Boots Explorer II

The Explorer II in Oiled Leather: A New Benchmark

As always when we refine a model—and the Explorer is now the other classic in our boot collection alongside the Defender Highland—well, we put everything back on the workbench: we rethink the proportions and the silhouette to perfect the look even further, from top to bottom, from the sole to the knot of the laces.

It all starts, once again, with a familiar leather at Malfroid: rugged and unique, the oiled leather from the English tannery Charles F. Stead. This is a traditionally vegetable-tanned (chrome-free) leather, treated with oil to make it perfectly waterproof (like your Barbour). This leather is magical: its color goes with everything, and the patina it develops over time will be unique to each wearer.

Its new St Moritz sole is made of microcellular rubber. The Explorer II builds on the best features of the previous model, but takes the result up a notch.

A 21st-century trapper’s boot for someone who would roam the mountains and valleys not to hunt, but to listen to the elements and preserve their wonders.

A modern boot, with understated sophistication, that exudes both luxury and a primitive spirit.

Here it is, my lambs: the Explorer II, just as handsome on the city streets, bundled up in a beautiful coat, as it is formidable in the world’s most inhospitable lands, setting off into the unknown.

– Insert raw wood shoe trees into your shoes as soon as you take them off: they absorb moisture and preserve the integrity and shape of the shoe.

– Use a shoehorn for your comfort and to protect the shoe’s heel counter.

– Alternate your pairs of shoes as much as possible because the leather needs to dry properly to remain supple and keep its shape. Never leave your pair near a source of heat or moisture.
– This type of robust leather requires little maintenance. Once or twice per season, clean the leather with a slightly damp sponge, let it dry, then apply a small amount of Saphir “oily leather” cream or a vegetable-based leather grease, massaging it in evenly with a cloth or by hand. Let air dry.