Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

In October I’m going on a three-week business trip to Japan. I’ve never been to Japan and so I have no idea what to wear when I’m not dressed in my business finery. What do you suggest?

Linda

Manolo says, sadly the Manolo has never been to Japan, Mysterious Land of the East, where peoples eat the raw fish and dress like Hello Kitty Lolita Samurai Warriors. Or perhaps like the Sailor Moon Gothic Rockabilly Shoguns. The Manolo cannot say for sure.

The problem is, that the most popular Japanophile websites and magazines prefer to highlight unusual youth subcultures at the expense of the more mundane. And thus even though we who have never visited Japan can easily distinguish between six types of Japanese Lolitas (Classic Lolita, Gothic Lolita, Princess Lolita, Punk Lolita, Sweet Lolita, and Grotesque Lolita) we cannot tell you what ordinary people are wearing on their days off.

Thus the Manolo’s primary rule for travel remains operative: that when travelling abroad one should not substantially change one’s usual mode of dress. Do not attempt to “go native”. Instead, you must do as the Victorian ladies and gentlemen did when making the Grand Tour, and maintain your own native costume even in the most unlikely of situations.

Here is the Onitsuka Tiger by Asics in the colors blue and mandarin. Who knows if the Japanese actually wear these? Who cares? They are super kawaii!

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

Knowing that you appreciate the super fantastic shoe classic of any type, I wonder if you say something about the revival of the Converse Chuck Taylor type sneaker. My 13 year old daughter has a pair of tall Chuck Taylor she loves.

Phyllis

Manolo says, the Manolo loves the Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers! They are one of the greatest shoes ever invented, indeed, not just the great shoe, but also, together with the white tee-shirt and the Levi’s 501 jeans, one of the iconic pieces of American clothing.

If you are wondering whoChuck Taylor was, he was perhaps the greatest shoe salesman who ever lived. In 1921, after the brief professional basketball career, Chuck Taylor went to work for Converse as the sales representative. In 1923, he helped redesign the Converse All-Star basketball shoe, making it more flexible and adding the circular patch over the ankle to give it more support.

Then for the next 45 years Chuck Taylor traveled the country promoting the shoes he helped develop and the sport he loved, putting on clinics and basketball demonstrations. It was said that every basketball coach in American knew Chuck Taylor, and by the time he retired in 1968, 8 out of every 10 basketball shoes bought in America were made by Converse.

The great thing about the Converse is that they now come in the enormous variety of colors and configurations. Here is one of the Manolo’s favorites, the classic Chuck Taylor All-Stars Roll Down Hi.

Manolo says, from today’s news photos comes this image…

Of the course, the regular readers of the Manolo know the owner of these Converse All-Stars and cuffed jeans, for they identified him in the recent episode Whose Shoes Wednesday.

Manolo says, from the Manolo’s friends at Boing Boing come news of the discovery of the world’s oldest kicks!

Gary Pifer a vintage clothing dealer found the 116 year old sneakers while combing through picked over items, that were contained within a victorian era trunk. “As I arrived late, I was told that all the good stuff was gone”, said Mr. Pifer.

He paid 50 cents for the brown high top canvas sneakers made by the Colchester Rubber Company. Later that night, Mr. Pifer was shocked to discover, during an internet search, that the brand went out of business in 1893.

“In a instant, I knew this discovery would be re-writing basketball and sneaker history, as these sneakers are 25 years older than the 1917 Converse All-Stars”, added Pifer. The Colchester Rubber Co. was located in Colchester, Connecticut and was in business from 1888 to 1893.

Naturally, this being the Age of Commerce, Mr. Pifer, who discovered the shoes in 2004, has already set up the company to market reproductions of these marvelous shoes.

And, the Manolo has to say, he would happily wear these shoes.

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

I’ve fallen for a guy. Me: a first year associate at a white-shoe law firm. Him: the lead singer in a emocore band. He’s also educated, smart, funny, and kind. The problem is that I’ve got to emo up my look a bit so I don’t stand out so much when I go to his shows. What would you recommend?

