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• April 23, 2008
• Object Lesson

Low Down

The new footwear line 3:33 gets down with an old classic. By Jason Wilson

In recent years, casual crazed fashionista's and brand juggernauts alike have granted immortality to Chuck Taylor's classic Converse. Although the iconic brand's comfort and subsequent legion of knockoffs are next to none, there are still some shoe designers who can successfully conflate comfort and casual, without the help of the omnipotent Mr. Taylor. Thankfully, the good sirs at Los Angeles-based 3:33 Footwear had the trend foresight to tread, "confidently beyond the dilapidated definitions of a fractured culture in the digital age," according to their website. Their inaugural collection of signature unisex lo- and hi-top styles are each inspired by three of the most comfortable innovations in footwear, the house slipper, the moccasin, and the classic beat-up sneaker.

The 3:33 Lo-Top embodies the brand's, "obsessive compulsion to clean details and the finest quality materials." Each pair of shoes is constructed in Portugal using fine suede, leather, flannel and canvas. The insides are lined entirely with a thinner and more malleable pig leather. The signature quilting on each pair lends the touch of refinement that pushes the envelope from undergrad to workaday hip. Making these sneakers a bit more acceptable kicked up on the conference roundtable.

3:33 Footwear, from $195, available in Los Angeles at American Rag CIE, 160 South LaBrea Avenue, 323-935-3154; and in Brooklyn, New York at Gargyle, 147 Front Street, 212-718-246-5813.

The new footwear line 3:33 gets down with an old classic.