I sing of Clae shoes, and what I shall assume you shall assume
I like shoes. This not a secret. But I'm not the kind of sneaker freaker who will buy a new pair of Air Force Ones just because they're a limited edition. For that matter, I would never buy a pair of Air Force Ones, period. For me, the shoes need to be conversation starters; they need to be manifests of mood. It's not good enough for a pair of shoes to define a look. They must be a definition unto themselves, regardless if they are a celebration of color and fabric like D.A.T.Es, or pieces of subtle beauty like Zeha Berlins. The summer 2008 range by Clae Shoes fits this motif. And I mean the entire range.
Clae began in 2001 as a sort of anarchic reaction to both athletic footwear and leisure footwear when they released their "athleisurewear" shoe hybrid. However, they haven't really released anything since 2005. I'm not sure if the three years was spent researching and designing, or if they just took a break. It doesn't matter. They came back strong to release a series of shoes named after poets, painters, philosphers, musicians, and documentarians. Taking names like Garvey, Miles, and Cousteau, Clae shoes not only have soles that are athletic, they have souls that are iconic.
While naming shoes after people like Romare Bearden is a conversation in itself, what pushed me to part with my money was the walnut leather low-top (pictured) named after Walt Whitman. Always one of my favorite American writers, I've read all his poems and diaries; I carry a copy of Song of Myself on almost all my travels; I even have a World of Warcraft character named after him (I can't believe I just admitted that). The chance to own a shoe named after the author of "O Captain, My Captain" coupled with the remarkable leather/canvas design was too much to pass up.
What's more, they're dead easy to find. You can buy them straight from Clae.com, or you can pick them up on Revolve Clothing's website for a paltry $99. Hot tip: if you buy from Revolve, use the coupon code "JT" to get 15% off. Don't tell anyone I told you, though. And be quick. I don't know how long that code will be valid.
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