Big big big roundup this week. We’ve got shell cordovan at Nicks, a three-way engineer boot collaboration from Brogue, Motor, and Attractions, a new unlined collection from Crown Northampton, and lots more.
Read 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.]
Nicks Anniversary Shell Collection in Black or Color #8 Marbled Shell: $1,795 (Made to Order)
Despite receiving more than a few requests Nicks almost never runs shell cordovan—almost. Last May they ran 30 pairs for the brand’s anniversary. This year, they’re running 40: 20 in marbled black shell (a mix of tan, green, and black tones) and 20 in marbled Color #8.
Available on the 55, HNW, and 1925 lasts, there’s a pretty full range of configuration options: shaft height can be set anywhere from 3-7″, there’s a single piece backstay option, as well has hardware, sole, toe, heel, and edge dye customizations. Shell aside, this is your standard bulletproof Nicks construction, with 270˚ of double row stitch-down and a whole lot of leather underfoot.
Aaron Levine x White’s 355 Cruiser in Black Waxed Flesh: $800
After a long, long run designing for brands ranging from Joseph Abboud to Aimé Leon Dore, Aaron Levine started releasing clothes under his own label in 2024. Since then, he’s popped up in just about every corner of the menswear world, given plenty of interviews, and helped design Viberg’s Jungle boot. He’s back in bootworld this week for a White’s collaboration: a 7″ version of their Cruiser pattern with a single row of handsewn stitchdown and Waxed Flesh uppers with a nautilus embossed under the White’s logo.
Brogue x Motor x Biltbuck Lot. 444 Engineer in Black Horsebutt: $1,395
You might not have noticed, but there’s an engineer hardware cold war going on. Willie’s has their signature chunky roller buckles, J.D. Gabbard’s Kreosote buckles come from a metalworker who turns them out in between jewelry and chandeliers, and Keystone just studs the boots themselves. Now Brogue and Attractions are wading in with a new version of the Lot. 444 that has hand stamped brass buckles from Hideo Motoike’s brand MOTO (who make some very cool boots of their own). The uppers those buckles are attached to are clicked from teacore horsebutt, and sit atop Biltbuck half-soles secured with a 270˚ flat welt.
Brogue x Alden Postman U-Tip Blucher in Color #8 Shell: $1,048
Brogue also got a small restock of their Postman makeup, a blucher on the 379x military last that’s unadorned except for the handsewn apron at the toe. They’re built with a 270˚ flat welt in Color #8 shell.
Viberg Scout in Bison Janus Calf Suede: $1,145
Viberg’s second SS26 drop is here, and whereas the first was heavy on stitchdown boots, derbies, and loafers in dark, serious shades of Kangaroo, the second drop is much lighter. Uppers are soft suede in either “Bison”—like these Scouts with a 260˚ split welt and a Vibram wedge—or “Polo Brown”…
Viberg Navvy Boot BCT in Polo Brown Janus Calf Suede: $1,290
…like these brogued cap toe Navvy Boots bottomed with leather outsoles and 270˚ flat welts on the Cantilever last. All of the makeups in this drop except the sneakers are welted…
Viberg Bristol in Janus Calf Suede: $1,155
…and there are lots of lower cut models, including the Bristol loafer—these are the “Bison” version with leather outsoles and 270˚ flat welts—as well as the Savoy split toe and the new shoe height version of the Navvy. Check out the whole drop here.
Double Helix Detonator 702 in Black Horsebutt Strip: $1,051
Probably the most recognizable engineer from Double Helix, the 702 last has a wide toebox with aggressively squared off sidewalls. In stock at East West Apparel…
Double Helix Detonator 902 in Black Horsebutt Strip: $1,051
…who are also carrying the slightly more traditional (though still wide) 902 last version, both with 270˚ flat welts and half soles in horsebutt strip. Just stay tight-lipped if your TSA agent asks about these.
