White’s x Division Road Collaborations
For those enthused by craftsmanship, this week we’re pleased to introduce two new White’s collaborations with their patented heavy-duty weight and nature that are ready to carry you from the workshop to the woods. These Division Road White’s come with unique personalities while sharing a common disposition of durability, comfort, and vintage inspired styling with modern refinements. Utilizing two signature Horween leathers formed on the well-shaped, rounded toe 55 Last with an accommodative fit provides a formula for versatility and comfort. White’s completely novel, hand-sewn welted stitchdown construction that corresponds to our unique, design-centric matched welt-to-midsole configuration comes atop the best industrial Vibram soles for all-day standing, striding, and strenuous activities in elevated styles made for daily use. As a fresh White’s x Division Road presentation, the Natural Waxed Flesh Cruiser and Burgundy CXL LTT Oxford embody the best traditions of Northwest producers, made with a contemporary consciousness to withstand the harshest of duties in advanced style.
Natural Waxed Flesh Cruiser 350
With the Natural Waxed Flesh Cruiser make-up, we wanted to imbue a street personality to a maker commonly associated with the outdoors for a boot that would take on scuffs and scrapes with commanding stature and poise. The design subtleties of this collaboration are what make it special, with heavy duty natural upper thread that coordinates to the outsole stitchdown thread and Vibram 4014 Christy sole made with a hard compound and an aggressive tread pattern appropriate for concrete pounding or pouring.
Our combination of Natural CXL welt and natural leather midsole provides a tonally corresponding foundation to a robust boot using the Horween Natural Waxed Flesh that has tank like properties. With a hardened waxed coating applied to an already hearty roughout that will reveal the sand-colored nap through intensive toiling, this leather will provide a tonal and textured patina that communicates a hard-working, industrious sensibility.
Burgundy CXL LTT Oxford 300
As a favored shoe pattern with the backbone of a logger, we wanted to give this make-up all the hallmarks of a utilitarian heritage style for contemporary applications to serve one equally well in the woodshop and at the watering hole. Again, focused on producing a rarity with versatility, we took this Burgundy CXL Lace-to-Toe Oxford to a next-level composition with the lineman styled shift panel for functional forefoot support along with brass eyelets that coordinate to the warmth of the natural core leather, a CXL welt, and a leather midsole with half-slip atop a sand Vibram 2060 sole that promotes a natural gait, high traction, and a proportionally profiled foundation. The Horween Burgundy Chromexcel upper provides a distinctive palette that will patina to yield a port-to-pinot color, while the undyed, natural core burnishes through and reveals more contrast from the kicks and nicks of the trades.
Evolutions - Part 3
Aimed at those inquiring eyes, we have a third edition of “Evolutions” for a glimpse of what we’re undertaking as we continue to plan and build Division Road 2.0 in Virginia. Over the past few months, we’ve had some delays caused by permitting and winter storms. Not building in this period gave us the opportunity to focus more intensely on project planning and working the land. One lesson is: The more we learn, the more we need to do. Revealed by environmental stress, changing climates, and extreme weather events, it’s become clear how providing the land a healthy foundation is of utmost importance and we’re deep into doing so. Beyond judiciously tending to the forests and feature trees, our goal is that every acre of the fields and forest is explicitly considered and addressed so these micro-climates can be fully restored and thrive in the future. As we are addressing each tree and shrub, we’re looking to put materials to use wherever possible in responsible and circular ways, whether it be compost and mulch, using fallen trees for benches and barriers, and leveraging brush and cuttings for sheltered protection for wildlife.
One of these projects will be upcycling lumber coming from the land, and as we lost a more than century-old White Oak and an aged Red Oak over the summer from long-term stress, we’ve responsibly cut and milled them to utilize these amazing woods for artisan furniture we’re designing in collaborations with a like-minded local craftsman. All the while, we’ve strategically pruned antique red and white oaks and planted cedar and holly trees that will thrive and add complexity to the landscape, in congress with clearing nutrient draining underbrush and weakened specimens not adapting to the changes over the years. With the consultation of specialists, every area on the property is being addressed through editing, care, and planting to facilitate the full restoration and enhancement of The Fields. As we recycle all possible construction materials for re-use in the buildings, we are taking a similar approach with the land by transforming nature's products into new goods in an effort to continue the life cycle of elements that might normally fall to waste. Follow the journey on our YouTube Channel and stay tuned because there is so much more to come as we develop The Fields at Division Road.
