Crockett & Jones has launched their new A/W ’19 collection and it is quite impressive, to say the least.
For the 2nd year in a row now, they have had a collection called ‘The Black Editions’ in which they pay homage to the classic black models of the shoe industry’s history. This time they did so again but infusing their idea of Japanese ‘precision’ and style through the additions of Commando like Vibram soles on several of their models. And while not everything in the collection is made in some sort of black leather, the large majority of it is. However, my favorites are actually the ones that are not in black leather barring one, all that I will discuss below.
Truth be told, I have yet to actually wear a Commando sole….ever in my life. But the more that I see them (this collection helping) and the longer I live in New York City the more that I am leaning towards getting something made on one. The amount of wetness you get in this city can be daunting and having a nice 1-inch commando sole would most certainly help with the hidden puddles that plague this wonderful city, and much the same the country of England which is no stranger to wetness either. Therefore, it comes as no surprise why the A/W collection is full of strong rubber soles. Because in most places in this beautiful world, adverse weather is all but our very too familiar friend from November to March!
There are a lot of great things in this line-up but let’s talk about my favorites below!
The Jodhpur Boot
The Cottesmore in Dark Brown Suede is a gorgeous version of the classic jodhpur model and potentially my favorite from the line-up. You don’t often see suede jodhpurs but I think that they are a great model for the Autumn/Winter season. We all know how I feel about suede and the rain. If only more people understood that good quality suede can stand the test of time, they would be buying more suede. For those of you that feel the same, get on this beauty before it gets sold out!
The Cordovan Double Monk
The Cordovan Double MonkThis is an elegant stomper model here. I see this as something lasting a generation of time, passed down from you to your children. That is the beauty of good quality Cordovan and a double leather storm welted sole. It can go through anything, while keeping you smart at the same time. I am sure that this will be one of their top sellers in the collection for the cult like following that both double monks and cordovan leather have. Put the two together and you get an unstoppable shoe model!
The Derby Boot
While I love the jodhpur for its elegance, the Ross in Chocolate Hurricane Hide (i.e. an oil greased, chromexcel type pull-up leather) is the model that I would probably buy first and wear numerous times throughout the season (and that is saying a lot considering my 40 pairs of boots. This model, for me, epitomizes a proper Winter Boot and all of the bells and whistles associated with this model were top notch and spot-on in making a solid, rugged and handsome boot. I truly hope that this does well for Crockett & Jones as I would love to see more guys wearing these types of boots in the streets of the big cities instead of a classic Timberland or LL Bean Duck Boot. Something of that nature but done in a much smarter manner.
The Cap Toe Boot
The Conniston in the rough-out black suede is most certainly going to get a lot of attention this season. This newish rough-out suede that Crockett’s has been going with for a little while now is quite unique and cool. I could imagine this being worn with a pair of denim jeans and a safari-style jacket by Belstaff for that ultimate cool, and smart motorcyle-rider look. I have yet to personally try a pair of this rough-out suede but chances are I will soon get my hand on a pair (most likely these ones here!)
These 4 above are just my personal favorites, but as you can see from the below, there are a ton more to choose from. C&J came out strong this A/W season and I can imagine a lot of these being favored in the eyes of the modern man. And that’s why Crockett & Jones, in my humble opinion, remains King of the British Shoe industry. If you have time and want to share, let me know your favorite model from this collection. I am curious to hear your thoughts!
-Justin FitzPatrick
Not bad. One day they’ll reach JFP design level….
I appreciate those kind words JM!