The Agony and the Ecstasy of Adidas Confirmed
- Geoff Rynex
How to Do It Right: Suits with Sneakers
- Kempt Staff
We return with another installment of our semi-irregular series, How to Do It Right, a search for light in times of desperate sartorial darkness...
This time we’re going to walk the tightrope of stylishness known as wearing sneakers with a suit. Many have tried and failed (including a high amount of former, current or aspiring boy band members). Some have tried and succeeded (that will include you if you keep reading). And others were never really trying in the first place (grandpas everywhere).
10 Winter Sneakers
- Kempt Staff
If you’re going to wear sneakers in winter, make them a pair of these...
What’s the Deal with Fancy Sneakers?
- Kempt Staff
The fancying-up of the humble sneaker has been happening for some time now. First it was haute fashion brands putting studs and wings on them. And then a few loving homages. But now it seems brands aren’t even trying to disguise the fact that they’re making the same shoes, nearly stitch-for-stitch, as the non-fancy ones we’ve been wearing since childhood.
It’s getting pretty blatant, and we’re here to take a stand...
10 Sneakers for Spring
- Geoff Rynex
You can always wear boots. We’ll never stop you. They might be part of your personal uniform, and we support that. But here at Kempt, we’ll be happy to put those motherfuckers away for the next several months and jump back into the world of sneakers.
Tomorrow is spring, and these are the sneakers you need for spring.
The Stat Sheet: Epaulet Tennis Shoes
- Kempt Staff
Epaulet has been on a real tear lately. What started as a well-appointed menswear shop on a sleepy Brooklyn block selling Aldens next to Japanese selvage has turned into a bona fide menswear label with an ever-growing line of oxfords, chinos, suits and even leather café racer jackets.
The latest: minimalist calfskin sneakers based on 1960s tennis shoes. And like everything they make in-house, the attention to detail is high.
The Sneaker Stock Exchange and Hemingway’s Pamplona
- Kempt Staff
Today’s must-reads from around the Internet.
These Are Your Pre-Summer Must-Haves
- Kempt Staff
Summer is nigh.
Really, it’s closer than you might think. But we’re not there yet. (We’re still about a month out from white bucks and sundress season.) Though, with spring rains giving way to warmer sunnier days—we promise—it’s time to start easing into the summer spirit.
Which is why we’d like to direct your attention to our leftmost column—where we’ve refreshed our seasonal crop of must-haves for this warm-but-not-yet-hot time of year we’ve dubbed “pre-summer.”
Go Beyond the White Canvas Sneaker This Spring
- Najib Benouar
Now that you’ve made the all-important seasonal footwear shift, it’s time to start thinking about your canvas sneakers.
You may have noticed over the past weekend: you weren’t the only person wearing a pair of white canvas sneakers—or “plimsolls” to the Anglophiles—not by a long shot. Hence, it might be time to start considering a pair cut from a different, more colorful cloth.
Herewith, the seven not-white cotton sneakers to consider for spring...»
The Sneakers You’ll Be Wearing This Spring... and Fall
- Caitlin Ganswindt
We’ve seen the future of your footwear, and it’s right here. The gents over at The Hill-side took us through their upcoming spring/fall collections and, aside from the standout selvedge indigo covert stripe they’re using just about everywhere, the real star is their new sneaker collection.
It’s the first time they’re delving into footwear independently and they’ve done a stellar job—sourcing materials and construction from the best of Japan. They’ve got low-tops hitting the shelves for spring, and a range of high-tops and chukkas coming for fall ’14.
The Kempt Five
- Najib Benouar
Every Wednesday, we’re giving you a deeper look into what makes the minds behind Kempt tick. We call it: The Kempt Five.
Presenting the creators, clothing and comestibles we’re feeling this week.»
The Appraisal: Suits with Sneakers
Some things are best left to the professionals.
Like wearing jorts. Or casual-ing up your daily suit-and-tie routine with some sneakers. Today, we discuss the latter.
A staple of haphazardly dapper rebellion long before modern menswear editors brought it to the mainstream, the suit-sneaker combo is not, in fact, a recent development. (Check out the guy on the right in this iconic image if you don’t believe us.) And when perfected, it’s a look that oozes nonchalant cool. But attempting it (and succeeding) can prove a weighty endeavor for even the most seasoned sartorial veteran...
Wearing Summer Fabrics on Your Feet
- Najib Benouar
By this time of year, white canvas sneakers are thick on the ground.
And while we’re fans of the simple, utilitarian pleasures of the common plimsoll, they’re nearing their saturation point—meaning, it’s about time you started venturing into the even summerier depths of footwear. Madras. Linen. Seersucker. Swimsuit material. All proven summer fabrics that have found their way onto shoes, so we rounded up your best options.
Head to Toe: Red, White and Blue
- Najib Benouar
The Fourth of July is so close, we can nearly taste it.
And we’ve always been of the mind that when it comes to dressing for the most patriotic day of the year, you’ve got permission to get loud. Therefore, to fully commit to the spirit of the day, we’ve rounded up your finest options for donning an all red, white and blue kit—made entirely in the good old US of A, naturally.
Conscious Summer Footwear, Carson Street Clothiers Gets Its Close-Up and the Ferragamo Comic Book
- Kempt Staff