On Tuesday, March 24th, we debuted our first major collaboration of 2015 and our very first SOP exclusive with Santa Rosa Boots. We'd been planning an exclusive Dixon for some time, and we wanted to use a new and different leather, something Santa Rosa had never used before. We also wanted to change up the whole look a bit and make an oxford that's a little edgier, slightly more "workwear" inspired, for lack of a better term. A comfortable, versatile, all-season foreman-esque shoe that works just as good in the office as exploring in on the weekend.
As some of you already know from last year's blog post on Santa Rosa, the brand is headquartered in Los Angeles and this is also where all production happens. Snake Oil Provisions was lucky enough to become the very 1st U.S. retailer and remains so to this day. All other accounts are Japanese retailers. Not only does production happen here, but Santa Rosa also sources their leathers within the U.S. From Texas to be exact.
The Nitty Gritty
When the idea of a custom Dixon came up, we weren't sure it was even possible at first. We're a small shop, both in the sense of being relatively new and having very limited physical real estate. We weren't sure if minimums would be too high for us, unique leathers were available, etc. Amazingly, the folks at Santa Rosa were down for the cause! We first decided to use the black Vibram 2021 sole, and the mahogany split suede really stood out when we were reviewing sample swatches. It's such a unique color with tons of warm, rich browns and reds that make it change like a chameleon in the light. The rest just evolved from there--natural stained midsole, black waxed laces, antique brass eyelets (duh!).
First and foremost, this Dixon is what Josh and I wanted to wear every damn day ourselves. It's totally perfect for our mild Southern California climate, amazingly weather/ dirt/ dust resistant, and the single most versatile and comfortable shoe in our closets. I've said it a million times, but it's 100% true: these oxfords are immediately comfortable right out of the box, and they only get better with time as the footbed molds to your foot. I like mine to get beat to piss and dirty, while Josh's stay pretty clean. Grimy or brushed regularly, they look great and can take a beating.
On Location
On Monday, we did an impromptu photo shoot with our pal Steven Clouse (a.k.a. This Normal Life) at Sunken City, located just over the Vincent Thomas Bridge that connects Long Beach with San Pedro. Steven actually made the final decision to shoot here at sunset, which is great because we'd wanted to do something in Sunken City for a long time, but we couldn't have prepared for how epic the sunset was that evening. It's totally and completely unlike any other place and a unique juxtaposition of natural coastal beauty and graffiti art. The location kinda of perfectly reflects this shoe to us. It's a statement shoe that's very rugged, a little edgy, and awfully pretty to look at. Important to note, Josh and I hiked throughout Sunken City's steep paths and traversed rocks and concrete ruins on this shoot. Our Dixons got very dusty but just required a quick brush off to get camera ready.
Check out more pics from the shoot here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/snakeoilprovisions
