Free Stuff: Pons Avarcas (or, late to the party, part 3)

Let me begin this post by saying that I've never been a sandals kind of guy. Also, be warned that for the more hard lined traditionalists among you, this post may induce wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I was recently sent this pair of Pons Avarcas for review. Avarcas are a type of sandal made on the island of Menorca off the coast of Spain. The name is actually government protected, much like a wine appellation. When the good people at Avarcas USA contacted me to see if I wold like to try a pair, my first inclination, as some of you might expect, was rejection out of hand, as sandals are not something I have ever considered wearing. But these were different. For one thing, they cover much of the front of the foot, thus giving a much more finished appearance than say, a flip flop. For another, the materials and construction appeared to be of high quality, and the  business is family owned and operated. Lastly, the original avarcas were made using recycled car tired for sole in the 1920s, so both my recycling and "old stuff" buttons were being pushed simultaneously. I'll admit, I was intrigued.

In the last few years, I have come around to wearing proper Spanish espadrilles in Summer, and I'm glad of it. I recently saw an old European guy wearing plaid shorts and a tennis shirt, untucked with both buttons buttoned, with some similar sandals and I couldn't help but admire his effortless euro-prep style. Plus, I do derive from Mediterranean stock, so I figure I can justify at least a try. 

I figured that given the time of year I'd have to put these away as soon as they arrived, but then we got this stinko heatwave in Boston. I can tell you that the leather is of excellent quality as is the construction. I wore them around the house, but was a little shy of taking them outside. They are comfortable, and I felt right away that these would become really great with years of wear.

The next day, I took them out for a spin, with plaid shorts and a tennis shirt, a la our old gent, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed them. Besides being comfortable, I actually forgot I was wearing them, a sure sign of the best clothing. Its no good being to conscious of your clothes. Tres gauche. By the third day, I was happy to don them again.

These would be excellent at the beach of course, and on vacation in warm places. But I think they do just fine for daily activities around the old town. Since the whole top of my foot is covered, I tend not to notice them too much out of the bottom of my eyes, you know, like when you have on shoes that are too white.  And while I wouldn't them out to dinner, I see no problem wearing them to the taqueria at noon.

The short answer is, I really like these, more than I would have thought. I feel oddly inclined to apologize, but I won't. Because really, a dose of languid old world European charm is often just the thing to keep all your striped ties and navy blazers from making you look like a stuffy old man.

They cost $75 a pair. Truthfully, I'm not in the habit of splurging for shoes, but when we consider the level of quality here and the fact that good shoes will run you around $300 at least, I'd say they are priced fairly. My penny loafers will still be the go-to choice with trousers in Summer, and the old Quoddy's will continue to see fair rotation. But I can see these becoming the shoe of choice with shorts next July. I guess that speaks to both the quality of this product and the truth in the fact that style is an ever evolving thing.

Worth Every Penny: Quoddy Refurbishment Service

I'd be at a loss for footwear in Summer were it not for a good pair of boat shoes.In the past I've had many, mostly Sperry Topsiders. They were a favorite for my mother to buy for both me and my brother as children, I think because the store in Charlestown where we got our kid shoes always had them and for cheap. Just dressy enough to pass muster under the uniform guidelines at Catholic school, but soft enough so that we weren't constantly bemoaning the fact that we were required to wear shoes.

A few Summers back, I got a pair by the fabled Quoddy of Maine, much revered among the artisinal Americana set. They are clearly better made than Sperry Topsiders of better leather, and cut higher, more like a real shoe. I don't know how happy I'd be actually paying $225 for them, but they last well. To be fair, I should tell you that my pair was bought in a thrift store for less than $10, and I wear them pretty much constantly from May until September. The battered pair on the left arrived home today after trip to Maine, and came back as the much refreshed pair on the right, complete with canvas shoe bag.

The white boat soles had worn down to nothing, and even much of the stitching was gone, leaving the soles flopping off the shoes.

Literally peeling away. But the shoes were worth saving, so off to Maine they went. A day later, I was contacted by a friendly lady from customer service inquiring as to exactly what repairs I wanted done. I only wanted them resoled, I told her, with the same white soles they had originally. "I think we can do better then that" she replied. What I got back, a scant two weeks later, were shoes with new soles, new cushioned leather lining, reconditioned leather, and new rawhide laces. Total charge was $34.95, $25 plus shipping. In keeping with my previously stated belief that sometimes the best new things are old things that you already own, I now have an excellent new pair of boat shoes ready to go another three Summers at least,

with just enough cozy wear and tear on them that I don't feel as though I need to knock the "new" off them. Admittedly, I may have gotten these shoes very cheaply, but even if I'd bought them new my opinion of the service wouldn't change. 

The shoes themselves may be a bit dear, but Quoddy refurbishment service is worth every penny.

Preppies, Hippies, and Bikers

Turns out, there was a store on old Route 1 in Massachusetts that managed to successfully cater to all three seemingly divergent groups. This tartan blazer, found recently at a thrift shop for $5.99, led me down a path to find this out:

 A real knockout, though I should probably wait until next holiday season to wear it. Nicely woven wool in very vibrant colors with brass buttons. I've become pretty good by now at dating old clothes, but this one is tough. My inclination is to sat 1960s, but the two button darted front makes me think its later than that. No matter, it's a great jacket whenever it may have been made.

Ah! Austin Hill. That's quaint. Internet homework turned up nothing on this brand, but it was made in USA, another indicator of it's likely age, sadly.

