Eastland shoes celebrate their 55 year anniversary in 2010, and to mark the occasion they’ve come out with a new line. The Made in Maine collection is a higher-end offshoot that’s all handsewn in the USA and made with Horween leather. So yeah, right off the bat, I was into this one.
They’ve got a good few styles on offer. Moc oxfords, boots (boat and guide), boat shoes, chukkas, and canoe mocs all make an appearance. In terms of soles, there’s crepe, commando, boat, camp, and hardbottom options. Leathers run a pretty wide gamut as well, with a number of textures, colors, and treatments in the mix.
That might sound like a lot, but because everything is pretty solidly in the “classic” space, it doesn’t come off as overwrought at all.
My personal favorites? The boat boot in both the camp sole and hardbottom versions, the canoe moc, and the crepe soled chukka.
Some more shots of the stuff that caught my eye at (capsule) NY:
Keep in mind, that’s just a sampling of the collection. Nice as the Eastland guys were (and they were) I didn’t want to spend all day up in their business taking photos.
No straight up number for what to expect in terms of pricing, but according to the guys at Eastland it’s competitive. Seeing as their prices are pretty reasonable on the main collection, I’m inclined to believe them.
Be on the lookout for this stuff to hit the streets soon. The line drops this Fall, with the first deliveries scheduled for late August (I believe).
—Jonathan
