Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Nicks Boots and Carl Murawski drop a boot made for the long haul

Nicks Boots, Carl Murawski launch new boot

By Leslie Leon Published July 3, 2025

patina of nicks boots the blackwood — Nicks Boots / Nicks Boots

Known for their work boots and heritage silhouettes, Nicks Boots is once again elevating your footwear with the goal of maximum durability and comfort. Just in time for their yearly collaboration, Nicks Boots is reuniting with Carl Murawski for a new boot designed for style and meant to last for years. As with most of the shoes in Nicks Boots’ lineup, this latest pair is designed to blend ruggedness with a refined element, creating a work boot that you can wear off-hours. While featuring various stylish elements, these boots are designed to be worn, and their personalized aging features allow them to patina over time, becoming even more of a fashion statement.

Nicks Boots and Carl Murawski introduce The Blackwood

In this new release, The Blackwood derives its personality from the fact that it ages and becomes even more stylish over time. Featuring overdyed English Bridle leather from Wickett & Craig, this material undergoes a fascinating process that involves tanning it first in Buck Brown, followed by a black overdye finish. Through wear and time, the boot will patina, revealing the warm brown tone that has been hiding underneath. Other features of the shoe include Dr. Sole Half soles, 8-inch height, brass hooks and eyes, an LTT pattern, and a brown rolled top. All of these details create a low-profile design with ultimate grip and a long-lasting construction. This new Nicks Boots and Carl Murawski partnership is available via the Nicks Boots website and retails for $899. An elegant and rugged boot, The Blackwood is a true work of art that combines premium craftsmanship with elevated style.

Leslie is a Los Angeles-based writer and content creator. After attaining a bachelor's degree in journalism from California…

Topics

Footwear

Fashion & Style

The 5 suit brands you need to know to build your first suit wardrobe: Including the first aspirational one

Building a suit wardrobe starts with the brands you can trust

Men's Wearhouse Custom

Look, starting a wardrobe is difficult. You have to decide what kind of man you want to be. What kind of message do you want to send? What kind of budget do you want to use? And how often you want to go back to the drawing board. What kind of man do you want to be? Sounds heavy. Sounds dramatic. Maybe because, in some ways, it is. So much of what people initially believe about you remains in their subconscious long after they get to know you. So what you wear is important. The message you want to send is one of being put together, attentive to details, or it is the opposite. Laid back and unbothered. The budget is also integral to the wardrobe you build. High quality comes with high prices. However, it comes with longevity, so it means you don't have to replace it as often, saving money in the long run. So, what kind of man do you want to be? Hopefully one that wears men's suits.

No matter what man, message, budget, or shopping frequency you choose, a good suit wardrobe will need to be a part of it. So, where do you go? How do you start? Here are the five brands to trust to get started. No Tom Ford, Brioni, giant fashion houses here. These are the five suits for the man starting out. And one for the man aspiring to the next step. The first four, you can grab your first quality suit for around the $1,000 mark. The aspirational one will be your first custom, so it will be a bit more.

Fashion & Style

Longines refreshes its cult-favorite central power reserve in light blue

The Swiss watch company is giving the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve some new dial and bracelet options.

Wristwatch, Arm, Dial

Longines has been around since 1832, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating watchmakers on Earth — old enough to have spent decades strapped to the wrists of aviators and explorers before most brands existed. So when the Saint-Imier company, now part of the Swiss giant Swatch Group, revives something from its own archives, it's got real history to draw on. The Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve is a good example.

The Conquest line dates to 1954 — the first Longines collection to have its name trademarked with the Swiss IP office. And in 1959, one Conquest model introduced the complication this watch is built around: a power reserve indicator planted dead center on the dial. For 2026, Longines has given the modern revival a light refresh: a new light-blue opaline dial and (for the first time on this model) a stainless-steel bracelet alongside the returning dark leather strap.

Fashion & Style

Shohei Ohtani’s newest Seiko is out of this world

Seiko built Shohei Ohtani a one-of-one watch that tracks a million hours across five rotating discs — and you can't buy it.

Wristwatch, Arm, Body Part

The Seiko Star Time, presented to Shohei Ohtani on July 3, marks his tenth year as a Seiko ambassador. It's not for sale, will never be for sale, and there's exactly one on Earth — currently strapped to the best baseball player alive. Oh, and also? It looks absolutely nuts. Instead of hands, the Star Time tells time with five stacked, concentric discs, each tracking a different scale of accumulated time: 24 hours, then 1,000, 10,000, 100,000, and finally a disc that runs all the way to one million hours.

That's roughly 114 years — a full human lifetime, give or take. The discs turn continuously, so slowly you can't see them move. Seiko named it "Star Time" for exactly that reason: like stars drifting across the sky, the motion is imperceptible in the moment but relentless. A little existential for a watch company, but let's go with it.