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dana blouin on Muck Rack

dana blouin

Bangkok
As seen in: CMSWire, Coconuts, Khao Sod English, XYHT Magazine
Covers:  Boots, Menswear, Design, Media, Lifestyle, business
Co-Founder at Naang Boots. Doer of other things, sometimes.
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Why Do My Toes Hurt in Boots? Common Causes, Fixes, and What Most Bootmakers Get Wrong - Naang Bo...

Why Do My Toes Hurt in Boots? Common Causes, Fixes, and What Most Bootmakers Get Wrong - Naang Bo...

Naang Boots — If your toes hurt in boots, it's usually because your toes don't have enough room to move naturally. Whatever the cause, toe pain is a sign that something isn't working the way it should. The good news is that toe pain is often preventable.
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What's The Best Leather for Boots? - Naang Boots

What's The Best Leather for Boots? - Naang Boots

www.naangboots.com — Premium boots use multiple types of leather within the same boot. A bootmaker may choose one leather for flexibility and weather resistance, another for structure and support, and another for comfort.
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Boots for Leg Length Discrepancy - (LLD) - Naang Boots

Boots for Leg Length Discrepancy - (LLD) - Naang Boots

www.naangboots.com — Finding comfortable boots for leg length discrepancy isn't always easy. Most boots are built as identical pairs, but when one leg is longer than the other, that standard approach doesn't always work.
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Monkey Boots: The Ultimate History - Naang Boots

Monkey Boots: The Ultimate History - Naang Boots

www.naangboots.com — If you want to understand the Monkey Boot, you have to look at Czechoslovakia in the late 1940s and early 50s. We aren't talking about the "aesthetic" heritage you see in a glossy magazine. We're talking about Eastern Bloc utility
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Anatomical Toe Box Vs Wide Toe Box: What's the Difference? - Naang Boots

Anatomical Toe Box Vs Wide Toe Box: What's the Difference? - Naang Boots

www.naangboots.com — A wide toe box and an anatomical toe box are two very different things. A wide toe box simply gives your forefoot more space, but it may still taper toward the end. An anatomical toe box is designed to follow the natural shape of your foot.
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Why Goodyear Welted Boots Are Not High-End

Why Goodyear Welted Boots Are Not High-End

stridewise.com — Goodyear welted boots are, by definition, factory-made products. The method was literally invented to speed up assembly lines, not to help highly skilled craftsperson make better boots. If you want to talk about the absolute peak of footwear longevity and skill, the conversation has include hand welting methods.
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Chrome Tan Leather vs Veg Tan Leather: What's the Difference? - Naang Boots

Chrome Tan Leather vs Veg Tan Leather: What's the Difference? - Naang Boots

www.naangboots.com — Chrome tan leather and vegetable tanned leather are made from the same raw material, animal hides, but they are transformed using two very different tanning processes. Vegetable tanning uses natural tannins derived from plants, bark, and roots, while chrome tanning uses chromium salts developed thr
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How To Dry Wet Leather Boots - Naang Boots

How To Dry Wet Leather Boots - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Drying wet boots is not something that should be rushed. If there's one thing to remember, it's this: dry your boots slowly and avoid direct heat. Leather, adhesives, stitching, and even the shape of the boot can all be damaged by excessive heat or improper drying methods.
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What is a Boot last? - Naang Boots

What is a Boot last? - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — A boot last is a foot-shaped form used by bootmakers to create the shape, fit, and structure of a boot. Every part of the boot is built around it. In simple terms, the last is the foundation upon which the entire boot is made.
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The Soldier's Foot and the Military Shoe - Naang Boots

The Soldier's Foot and the Military Shoe - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — The boots we wear today have one common thread. Whether you are on a bike, walking back alleys of a city, or deep in the back country, your footwear was influenced by the work of Edward Munson, specifically his 1912 book titled The Soldier's Foot and the Military Shoe.
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Old Roads, Old Friends - Naang Boots

Old Roads, Old Friends - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — I moved to Thailand in 2013. It didn't take long to get my first bike. Out here, a bike isn't a weekend toy. It's how you live and how you escape. Early on, I fell in with a good group of friends. One of them was Garrett.
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Should You Wear Toe Socks? - Naang Boots

