Comparisons

In the world of high-end sneakers, there is one that has managed to stand the test of time: the Maison…

History Nike Dunk The Nike Dunk, as you can probably guess by the name, started off as a basketball sneaker.…

Just a couple of weeks ago, Adidas launched what they expect to be the next big thing: The Ultraboost 5X.…

When it comes to American-made handsewn footwear, there are really three names that consistently come up: Quoddy, Rancourt, and Oak Street Bootmakers. Over the last few years, each of these brands have grown from relative obscurity to being the faces of this classically American style.

There are few places as synonymous with a shoe style as Lewiston, Maine is to the beefroll penny. It’s like Detroit and the car, or Washington D.C. and politics – being born there seems to make you an inherent expert. However, like the GM vs. Ford battle in Detroit or the Democrat vs. Republican battle in D.C., battle lines exist in this small community. Turf wars break out between kids whose dad works at Rancourt vs. their classmates at Quoddy. Slings made of Horween’s Chromexcel can be seen in every grocery store.

Did you know that the Dunk wasn’t the only cheaper alternative to the Jordan 1? Even though the 1 didn’t sell nearly as well as Nike would have hoped, there were a number of brands who did blatant rip-offs of the design to sell for less money.

When the Chuck 70 came out, it was praised as a sign that Converse is finally paying attention to their canvas shoes again. There were a number of improvements – better padding underfoot, fully rubber outsoles, and thicker foxing tape. However, while the All Star may have been missing these, Converse has had a shoe with all these features for decades – the Jack Purcell. If you’re looking for a pair of higher end Converse sneakers, which is better for you? Let’s take a look at the Chuck 70 vs. the Jack Purcell.

If you’re anything like me a few years back or hundreds of other men, you decided you wanted a pair of nice boots. You know there are really only two options here. The Alden Indy and the Viberg Service Boot.

Every year, like clockwork, when the weather starts to get bad millions of LL Bean “Bean Boots” get pulled out of the closet. It’s easy to see why – it’s a classic design, made in America, and is pretty affordable. At least, affordable compared to other classic, made-in-America shoes. Nobody could fault you for wanting to pick up a pair. Like countless others, you logged onto www.llbean.com with credit card in hand only to find two options: the Bean Boot and the Maine Hunting Shoe.

When you picture a retro Jordan 1 or a non-SB Dunk in your head, they both probably have one thing in common: they are high tops. The 1980’s and high-top Nike basketball shoes are synonymous. However, when both of these shoes launched, the highs dropped next to lows. It’s fair to say the lows have just as much claim to being an OG retro as any high. That being said, the Dunk Low is pretty much at maximum hype right now, and the Jordan 1 sits everywhere. You might be asking: what’s the difference?