A Description of the Spring/Summer 2010‘Hot Steppers’ by Mr.Hare Himself or at least his website team lol...below!
Above adventures of the night, come adventures of the night in tropical climates in Mr. Hare’s world. The ‘Hot Steppers’ are a collection of shoes I would like to have at my disposal when preparing for el baile en la luz de la Luna. Pulling fine shoes from a Keepall is a little pleasure that ranks next to favourite smells, tastes and tunes.
The major emphasis is on the materials. After the decadence of AW09s ‘Purest Form’ Collection, I wanted to create something with just as much presence, but much greater depth of character. The heart of this collection is made of Vachetta. Vachetta is a vegetable tanned leather which means it isn’t produced in such an environmentally damaging way and the leather retains much more of its natural characteristics. Vachetta is the natural leather you find on a Louis Vuitton bag.
You are about to enter a two-way relationship if you purchase a Vachetta ‘Hot Stepper’. You must polish them regularly with natural bees wax polish and in return they will age and grow with you. They will form a Patina where the colouring will become distinct and unique. The more love you give them; the more reason they will give you to love them back.
I have dedicated this collection to a selection of Dancehall generals who through their sheer brilliance have given us reason to tear up dance floors across the continents.
Above the thrill of music that moves your physical and emotional state, there is only love in my humble opinion. Stand up Johnny Pacheco, Victor Boa, Fela Kuti, Phil Spector, Sir Coxsone, King Tubby, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Barretto, Sir Jablonsky and all the others.
The dancehall is also where youth honed its style, physical expression, and moves. So I had to revisit the teenage footwear that gave those dancehall movements their start. The saddle shoe and then the brothel creeper were amongst the first shoes of youth when teenagers first came into their own after World War II. You will find them re-imagined here. After the success of last season, I am very excited about ‘Hot Steppers’ and my further adventures into the realms and possibilities of male pedal elegance and this ongoing shoe conversation.
- Now the shoes below!!
The Fela
Shoes spend most of their time in an old state yet we largely design them to be at their most desirable when new. The Fela is a beautiful shoe in reverse. It is a whole cut so there is no superfluous detailing to become outmoded. It is made from vegetable tanned vachetta leather which is the closest thing you will find to a skin that still has an opinion of it’s own. It will age and form a patina of it’s own choosing. You can influence this process by the considered application of natural beeswax (supplied) but ultimately each pair will take on their own characteristics.
Built on the Miller last, the Fela is a fundamental of the summer wardrobe. Perfect for denim, whites, khakis, seersuckers, whatever you have got.
The vachetta part of this shoe must be caringly rubbed down with Beeswax at least as often as you wash your car even if that is only twice a year.
Next the - Pacheco
A whole cut shoe is like a good actor. It is basically a neutral position from which anything can be projected. Any outfit can be carried. The Pacheco is a whole cut playing the part of a full brogue. It’s playing the part in a Johnny Depp way as opposed to an awkward, stuffy, Hugh Grant type way, but it is essentially a good looking, intelligent whole-cut making the role of a full brogue, it’s own.
Pacheco is made from black vegetable tanned vachetta on the handsome Miller last.
If you are very lucky, you may be able to obtain a very rare pair of blue suede Pachecos at Dover Street Market. While stocks last of course.
The vachetta part of this shoe must be caringly rubbed down with Beeswax at least as often as you wash your car, even if that is only twice a year.
Then there is the Capote - Which is my favorite! i love this shoe!
You may be familiar with the classic Mr. Hare Miller shoe, the calf leather oxford with the patent toe cap, well
Capote is Millers summer equivalent
in black or natural suede. Like the Miller it is an all day, everyday shoe that is suede enough to get you through the day and patent enough to get you through the night.
Then another shoe called the Victor Boa!
Summer Loafers. The name even suggests that you have acknowledged you are making less effort. Taking this into account, I wondered if I could make more happen with less.
The Victor Boa is a whole-cut loafer built on the Miller last from vegetable tanned vachetta leather.
I named them after Victor Boa who is virtuoso Panamanian pianist in the Jazz tradition. The uncut tassels are a little tribute to him, as they will drum across the top of your feet, as I would imagine Victors fingers tickled across the ivories of his piano.
I can’t wait until my pair have weathered about 5 summers and the beeswax and patina have done their thing. This will be one of those shoes that haunts you every year if you don’t acquire them now.
The vachetta part of this shoe must be caringly rubbed down with Beeswax at least as often as you wash your car even if that is only twice a year.
Then comes the Barretto!
I wanted to make a sandal. I am Mr. Hare. It was inevitably going to look like this. I liked the idea of giving in to the demands of summer weather but not compromising on the crisp, clean, formality of a real shoe. Like the Mr. Hare Orwell, with which the Barretto shares a last, Barretto will leave every other shoe in the room in the shade when nonchalantly pulled from your keepall.
The Barretto is made from vegetable tanned vachetta and natural suede in either a black or natural finish.
The vachetta part of this shoe must be caringly rubbed down with Beeswax at least as often as you wash your car even if that is only twice a year.
Also let the Spector enter!!
The wall of suede. Unstructured suede ankle boots. Everyone should have a pair. Because of the casual nature of suede as a material, I believe you have to add in some extra sharpness to avoid slouching.
The Spector is built on the Thompson last which is my most angular boot last.
Essentially you have a sharp boot which, you don’t have to do a great deal to maintain. Keep a suede brush handy and they will be ready to go every time you pull them on. Spector also comes in an all black version.
GQ magazine recently said that of the 100 best things in the world right now, the Mr. Hare Spector boot was number 68. Personally, I would rather they had been 69th.
Ok...its me now...Isn't Mr.Hare cool? stylish? Funky? sigh! I think that these shoes would be so nice of an addition to my collection that i can't describe how i would feel in words if it were possible to own all of them! Anyway my favorite of these are the Capote but in a close second would be the Spector...just love the simplicity of both shoes and the suede also! I wish i wish upon a million stars that Mr.Hare would join my collection and make me feel like a movie star! lol...
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