Supermarines

Additional Information

Story

The Outlier Feit Supermarines 2012 Edition. A handmade sneaker, built with the best materials possible. Highly water resistant, extremely breathable and all around a pleasure to wear. We've made some subtle, yet substantial changes based on the original model to make an even better shoe.

Like all of Feit's shoes, the Supermarines are handmade using traditional shoemaking techniques, which today, are generally only used by high-end dress shoe companies like John Lobb, Alden and Tricker's. Making shoes by hand allows us to produce small volumes at very high quality levels. It's not cheap, but the results are worth it and we work hard to keep the costs down by selling direct.

Outlier and Feit share the same dedication to using the absolute best quality materials around and it comes through in these sneakers. The upper is made from two materials and uses only two seams, one to attach the tongue and one to close up the rear. The outer material is Supermarine® Cotton, a highly water resistant and extremely breathable fabric made solely of the longest staple Supima Cotton. The inner is a double layer of French calf leather, an extremely soft and breathable material. So supple that it makes you want to not wear socks.

The Feit/Outlier commando sole is a similar combination. A full length vegetable tanned leather outsole provides an excellent combination of flexibility and stiffness, while a reengineered two piece Vibram sheet rubber layer ensures enhanced wet weather traction. A cork midsole adds in natural breathability and shock absorption. Everything is sewn together using the traditional handmade Goodyear welt construction. A perforated forefoot, a discreet lace tuck and a buffalo leather insole with an added thin layer of natural latex for comfort complete the package.

Return policy is 365 days from date of purchase, in unworn condition and in original packaging.

Fabric

The secret to the future, they say, is hidden in the past. Supermarine® Cotton is a 21st century edit to a nearly forgotten World War II fabric. You can think of it as the pinnacle of cotton technology, extremely breathable, highly water resistant and completely windproof. It can only be made using the longest staple Egyptian cotton fibers. They are woven together in a complex weave that swells up and seals when exposed to water. The result is a beautiful cloth that we think is the best rainy day fabric around.

For decades it's been obscured from the public, kept alive mainly by demand from a few Air Force units, Antarctic explorers and funnily enough, bird watchers; all who have different understandings of its unique properties. Supermarine® Cotton stays comfortable under pressure and there is none of that sweaty/clammy feeling you get with GoreTex and other synthetic "waterproof-breathable" fabrics. It isn't technically "waterproof" by government standards but you can stay dry for hours in the rain wearing it. It's woven from the longest staple Egyptian cotton so it breaks in beautifully. The dense weave combined with the premium fiber results in a fabric that is simultaneously tough and supple.

Historically this fabric is an updated version of a fabric the British invented in World War II to keep their pilots alive in the North Sea if they happened to get shot down. It was later used by the British Navy, in Antarctic exploration and by Edmond Hillary during the first ascent of Mount Everest. It was even used to make firehoses and eventually found its way into high-end hiking gear. Since it requires a very dense weave of the most expensive cotton fibers on the market, it never quite broke through into the mainstream and with the advent of GoreTex it faded from the general marketplace. Bird watchers still sought it out since it's significantly quieter than the loud synthetic fabrics that took over, while Antarctic teams prized it for its amazing windproof quality. The main customer of the past few decades however has been various Air Forces who understood just how superior a fabric it is, and are willing to pay for it.

We source our Supermarine® Cotton from Switzerland (where it goes by the tradename ETAProof®) and it differs from the historical British version in one important respect, it is treated with a premium durable water resistance (DWR) that is not wax-based. The water resistance in the historical formulation comes from two factors, the denseness of the weave and the fact that cotton fibers swell up when exposed to moisture. Adding the DWR treatment into the mix results in a significantly superior rain repellant and breathable fabric that far outclasses both the synthetic "waterproof-breathable" fabrics of the world and the heavy, clammy Barbour-style waxed cotton. It looks better, wears better and is dramatically more comfortable.

We've been testing this stuff extensively over the past few years and we keep on thinking we've stumbled upon a little bit of magic. We made button down shirts and walked out into torrential downpours without a jacket or umbrella. We've done hours of laps in Prospect Park during thundershowers wearing the same shirt and stayed dry. We've taken it out into 100% desert heat to see how well it breathes. We challenged our bike messenger friends to beat it up on the road. More important than all that though was the fact when we headed out of the house, we almost always reach for a Supermarine® Cotton shirt or parka, not because we wanted to test it, but because we wanted to wear it.

Details

Outlier Feit Supermarines

Collaboration between Feit and Outlier

100% Cotton upper woven in Switzerland

Highly water resistant and breathable

Lined with French calf leather

Goodyear welt construction

Vegetable tanned leather outsole

Cork midsole adds natural breathability and shock absorption

Buffalo leather and cork insole thinly lined with natural latex for comfort during the "break-in" period

Perforated forefoot for ventilation

Two piece Vibram sheet sheet rubber for traction

Discreet lace tuck

Fits like a dress shoe, recommended to size up if between sizes

Handmade in China

Return policy is 365 days from date of purchase, in unworn condition and original packaging

Sizing

After wear, you'll find these shoes break in like a dress shoe. Size up if between sizes.

US 8	US 9	US 10	US 10.5	US 11	US 12	US 13
EU 41	EU 42	EU 43	EU 43.5	EU 44	EU 45	EU 46

Colors

Black

Navy