Siv Stoldal collaborates with Norway’s Dale Sko on these excellent navy blue leather boots which have given the name “Working Man’s Shoe.”  Clearly, that is what boots are to many – the products which protect the feet of the blue collar workers who commit to a variety of crafts. No wonder the boot is navy blue. The boot comes fitted with a zipper that we could do without but we’re not here to complain. A very nice look available now from Tres Bien.

More views of the Siv Stoldal Working Mans Shoes after the jump.

Those among you that are into boat shoes, Sperry Topsider also offers some nice styles for the colder months of the year. Our favorite style is the Chukka, which is basically a mid version of the classic boat shoe.

Our favorite color is the brown pony hair/suede version of the shoe, but the beige and black suede versions also look really nice. All three are now available at For The Greater Good.

With the weather getting colder and more rain falling these days, its always good having a solid pair of shoes with gum sole. Lanvin produced a particularly nice pair this season – the Calf Derby. Even though it features the gum sole, the shoe keeps its elegant sporty looks.

The Lanvin Calf Derby comes in black patent and black velvet and is now available at Colette.

Detailed images of both styles follow after the jump.

A nice new boot comes this season from GDC. Their Union Work Boot comes in black and brown leather, features matching leather laces, and interesting embroideries on the sidepanels, giving them a more casual look. We love the light sole and stitching on the boots, in contrast to the dark leathers.

Have a look at both colorways of the GDC Union Work Boots after the jump.

Some great boots from Foot the Coacher. These Bean and Gum Shoe Hunting Boot are made of Italian kip leather and should be waterproof up to the bladder line. Great alternative to the traditional bean boots. They look damn good. Find them in Japan. MW step up.

There is no doubt in the minds of many that China will quickly emerge as a player in the fashion world. The economics of change in cities like Beijing and Shanghai are apparent to anyone who visits. My personal take from my Beijing visit is that their deep history and openness to Western thoughts on design will meld into something new and very special to the region.

Kiroic Footwear of Shanghai is an example of a new breed of Chinese footwear which makes clear its Western influences – from Gehry to Gaudi – and its love of the deconstructs movements. Their Autumn/Winter 2008 collection is available now.

View more from the Kiroic Footwear Collection for Autumn/Winter 2008 after the jump

Now I’m probably ruining any chance of getting these for myself, but I can’t stop drooling over these Narrative ‘Chief’ Boots. With the emergence of Redwing boots as a fashion item it has opened the door for a slew of other labels to bring variations to the market. The Narrative ‘Chief’ is a ankle length leather lace-up boot with contrast panels, stitched round toe and thick Redwing style outsole. The tonal warm black color story adds a new element you can’t get from Redwing setting you apart from the guy next to you. Available at Asos, $288.

Seattle boutique, Blackbird, has teamed up with Los Angeles-based shoemaker George Esquivel to create custom footwear for their store. There is such a huge appreciation for raw materials in the marketplace today and the folks at Blackbird thought that could extend to our feet. They worked with Esquivel to create a boot and hobo shoe made from completely natural, untanned leather. As with all Esquivel’s shoes, they are completely hand made in the USA in a process which takes over one hundred steps to complete followed by another two weeks to allow for each shoe to dry naturally on the last to ensure that they perfectly retain their shape. Due to the easily manipulative nature of the natural leather, each of these steps has become a white glove process from start to finish to lessen the possibility of marks on the shoes previous to purchase. Much like raw denim the shoes will be changed through how they are worn and lived in. Each pair is going to age and darken through wear, exposure to sunlight. Available at Blackbird, $795.

Fans of Yohji Yamamoto may find the following three boots something to talk about (Badly Drawn Boy reference). The YY boots come in either black canvas or military leather, with the latter including a nice zip-up, The third boot is almost a sneaker like boot with its high-top baseballer silhouette. All three are of course layered in 100% leather of the highest caliber. Check them out at Heartless UK.

More images of the Yohji Yamamoto Boots for Autumn 2008 after the flip.

Without making this sound like an old Kung-Fu film, Hudson was starting to become a classic tale of the master shown up by his student. The H by Hudson diffusion line has gained so much popularity that people started to forget Hudson existed. So Hudson look to show everyone who’s the boss by releasing shoes like the Zapato weave, which add a little variety into the shoe game – which as Skeleton legs have noted, is starting to get a little samey. You can get these from ASOS.