Not too long ago a friend of mine had on a pretty funky pair of boots. When I asked him about them, he said he was working with a shoe company called Taft. I remember thinking what a unique pair of shoes and I needed to check them out. Soon after, my buddy had on a different pair of Taft shoes. These were just as cool as the first pair and I needed to learn about this brand pronto.
So, what is Taft?
What started out as a no-show sock company quickly morphed into the shoe company that exists today. In 2013 founders Kory and Mallory Stevens started the company out of a basic need: to make a good no-show sock. Fast forward to 2015, after a positive viral Reddit post Kory Stevens decided to take seize his opportunity and launch into the shoe business. What resulted was a collection of buzzworthy sleekly designed shoes being sold directly to consumer.
The idea of selling directly to consumer was to craft a high-quality shoe at prices lower than what can be found in department stores or under designer labels for similar or lesser quality products. Current prices range from $275 to $349 for boots and $250 – $290 for shoes. While for some that price point may seem high, it’s important to understand why this is an outstanding price.
Construction
The true cost of shoes is determined by how they are constructed and the quality of materials used. Cheaper shoes are typically cemented together (glued). The process is inexpensive and once shoes start to fall apart, they are difficult or nearly impossible to re-sole. Surprisingly there are many shoes in the Taft price point that are constructed using this method.
Taft constructs its shoes using a process called Blake-stitching. This allows for a more durable and longer lasting shoe which can be re-soled when necessary. The shoes are hand cut using premium materials such as suiting wool and woven upholstery fabrics along with high quality the leathers. The leathers are painted and stained by hand. What results is a show that should cost in the $500 range if sold using traditional retail methods. If you want to nerd out on shoe construction head over to Primer written by my friend, Andrew Snavely for a full discussion. If you’re looking for a review of the durability of Taft, check out Taft Review – 1 Year Later | Chelsea Boots and Oxfords by Jon Shanahan over at The Kavalier.
Style
While a well-constructed shoe is of upmost importance, the fact is that the first thing most people notice when they see Taft shoes out in the wild is the unique styling. I meant that’s what caught my eye. The shoes and boots have a certain flair whether it’s the unique patterns such as the cotton jacquard weave on my loafer that I styled in my previous post or the sleek buckle on a boot.  The versatility in how the shoes can be worn is just an added bonus.
I picked up the Dylan Boot in black because I thought it would look great with a cream window paned suit I had. It’s a slim fitting suit with a generous cuff in the pant. I wanted a narrow edgy boot to finish the look. Perfect match. This was one of my suited looks I sported during New York Fashion Week earlier this February.
For a more casual style, I paired the boots with a bolder look. As a fan of pattern mixing, the sleek minimalist style of boots was the ideal finishing touch when combined with plaid pants and a color-blocked sweater. With all the activity going on with the clothes, a subtle shoe is a great finishing touch.
Brick and Mortar
Although Taft has made a name for itself as a Direct to Consumer business, at the end of 2019 opened up its first location and flagship store in New York City. Located on Prince Street in Soho, the store opened in response to a rapidly increasing demand for their shoes from their customer base across the country. “When we dreamed up TAFT in our living room, we had big ambitions, and having our own store was absolutely one of them,” says Kory Stevens, Founder of TAFT. “Seeing our products displayed on shelves and in the hands of our customers is a dream come true. Being an online-only brand, we miss out on the magical moment when a customer sees the shoes for the first time and tries them on. We’re super excited for people to get that experience in our first store.”
Details
Suit look
Windowpane suit – Suit Supply (Suit is sold out but from the Jort collection) | Shirt:  J Crew
Tie: Gucci |Hat: Scala Hats | Jodphur boot – Taft – Dylan Boot
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Casual Look
Color block sweater – Neil Katter  | Pants –  Neil Katter (The sweater and pants are sold out but check out other great Neil Katter styles) | Jodphur boot – Taft – Dylan Boot
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Giveaway
Curious about Taft and want a pair of your own? Be sure you’re following my Instagram for you opportunity to win you own pair!
Photography: Suit photos by Diego Leon / Casual photos Brady Scot Photography
