Picks of the Week: Jan 20, 2020
Amazon, $34
I’m a sucker for EDC. I currently carry a Victorinox Midnite Minichamp, which I got quite a while ago for my 10th(?) birthday. The tools that particularly come in handy, other than the knife, are the scissors, nail file, and screwdrivers, though I realize those are pretty standard on a lot of pocketknives. The Midnite Minichamp is a pretty small size, but it still sometimes creates unsightly bulges in the pockets of my slim-fitting trousers. While I do not own this Swisscard, I am definitely interested in trying it out and seeing if it helps reduce bulk overall, or just moves it into my cardholder, which I like to keep as slim and minimal as possible.
Shoe maintenance is important. I currently own some normal cedar shoe trees, but I’m intrigued by these, specifically for my SLP Wyatts. While my normal shoe trees are doing their best, there is still some persistent creasing around the toe that reappears shortly after I take the trees out. I’m not sure if these boot trees would do any better to reduce the toe creasing, but I would hope that they would at least help to maintain the shaft of the boots. However, I have a hard time convincing myself that it’s worth paying $50 for something that a ~$10 piece of plastic could do just as well.
Alright, I know this is absolutely the most exciting thing I could have possibly put on this list. I walk hard on my outer heel. Very hard, apparently, as recently I noticed new erosion on my SLP Wyatt heels only a few hours after getting them replaced at the cobbler. They used a combination leather/rubber heel plate, and it seems that whatever rubber heels they used are definitely not the most durable. I know a lot of people swear by Vibram, and these heels even specifically say that they have “excellent resistance to wear.” For $5.00 each plus the ~$20 for the cobbler’s installation, these might be worth it to save my shoes in the long run, and save me from having to go to the cobbler as often.
