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Late 70s/Early 80s Preppy Sneakers

by oxford cloth button down on October 4, 2024 in Footwear with 7 Comments

The Late 70s Prep Checklist post generated a lot of question about one of my favorite topics which is sneakers. I’ve been into sneakers since as long as I can remember. Actually I can remember. It was 1989, I was in the 5th grade, and the Jordan IV came out. It has been a wrap since then, but back to the topic of at hand. Here are my top 5 picks for late 70s/early 80s vibed sneakers that are currently available.

1. Nike LD-1000 – $100

2. Adidas Country – $120

3. Nike Cortez – $90

4. Onitsuka Mexico 66 – $185

5. Adidas Samba Long Tongue – $90

I tried to keep the list short, but solid and most importantly available. However if you don’t love the above there are lots of other sneakers out there that can match the vibe. Adidas’s line up in particular has a ton of options that would work such as the Gazelle Indoor, SL72, and Handball Spezial to name a few. The same is true with Nike. They currently have the Blazer, Field General 82, and the Mac Attack plus a plethora of others. Whatever your favorite brand I am sure you can find a sneaker to fit the mold.

For those that find this topic interesting I suggest picking up the Lightning Nike Chronicle (1971-1980) book. It has a ton of great images of 70s-80s Nikes as well as running shirts. I dropped some images below. I’ve seen it available a few places in the past, but there are a few currently up on Ebay and Amazon Japan. Another cool resource for sneakers and how to rock sneakers that I recommend is the Trainer Spotting Instagram page.

I am going to leave you with one piece of advice before I head out. It’s actually the same advice I find myself giving about clothes. That advice is to wear your sneakers. As with clothes well worn sneakers almost always look better than clean sneakers. I am off to break in my new Nike LD-1000s!

Images from the Nike Chronicle 1971-1980

Ranger Moc Talk

by oxford cloth button down on August 30, 2024 in Footwear with 4 Comments

Yes last week I was telling you to get out there and enjoy the last days of summer. Now here I am this week talking about fall. This is a good thing. It shows that I have confidence that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Speaking of walking when I think of fall I think of ranger mocs.

When I say ranger mocs what I mean are the chukka version of blucher mocs. While blucher mocs are camp mocs cooler weather cousins, ranger mocs are blucher mocs big brother. They are a little bigger, taller, and tougher than blucher mocs. When you need to walk through some wet leaves without getting them in your shoes these guys come in handy. Plus they keep your ankles a touch warmer as the temps dip and they just work well with fall fabrics like corduroy and flannel. Perfect for running around town or casual Friday at the office or honestly probably any day at the office these days.

Ranger mocs used to be easy to find. All you had to do was go to LL Bean, but then they stopped making them. They did resurface last year, but they already look to be on their way out again (see here). Like many of our trad staples ranger mocs are getting harder and harder to find, but I did manage to turn up a few pair.

Hands down the best looking pair that I saw is the Easymoc Camp Chukka. I spotted these last year and have been thinking about them ever since. The shape is great and they have the correct sole. The sole has been the hardest part to find lately. A lugged sole may be more practical, but for better or worse we often find ourselves in the form over function camp here at the OCBD Blog. Priced at $295 these are a pretty big step up in price from the Bean mocs. They are also made in the USA so the price isn’t surprising.

The Eastland Seneca Camp Chukka is another good contender. I am not in love with the shape of the uppers, but it’s still a nice classic design for a great price. You don’t hear a lot about Eastland these days. I tried a pair of their camp mocs out 5 plus years ago and while they ultimately didn’t work out, I would try them again.

That’s a good start for now. I will be talking more fall over the few weeks. Now get out there and enjoy the weather, but don’t forget to plan ahead so that you don’t get left behind.

Why Quoddy Mocs?

by oxford cloth button down on May 12, 2023 in Footwear with 9 Comments

It’s time for me to get a new pair of camp mocs. My Sperry camp mocs (see above) are dying. The footbed is starting to disintegrate. I’d get another pair, but Sperry no longer offers this style so I’m stepping up my camp moc game this time around. I had narrowed my options down to the Quoddy Canoe Moc or Rancourt Gilman Camp Moc. I ended up going with Quoddy and here is why.

When it comes to looks Quoddy and Rancourt camp mocs are very similar. I did notice a handful of differences. The most notable to me is the soles. Rancourt use brown soles whereas Quoddy uses black. I prefer the brown, but this could be because my Sperry’s have brown soles and I’ve grown accustomed to it. Another difference is the spacing of the eyelets. The second set of eyelets on the Quoddy camp mocs are spaced a little further apart than the Rancourt. In terms of overall shape the Quoddy mocs appear to have a more rounded toe box than Rancourt and a lower profile (might be better for my feet). In this category Quoddy scores points for the toe box shape while Rancourt gets points for the brown soles. I will call it a tie.

