If you recall, last year I went hands- (and feet-) on with a newer footwear brand out of Texas, Helm Boots. Warmer weather is approaching, so we we start thinking about changing out straps on our watches. In the same way, perhaps the pair of boots you’ve been kicking around in the salt and slush need to be swapped out for something fresh for spring. If that’s the boat you find yourself sailing in, Helm has as new lineup ready for you.
While this article has the images of all the different boots and shoes in the collection, I’m not going to attempt to cover off on all them. Instead, I want to highlight a few of the options that seemed more interesting. First up, let’s talk about the Helm Bradley ($285). As you can plainly see, this is a cap toe shoe. Now, not everyone is going to want a pair of boots to go through the warmer weather, so a shoe in the mix makes sense. This has a fairly simple profile to it, though the double-banded cap toe detailing gives it some visual interest (as does that white rubber line in the sole, which I’m still keen on). The inclusion of the brass grommets (rather than darker, painted ones) give the shoe a bit more of a casual vibe, so this is definitely a shoe that would work for just about whatever your office dress code is. While I find myself partial to the dark reddish brown, they are also available in black.
Next up, we’ve got the Helm Chalmers ($399). Yes, this is a boot, but man, look at that tan suede. While there are a few brands that will sell you weather-resistant suede, it’s generally not a material you want to have exposed to the guck of wintertime. Which makes spring a perfect time to bust out the suede. This definitely looks like a taller boot, with the nine pairs of eyelets, and Helm has done some interesting things with that real estate. They’ve got a leather strip that wraps around – above where your ankle goes – that is not quite contrasting or color-matched. It’s just different, but complementary. I might prefer it to have not been there, but I suppose it makes that part of the boot a bit more robust. I could see it being key for folks who like having super-long laces that they can wrap around the boot before they tie them. This leather bit – which is mirrored in the tongue – would keep the suede from getting defaced.
The final pair I want to highlight for this article is another style that seems well-suited for warm weather boots, a Chelsea boot. These provide a very, very smooth profile (as they’re generally laceless). To get these clean lines, you can either have elastic gore panels on the sides, or, as Helm has done on the HELM Pablo ($399), they’ve gone with side zippers. Perhaps a little less weather resistant, but I like how clean it keeps the uppers. Not to mention the ease of on and off. With the Pablo, it keeps that signature Helm Boots sole construction, and even keeps the finger loop that I liked on the Zind (LINK), though set down a bit, again, keeping the lines smoother. The Helm Pablo is available in brown or black leather.
I mentioned the Helm Zind up above; that boot has two new colors for spring, black and dark brown ($399). The brand is also offering up a classic workboot style (almost verging on a logger) with the Helm Brue (Helm Brue) ($385). This would be good one if you’re like the workbook look, but aren’t particularly a fan of the bright white soles that style of boot normally have. All in all, it’s a nice collection of new stuff, and if they’re built like the Helm Zind’s that I have, you won’t be disappointed in these new offerings. helmboots.com
