There’s always been plenty of synergy between New York and Italy. The state houses over three million people of Italian descent, which is equal to about 13 percent of the total population. And although a lot of them call the five boroughs home, Italian culture is far-reaching; New York is home to world-class Italian restaurants, a bustling (but ever-shrinking) Little Italy and a memorable (albeit dwindling) history of, shall we say, well-connected families.
Now, though, there’s a new bond being formed between decade-old clothing company Knickerbocker and the Italian bootmaking legends at Fracap. Their boots have been made in Puglia, Italy since 1908, first for farmers and now for fans of handcrafted luxury. And now New Yorkers will have access to limited-edition low- and high-top iterations, courtesy of Knickerbocker.
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Both designs, the KF101 (a low-top hiker that costs $295) and the KF102 (a taller boot that costs $350), will come in two classic colorways: brown suede and black leather. They fuse casual, lifestyle aesthetics with those more traditionally held for hiking, hence why all four pairs come with metal hardware, hefty Vibram outsoles and calf leather insoles, which help your feet breathe even when they’re tightly tied.
Knickerbocker calls them “a combination of timeless utility and lasting quality fused with exciting references from America’s many rich subcultures.” And even though they’re rather traditional-looking, at least for a hiker, they match Knickerbocker’s aesthetic well, which is definitely more city-centric. You can as easily wear these on a city sidewalk as you do on a wet upstate trail.
Or, if you buy yourself a low-top pair, you can wear them with a slacks or a suit — especially if it’s corduroy. At least that’s how I’ll do it: a rich, brown wide-wale corduroy suit with the suede KF101s.
CourtesyBLACK LEATHER
