Fashion designer Neil Barrett and footwear line Palladium are teaming up for what a high-quality and high-fashion military boot. The “Palladium by Neil Barrett” collection remakes the classic canvas work shoes into a leather boot equally at home on the streets as they are on the runway.

Barrett — a fourth-generation military tailor known more for his tailored suits and jackets — spent the past eight months taking on a new challenge — re-interpreting Palladium’s cotton-canvas, stone-washed casual boots into something a little edgier and darker. The new boots are sleeker and streamlined, with what appear to be grunge and biker influences, though just as strong and tough as the Palladium name you’ve come to know and love. The boots are available in a waxed leather, waxed and patent leather, and nabuk material, in beige, or black and white. The new collaboration made its debut in Barrett’s mens runway show last year (photos below) and the boots are set to hit stores, for everyone, this fall.

Want to find out more about Palladium Boots? Click HERE to read our interview with Barney Waters, VP of Marketing for Palladium. And make sure to also head over to www.palladiumboots.com for their online store and to check out their “Explorations” campaign, which takes viewers to some adventurous underground and undiscovered spots around the world.

Want a chance to win a pair of Palladium Boots and some of the other items you see in our Holiday Gift Guide? All you have to do is click HERE to fill in our 2010 reader survey and you’ll be automatically entered into the giveaway! (Help us spread the word too!) And be sure to check back tomorrow as we unveil our tenth gift selection, as we count down the 12 Days of Christmas here on corduroymag.com

- Kara Horland

Palladium has promoted the relaunch of its boots through a series of short-form documentary-type videos, titled “Uneven Terrain,” where brave hosts explore hidden and abandoned urban places around the country in search of unique stories. For its latest video, “Oil of L.A.,” Palladium uncovered hollow buildings and flower painted towers with hidden oil wells and drills that pump to pockets of oil in Beverly Hills and the entire city. Three billion dollars worth of oil comes out of Los Angeles every year and you can barely see evidence of this. Check out the video at the Palladium website and scroll down to check out some of the new styles available for Palladium’s winter 2009 collection.

More photos and information at www.palladiumboots.com.

- TC

This month marks the re-launch of Palladium Boots — a seminal footwear brand, known as much for their timeless design as their hard-wearing durability. Originally made for the French Foreign Legion in 1947, Palladium quickly gained a following for making casual, comfortable boots with just enough fashion edge. After a few years out of the stores, the brand is re-launching just in time for fall. We spoke to Palladium’s VP of Marketing, Barney Waters, to get the scoop.

Why did you decide to re-launch Palladium now?

Palladium used to be huge in the early 90s but had since become dormant. We felt the time  was right for a relaunch, as there has been a shift back toward brands with authenticity and heritage. Having made the same boot for over 60 years, Palladium fit the bill. We have that utilitarian look, which is also very timely.

Tell us about the history of the company and how it evolved into a fashion brand.

Palladium was founded in 1920 and made aircraft tires. Tires were made by layering canvas band underneath vulcanized rubber. After World War II, the demand for tires dried up, and so Palladium decided to put their canvas and rubber expertise to use by making boots. Their first contract was in 1947 from the French Government, to supply the legendary French Foreign Legion. The Foreign Legion at the time was mostly stationed in North Africa, in the deserts of Algeria, Morocco and the Atlas Mountains, and so they needed a durable and comfortable boot that worked in those hot conditions. As Palladium’s boot was canvas, it worked well in hot weather.

How has the design of the boots changed over the years?

It hasn’t! It’s the exact same design as the original 1947 boot. It’s classic, timeless and it works. We did, however, upgrade the manufacturing process to make them lighter and more comfortable. Plus, we use more modern materials now, like stonewashed 100% cotton canvas, and our leathers are premium grade.

What makes Palladium stand out in the crowded footwear market?

We have a legitimate 60-year history and heritage, which puts us in a small club of authentic brands. Plus our durability has been proven by the Foreign Legion. Maybe the biggest surprise to people is the pricing. We’ve worked really hard to strip out all of the frills from the business, while not compromising product quality. We run a lean and mean operation, and then pass those savings onto the customer in the form of spectacular prices. That’s really resonating right now.

Your new campaign features people wearing Palladium boots as they explore “underground” and “untouched” environments. What is the most extreme environment they filmed in?

Our brand communication is based on a series of real explorations that we went on. We shot documentary film of each exploration and we brought Peter Sutherland along to document the trip with his photography.  We picked an explorer to find each location and to unearth the stories from these amazing places. Our explorations became the campaign. I think the team were most freaked out by the train tunnels underneath Harlem. Not only was it really dark, but there were also trains running through there. Every now and then you’d see a ladder going up into the ceiling and the faint glow of a television and you realize there are people living there (The full video of can be viewed HERE).

What types of customers are you targeting with the re-launch of the brand?

Palladium will have very broad appeal, as it’s a simple boot in canvas, leather or suede. I think initially we will stick with better boutiques and department stores, and gradually expand over time. The type of consumer that picks up Palladium will be driven by where it’s sold.

The new Palladium collection is in stores this month. Check out palladiumboots.com for images, videos from their new campaign and more details.

- TC

View from one of our photoshoots

We’re back in New York after a week in not-so-sunny L.A. The weather may have been overcast during our last few days, but all our photoshoots and interviews managed to go off without a hitch. We also managed to squeeze in meetings with some new friends and hopefully some new clients! Thanks to Cassel, Paradise and Fred @ Stronghold Jeans for being our unofficial hosts for the week, Micah @ Shades of Greige for lunch, Barney @ Palladium Boots for the last-minute coffee, Kelly @ Redlight, Scott @ Band of Outsiders, and everyone else we met and worked with this time around. We’ll be back soon!