Here's the funny part. The Deerskin Trading Post no longer exists. I think it closed some time in the 90s. My wife and I both have memories of it being the sort of place that sold biker fashions. This sort of thing was quite popular in Eastern Massachusetts back in the 80s and 90s, especially North of Boston, where this place was. Think leather vests and engineer boots for men, and really awful high waisted, acid wash jeans for women. Certainly not things like a tartan blazer.

When I asked my parents about it, they had a memory more of a place that sold native American stuff to hippies back in the late 60s and early 70s, things like popover shirts with rawhide lacing at the neck, knee high moccasin boots, and lots of fringe, turquoise and silver. Certainly not tartan blazers.

Poking around a bit led me to find this old mail order catalog from the early 1960s, over at the Hagley digital archive. Careful when you click that link, it will consume half your day. Here we see a version of Deerskin Trading Post that reminds me a little more of old school L.L. Bean.

This was a place that sold fine driving gloves for ladies,

as well as some pretty current looking hand-sewn moccasins. Call this old school New England, I guess.

Something for the kids...

something for the house chef...

and something to do with your sons Cub Scout troop when it's your turn to host.

Suddenly it doesn't seem so incongruous that this place once sold a tartan blazer for Dad. Nor does it seem so incongruous that it would evolve to appeal to hippies and later, bikers. Too bad they couldn't have stuck it out a little longer. They might have made a killing in the days of the combined preppy revival, rise of the urban lumberjack, and heritage Americana obsession, all of it in Massachusetts no less. Can't you just see this on A Continuous Lean? At the very least, it would probably have been a pretty cool place to shop.

p.s. new stuff in the Shop.

Reader Questions: Old Shoes

I find nearly everything I own in a thrift store. While it's true that years of experience and practice have led me to a fair degree of success in this, the fact remains that some items are simply easier to come by than others. Take ties, for example. Once you stumble into a honey-hole, you tend to find that 99 cent neckwear is fairly abundant. They don't experience the wear and tear of other items, being purely decorative. Shoes, on the other hand, are another beast entirely.

photo: mirror.co.uk

Reader Don asks:
I have a question about buying shoes. I've read about reshaping and all of that, so I know there are some restoration options, but how worn is too worn? Any tips on buying used dress shoes? All I've seen around town so far are very creased and discolored.

Good quality shoes in good condition are perhaps the hardest thing of all for a man to find in a thrift shop. For obvious reasons, shoes are the clothing item exposed to the harshest wear and tear. We walk in them, on pavement. We scuff them against things. They get sweaty on the inside. We wear them on our feet for extended periods of time, often for periods lasting years. A favorite pair is a treasured item, even for people who don't realize or won't admit it, and so they are often the last things we want to part with. Men tend to wear their shoes until they fall to pieces.

Besides all this, shoes are submitted to undue abuse in the processing phase between donation and selling time. Think of it: a guy decides to donate some shoes, and they get tossed in a garbage bag along with a bunch of other stuff. The thrift shop gets them, and tosses them loose in an industrial hamper with a million other pairs. They may get sorted through a number of these bins, always tossed in with a heap of other shoes. Maybe they get tied together in pairs by the laces. Maybe not. Eventually, they go out for sale some place. A sordid affair.

This may be bleak news for the man cracked enough (like me) to dedicate obscene amounts of time and effort into acquiring a closet full of the rich man's cast offs, but there is a bright side. Good shoes are made to last a long time, and hence are worth repair, and the best shoes tend to be owned by those who take care of them, and thus have more years left in them if given a little repair.

Quality leather can take a beating, so all is not lost. As with anything, look for quality and don't settle for junk. This is especially true with shoes. Not only do crappy shoes look bad and have a cheesy feel to them, they're uncomfortable as well. Steer clear of stuff that was crap in the first place...it will have only gotten crappier.

So, how worn is to worn is the real question. The answer depends largely on whether you have access to a good cobbler.  If the answer is yes, then it's a good bet that shoes that many might consider wrecked are your goldmine. Worn heels, holes in the sole, or soles breaking away from the shoe, as well as peeling linings or stitching that's come loose, are all things that your cobbler can put right. It won't be cheap, though, so you have to decide what you're willing to invest. I might buy a pair of quality shoes by Allen Edmonds or Alden for less than $10, then pay the cobbler up to $100 to repair them. For me, $110 is short change for fine shoes. $110 buys junk new at DSW. Catch my drift?

Some shoes are just over the hill. Avoid anything with holes or cracks in the leather itself. Creases in the leather are not always the kiss of death, as polish and mink oil, plus a good pair of cedar shoe trees, can usually fix this, but a hole is a deal breaker. The vast majority of shoes at thrift stores were worthless to begin with, and junk is junk. I won't buy it new, I certainly won't buy it old. The rule of persistence in thrift shopping is of exponential importance when it comes to shoes, but when it pays off, it tends to do so in spades. Be patient.

Having said all that, if there's one thing worth coughing up full retail for, besides the requisite socks and underwear, its good shoes. They may be expensive, but good ones will last a very long time, and your $15 suit and 99 cent tie will look infinitely better when complimented by proper shoes. In fact, I'm gearing up for a new pair or two myself, likely to be the topic of a new "Worth Every Penny" post.

So, in closing, George Harrison, on vinyl :



p.s. don't forget the sale in the Shop. 15% off all orders over $50 through midnight Saturday. Use discount code NEWYEAR2012 at checkout.