Boxing day Adventure

Went boxing day shopping yesterday. Overall, I'd have to say that the retail scene looked a lot busier this year than last. A good sign - a sign of consumer confidence and spending. Perhaps we really are on the path to economic recovery, but the dread double dip still hangs over us. Maybe this is just the eye of the hurricane, and we're only really half way through. 2H/2010 will give us a better indication of whether our recovery is temporary or real.

Anyway, on the consumer front:

Started the spree at Due West (nothing of interest left there) and Getoutside Shoes on Queen West.

Getoutside.

Picked up a pair of moccasins for my dad. He loves moccasins for use as indoor slippers. For myself, I was interested in the Dr. Marten's vintage reproduction 1460 ankle boots. Made in England at the original factory using vintage equipment, it's probably the only pair of Docs I'd buy. I personally hate the cheap vinyl feel of other Dr. Marten uppers - I'm afraid that my feet would suffocate in them. The higher-end Docs (yes, there is such a thing) have uppers made with various kinds of leather, and the 1460 vintage repro is one of them. Sale price was $200, down from $250. In he end, I decided against it. I'm pretty happy with my current boots, and I really don't need another pair. Then again, need rarely has anything to do with my buying decisions...

H&M.

Gaudy, flashy, cheap, and thin. I had a giftcard for H&M but couldn't find anything worth getting for free. Thats right. I wouldn't take H&M clothing if you gave it to me for free.

Roots.

I swung by roots and picked up a 100% cotton hoodie. It's got a good vintage Roots feel, down to the rough terry inside and embroidered logo. Comes in grey, green and brown. There's still a good selection of sizes available - I assume because it's not as 'soft' or comfortable as the Chinese 80-20 cotton-poly fleece blends that sweats are made of now. If you're into natural fibres, and you're looking for a cotton hoodie, like I am and have been for the last little bit, then this is the hoodie for you.

The winter line of boots from Roots Leather is also out. In the fall, we saw the release of the Leather Chukka's (which I was not too impressed with), and now we have some winter boots. The snow-boots (for lack of a better term to describe them) are basically a Kamik winter boot with a leather shaft instead of nylon. The upper and sole are a soft (as soles go) rubber. Roots also has a workboot styled ankle boot, but I found the supple leather a bit too soft for my liking. Soft leather means stretch. Stretch is weakness. Especially when it comes to footwear. Still not impressed with Roots Leather footwear.

Sears.

I had a gift card for Sears, so I went straight to the kitchen section to pick up some stemware. The discount isn't that deep (just 25%) but the hand-blown lead-free crystal glass stuff is pretty damn good for its price. I picked one that was ~$40/4 glasses ($30 with the discount). The glass is thin and clear, the rim is a fine edge with no ridges. The stem has been pulled from, and forms one smooth line with the generous-sized bowl. I'm pretty satisfied with this particular purchase - It's the next best thing to the Riedel crystal stemware across the street at the Bay, but costs a just fraction (vs. Riedel @ $114/4 glasses). Apart from the pitch of the 'ring' (ping for Riedel, pang for Allegro) you'd be hard-pressed to differentiate the two brands.

-d