Stand back as we're bringing out the big guns, the proper heavyweights of the boot world. In short, they're a pair of boots with a lot going for them, and we can't wait for you to get to know them.
Mythical inspiration
Some of you may have already noticed, that our Eternal Boots are inspired by an iconic pair that originated on the other side of the Atlantic.
Here, to be precise.
It was here, in a small town in Minnesota, that the famous ‘Moc Toe’ made its first appearance in the 1950s. It was the creation of a company specialised in work boots, which had been making indestructible walkers since 1905.
Excuse the photo quality, but it does date from the beginning of the 20th century, still the shoe quality makes up for it. Thank you Charles Beckman, founder of the Red Wing brand.
To give you a complete picture, they supplied miners, construction workers, farmers and even US Army soldiers during the First World War. Suffice it to say that their wears have stood up to some pretty challenging conditions.
When it comes to inhospitable terrain, it's hard to beat the WW1 trenches. Credits: Stuarts London.
When it was introduced in 1953, the ‘Moc Toe’ boasted the same robust credentials as its predecessors, but had a completely different look. For the first time; it incorporated moccasin stitching around the upper.
You can see the famous U-shaped plate on the top. Credits: Red Wing.
Derived from the Algonquian word "makasin ’, this technique involves sewing a U-shaped plate onto the top of the shoe to form the upper part of the “upper”. This process, widely used by the indigenous peoples of the northern United States at the time, added comfort and flexibility to the North American brand's indefatigable products. And it's precisely this Moc Toe that we've chosen to revisit in our own way. For your eyes only.
Eternal Boots, as their name suggests
As you may have guessed, the main characteristic of these boots is that they are indestructible.
Originally created for farmers and hunters, they were designed to meet very specific practical needs: they needed a high upper to protect against snake bites, tough-grained leather that could withstand anything (mud, dust, rain, sun, etc.), a top-notch assembly guaranteed for life and well-insulated soles. All with a bit of comfort, even if people back then didn't take 3 days off work for a blister.
Of course, we've taken these historic codes and adapted them to your everyday needs.
Reaching high
Safe to say, you're unlikely to come face-to-face with a bull snake in the frozen food aisle. At least, we wouldn't wish you to. If we've kept this high upper on our Eternal Boots, it's less to protect you from reptile bites than out of love for this exceptional design.
You don't see many shoes with such character these days, and we wanted to respect its heritage as much as possible. What's more, this high shaft balances out the overall look by extending them upwards. Without it, they'd probably be as clunky as a pair of cinderblocks.
They’re a pleasure to look at, hold the foot in place and look great under straight or baggy trousers: Asphalte approved.
Immortal grained leather
For the material, we chose top-of-the-range cowhide leather from our Spanish partner Domingo Molina. It's a grained leather that has the particularity of being both supple and solid, meaning it's both durable and comfortable.
Infallible assembly
This is a work of art. We've combined a Goodyear construction with the famous moccasin stitching that’s waterproof and delivers absolute comfort.
The welt is sewn to the upper part of the shoe on one side, and to the lower part on the other. To put it another way, this strip of leather is sewn to the upper AND the sole to make the footwear airtight against the elements.
As far as moccasin stitching is concerned, this is the historic technique that consists of working a U-shaped plate on the instep to maximise comfort, and the result is visually unique. And delivers big on comfort too.
Reliable soles
At the time, farmers and hunters were asking for a sole that would grip the ground without hauling 3 kilos of earth with each step. Fair enough. In the same spirit, we've come up with some damn fine ‘microcellular’ expanded rubber soles.
In concrete terms, you'll have as much grip as Lewis Hamilton on soft tyres, a drop shot worthy of Carlos Alcaraz and the suppleness of Simone Biles. To avoid the ‘wedge heel’ effect of last century's clogs, we kept the outsoles to a good size. It's more than enough for insulation and durability, without giving you the impression of being mounted on springs.
A piece of history on sale from Tuesday
These Eternal Boots will be available for preorder from 10 am on Tuesday.
You'll have a choice of three colours, and it won't be easy to choose.
A dark brown that’ll produce a sensational patina as soon as you hit the road.
A deep black that's sure to delight all our biker friends.
A more urban light brown, for our gentlemen farmers and other workwear aficionados.
As usual at Asphalte, the manufacturing is 100% European. We told you that the leather comes from Spain, and these will be put together by the Portuguese folks at Penha.
Sign up below to get notified when the Eternal Boots launch, you’ll even get an hour head start so be first in line for delivery. Expect them to hit your doormat around 15th March.
For your information, these Boots will be available for preorder at 299€, which is a wonderfully fair price for such an accomplished piece of craftsmanship. Spanish cowhide leather, Goodyear assembly and moccasin stitching in Portugal, reinforced top finishes and an iconic design: this is the kind of combo that can easily fetch 600€ on the high street.
If you miss out, you may find them at a stock sale, but the price will then rise to 389€, to cater for inventory costs.
Need to know anything else? Drop it in the comments below or check our international Instagram page for the answer. Possibly.
Thanks,
The Asphalte Team