ON & BEYOND

These are undoubtedly my most preferred pair of footwear of any genre or any maker. Vibram, Goodyear Welt, Premium Suede, leather insoles & replaceable outsoles.

“These boots become your very own. They roughly feel like an extension of your body after they have molded to your feet. These boots become your favorite, and before you know it, have gotten so much wear that the sole no longer has any tread. These boots have become very difficult to let go of, to get rid of. But fortunately can be given new life by replacing the outsole. Goodyear Welt Constructed shoes allow for an easy replacement of the outsoles. Goodyear Welt Constructed shoes become your very own, breathe, are comfortable, can be worn for a long time, and will probably make you a happier individual.” -Hiroki

Some of my favorite NB’s include the 1500′s & 993′s, this newly released colorway of the 574 was an instant love affair. The dark burgundy and the grayscale mesh well. And the Encap gives me the technicality I love of the 1500 & 993′s. This shoe, from a design standpoint, has a perfect balance between simplicity & complexity; it could be the opposing harmony of the suede’s ease & the mesh’s utility that makes this particular 574 stand out.

Available Here

The leather laces snapped on my pair of Mowat’s so I wrote an email to VISVIM; to my surprise, 15 minutes later, I had a reply sitting in my inbox inquiring my address so they can resolve the issue Asap. No questions asked, not even asking for a photo of the defect, just my address. Two days later, a UPS man drops off a neat package from Cubism inc; inside, my laces, with the FW09 Dissertation. Customer service at its BEST. Another reason why this brand gets my FULL support.

It’s called a dissertation, because it isn’t simply a catalog, there’s always a prologue in which Hiroki will explain from A-Z his inspiration for the season. Included are photos from his resourceful travels, allowing the consumer to see the full idea that lead to the garment. In this particular one, Hiroki talks about his visit to Padova Italy, where he studied the hand-sewn Goodyear welt technique used in his FOLK line.

Since I already have this one in my Library. I’m gonna give it away to you guys, My Readers! All you have to do is follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/onandbeyond and Tweet : Follow @onandbeyond and RT to win Visvim’s FW09 Dissertation!

This is the best acquisition I’ve made in a while. I actually look forward to waking up 15 minutes earlier every day to make myself a cup. The smell itself is enough to make for a great day ahead. I was told that Bialetti is the way to go.

I’ve been a fan of Irish Setters for a while and my 875′s are far from its terminal, but the Wabasha Collection is making me wanna put them aside. I got to see them in person at work and the Vibram sole really sold itself to me (not in any detriment to the deck soles, but I need these for Canadian winters). The canvas ankle panels are great too; makes the foot much more pliable, and the promenade a little more complacent.

Remember this post? Well here is the final result. Superb acrylic piece by Maura. The girl has talent.

A pair of fatigues isn’t always the simplest task to pull off without looking sloppy, especially when the name tag in the back says Engineered Garments. For the shorter fellas, like myself, EG just doesn’t fit right, the wide legged pant makes us look pretty foolish, so I had these EG BDU’s tapered to about a 15″ opening, which is just the right width if you ask me. I suggest anyone to just hit up the surplus store, pick up a pair of fatigues and get them tapered; look for draw strings at the ankles too, kind of a nice feat if you ask me.

I found an old pair of vintage oxfords laying in my old man’s closet and judging by the years of dust layers, I didn’t even ask and made em mine. Topped with a white shirt, the unusual pairing is a great look for the summer (oh yeah, sans socks please).

One of the best parts of traveling is the packing process, and one thing that always stresses me is toiletry (dont wanna end up using the shit hotel soaps). Did I bring my contact solution, did I bring my shampoo, did I bring my after shave…and so on. Baxter makes life a little easier with this Travel Kit.

The good folks at Valet Mag & Baxter sent me this neat package, and while I don’t get to travel too often, I’m gonna sleep better at night knowing that this will gonna come in handy the next occasion I get to leave the City of Mary or better known as Montreal.

“Finley is the unsung father of the modern men’s skincare industry. Moving from New York City to Los Angeles to work in the fast paced world of advertising in the mid 1960’s Finley realized the constant heat and sun was doing a rough number on his skin. After searching high and low for a moisturizer that wasn’t pink or floral, he finally gave up and created his own, which he called Super Shape. The first line of grooming products created just for men, which he named Baxter of California, was launched from his Beverly Hills headquarters in 1965.”

Available here for 50.00$