” of leathers, including the smooth and rough sides of some super textured Italian horsebutt, as well as a red-brown hatch-grain leather at the heel that looks a lot like Russian calf. The boots are hand welted, with lugged Vibram half soles and hexagonal brass eyelets. If you want to get a sense of how these will age, check out some worn Visvim boots here.

Visvim Grizzly Camper Hi in Brown: $1,959

The other model on offer is the Grizzly Camper, which uses a “triple stack” moccasin construction (we’re pretty sure that refers to the vamp, the plug, and what looks like either a mudguard or a molded sole.) They also feature a patchwork of horsehide and cowhide leathers as well as custom Viberg outsoles with canvas fill. Not all Visvim products are quite for us, but these two are certainly notable.

Parkhurst Richmond Stitchdown in Dark Olive Waxed Roughout: $428

Parkhurst just restocked their stitchdown Richmond and Allen boots, available in five different leathers, and are now offering a true toe-cap with two full layers of leather for the first time. Also new is the olive waxed roughout kitting out one of the cap-toed Richmond models. Tanned to spec by C.F Stead, it’s almost dark enough to be mistaken for black, but has a range of brown and green undertones. The outsoles are proprietary commando full soles. Check out the rest of Parkhurst’s stitch-down boots here.

Grant Stone Moc Toe Derby in Crimson Chromexcel: $412

Moc-toe options have slowly but surely been finding more and more purchase at Grant Stone, and the new Moc Toe Derby is the latest manifestation of that trend. The shoe is exactly what it sounds like: Grant Stone’s derby pattern combined with a hand-stitched apron. At launch, it’s being offered with a micro stud rubber outsole and 360˚ split welt. The four leather options are crimson Chromexcel (shown here), Waxed Tobacco from C.F. Stead, saddle tan Minerva from Badalassi Carlo, and espresso suede from C.F. Stead.

Project Pandion PE 1.1 in Black Veg-Tan: $440

Pandion is a brand new brand…five years in the making. Their lineup is composed of hand lasted, Goodyear-welted boots and shoes manufactured by a small workshop in León, Mexico, though the designs and patterns are highly original. The uppers, lining, counters, welt, midsole, and shank are all veg-tanned, paired with crepe outsoles and hand-sewn details on the pull-loop—and a blind upper stitch that’s one of the coolest design x construction features we’ve seen in a while. They currently have two models, a derby that comes in black and natural…

Project Pandion PE 1.2 in Natural Veg-Tan: $470

…and a Chelsea, also in natural or black. If you’re interested, it’s recommended that you size up: a full size from Brannock for a roomier fit, or a half size from Brannock for a closer fit (they only come in full sizes for now so your decision-making shouldn’t be too tough).

Ben actually has been putting a pair of the natural shoes through the paces, here’s his take: “I’ve been in touch with Clayton from Project Pandion for almost a year now and they’re one of the new brands I’ve been most excited about for sure. For me it was the combination of design (unique without being totally insane), materials choices (the natural leather especially but these things are leather all the way through the component set outside the sole), and details like that blind upper stitch that kind of vanishes in between the vamp and quarters. All that hooked me, but ultimately this is uniquely fashion-tilted shoe that is actually really quite well made, which is just rare to find.”

Project Pandion officially drops Sunday, but you can hop on the email list for early access.

JK Boots Raptor X in Jurassic Bison: $649 (Made to Order)

I’m told you can’t buy dinosaur leather, but J.K. has gotten close. Okay, it’s green bison, but it definitely looks the part, and it clocks in at a super-heavyweight 8-9 oz. This limited run of 250 boots is a 6″ version of JK’s “Overtime” Boot, lighter and more flexible than their Superduty or comparable full weight PNW boots. They’re available on a Vibram Christy or 132 RedX lug soles, and use fire resistant Technora thread for the uppers.

Bordon Boots Tukano V2 8″ in Black Teacore: $520 (Made to Order)

Bordon Handmade Boots is a small bootmaker producing made-to-order boots in Colombia—who will be making the trek up to our Boot Camp 2025 Chicago mega-expo! Generally they order one or two leathers at a time and then make boots to order until it’s gone. Their most recent leather is Wickett & Craig’s oiled teacore. This run also includes an 8″ version of the Tukano service boot, with a true cap-toe. Available in a range of sole, hardware, toe, and finishing options. Check out the 6″ version of the Tukano, their Chelsea, and the dressier Wanes model here.

Blackstock and Weber Sample Sale

Blackstock and Weber’s sample sale includes a whole lot more than just loafers—though of course, there are plenty of those too. Apparel samples include cargo shorts in tiger stripe camo, a collab jacket with Schott. There are also a handful of magazines, including The Gentlewoman, PRODISM, and Lightning. On the shoe front, the Ellis is available in just about every color you can imagine, from peep yellow to aquamarine, and there’s even a version on a Christy wedge. Seven variations on the Mason horsebit are also available.