Now let’s take a look at the price. Rancourt camp mocs are $268. Quoddy are $249. Quoddy also offers 20% off your first purchase. Rancourt does offer a great deal every year where they crowd source pairs for right around $160. The downside is that you need to know your size in advance and the wait time is 2-3 months. Here Quoddy gets the edge for first time purchasers and Rancourt gets the win for repeat customers.

Next up is availability. This was probably the biggest factor for why I chose Quoddy. I thought that Rancourt would have camp mocs in stock and ready to ship. I really liked the Carolina Brown Rancourt. I probably would have bit, but on closer inspection it says that they will be ready in 10-12 weeks. Quoddy on the other hand had them ready to go now. Another point for Quoddy.

I picked Quoddy because I could get them now and it didn’t hurt that they were a little cheaper ($230 delivered). I went with the brown as I thought they’d be more versatile than the red sole (which I love) of the whiskey colored pair. Even though I like the whiskey color a little better. I hope that sharing my painstakingly neurotic decision making process will be helpful to anyone that is in the same boat. I am wafting to take delivery of my new mocs so I can’t offer a review just yet, but know that it’s coming.

Bass Weejuns 2020

by oxford cloth button down on February 16, 2020 in Footwear, Men's Clothing Reviews with 17 Comments

I am a fan of Bass Weejuns. I know that they are cheap, disposable, and overall poorly made shoes. I also know that there are a lot of nicer options (Alden, Rancourt, Allen Edmonds) for penny loafers out there. Knowing all of this I was still a fan and recently needed replace some badly worn Weejuns.

Not only do I like cheap Weejuns, but I generally opt for the even cheaper outlet versions currently called Walters. They are virtually identical except for the price and the cut out shape on the strap. I made a trip to my local outlet mall to grab a pair of the brown and a pair of the burgundy. I picked up a pair of the burgundy (see above) and I am happy with them but I was disappointed to learn that they were no longer offering an outlet Weejun in brown. They did have a tan pair. It was an awful color.

I really needed a pair of brown Weejuns a lot more than a pair of burgundy ones. My brown pair are my go to loafers. So upon returning home I hopped online and ordered a pair of the non-outlet Logan Weejuns in brown. They were $110 which is $40-50 more than I paid for the outlet Weejuns. Despite the cost difference I was happy to have a pair on the way.

Then they arrived. First, the sizing was way off. They are between a half and whole size larger than my other pairs. The second issue is the leather. While the burgundy are known for being plasticky (I call them plastic shell cordovan) the brown have always been closer to real leather. However the current version of brown is now as plasticky as the burgundy. I was not thrilled to say the least. Next comes the shape. It may be due to sizing but the toe box looks awfully narrow and long. This narrowness along with the length makes the toe box seem square. Needless to say I was not thrilled and they will go back.

Like I said, I like Weejuns. They have the best shape, fit me well, they are affordable, and they are always accessible (I hate trying to buy shoes online). However the fact that the brown leather is now on par with burgundy leather (if you can call it leather) and the shape is starting to shift I might have to look for an alternative. Before I stray too far I will probably return to the outlet to checkout the beefroll version in brown.

Brown Bass Weejun 2020 — Brown Bass Logan Weejun 2020

2020 Bass Weejuns Comparison — 2020 Brown Bass Logan Weejuns vs 2020 Outlet Burgundy Bass Walter Weejuns

Brown Bass Weejun Loafers 2020 Toe Box — That toe box looks a little square to me.

New Tretorns Plus…

by oxford cloth button down on May 13, 2018 in Footwear, Lifestyle, Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 5 Comments

I just scored a new pair of Tretorn Nylites. I went with the Nylite Plus’s as they have more padding…and were all I could really find. I also thought that I remembered reading that these were truer to the original than the previous model which you know that a trad loves to hear.
You might be wondering what happened to my old Nylites. Well let me tell you that not all things survive being washed on hot (aka they shrank), but I do still have them. Below you can see them (old-bottom) compared to the new pair (new-top). The new pair has a lot more padding (meaning some) around the ankle and even more support in the footbed than the old model. For someone like me who needs support in a sneaker this is great. The sole of this shoe does look a little larger (width) and it is by about 1/16 of an inch which I don’t love, but will probably quickly forget. I do think that the larger and more elongated logo on the old navy pair looks better. The old pair is also floppier, but we will see how the new model breaks in.

So truer to the original and more comfortable??? I am sold! Truth be told I have only worn them once, but they were comfortable straight out of the box. I have actually never had a pair of truly comfortable minimalist canvas sneakers so lets just say that I am thrilled. I imagine that they will get a lot of use this summer. Before I go I did find where I read about the Nylite Plus’s being truer to the originals. It was over at Sid Mashburn. I have included that below,

It’s the old-school Nylite we know and love — the ultimate icon of Swedish athletica — but better. And by “better,” we really mean “truer to the original.” Tretorn brought back the padding on the sides and footbed for a more comfortable tennis shoe… think more sneaker, less slipper. And the inside is designed specifically with a more sweat-resistant, light-pile, eco-friendly French terry, which is great to wear (you know it) sockless.