Clae Defining The Smart Casual

In my personal sneaker collection I like to think I have a wide spectrum that offers everything from hi-top basketball sneakers to low suede numbers perfect for meeting the girlfriend's family. In terms of the latter I would have to say my favourite smart sneaker I own comes in the shape of my Clae Oxblood Whitman, which I managed to pick up on sale in January 2011. Before this pick up I had followed the releases by the American based brand but had never managed to find the pair I wanted (The Eggplant Thompson's still evades me to this day.) When I eventually got my hands on the Witmans in 2011 they instantly became my 'go to' smart sneaker, matching both comfort with cool styling such as the suede upper, brogue front and wing tip influence, they cover all bases when it comes to meeting a smart casual dress code. This style of footwear is something that Clae have to tried to create since their arrival in 2001, Walking the line between athletic, durable sportswear with a more authentic style of shoe offering the customer a product seen rarely in today's market.

I'm happy to say Clae are back with a new look at their Fall/Winter collection and the results are looking good. The line offers a varied set of styles and designs to meet all expectations and I myself will certainly be looking to add to my Clae collection with whats on the table. Stand out releases from the new line for me include the Hamilton boot with it's very simple design, black leather upper and gum sole making the shoe look stylish. However, it's appearance leads me to believe even with it's cool look the shoe will be very durable and functional for everyday use. I'm also a fan of the Powell release in the collection, the blue base is complemented well with the brown leather to give this shoe a stand out classic feel yet once again fitting very much with modern style culture and design. It's white sole adds a casual attitude to the piece and gives the feeling this would match well with both jeans and smart trousers alike. I will also give a special mention to the Richards release in the fall/winter line as its clear influence from the classic Chelsea boot makes this a stand out for me and even with it having very few features likened to a trainer it still is instantly recognisable as a Clae product.

The new collection is available for purchase at the Clae online store, for which I've posted a link here and I've also linked a few reviews of the release along with some pictures of my favourites in the collection. Enjoy!

http://www.freshnessmag.com/2012/07/30/clae-fallwinter-2012-collection-delivery-1-lookbook/

http://hypebeast.com/2012/08/clae-2012-fall-winter-collection/

http://www.selectism.com/2012/07/31/clae-fallwinter-2012-footwear/