Yuketen Superior Short Hunt Boots

Greetings esteemed judges, Clothing in general, travel, and most importantly footwear have been a long journey of self discovery for me. I grew up with the unfortunate circumstance of rather controlling family, a triplet with two disabled siblings, for the first 18 years of my life. My parents only clothed me in hand-me downs or clothing they generally approved of and discouraged me from pursuing travel interests. It was not until I was 19 that I had spent $200 at American Eagle to foster my self-expression alongside traveling solo for the first time to study in England. It took another two years before I had cast aside the belief that thrifting was "dirty" and wore my first pair of goodyear welted footwear, a pair of early 1990s Florsheim Kenmoor Imperial PTBs in Pebble Grain. My interest exponentially blossomed and I developed a burning passion as I went from thrifting to making friends that appreciated fashion equally as much. My Red Wings and Yuketens are special to me because they are my expression of all my accrued knowledge and a reminder if not for them I would not be in Stitchdown nor would I be blessed with all the friendships that have come with it. I remember in July of '22 browsing Buyee with a 5000 yen shipping coupon seeing these strange looking boots in navy shell cordovan. The day before I received them in the mail I randomly came across Ben's interview with Yuki Matsuda and took it as a sign of fate I should join the 'Dome. A few emails with Ben confirming their eligibility and rediscovering my unique pair of outlet-purchased Red Wings, the rest was history. Now if I should place in the 'Dome let alone win? I may not have scary patina monsters or professional resources for photos, but I believe my entries encapsulate the spirit of the 'Dome. The 'Dome made consider what is most important about this hobby. From daily wear to Yuketen shell tears for me it's the friendships. Japan would just be extra. #LetThemPlace