KEEN UNEEK always has new colours, styles, and is poised to continue its disruption in the footwear industry yet again – however these are some of my favourite.

Visually disruptive and defying traditional footwear manufacturing, KEEN UNEEK is an avant-garde itinerant offering the ultimate in open air footwear. Blending incredible lightweight comfort and flexibility with extreme breathability, UNEEK is a sandal unlike anything else, with every aspect meticulously designed and executed to compliment the natural shape of the foot to provide a balance of superior feel and movement. UNEEK is a unique and trendy lifestyle oriented shoe that even attracts people who haven’t been sandal lovers until now.

UNEEK now offers a dazzling array of no less than 21 colour and pattern options for both men and women – from solids and stripes to camo-coloured cord and a new 8mm flat cord. Every aspect of UNEEK compliments the natural shape of the foot providing a balance of superior feel and movement.

Ditching traditional machinery and conventional materials for a simple two-cord construction, UNEEK is different. Enjoy custom and secure fit thanks to its free-moving cord structure and a lightweight PU midsole for long-lasting support. An anatomical microfiber footbed, a secure fit lace capture system and a soft microfiber heel back guarantee all day comfort. UNEEKs feature a new environmentally-friendly bio technology: Cleansport NXT natural odour control.

Uneek bounce

KEEN products are known for their hybrid functionality and versatility, and UNEEK continues that trend. With more than three years of research and development, UNEEK is a sandal unlike anything else.

The diverse KEEN UNEEK collection are available online at www.keenfootwear.com and the sandals cost £79.99

Look at someone who loves the world and the world of travel and invariable they will be wearing bracelets or bands around their wrists, often made of natural materials and always meaningful. The El Camino bracelet is a stylish bracelet designed to appeal to both men and women that allows you to collect a series of simple yet elegant metal beads called Steps… like steps on your journey of wanderlust… each one representing a country, place or experience that has come to mean something special to you.

It’s a simple idea that allows you to create an individual item of jewellery that represents your entire life experience travelling the world that you can look back on and cherish. El Camino have a easy to use website with lots of images giving you a clear idea of what you’re buying and the bracelet looks even better in person than online.

LR El Camino Bracelets - Website Shot

The bracelets are all handmade in England and come in a range of colours that allow you to choose a bracelet that will always look stylish on your wrist. The bracelet will last you a lifetime as it has been thoughtfully constructed from 4 woven cords, each with a breaking strain of over 34kgs. El Camino has a choice of seven universally appealing colours of bracelet – Black, Chestnut Brown, Forest Green, Purple, Steel Blue and Turquoise. I love the colour choice but chose classic black for my El Camino.

LR Turquoise Double

The band is hand made in England to a very high standard and comes in a single bracelet (£21.99) or double bracelet (£31.99 to £36.99) – the double cord is simply wrapped twice around the wrist and allows you to wear the most beads at one time but also looks stylish with just a few beads on it as they rattle around quite pleasantly. Unlike fiddly charm bracelets from a jewellers, the El Camino bracelet has a sturdy polished steel clasp that is ever so easy to use allowing you to take your bracelet on and off as you wish simply with one hand. This is really important for anyone who wants to keep the bracelet looking pristine and avoiding it getting wet. Saying that, the bracelets are made to withstand the elements making them perfect for adventurous travellers who don’t mind a bit of ageing on the bracelet.

LR El Camino Bracelets

Each bead or Step as El Camino call it is made from the finest surgical grade stainless steel, laser engraved and hand polished. One spacer comes with each Step and is cut from real coconut and engraved with the El Camino logo. The spacers help differentiate each Step and create a pleasing alternating look of polished shiny steel and natural brown rings.  The El Camino bracelet is built to withstand everything you come across during your travels. El Camino will be a permanent reminder to you of those one-in-a-lifetime experiences and special moments you’ve had along the way.

