Give me chukkas, year-round. For all the pseudo “outdoorsy” pieces I see on the websites I visit, there are some items that I can imagine actually wearing to do stuff. I have a hunting-trapping-fishing side of the family that rarely puts their seal of approval on things, but I know that they’d like the clean lines of these Red Wing chukkas in warm leather and leather laces. In fact, these could make a good gift for said family members.

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Oak just released a couple breezier shoe styles, and these ones are by far the most agreeable of the newly-dropped options. Oak’s selections are a little mandal-y, a little oxford-y, including a pair with a buckled heel strap and an open design. Oak’s shoes are hit-or-miss this time around, but the Antoine & Stanley Black Calvin Braided Shoes are winners. Highly glossy and textured, these shoes have a dressy shape paired with a more casual upper effect. Those who declare themselves “not the sandals type” will still find the braided ones cool enough for summer.

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Could you pull these off? They’re a challenging summer shoe style, but the pre-Memorial Day and post-spring span always leaves me wishing and wanting more light colors in my collection. These Generic Surplus “Dury” shoes are so dapper that they’re worth the plunge, although matching gets decidedly trickier. Generic Surplus’s shoes are fashioned from fine, sleek canvas with a leather sole, and there’s no doubt that these shoes are made for the budget-wise guy with an eye for luxe: they are priced at $89.

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Chloe Canvas Wedge Ankle Boots via Highsnobette

There’s a lot of bookmarking going on here at StyleCrave, and that includes pieces for the ladies. We’re looking at buttery ankle boots in the whirlwind of spring fashion that we’ll sadly be unable to wear until the next warm spell. With this sad news in mind, we’re gravitating towards some very fashionable booties that do have a link to fashion week after all — Surface to Air’s two pairs, shown after the jump, were on display during the New York shows and are the type of dream booties that we sincerely hope to buy this F/W 2011-12.

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Navajo Lace-Ups at Oki-Ni are a good way to get your kicks (literally?) without planning and executing a complex color scheme with the entirety of your closet. I found them during my weekly online shopping excursion, and I got really into them… but I also have a thing for Native blankets and those super-cool Southwestern jackets. If you get trapped outside on a group camping excursion (or if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere), it would be great to have a pair of these Navajo lace-ups on hand… so you can justify the buy by saying that these shoes are “for emergencies.” They look practical and are inspired by 1970s footwear, and they have gum soles.

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I’m wondering if it’s not just excellent photography that’s drawing me in about these Staples x Kinetics Timberland Chukka Boots. Don’t underestimate the power of good photos. If someone told me that were the case, I wouldn’t even be surprised. A little texture on the top of the uppers, some foresty details like heavy stitching, and a matching hat make this Staple/Kinetics collaboration pairing exciting and not at all intimidating. These chukkas are available in tan and grey, both good color options, and they’ll blend in beautifully with your jeans or trousers of choice.

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Give me a comfortable pair of slip-on shoes anytime – especially now that temperature is beginning to rise. If the slip-ons also happen to be super cool-looking, as is the case with the Air Newport from Cole Haan, all the better.

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Adidas Originals’ Kuzuki Kuraishi ZX Moc aren’t the most beautiful shoes I’ve seen, but I feel like I’ve gotten a peek in the middle of a design process or at an unfinished prototype, and that excites me. Japanese designer Kuraishi dug deep to come up with a hybrid design that goes from white in the back to a lower, more modern moccasin sneaker displaying quilted areas. A ZX sneaker sole finishes off the sole of these shoes, with self-stitching adding dimension to the uppers without distracting.

Are they attractive or even cool? I feel like I’m looking at something Photoshopped together, but they are getting my creative juices flowing. I like that. Wouldn’t you like to see this concept explored further and worked through with something like a suede shoe or a motorcycle boot? These shoes are soon going to be released by Adidas ObyO stockists, and it’ll be fun to see future reviews by actual wearers. [via hypebeast]

I’m not sure how I feel about these shoes, but they are good for kicking around if nothing else. I think they’re stale for Yohji Yamamoto, especially with the colorway and upper style of this sort. There’s an unfinished seam along the tongue of the shoe that leaves it looking unfinished or rough somehow, and that’s yet another detail that probably could have and should have been refined in the design process. Nothing says “cheap” like a serged-seam something posing as finished.

That said, I can imagine getting these shoes and dragging them through the mud, really wearing them out. If the serged-tongue detail is curling and frayed, and the outer eyelet panel looks less stiff, I would like these more. These are shoes that you are welcome to destroy, because they’ll get better with age. These Yohji shoes are kept secure on the feet with a hidden elastic strap. [via hypebeast]

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