www.blundstoneus.com
When the cognoscenti of the gear universe descends on Salt Lake City this January for the Winter Outdoor Retailer show, it’s a fair bet that about half of the male attendees will be wearing a pair of Blundstones. The reason has less to do with peer pressure and more to do with hard-earned loyalty. Born in the rugged environs of the Australian island of Tasmania way back in 1870, the Blundstones are some of the best boots going. The slip-on and -off ease qualify them as perhaps the most TSA-friendly pair of footwear next to the reviled flip-flop (seriously, dude, no one wants to see your toe jam while waiting to fly to Chicago). They boast a patented Shock Protection System embedded into polyurethane soles for days-long comfort, while the exterior leathers uppers can stand up to decades of abuse. The new rustic brown 268 lace-ups are no different—well, save that they have laces, which make for a snugger, more custom fit, though they still benefit from the easy-access elastic at the ankle. You won’t summit Everest in these kicks, of course. But you can easily hit a day hike, spend a few days of cold-weather urban adventuring, or find post-ski salvation at your favorite après spot. The supple leather builds up a splendid patina over years of use, and we love the dressed-up aesthetic of the exposed stitching.  Know, however, that the poly soles don’’t fully insulate you from the cold, cold ground. If your lifestyle involves standing on snow or the frozen earth for hours at a time, consider Blundstone models with Thinsulate shearling-lined footbeds like the 560 which deliver furnace-like warmth with the same comfort and performance that’s been benefiting us all for over a century.