S&S x Unsung House Slog Boot - Walnut Overdye Olive Latigo

Introducing ready to wear styles from Unsung House at Standard & Strange! Handmade by two brothers, Grant and Isaac Gustafson at their Nashville, Tennessee workshop - Unsung footwear is produced start to finish using the highest quality leathers and components available. Best known for their boot & shoe repair and re-lasting services, (you can read about Charlie’s experience having some of his boots re-lasted here) they also have an in-house line of their own boots and shoes, which we count among the finest in the country.

Some of our favorite brands primarily or additionally work as repair & alteration services, leading to them developing an even more intimate understanding of the styles they mend and create. This knowledge informs their own production, often leading to uniquely-intensive manufacturing techniques and unusual design choices, deployed almost virtuosically in their own finished pieces. Beyond that, and uniquely true of Unsung House, is the fact that all the work is done by just two brothers - resulting in atelier-style, almost-bespoke footwear off the rack.

The Unsung U 22-1 Slog Boots stand at a proud 7” tall, inspired by WWI Pershing (or “Trench”) Boots, they’ve got an old school military silhouette with an unstructured toe, similar to the boondocker style that would go on to replace them in the second World War. The construction is exceptional, with beautifully-precise stitchwork throughout the uppers, including narrow double and even triple-row stitching throughout, elevated further with subtle embellishments along the back counter. Reinforcing the uppers are solid brass rivets, a less common but undeniably stylish detail lifted straight from the originals.

They’re made from an olive latigo cowhide from Wickett & Craig Tannery in Pennsylvania, an absolutely beautiful vegetable tanned leather known for its excellent break-in and handsome patina. Unsung have elevated both of these features into the stratosphere by hand overdying the finished hides with a natural walnut dye, made from shells dropped by the Black Walnut tree growing in their yard. Over time, the dye will fade and patina, resulting in a more dramatic finish and some remarkable tonal variety, particularly in direct sunlight.

The other details are all of a similar caliber: they stand on made in USA Vibram #269 outsoles and #700 heels, a killer combo for traction, comfort, and maintaining a sleek profile. Inside, the tongue is made from black Horween horse front, another veg tan usually selected for leather jackets thanks to its plush and supple temper, which sits behind 7 solid brass eyelets and waxed cotton laces. They’re finished with an incredibly clean 270 degree flat welt, allowing any cobbler you trust to rebuild or resole the boots are significant wear - we would suggest the kind folks over at Unsung House.

They’re built on Unsung’s PBD Last - named in reference to Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot, it features a level silhouette and slightly tapered round toe. They’re very agreeable, fitting true to Brannock size for E and D-width feet (people with particularly narrow feet should take 0.5 size smaller than Brannock), and include a removable J&FJ Baker leather insole that can be used to adjust the fit (by removing it to give you more room). They also feature a cowboy-boot-style heel counter construction, resulting in a lighter weight boot that’s more flexible and better fitting through the heel and waist.

Fits true to Brannock size.

• Olive latigo cowhide from Wickett & Craig in Pennsylvania
• Vegetable tanned leather
• Hand-overdyed with natural Walnut dye
• Horween horse front leather tongue
• 270 degree goodyear flat welt
• Solid brass hardware
• Unstructured toe
• PBD Last
• Vibram #269 outsole with #700 heel
• Cowboy-boot heel counter construction
• All eyelets
• Stitched embellishments
• Waxed cotton laces
• J&FJ leather insole
• Handmade in Nashville, Tennessee, USA