Awesome Boots

Danner teamed up Brandblack to create this hip and functional boot for everyone. Combining rugged and street aesthetics isn’t easy, but this shoe pulls it off. It has an off-white Nubuck upper, quick-adjust lacing, and a waterproof GORE-TEX lining. Its textured Vibram Wrap Tech midsole features Megagrip compound for confident walking on varied terrain.

Plastic slip-ons are on their way out; the boat takeover is here. OG techwear brand Canada Goose hops in on the new trend of upper-eating wraps with the Glacier Trail High. The sneakers are waterproof, and the large band wrapped around the shoe is leather but rubberized for durability. There’s also a mid-top version, which ditches the stretch collar.

We’ve seen some unusual shoes thanks largely to the art collective MSCHF. But artist Canyaon has them beat in terms of variety and creativity. His Instagram page is packed with weird, wild, and impractical shoe designs, including ride-on off-road sneakers, steel welder’s boots, BBQ shoes that hold hot dogs and spatulas, and cocktail-dispensing winter boots.

Mischief-making art collective MSCHF created a wild pair of Timberland-style work boots that will sell out quickly. The 2×4 Boots extend their chunky gum rubber soles onto their sides and tops like they were squeezed through an extruder. We don’t have a drop date yet, but you can sign up to be notified at the MSCHF Shop.

We love finding new gear for our daily adventures. Everyday Carry shared their latest picks, including some great new items, including a collection of backpacks from Pioneer, rugged hiking boots from Huckberry and shoemaker Diemme, a fixed blade knife from CIVIVI, a big MOLLE pouch from CountyComm, and a modern two-room tent from Snow Peak.

Shane from Stuff Made Here already invented an unmissable basketball hoop. But what do you do if the basketball hoop is 16 feet off the ground? To give himself a fighting chance at making extra-tall dunks, he built a pair of telescoping boots that lift him to the net like Inspector Gadget’s leg springs. They work but look dangerous as hell.

Slip into REEF’s Swellsole Scallywag, a lightweight, waterproof boot to protect the crew in all kinds of wet conditions. It sports a molded TPU upper with a neoprene lining and a soft EVA insole with arch support. The no-slip rubber outsole maintains traction whether you’re sailing, SUP’ing, fishing, or walking a slippery plank.

Kick it with these limited-edition Shiner Beer x Boot Campaign mid-boots in a cool Kryptek camo pattern with patches on the ankle and tongue and a Kryptek logo down the heel tab. A sales portion supports the Boot Campaign mission to assist active duty service members, veterans, and their families.

While an all-terrain personal mobility device sounds like a good idea, we’re not sure that boots that drive like tanks are the best way to get around. Joel Creates shows off his design for a wearable off-road vehicle that’s totally impractical yet extraordinarily cool to see in action. They’d balance way better if they had longer tracks.

Process X takes us inside the Ishii Sports shoe factory to see how artisans create boots by hand. Each shoe starts by cutting shapes out of leather, refining its edges, then gluing and stitching the pieces together, adding lace rivets, and nailing it around a wooden form before sewing on its insole and attaching the layers of its sole.

Process X takes us inside a Japanese factory that’s been making rubber boots for almost 90 years. They start with lumpy, raw rubber, then roll, stamp, form, and assemble pieces to create the body and soles. Then vulcanization applies heat and pressure to make the boots flexible and durable before finishing.

Meet the Westerner, the first release in Heritage Boot Co’s New Frontier Artist series. The meticulously handcrafted boot with crossed-arrow inlays and stitching is a killer collaboration by the Austin boot-making institution, Krissy Teegerstrom of Featherweight Studio, and actor/punk icon John Doe of X fame.

Founded by Kweku Larbi, Baxter Wood Company creates durable, waterproof footwear while helping to make a difference in his home nation of Ghana, Africa. These handsome wellie-inspired boots are made from sustainable 100% tree rubber, and every purchase helps to provide education for children in poverty.

Form and function rule with the Good Design Award-winning Packable Rubber Rain Boots by Japan’s Pokeboo. Made from flexible natural rubber, the boots are thin and lightweight with a durable synthetic rubber sole and drawstring top to keep out rain and bugs. They neatly fit into/onto a backpack with its carabiner pouch.

How do you improve the original duck boot? Make it warmer and more flexible by replacing the traditional rubber shell with waterproof AeroForm polyurethane so it doesn’t transfer cold. Coupled with a water-resistant, full-grain leather upper and heavy-traction soles, the LaCrosse Aero Timber Top is built for slushy, muddy tasks.

Snow and ice have met their match with Danner’s gorgeous suede hiking boot. Built for men and women, it outfits the popular Mountain 600 collection with a high top and cold-weather tech: Vibram’s Arctic Grip and Ice Trek rubber compounds for traction, plus Primaloft Gold insulation, a waterproof zipper, and a Danner Dry waterproof membrane.