JAN
2007
19

Manolo the Columnist

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

Dear Manolo,

Could you suggest a nice pair of tall leather boots for winter wear?

Eric

Manolo says, the Manolo has the single commandment about the boots and the shoes for the men: you cannot wear the shoes that would potentially appear in the closet of the Argentine tango pimp.

You know the sort of the shoes the Manolo is talking about, with the overly pointy toes, and the bizarre details like the maltese cross cutouts, shoes which have weird colors and are made from the exotic leathers like the wildebeest and the pit viper and the Vietnamese pot bellied pig.

Men’s shoes must be of the traditional cut, color and materials. It is the quality of the workmanship and the fineness of the details which should distinguish the men’s shoe.

Of the course, the exception to the rule is the choice of sneaker, where the man may go as wild as his infantile heart desires. Do you wish new sneakers with the hydraulic springs in the heels and USB port in the toe? Do they come in lime green with the purple laces and the Linux operating system? The Manolo says, go for it.

As for the boots for winter, the Manolo recommends the
Brando Engineer boot from Frye, for its classic styling and durable nature.

Frye Brando Engineer    Manolo Likes!  Click!

JUL
2005
29

The Boots of the Cowboys

Manolo says, here is the article from Times of the New York about the increasing popularity of the boots of the Cowboys.

Western boots worn out of season represent “a really strong trend, one that still is gaining momentum,” said Michael Atmore, the editorial director of Footwear News, a trade weekly. And to judge by the number of boot makers who have added Western models to their lineups, Mr. Atmore said, “a lot of companies are banking on the look for spring, summer and fall.”

It is something of a paradox that the Western boot, a classic emblem of Americana, derived much of its latest currency from the streets of London, where style-setting neo-bohemians like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller were snapped earlier this year wearing boots with flounced tunics or peasant skirts. Stateside, early adopters, flaunting boots as counterweight to the summer’s wispy skirts, led to a spike in sales.

The clamor for summer boots prompted the Frye Company to raid its archives and reissue discontinued looks like the Daisy Duke, its onetime signature Western style. The company, which is privately owned, does not release sales figures but forecast that its boot business would more than double this year. Jim McCormick, the president of the company, said that a substantial portion of that growth “is reliant on brisk sales of boots in the traditionally slow months from February through August.”

As often as not, the most prized boots are vintage models.

Of the course, this it is not the news to the Manolo. He has long said that every super fantastic girl needs the pair of the boots of the cowboy, and he has always recommended the most traditional of these boots, something like these handsome boots of the Lucchese below, because these traditional boots have always, and will always, weather the fickle winds of fashion.

Lucchese - N4540 (Tan Mad Dog Goat) - Women's  Manolo Likes!  Click!

Lucchese - G9706 (Chocolate Cashmere Suede) - Women's

These boots they will be worn for many years to come.

MAR
2005
10

The Shoes for the Jeans

Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends has asked the Manolo the question.

I am currently searching for the shoes to wear with the jeans. I already have the super fantastic calf-high boots (including the Fryes), but the shoes, they are hard to find. I am a bit of the tough chic, so they must not be, how you say, too girly. I want the shoes of the substance with the sophisticated silhouette (the ankle boots, they are okay, if you can recommend any). Also, they must have the bit of the heel, as I cannot walk in the flat shoes or the wedge soles.

Manolo says, there are many shoes that the Manolo would reccomend for the wearing with the jeans, however, if you are looking for the “tough chic” shoes of the quality, the Manolo he would recommend the shoes of the Donald J. Pliner.

Donald J Pliner - Metro (Black Soft Kid/Stretch Nappa)    Manolo Likes!  Click!

Frequently, too many of the peoples, when they talk of the tough girl, they think of the clunky shoes, but this one above, it is chic, it is tough, but it is also most stylish. It even has the matching handbag.


Donald J Pliner - Larain (Black Stretch Nappa/Soft Kid)    Manolo Likes!  Click!

This ankle boot from the Pliner it the no-nonsense shoe, indeed, the super fantastic girl who wears this boot would brook no interference from the gallery of the peanuts.

Manolo says, by the way, the Manolo he has talked before about the tough girl boots of the Donald J. Pliner. They are indeed super fantastic.

FEB
2005
21

The Gotham City

Manolo says, one of the places the Manolo he loves to look for the super fantastic boots is at the website of the Gotham City Online.

Yes, on the one of the hands, at the Gotham City Online the sizes of the boots and the shoes available, they are frequently limited. However, on the other of the hands, the prices they are unbelievably low.

For the example, these super fantastic boots from the Coach, they have been reduced by the Gotham City over $130 of the American dollars, however, the are available only in the Americans sizes 8.5, 9, or 10.
Coach Boots    Manolo Likes!  Click!

Likewise these classic boots from the Frye, they are reduced 50%, but are only available in the sizes 6 and 6.5.
Frye Boots    Manolo Likes!  Click!

Manolo says, there are many other bargains to be had at the Gotham City Online, from the JP Tods, and the Marc Jacobs, and the Michael Kors, and the others, however one must always be prepared to be disappointed by the capriciousness of the sizes available.