The Happening: I'm with the Band!

Eff all the doubters out there. I'm here to say, with great conviction, that dreams really do come true. Call me materialistic, but I've achieved one of the goals I never thought I'd do: Own a pair of Band of Outsiders Sperrys! Yes, going in to our recent Hong Kong trip, I knew that I was going to see some Scott Sternberg magic first-hand, but actually own one? That's crazy talk, you guys. Except, that's exactly what happened.

So there we were at the Times Square Mall in Causeway Bay, minding our own business, when I saw this massive Lane Crawford sign that attracted me. I heard from designer Joey Samson that Lane's pretty generous with their sales, but I went in with no expectations. I mean, they do carry super expensive stuff, and when those go on sale, well, they're still kind of expensive. Anyhow, I still mossied along, browsed the goods, and there they were.

Lane Crawford during the sale season is a definite must visit!

Man oh man, on sale were these four Band of Outsider collabs with Sperry which were marked down by at least 50%! Yeah, that's still pretty expensive, but damn sure well attainable from my perspective. There were these green nylon + suede boat shoes, a suede caramel loafer, gingham high-tops, and the one I got, the canvas reconstructed penny loafer. What else can I say? It was hella hard to choose, but in the end, I got the off-white canvas pennies, as it was really the most practical and versatile among the bunch!

Here comes the Band. It felt so surreal trying all these shoes on!

Ah, it was truly love at first sight. Still pricey, but an opportunity you can't pass up!

I consider these kicks to be my most significant purchase to date, not only because of the price, but what they actually mean to me. (Cue cheezy music, please.) Getting these shoes is the pinnacle of the many years I read blogs and oggled at these Band of Outsiders and Sperry mash-ups from afar, resigned to the feeling that I will never get a pair. Now that I have 'em, man, I can't help but feel that I've made it, baby. I damn sure well done did it.

The details printed on the outside are a fun design quirk and a Band of Outsiders staple

The colored stripes on the heel give the casual loafers another dimension of awesome