Eleven degrees of separation

Last year Matt was seen wearing the iconic All Saints Layer Boots (see below).

Along with the Paul Smith shirt, they set a trend of being easily obtainable off-the-peg items – which went out of stock the moment they were identified!
I managed to nab pretty much the last pair in the south of England before the scramble was on to find them.

Lots of people missed out on them, so the hunt was on for something that could be worn as a next-best option.

First up was the River Island Double-Eyelet boots, which had the distinctive layered leather ankle. Unlike the All Saints boots, they also had a second set of eyelets (as their name would suggest) which some people found distracting.

The also had a distracting zip on the instep of the boot, which made them easy to slip on and off without fussing with the laces.

Nevertheless, they were the best alternative, and as you can see from the comparison photo (see right), they certainly filled the hole left by the All Saints originals.

These had just come onto the River Island range, so were widely available and easy to find. However, they have now been discontinued.

So what alternatives are there now to the All Saints alternatives?

New look made an aged pair in black and brown (see above) and Aldo had something similar too (see below), but these were all much of a muchness.

Well, another alternative boot has recently come to my attention, which I thought I’d share with you.

They come from Peacocks, a budget clothing shop not far removed from Primark!

Just like the River Island Double-Eyelet boots, these sell for a bargain £25! They bear an uncanny resemblance to the River Island boots, so much so you’d be forgiven for thinking that was just what they were!

And finally, in a bizarre full circle, All Saints has just added a new style of boot that’s not that dissimilar to their original Layer Boots! Funny how things come around, isn’t it?

They are called Grain Boots, and have a layer of lighter coloured leather around the ankle. They come in a choice of Graphite (grey); Ochre (tan) or Sepia (mid-brown).

The Sepia seems to be the best match (see left).

A friend of mine put me onto them and he took a photo while trying them on in-store.

Do tell me what you think of them. Will you be getting a pair?