Skip to main content

Step It Up With The New England Outerwear Co.

Admit it. Five years after buying your first pair of Yuketens, when the brand first took off in Europe and launched a worldwide cult for moccasin boots, you’re something of a snob, if not a connoisseur, in the boot department. So what’s the next footwear brand you’ll want to be wearing this spring? The New England Outerwear Co.

Recommended Videos

Based up in Rockport, Massachusetts, New England Outerwear is a small company of a dozen or so folks up that’s been quietly producing footwear since Nov 2012 and creating a stir for all the right reasons amongst footwear mavens. The company is known for its unique uppers that pop with color and fabric inserts, lasted crepe wrap soles, and exclusivity. How exclusive? For one, each shoe is virtually custom-made from start to finish by the same maker.

Co-founders Dan Heselton and Greg Cordeiro also insist on sourcing the most precious and best raw materials such as water-resistant Chromexcel leather by Horween (the original pull-up leather) and controlling the quality of its products by producing everything out of its own factory. Where contemporaries might outsource production at factories such as the ones in Maine, New England Outerwear does everything in-house and to Heselton and Cordeiro’s demanding specs. Having worked with larger companies whose development teams aimed to simply cut material and labor costs to produce higher quantities, the founders wanted to do the complete opposite and forge a personal connection with the product.

As Heselton sees it, “it’s how you do it that matters.” A case in point: vamps and kickers that could take up to an hour to sew and soles that actually comprise five layers of material that sit between the foot and the ground for unparalleled comfort. Plus, the true moccasin construction only means New England Outerwear shoes get better with age. It even offers one free resole with each and every pair. Heselton and Cordeiro aren’t stopping there, however. Their “Courtside” style for spring, for example—a unique twist on a vintage style Adidas tennis shoe that you could wear with shorts—might altogether spark a new direction for updated traditional footwear brands.

Come fall, the company will have sunglasses, jackets, button down shirts and pants in its offerings. Says Heselton, “We can do a boring penny loafer any day of the week, but we won’t.”

Courtside
Courtside Image used with permission by copyright holder
Tim Yap
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Contributing writer Tim Yap was born in Kuala Lumpur and lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, Vancouver and Toronto prior to moving…
Caterpillar celebrates a century of building the world with CAT Centennial collection
CAT Apparel has been the go-to for the hardest working people for 100 years, now they celebrate it
CAT Centennial navy tee

Men have been building the world since the industrialized society took hold and grew to encompass empires. Everything from the pyramids to skyscrapers is the product of ingenuity and grit, all on the backs of the hardest-working men in the world. Since 1925, they have been one of the leading manufacturers of heavy equipment across the globe. From defense work and engines in World War II to building every major city in America, they are a name every engineer and construction company trusts. Because of that, the name expanded to workwear, becoming one of the first names you see on the men and women actually building the structures we use every single day. To celebrate the 100th anniversary, the brand launched the Caterpillar Centennial Collection, a number of items including graphic tees and articles inspired by the very machines that inspired them. Whether you follow the trends and want to embrace the workwear aesthetic or you are a fan of the brand, these are the perfect fit.

Pieces inspired by classic machines from Caterpillar

Read more
Wax London believes polos shouldn’t be boring
Get creative with your polos with Wax London
Wax London polo black floral

The men's polo is one of the staple shirts every man needs. It is something that has endured since the days of LaCoste wearing them on the tennis courts. Nowadays, it is the paramount piece for any man looking to wear a basic business casual wardrobe. Of course, that doesn't mean it has to be basic. Most men tend to opt for a solid golf polo and a pair of basic chinos, paired with a hybrid dress shoe. While that has led the polo down a path to gaining a dad shirt image, that doesn't mean it needs to stay there. Wax London is one of the leaders in making everyone, from celebrities to dads, look stylish, and they don't think a polo needs to be boring or basic. Instead, Wax London polos this season emphasize patterns, standing out, and being seen as a celebrity, even if you're just a dad.

Wearing the polo like a celebrity

Read more
Now is the perfect time to layer with UNTUCKit spring pieces
The spring collection for UNTUCKit is stocked with seasonal pieces
UNTUCKit quarter-zip

As the April showers come to a close, the May flowers will be in full bloom. While that sounds like a great time of year (unless, of course, you struggle with allergies), there is one thing that stubbornly sticks around this time of year, especially if you are north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and that is the cold snaps. The unpredictability of the spring means you are bound to have those days where you are a bit chilly in the morning and a little warm in the afternoon. The best way to combat this little problem is with the subtle art of layering. UNTUCKit is known for creating some of the most comfortable shirts of the last decade and a half, and they have released a spring collection that makes layering the simplest it's ever been.

Layering made simple

Read more