If you knew you were going to be stranded on an island and you could only bring one pair of pants with you, what would you bring? For most men, that's not even something you'd have to think about. The almost unanimous answer would probably be jeans. Jeans beat up nicely, they're comfy and they don't require washing ... continue reading
Crappy weather is more detrimental to fashion than the entire line of Ed Hardy gear. Women bundle up in puffy jackets and you throw in the style towel before you even step out the door. In an effort to boost your attractiveness level while sheltering your feet from the elements, Swims offers up the Helmut Lace Up Boot. The ... continue reading
For a no-frills flask that's perfect to toss in your bag when you're out camping or exploring, turn to Stanley. The classic brand has been crafting solid, well-made food and drink gear since 1913. Their latest flask is the first in the Adventure Series which is aimed at being both essential and rugged. With more grip ... continue reading
Denim is a lot like cologne—wear the right amount and you're safe, wear too much and suddenly people steer clear of you like you have something contagious. While bad style might not spread like the flu, we sure as hell won't be caught looking like we went for a swim in the discounted Levi's section of our local ... continue reading
We've always found the term "running shoe" a little off. Sure, some shoes labeled as such get purchased for a bit of cardio, but the majority of them are purchased because they happen to look good and can be rocked while grabbing a beer or doing something casual that doesn't involve drinking (we can't think of an ... continue reading
Gyms are packed right now with people burning off holiday cookies, apple pies and beer guts, and we're no different. Actually, there is one difference between all of us here at Cool Material (along with you guys reading this) and about 75% of the people on their trial memberships—we actually care about looking good ... continue reading
We're not delusional. We know that, individually, we all probably have more pairs of shoes than the last three significant others combined. Between the Jacks, Johns and Chucks, a good portion of the collection bears the name Converse in one way or another. And even knowing both of those things doesn't prevent us from ... continue reading
There are certain materials and terms that are common in shoe descriptions—rubber sole, suede exterior, NBA star names—but every once in a while you stumble upon one you don't see too often. In the case of the Sperry Top-Sider 7-Eye Boot, you stumble upon far more than that. Uppers with wool flannel trim, rust-proof ... continue reading
It's no secret that, around these parts, we love tattoos. If we could get away with full sleeves in client meetings, and we weren't worried about the aging process, we'd probably be covered in ink from the neck down. Unless you're a tattoo artist or a rapper though, it's difficult to manage that much ink—let alone ... continue reading
Ripstop nylon was originally created to serve as a replacement to silk in the production of parachutes during WWII. To be fair, anything good enough for parachutes in WWII is something we want gear made out of. In fact, we'd probably put down hard earned greenbacks for just about anything made out of the material originally ... continue reading
When it comes to shoes, we're creatures of habit. We're all for fancy new chukka boots and loafers and oxfords, but sneakers will probably always be the largest portion of our kick collection because they're comfy, casual and classic. We don't need our sneakers to have more bells and whistles than the latest creation ... continue reading
It's quickly becoming the time of year where we have to limit our sneaker usage. We stow away our custom New Balance US574's, our beat up pair of Vans and break out some more durable options. Even though they are approaching the two-hundo mark, the 12/67 3 Eye Chukka from SeaVees is exactly the kind of option we're ... continue reading
There are a few certain things in life: death, taxes and new pairs of Nikes. Say what you will about their business practices, but nothing feels the same as just doing it and slipping into the swoosh. The Lunar Macleays mix the best parts of all the other Nike shoes you've come to know and love, along with Nike Running ... continue reading
There's something to be said for a simple, eye-catching sneaker. It's that sort of sentiment that helped make chucks, purcells and nylites so popular and Veja is using a similar model for their Domingos - with a twist. It all starts with patchwork uppers based on one primary shade of colors. Then Veja throws in some ... continue reading
Being environmentally conscious doesn't necessarily mean ending up with a product like the Smart Car that is—be honest—heinous looking. New Balance went back to the drawing board with their new line of newSKY shoes and ended up with a shoe made up of fabric constructed of 95% recycled PET plastic bottles. The recycled ... continue reading
Thanks in no small part to Judd Apatow, Michael Cera and Jonah Hill, geeks/nerds/whatever-you-want-to-call-dudes-that-didn't-play-varsity-in-high-school are cool again. You know what that means? Liking Star Wars is cool again - no thanks to Hayden Christensen and those "other" movies. Adidas decided to make a pair ... continue reading
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