Each Step is discretely laser engraved with a name. Country Steps (£8.99) have the name of one of 240 different countries so you’re pretty sure to be able to find the country you’re looking for from Afganisthan to Zimbabwe and everywhere in between. Countries are conveniently sorted into small groups in alphabetical order on the El Camino website, perfect for the globe trotting adventurer providing a quick and easy to go through what would otherwise be a very long list.

LR El Camino Bracelets - Unassembled Bracelet

As well as Country Steps there are also Small Steps (£8.49) which represent popular destinations which aren’t countries such as cities like Amsterdam, Paris, New York; islands like Bali, places like Anghor Wat and the Great Wall of China. Small Steps are slightly narrower than Country Steps.

However if you can’t find what you’re looking for or want to create a Step that’s unique and special to you, El Camino allow you to order your own bespoke Country or Small Step (£20.49 & £19.99). It can say anything you like up to 29 characters for a Country Step and 32 characters or less on a Small Step – this allows you to be fully creative and individual and covers just about anything you want to say from names of places to events to special messages and even people’s names!

Also available for the ultimate globe trotter are special Region Steps (£10.99) handmade from glass in England and available in different colours. These are not engraved but each colour represents a different region such as Africa, Caribbean, Europe and Scandinavia – 12 regions in all. Whether you just purchase one or strive to own all 12, a Region Step will be a beautiful reminder of your travel memories to a particular special part of the world for you.

LR El Camino Brown Double - White

As someone who has travelled to many wonderful places in the world, I am really inspired by El Camino. They have created an item of jewellery that allows you to celebrate your love of travel and individual journeys and experiences in a totally customisable and meaningful way. If you’re anything like me you will understand that travel is more than just a holiday. It is an opportunity to create memories and grow as a human being and this stays with you long after the holiday ends. In the same way El Camino allows you to build a permanent reminder of these opportunities and what I love about El Camino is that it grows with you allowing you to add more and more memories to it as you continue to travel the world and travel through life, making the places you’ve visited and the memories you’ve created more permanent for you, your friends and anyone else you run into in the El Camino family.

LR Small Steps - Brown El Camino

Your El Camino bracelet will be full of stories and memories which will never leave your side. It can create a unique talking point when meeting new people – great for breaking the ice and perfect to start of an interesting conversation when meeting people for the first time.

If you’re looking for something meaningful as a gift to your globe trotting friend or something to inspire you to continue travelling the world broadening your horizons, we recommend looking at El Camino – the travel bracelet designed by people who love travel for people who love travel.

For more information and to see the full collection, please visit elcaminobracelets.com

Tweed with a twist, Maude & Fox is all about making urban country chic come to life through combining traditional materials, mostly tweed, and great design to make contemporary clothes that can be worn by lad or laird alike. Based in rural Dorset, all Maude & Fox clothes are selected from mills in Yorkshire and Scotland. Each garment is made by one person throughout, ensuring that attention to detail and quality are key. Our favourite piece from the new men’s country clothing collection is “The Brace” shooting jacket which brings the traditional shooting jacket bang up-to-date.

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‘The Brace’ shooting jacket from Maude & Fox, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to quality and style, is made from water resistant Teflon coated British tweed with stylish twists in the detailing to set it apart. The new shooting jacket is aimed at the discerning chap who wants some individuality in the field or in the town without being too overt.

IMG_2232‘The Brace’ combines function and comfort with clever contemporary styling. Made from 100% British tweed, with a soft anti-pill fleece lining for extra warmth, the jacket also offers superior comfort to allow freedom of movement in the upper body and arms.

IMG_3001Unusual technical detailing includes a vented bellow pocket with the underside pocket flap made in a quirky patriot tweed with a magnetic fastening (much less fiddly on a cold winter morning!), a zipped inside breast pocket for a phone and special fleece lined hand warmer pockets just below the chest. Cut low at the back and high up the neck to keep out draughts – this jacket is a pleasure to wear.

‘The Brace’ Shooting Jacket is £480 available exclusively from Maude & Fox. For more about Maude & Fox and to browse the entire collection, please visit www.maudeandfox.com