‘Twas a mellow, grown-up affair at the opening of the new Odin West Village store last week, featuring the new footwear collab between Duckie Brown designers Daniel Silver and Steven Cox and storied mens brand Florsheim. The vibe in the store was mellow, with Pabst Blue Ribbon pounders given au gratis to the shoppers perusing the store’s offerings, ranging from Sharp’s and  Umi haircare products to Richard Chai for men, Woolrich’s Woolen Mills, Shipley & Halmos, Engineered Garments, and more. The new store appears to be smaller than its counterparts, yet maintains the charm of its brand and is jam-packed with merch.

Although the Florsheim by Duckie Brown shoes won’t hit stores until November (along with the much-anticipated new Odin fragrances), I do have to say that they are worth stopping back in the store to check out. I find that fashionable, wearable, and practical mens footwear is such an incredible challenge, yet Duckie Brown managed to execute it with finesse. Classic shapes paired with new finishes and color offerings made Florsheim seem reborn for this new era of fashion-conscious men that work in business casual offices, but need to add a bit of mod quirk to their aesthetic. All in all, thumbs up to Duckie Brown, and we hope to see them on the feet of  Manhattan men, replacing those awful, shiney, square-toe monstrosities.

-Julia DiNardo