Men's Second Style

These clothes are good enough to drink in, and so be these boots too. — Twelfth Night, Act 1 Sc. 3

I first found GutterBlood Spoonhammer’s boot collection while exploring the Homicide Designs shop. Now in his own store, amid packing crates and broken concrete walls, GutterBlood has more room to display his line. “I try to make boots that could or look like they have survived war,” he says; the store is an appropriately mangled backdrop for his wares.

The collection encompasses both laced and motorcycle boots. The Terminator Boots, seen right, belong to the second category, with o-rings at the side and thick chunky soles. The metal banding on the top, reminiscent of spacesuit boots, adds a nicely futuristic touch, while the scuffed, worn leather shouts dystopia.

Gutterblood eschews the standard shiny-leather-with-spikes look, opting instead for the grungiest of the grunge. With names like “Nasty Floppy Boots” (seen left), “Nasty Workboots,” and “Nasty Nasty Boots” (below right), it’s clear he’s not looking to clothe the suave or sophisticated. These are the boots of men who get things done. Those scars didn’t get there on their own.

The Postapoc boots (below left) are laced with green… something. Best not to look too closely; you might not like what you find out. The Graph Boots (below middle) are among the cleanest of Gutterblood’s collection, though they still bear the complex texture that makes them so eye-catching. The Nasty Nasty Boots are nearly knee-height, and are both laced and buckled to keep them on. The straps and buckles look almost ad hoc, as if to save the boot from coming apart.

When I talk about texture, I’m not freakin’ kidding. Zoom in and look closely at Da Chick boots; not only is the leather realistically worn and scuffed, the laces are textured and actually go through prim eyelets riveted to the boot. The floppy bow at the top is, of course, flexi for further realism. (Careful wearing any of these in high-lag areas, though, as some are exceptionally prim-heavy.) When an item can stand up to scrutiny this close, it’s sheer artistry.

GutterBlood’s collection ranges from L$300 to L$400. You can find them at killbilly’s in Grossglockner and at Beckenbauer Productions in Beckenbach. Shot on location in Midian City.