Style is obviously a topic that’s become synonymous with Mercedes-Benz – there’s the company’s various sponsored Fashion Weeks, the wide variety of celebrity endorsements, and so on. But the truth is, as great as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is, the majority of style on display is relatively unwearable, which to us, isn’t really indicative of the brand. It would be like buying a new Mercedes model based solely on its looks, knowing that it drove terribly and would cause you nothing but pain and heartache when you actually drove it – it wouldn’t make sense. So we decided to take a different approach with our Lifestyle Style Section. We’re going to bring you gorgeous, sometimes beautiful, sometimes handsome style that you’re going to love, but we’re going to bring you style that’s matched with wearability (yes, that’s actually a word). That’s not to say we’ll never bring you style that’s a little unpractical, but the general rule will be that form is matched by function.
Enter our first Lifestyle Style feature. As you know, today kicked off the Mercedes-Benz USA sponsored AMG Miami Beach Polo World Cup, so, in the spirit of polo, we decided to opt for a product to match – the gorgeous Dubarry Galway Boot. But before I tell you about the actual Galway Boot, a bit of background information. Dubarry of Ireland is a company that’s been around since the 1930’s. They began as a specialist hand stitched moccasin manufacturer in County Galway on the west coast or Ireland, and over the years, they’ve expanded to offer a variety of footwear products including boots and shoes for a variety of country/lifestyle and marine uses. But what makes Dubarry products so unique is that while they maintain a notedly classic design, they offer the latest in modern footwear technology, making them as functional as they are good-looking.
Which brings us back to the Dubarry Galway Boots. The Galway is Dubarry’s original, signature boot, constructed from a combination of smooth and crushed Dry-Fast-Dry-Soft™ leather. Trademarked marketing terms aside, this is the company’s proprietary leather that’s had water-proofing tanned into it (as opposed to surface water-proofing), which, in the real world, keeps your feet drier, improves breathability, and keeping the boots lighter in wet conditions (they dry 70 percent faster than other leather). Inside, the Dubarry Galway Boot is fully lined with GORE-TEX, offering a secondary layer of waterproofing and insulation without sacrificing the Galway’s breathability, while a composite PU/rubber sole is injection molded to the upper, ensuring a proper seal and no leaks. The end result is a boot that is gorgeous, but just as importantly, it provides an exemplary level of protection in rain, snow, mud, and any other conditions you can throw at it.
Speaking from personal experience, my wife and I both own a pair, and I have to tell you, they easily rank among my favorite pairs of shoes. I wear them when we go hiking, I wear them when I go clay shooting, and I wear them pretty much all winter. What’s so great about the Dubarry Galway Boot is that the more you wear them, the better they get. They get more comfortable, and from a style standpoint, they get better looking the more worn they become. To take care of them, all you need is a hose to spray off the mud (assuming you take them in the mud, as I do), and occasionally, I’ll throw some leather cream on the lower, smooth portion of the boot. Other than that, the Galways are simple to maintain – they’re tough, handsome, and full of character, which I love.
If you want to see more of the Dubarry Galway Boot, I’ve included a gallery below showing the Dubarry Galway in two of its color combinations: walnut, brown/mahogany (there’s also a black/mahogany option). Pricing is $439 for any of the colors, while sizing is listed as UK sizing, so be sure to check the Dubarry sizing conversion chart before making your selection (for U.S. sizing, men go down half a size, women go down 2.5 sizes). To learn more about the Dubarry Galway Boot or to get your own pair, you can do so at the official Dubarry U.S. website.
