Gear
The Practical Man takes you behind the scenes of the brands, products and thinkers that are moving active gear forward.
SPALWART
Old-fashioned methods with a unique style
Top quality materials, unique style and old-fashioned production methods makes the building blocks of SPALWART, a Stockholm-based fashion company started in 2010 by Christopher Brattin and Fredrik Johansson. Two individuals with over 20 years of experience in the shoe design industry.
It was on a business trip to an old shoe factory in Slovakia where Christoffer Brattin found several old shoe molds from the 50’s. Brattin started experimenting with the molds and machines, creating shoes in the process and brought home a few pairs to his colleague, which jolted their interest in the potential of starting a footwear company.
Made in Occupied Japan
Unique Method Unique Story
New to The Practical Man this season is Made in Occupied Japan, a brand with a unique method and an an even more unique story.
Based in Okinawa, an island in Japan which is home to over two dozen U.S. military bases, the brand draws on the resources and history of its surroundings to create unique and utilitarian bags. Given the U.S. military presence on the island, there is an abundance of vintage and surplus military equipment available, and this has been repurposed to create something completely new.