A good boot is hard to come by. Lots of my old faithful brands have moved their production facilities to China and the quality has suffered terribly, making them a waste of time and money. Others brands are just too specific. One a bit too dandified, another too utilitarian, making it difficult to find a brand you trust to suit your sartorial needs across the board. But there is one company that consistently hits on all cylinders, and that company is Grenson. A UK outfit founded in 1866, Grenson has a good long history in the shoe-making business. Nearly knocked out in the early-mid 20^th century (and saved by the need for soldiers boots in WWII), Grenson has gone on to thrive, and today makes a wide range of stunning high-end boots and shoes.

What makes Grenson singular in my view is its universality. All of their boots and shoes score top marks across the board. Design, craftsmanship and comfort are all there in equal parts. This is pretty rare. Usually one has to sacrifice one for another, but not with Grenson. Stylistically, they mostly adhere to English traditions, but with some very cool tangents. So you might see a Brogue (hand-stitched, mind you) in a soft tan coloured leather with a dark brown bleed at the tip, or another style might be modeled after an old Italian infantry boot, done in green canvas and brown leather. Their styles rotate frequently, but you always get very cool, unique looking footwear that is extremely comfortable and never fails to impress. Anecdotally, I literally (and I use the word in its traditional sense) always get complemented on my boots when I’m out and about in my Grensons. Every time.

You can purchase Grenson boots and shoes at select retailers such as Barney’s here in the States, or through their website. Take the time to read their fitting guide, as variations in lasts on some styles might require you to order a half-size to full size smaller than you might usually wear. Otherwise they fit pretty true to size. If you want to eliminate the guess work altogether, you can set up an appointment at the factory in London for a bespoke fitting.