Sport meets street and oversized meets the right size.  Camper has a pretty cool boot on tap for Winter with the Helix Boot K300218.  The Helix refers to the somewhat aerodynamic chunky & oversized molded EVA sole while the K300218 refers to the mid length of the leather and textile upper.  Sweetening the deal, this is a Gore-tex® lined boot for all weather protection that also features nice details like textile banding on the lacing system and the heel pulls which add great textural layers to the boot.  You can surely stomp securely, and on trend, in these.  Available now in both color ways at Camper.com.

Sophistication in the time of dad sneakers!  Ermenegildo Zegna aims to push sophistication and craftsmanship what their Pelle Tesutta™ Triple Stitch Sneaker collection.  The upper is a mix of sublimely smooth premium calfskin with the vamp and heel covered in the brand's own Pelle Tesutta™, a fabric utilizing a special technique of slicing leather very thinly and then weaving the strips like fabric.  The result is a soft and pliable leather fabric that has a unique texture and creates a grown and sexy tactile experience that you can dress up and down.  Available now in all color ways at Zegna.us. 

The pomp and circumstance, the campus stroll and the freshman fifteen song & dance are definitely things, but have you ever really stopped to consider if they are 'your' things?  With all the rise in technology and college courses that offer to equip you for the workforce, there still remains a considerable amount of American enterprise that require an excellence in skill and trade, but not necessarily a mention on the dean's list.  With a reported only 9 percent of high school teens seeking careers in the trades, there are currently more than six million jobs in need of skilled trade workers with not enough individuals to fill them.  Ranging from reasons like not enough information and pressure to attend college, many high schoolers seem to be going with the collective flow instead of exploring the feelings in their guts that cry for careers with more independence and job security.  

So the answer is to get Americans more interested in the honor and value of learning skills of the trade.  This is where Wolverine comes in.  The tenured footwear company that's been in the powerhouse work boot business for over 125 years has created a new initiative that aims to link some of the main individuals who don their footwear with their respective trade livelihoods in a full circle way.  Project Bootstrap was started by Wolverine from an initial tour to thank those committed to their trades and has now blossomed into a new campaign to showcase individuals in the trade in order to take away the ignorance and stigmas behind pursuing trade careers.  To help spearhead awareness, Wolverine has paired up with Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs and the mikeroweWORKS Foundation to further the dialogue and disband the misconceptions that have left these jobs vacant.  Rowe sees the integrity and handwork behind the individuals he comes across and aims along with Project Bootstrap to shed much needed light on the disconnect between lucrative, honest, skilled, relevant careers and trade jobs.

At an event I attended in New York City on November 14, I learned firsthand just how invested Project Bootstrap endeavors to become.  At a special media event, a new working entrepreneur spotlight portion of the campaign was revealed and showcased three bright and passionate rising trade workers from their respective fields.  The first three Project Bootstrap members are Nolee Anderson, Hunter Allums and Andrew Lacy.  Anderson is a trim carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee and the founder of GRIT, a nonprofit organization that mentors young girls interested in the trade.  Allums, an apprentice electrician hails from New Orleans, Louisiana, got his start from unCommon Construction, a non-profit that helps high school students learn real world technical skills.  Finally there's Lacy, a military veteran from Charleston, South Carolina who decided to enter the American College of Building Arts to become a timber farmer after serving his tours of duty.  

These are three well-derving beginning professionals on their way to becoming masters of their trades due to the drive from Project Bootstrap.  After talking with them after the event where, to their surprise, they were gifted with tools to help their trades and a monetary award,  I realized that they spoke with more zeal and more wide-eyed excitement than many students shuffling off to college.  Perhaps Project Bootstrap is onto something in that maybe its about informing yourself to explore all the best possibilities to have the happiest most enriching career-life, lacing-up your boots and enjoying the lesser conventional walks to secure your future.  

For more information on Project Bootstrap, read more about the initiative on their site here.

Boots during the season aren't just for warmth or snow.  They can also be just for the cool points.  These John Varvatos Essex Suede Trooper Boots are definite cool point contenders.  The cool grey calf suede upper has been slightly washed and treated then affixed atop a contrast double sole.  Crafted in Portugal with heel pulls on the rear shaft, waxed flat laces and a smooth round toe box shape make this a great piece of downtown footwear with all work appeal.  Available now at JohnVarvatos.com.

We may be very vested in the mindset that we have to replenish our seasonal attire every season, but quality must endure. If you're hard on your footwear then 'tough as nails' will suit you better than 'light and cheap'.  In walks the Wolverine Evans 1000 Mile Boot and then my heeding comes full circle.  The Evans 1000 Mile is a great boot crafted in the USA that's made of premium leather from the Chicago-based Horween Leather Company.  Adding to the beautifully strong leather is the sturdy Vibram™rubber sole and forepart, durable flat waxed laces and the dependable Goodyear™ Welt construction.  Adding to the appeal, besides the attention to craftsmanship, is the homage to the original 1914 Archival Pattern updated only by the newer more traction-ready Vibram™ sole.  It appears that 'tough as nails' is now synonymous with 'cool and handsome'.  The Evans 1000 Mile Boot is available now in all color ways at Wolverine.com.

If Thanksgiving isn't a tell-tale sign that you are in boot season then you'll get the message soon enough like many Americans nationwide did last week.  The snow fell and created a bit of chaos which makes me want to say, don't let the season sneak up on you il-equipped.  With that said, how about the M125 Indian Boot from Fracap.  The upper of this handmade Italian boot is a slick premium leather with a moccasin zig-zag stitch running along the toe and vamp for an artisanal effect. The textured contrast lacing, sturdy silver D-ring hardware and Vibram™ Moreflex sole back up the craftsmanship that is integral with this brand and makes this a shoe that delivers quality and cool points.  Available now in both color ways at EndClothing.com.

Sometimes you need a classic looking black dress shoe with a bit of 'umph'.  These Gancini Derby Shoes from Ferragamo may be just that shoe.  The upper is a slick as ice black leather cut as one piece without seaming for a streamlined look from front to back.  Now about that back.  This is where the 'umph' comes in.  The back of this shoe features the classic Ferragamo horsebit in brilliant gold metal.  Perfect since trousers are tailored shorter nowadays and just in time for the Holiday gala season.  Available now at FarFetch.com.

The Versace spirit of excess and layers of decadence lives on with the latest "it" sneaker from the infamous house.  The Chain-Reaction Sneaker is a very nicely designed shoe that hits on the chunky sole trend but does it with more artistic edge thereby elevating it to more a modern-looking stand-apart shoe.  This version sees the upper with a baroque multicolored printed textile, suede toe cap, neoprene detailing and silicone molding that incorporates the eyelets and boasts a plastic medusa brand on the rear heel. This all sits atop the great white cloud-like chain-reaction sole and makes this sneaker with its explosive use of color and layers a superb edgy update for the classic house.  Available now at BrownsFashion.com.