I suppose it depends on where you live. When the air turns crisp and it’s no longer sandal weather, changing to closed-toe shoes can be a challenge—whether you’re on vacation or at home. It definitely helps when those fall/winter/spring shoes look good.
With the OluKai Hawai‘iloa Manu Hope women’s boot, I don’t mind the cooler weather quite so much.
Made from waterproof nubuck, the boot has elastic gore panels for a cozy fit, as well as a wool-blend textile liner to keep your toes warm. The dual-density anatomical removable footbed has a gel insert and a soft leather cover for long-term support and comfort. I’ve worn the boot for days on end during a handful of trips, and my feet haven’t gotten tired yet.
A compression-molded EVA non-marking outsole with a “Wet Grip” addition to keep you stable on slick surfaces, whether that’s a pool deck or city sidewalks.
This boot is named after the legendary Hawaiian voyaging canoe, Hawai‘iloa, made from a 200-foot-tall Alaskan Sitka spruce tree (because there weren’t traditional koa trees large enough to carve the hulls of the canoe). The canoe’s construction forged a connection between Hawaiian and Alaskan native cultures. Details on this boot are a tribute to the canoe that was launched in 1993, bringing awareness to the degradation and needed conservation of Hawai‘i’s native forests.
A rope cord heel pull is a nod to the traditional lashing techniques used to bind the canoe together. Four custom hand stitches are a reminder of the 400 years it took for the tree to grow to its height. The outsole traction mimics the tool marks it took to carve the hull. The footbed artwork is designed to show the strength used to secure the canoe.
The boots are easy to pack, simple to slip on and off in security lines and on your doorstep, and stylish enough to wear day and night on the road or at home.
The women’s Hawai‘iloa Manu Hope comes in fox, lava rock, and taupe gray, and lists for $150 on the OluKai site.