Easymoc Rangeley Boot in Natural Chromexcel and Mole Suede: $997
If you’re in the UK it’s also worth knowing that East West just got a bunch of new makeups from EasyMoc, including these Rangeleys as well as a mess of chukkas, slip ons, and other things—check them all out here.
Wesco Mister Lou in Burgundy Horsehide: $864
Wesco’s build times are continuing to creep down, and incidentally Franklin & Poe have a new Mr. Lou makeup, this one in burgundy horsehide from Horween on green Dr. Sole half soles…
Wesco Mister Lou in Black Horsehide: $865
…and restocked the black version of the same boot.
John Lofgren Duke Roper in Natural Roughout: $1,100
Brooklyn Clothing (which is actually in Calgary) has three new Lofgren models in undyed Horween leathers. The first are these ropers, with 270˚ storm welts and Vibram 269 outsoles in roughout Natural Chromexcel…
John Lofgren El Capitan in Natural Waxed Flesh: $980
…and then there are two pairs in Natural Waxed Flesh: the El Capitan with a Vibram 430 mini-lug and a 270˚ storm welt…
John Lofgren Donkey Puncher in Natural Horween Waxed Flesh: $1,055
…and a Donkey Puncher on a Vibram wedge with a 360˚ storm welt.
Crown Northampton Harlestone Unlined in Tan Dearborn: $600 (Made to Order)
A few years ago Crown Northampton introduced their Abbey Oxford, which was above all else designed to be really, really soft. It had uppers in Horween’s Dearborn—a super flexible veg-tan leather originally developed for gloves—and it was also unlined, because they used a technique where the single-piece upper was split open on a skiving machine and the heel counter was hidden inside. No counter cover needed. They just applied that combination materials and techniques to a handful of other models in their handstitch line, including the Harlestone…
Crown Northampton Thornton Unlined Wholecut in Black Horween Dearborn: $600 (Made to Order)
…the Thorton Wholecut, and a few others, all of which have veg-tan toe and heel stiffeners, a leather insole, cork fill, and Lactae Hevea outsoles.
Paraboot Briac in Black Silk: $335
Few things are made worse by a big lug sole, and boat shoes are definitely not one of them. The Briac is a model Paraboot has produced on and off since the 90s, but it’s now being added to their official collection as a standard model. Part of Paraboot’s Portuguese-made Blake stitched line, they’re available in black…
Paraboot Briac in Lisse América: $335
…and brown.
Norse Projects x Paraboot Fasan in Espresso Nubuck: $501
And Norse Projects was quick to release their take on the Briac, which drops the lacing for a slightly cleaner pattern. They’re clicked from tumbled nubuck and have leather laces.
FEIT Trek 87.5% in Black Veg-tan: $725
FEIT works with a few different factories, but the TREK is built in the Italian Alps, in an area called the “Montebelluna Sport System” that specializes in manufacturing things like ski boots and outdoor climbing gear. As the name suggests, they’re a relatively lightweight hiking shoe—somewhere between a trail runner and a full on Italian hiking boot. And while they’re very much a cemented sneaker, they use veg-tan uppers and a new rubber outsole developed for FEIT by Vibram that doesn’t use any oil in the manufacturing process. By their math, the Trek uses 87.5% natural materials. In addition to the (still pretty beefy) low version…
FEIT Trek High 87.5% in Black Veg-tan: $725
…there’s also a high top with a padded collar.
Hardworking Phil Dam Stomper in Brown Horween Pull-up: $215 (Made to Order)
In addition to shoes, Marcell Mrsan wears a lot of hats. He sells shoemaking tools through ZegZug, teaches the craft both directly and in print, and also has a slipper brand, Hardworking Phil, which makes a variety of stitchdown slippers of various patterns, including the new clog-style pattern introduced this week. It adds an adjustable backstrap that can also be flipped forward, crocs style, an adjusted upper pattern in a heavyweight Horween pull-up leather, though the tannage isn’t named.