BARE YOUR SOLE

A year after testing and tweaking, the Guy Harvey Footwear Collection adds two styles of men’s boat shoes.

Yes, guy harvey has a favorite pair. ¶ “The one I’ve got on right now has the sailfish on the sole on the outside,” he says. “It’s very comfy. I do like these shoes for casual eveningwear. Flip-flops are nice, but this has great imagery.” ¶ And the man knows a thing or two about great imagery. ¶ Renowned for his paintings of sport fish and more, Harvey has long been licensing his artwork for use on products people can wear. There are short-sleeve T-shirts, long-sleeve tees, rash guards, tank tops, hoodies, shorts, bathing suits, hats, belts—and that doesn’t even include the additional women’s, kids’ and infant items. ¶ But until 2018, there were no shoes. “We try to do everything from head to foot,” Harvey says, “but a lot depends on the kinds of partnerships you can form with the different manufacturers. Well, it’s taken this

long to find JSSI. We struggled to find the right partner.” ¶ The New York City-based footwear company, which also makes branded Emeril Lagasse footwear for the restaurant industry, started making Guy Harvey shoes in 2018. This past November, several new men’s styles were unveiled. ¶ “They’ve figured out which ones work really well and branched out,” Harvey says. “The packaging is beautiful too. They’re not throwaway boxes.

They’re covered in art. They’re pure art.” ¶ JSSI president David Schwartz says, of all the branded shoes the company has done, the Guy Harvey designs have the most precise imagery. And a portion of the income from every sale goes to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which benefits ocean conservation, research and education. ¶ “Like all of our licenses, they are giving back,” Harvey says. “They have to, or I won’t sign up.”