Monica

Manolo says, the Manolo imagines that if he were the first year law associate, submerged in the dreary sub-basement of his firm, buried under that mountain of meaningless petty paperwork which is the diet of the new lawyer, the Manolo would, like Keats, also find himself half in love with “easeful death,” or perhaps Morrissey, which is the next best thing.

And as far as the rock-n-roll fashions go, the emo movement is not the most egregiously offensive, as long as one can ignore the drippy, asymmetrical, dyed-black-hair-in-the-eyes thing.

What is there not to like about drainpipe black jeans and the black t-shirt? It is low maintenance, stylish, and yet dreary enough to satisfy the most devoted lover of My Chemical Romance or Tokio Hotel.

As for the feetwear, the Manolo would recommend the black, Converse, John Varvatos Vintage Court Slip-ons. The Manolo owns three pairs of these, so you know they must be good!

Manolo says, it is not often that the price of the designer shoe can make the Manolo gasp. This Ann Demeulemeester sneaker has occasioned one such response.

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

I’ve just made my New Year’s resolutions, and at the top of the list is “get more exercise”. I’m planning a program that combines more jogging with some weight training. Do you have any suggestions for shoes?

Claire

Manolo says, the Manolo learned long ago not to make the New Years resolutions that required any substantial change in his behavior. Madness that way lies. And thus the Manolo only has one standing New Year’s Resolutions:

Make the world more super fantastic.

Be kinder to strangers you meet on the street. Tip waitresses generously. Smile at small children and dogs, even when they are naughty. Have the kind word for shop girls and cab drivers. Engage random strangers in pleasant conversations about growing flowers, and your last trip to the circus. Resist the urge to use your walking stick to pummel rude people who talk loudly on cell phones.

These are the sort of small things that make the world the better place, and contribute to social harmony and understanding. Even better, they are painless and pleasant, and make others happy.

Of the course, if you still wish to go jogging, the Manolo always recommends the New Balance sneakers. Here is the WX1007. You will not be disappointed.

Manolo says, this week, the Manolo’s Build the Outfit contest is sponsored by the Manolo’s good friends at the Tsubo, the makers of the very stylish and amusing casual shoes.

Naturally, because of this kindness the Manolo has chosen the pair of the sportif Tsubos around which you, the gifted amateur stylists, shall build the outfit.

Above you see the Zibal by Tsubo in the color scheme described as the Denim/Ice Blue/Emerald, which the Manolo finds to be not only attractive but also redolent of the certain sort of sporty young woman, one who has the carefree and somewhat charmingly oddball manner.

The Manolo now asks you to build the outfit for this hypothetical young woman, using this shoe as the start.

Please, as is our custom, post your entries at the Manolo’s Super Fantastic Forums.

The contest will end on Saturday, when the Manolo will pick the winner, who will receive the gift certificate good for the pair of shoes from the Tsubo!

UPDATE: In response to the question left by one of the Manolo’s internet friends, the Manolo has decided to allow any color of the Tsubo Zibal you desire!

Look! Here is the Zibal in the handsome blood orange color…

Or in the Putty/Red, which is the favorite of the Manolo’s amanuensis.

So, use the color combination you prefer, and let the thousand outfits bloom!

Manolo says, ayyyyyy! Your shoes can now become the robot!

This combination picture (clockwise from top left) shows Japanese toymaker Tomy Company’s “Transformers Sports Label Convoy feat. Nike Free 7.0″ in Tokyo April 25, 2007. The toy transforms from a pair of plastic half-scale Nike shoes into a toy robot called ‘Convoy’. The robot, which was created as a collaboration between the two companies, will go on sale in Japan on April 26, 2007 for a price of 2,625 yen ($22). REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN)

Perfect if you are ten years of age, or the eternally youthful fanboy!

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