Purchase date: October 30th, 2016
I spent way too much this past week on clothes, but after the end-of-the -Semester clothes dump my Spring semester I lost a lot of boots. It just got to the point cloth adhesive couldn’t fix any longer, plus I had outgrown the FOREVER 21 boot department by a time. FOREVER 21, and me, simply have a love that is no longer mutual. (When I wear clothes, I don’t want it to dissolve in the rain).
So, I went to TOPMAN.
TOPMAN is a store I’ve toyed with for a few years. I ordered some nice flattops from them before and some other assorted accessories, but I never bought actual clothes from them. Nothing that would stagger my back account at least, until I saw the Black Slavo Suede Lace-ups when online shopping.
The suede gave the black of the boot an iridescent look, almost like shiny black ebony, or glistening lacquer. I already looked at a pair of black distressed denim joggers, and I figured: Why not? there’s nothing that I can go wrong. At best, I organize a high-end outfit around a pair of suede boots that I can use for a lot of my casual looks.The only dilemma I have with this is my closet lacks a lot of jeans — I prefer joggers, and I will only wear joggers; so help me.
I placed my order, along with a few other things: Tan Real Suede Belt, a Black Leather Look Satchel and a Black Cable Knit Beanie. Both of which I designed around the concept of an outfit.
On arrival, the boots came in a heavily damaged box, as if it had been knocking around the back of a truck. There is very little aesthetic use I can use for it now, I suppose that’s to be expected with an Express shipping — though, for the amount you pay in express shipping, you don’t want to lose quality for readiness.
The belt and beanie were both perfect, though the belt is a bit thinner than I imagined, I supposed I will have to either tuck my shirts in or wear something with a higher cut to show it off with my outfit.
The boots, however, I have been in love with. While the lace isn’t done perfectly — on either boot, the lacing leans to one side or the other, giving an inequal length of the laces — it is very beautiful and comfortable to wear. Boots, for me at least, never seem to have an ease of wearing. It really hurts to clunk around in boots all-day. In these, I felt comfortable enough to walk to the store for twenty minute without changing, and I never just go on idle strolls in anything other than sneakers — especially a $140 suede shoe.
I really like the boot, and it made me heavily consider buying more from TOPMAN, though I do believe they need to restock on the shoe itself and reconsider both the packaging method and the lacing.
8/10
Steven Underwood
