Nike Air Force 1 Hi Duck Boot

This shoe is that crack for the feet. We weren't of that opinion when we first saw pictures of them. We actually thought this level of modification was downright shitty after the more subtle nods to Red Wing and Timberland that capitalised on the Uptown's undisputed bulk. Shifting from those staples as an inspiration point to the Sorel Caribou seemed a little lame...that's the new point-of-reference and given our fandom for the Pointer Pluckrose, Visvim Decoys and the Gourmet Quadici, we thought we wouldn't care much for another reinterpretation. That was until we saw this Nike Air Force 1 in the flesh. These are actually incredible.

The level of detail is what elevates this Quickstrike to necessity if vast shoes are your thing. Those who favour some extreme tapering on their denim or pin rolls might want to step back, but the premium leather, woolen collar, fleecy lining, rubberised forefoot and Watershield protection all work well together. That lone metal D-ring, and a fully modified outsole where even the pivot circles have gone Mad Max on are further proof that the designers weren't half-arsed when they approached this project—even the laces are on point. That would sound like some trite justification if the shoe didn't work so nicely as a whole.

ACG Soakers tried the look a little too early and the Woodside's cool and all, but these are the ones for us. They're hardly lightweight either and are built to take the force of several cold snaps to come—brown is our favourite part of the duo, but despite our initial skepticism and borderline contempt, it's clear that duck rocks. Both are in-store now. They aren't cheap, but they're genuinely premium in execution. By next winter we'll have burnt out on the Sorel-alikes, but at present, there's still mileage in this concept.