Should You Wear Toe Socks? - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Toe socks help your feet function at their best while you tackle the world. Think of them as gloves for your feet. Instead of stuffing all five of your digits into one big, sweaty fabric sack, the way standard tube socks do, each toe gets its own individual, moisture-wicking sleeve.
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Crashing The World Championship of Shoemaking: Naang Zissou Chelsea Boot - Naang Boots

Crashing The World Championship of Shoemaking: Naang Zissou Chelsea Boot - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Before Naang Boots was even a blip on your digital radar, Allan and I were already in the trenches of high-end bespoke shoemaking. For three years, we've collaborated on his entries for the World Bespoke Shoemaking Championship, even cracking the Top 5 last year.
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Why More Nails Doesn't Mean a Tougher Boot - Naang Boots

Why More Nails Doesn't Mean a Tougher Boot - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Does your boot need a bunch of nails to be though? Not at all, here's why.
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Why Your Boot Lining Is Letting You Down - Naang Boots

Why Your Boot Lining Is Letting You Down - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Stop staring at the paint job for a second. Most guys obsess over the leather grain or the sole. That's fine. It's what people see. But the lining is what you feel every single step. If the inside is trash, your feet will pay the price. This is the truth about leather vs.
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Naang Boot Lasts: Minimalist vs Zero Drop - Naang Boots

Naang Boot Lasts: Minimalist vs Zero Drop - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Foot Health Shouldn't Look Boring Most boots are foot coffins. They cram your toes into points and jack up your heels. We don't do that here. Naang Boots are handmade in Thailand for people who actually move. We use a natural shape for your feet. Both our lasts have a massive toe box.
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Leather Vs Cork Boot Filler: Which is Better - Naang Boots

Leather Vs Cork Boot Filler: Which is Better - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — If you buy handmade boots, you usually find two things inside: cork or leather. This choice changes how your boots feel under foot over the years.
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The Ultimate Guide to Boot Construction - Naang Boots

The Ultimate Guide to Boot Construction - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Do you remember a time when things were built to last? Most boots you see today are just pretty pieces of trash. They look good in a photo but fail on a trail. You really deserve to know exactly what you are buying. This guide will show you how boots really stay together.
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Flat Welt vs Storm Welt - Naang Boots

Flat Welt vs Storm Welt - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Think of the welt as the backbone of the boot. It is a strip of leather. It runs around the edge where the top meets the bottom. We stitch the upper part of the boot to this strip. We also stitch the insole to it. Then, we stitch the heavy outsole to that same strip.
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Who Is A Custom Boot Fitting Really For? - Naang Boots

Who Is A Custom Boot Fitting Really For? - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — When most people hear the phrase custom boots, their mind jumps to something fancy. They picture ornate cowboy boots with hand-tooled leather and silver tips, the kind of thing worn by a country music star stepping onto a stage. That's not really what custom boots are about.
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The Complete Guide to Buying Handmade Boots - Naang Boots

The Complete Guide to Buying Handmade Boots - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — If you're thinking about investing in a pair of handmade leather boots, this guide will walk you through the things that actually matter: construction, leather quality, fit, boot lasts, durability, and the mistakes people make when buying boots.
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Sizing Systems vs Real Fit: What Matters in Boots - Naang Boots

Sizing Systems vs Real Fit: What Matters in Boots - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — Shoe sizing isn't universal. It's three major systems (US, UK, EU), plus brand-specific quirks stacked on top. So when someone says "I'm a size 10," what they really mean is: "I'm a 10 in the one brand I've been buying since 2008."
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What The Hell Is a Brannock Device? - Naang Boots

What The Hell Is a Brannock Device? - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — The Brannock device: that metal contraption in shoe stores that looks like it was invented the same decade as the jukebox. It's old-school, not sexy, and still one of the best first steps you can take toward getting boots that actually fit.
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270° vs. 360° Welt: What's the Difference - and Why It Matters - Naang Boots - Naang Boots

270° vs. 360° Welt: What's the Difference - and Why It Matters - Naang Boots - Naang Boots

naangboots.com — A welt is that strip of leather that joins your boot's upper to the sole. It adds structure, keeps water from creeping in through the cracks, and, maybe most importantly, makes your boots rebuildable for the long haul. Any boot with a proper welt is already ahead of the game.
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