This week's dose of inspiration comes from down under. A long wait has come to an end as my dear friend and one of the most best-dressed gents there is - Christian Kimber - launched his new collection of footwear (and accessories) called The Passport collection yesterday.
Christian Kimber - Premium sneakers and quality footwear
The vision behind the newly launched collection - that includes 4 different sneaker models and 4 different models of other footwear - according to Christian is that each handcrafted pair of shoes can translate seamlessly into any environment. The idea of the collection is to create a versatile selection that would work no matter what you wear.
A sneak peek of what was coming was already seen as Christian collaborated with Eidos Napoli for the upcoming fall and winter season. The new models are all inspired by places or situations that related to Christian's past and experiences, every pair has a story and every detail has a purpose. Personally I'm really happy to see this collection going live as the man himself is one of the talented and most humble guys I've had the honor to meet in this industry.
Sneakers made in Italy - Shoes made in Spain
The sneakers are all crafted in Italy near Florence in the heart of Tuscany, using Italian leathers and suede, all of which are hand-cut. All the sneakers also have 100% calf leather lining throughout, structural padding to maintain their shape over time which according to Christian makes them also feel incredible. In addition the sneakers have athletic technical insoles to ensure lasting comfort.
For me the "Lorne" slip-ons in brown/burgndy and "Byron" sneakers in burgundy/blue are the ones that caught my eye in the first place as I got a glimpse of the collection last January in Florence. Perfect for summer casual and even to be worn with more dressed-up trousers and button-up shirts.
The more "classic" shoes of the collection are crafted in south-east of Spain near Valencia. All shoes are either Goodyear or Norwegian (Norvegese) welted, with French calf or Spanish suede. The patterns are hand-cut and all shoes are 100% leather lined.
In terms of shoes the choice of models by Christian is interesting. There is a "classic" tassel loafer and chukka boot but the other models - jodhpur boot and saddle shoe - could be described as quite unusual choices. However it is worth mentioning that both of these shoes have design - thanks to the last and material choices - that make them versatile and even easy to wear and combine with different outfits.
Some time with
One more thing that is definitely worth mentioningn is the "Some time with"-section at the website. Go and check out - there are number of great guys - such as Jamie Ferguson of Drake's London, Marcus Malmborg and Tuomo Pynttäri from Sauma - featured, telling a few things about their style and life. Read and learn.
And finally a few pics of my personal favorites of the collection. It seems very brownish... 
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