If you’re shopping for someone who wears leather boots every day, take a look at the pair by the door. Frayed laces make an easy stocking stuffer. If they’ve just bought their first pair, I’d go with a horsehair brush set so they can clean and condition them. And if you have no idea what size they wear, the boot horn we make at Naang is the gift I’d pick.
I’m Dana, co-founder of Naang Boots in Bangkok. For this year’s holiday gift guide, I’ve picked a few things we make in our workshop; I’ve also included gear I use myself. That’s how a Buck 110, a small notepad, and a folding Bluetooth keyboard ended up in the same gift guide. For each one, I’ll tell you why I use it and who I’d give it to.
Holiday Gifts for Boot Lovers from the Naang Boots Workshop
If you’re shopping for someone who already has a favorite pair of boots, you can leave the sizing out of it. Here are three small gifts we make at Naang, starting with one you can lace into the boots they already wear.
Naang Boot Kilties
A boot kiltie is a removable piece of leather that sits between the laces and the tongue. The laces rub against the kiltie, so it takes wear that would otherwise show up on the tongue. We cut ours from the same leather we use for our boot uppers.
If you’re choosing a pair as a gift, take a look at how the recipient wears their boots. For someone who keeps the original laces and likes a plain leather boot, I’d match the kilties to the uppers. For the person who’s always trying different laces, I’d pick a contrasting color.
Naang Boot Horn
Our boot horn is the gift I’d choose for someone who wears boots every day. Slide it behind your heel as you step in, and it guides your foot past the back of the boot without folding the leather down.
We make ours with a 30 cm stainless steel horn and a handle built from stacked vegetable-tanned leather. You can see the individual layers along the edge of the handle. It’s the sort of thing I’d leave by the door alongside the pair I wear most.
Naang Hand-Knit Merino Wool Beanie
For someone who laces up before sunrise to walk the dog or head to work on a cold morning, I’d pick the merino wool beanie. We made just five for this run. Each one is hand-knit from fine-spun merino wool, right down to the cuff where we attach the hand-embroidered label.
What Do You Give Someone Who Already Owns a Good Pair of Leather Boots?
A horsehair brush is the first thing I’d recommend if they don’t own one. If they already have a boot care kit, look at what they wear. A fresh pair of their favorite laces or merino toe socks makes a good stocking stuffer. For the person who can tell you which last their boots were built on, I’d go straight to the book at the end of this section.
Horsehair Boot Care Brush Kit
A horsehair brush handles the most frequent job in leather boot care: getting the dust off. On smooth leather, I’d start where the upper meets the welt. Dust settles along that narrow ledge, and the bristles can reach into it more easily than a cloth. Then give the rest of the boot a quick brushing.
If you’re choosing between kits, look at the size of the main brush. I’d take one that’s comfortable to hold and large enough to cover the sides of a boot in a few strokes. Getting and applicator brush and a smaller brush that lets you dig in to clean out and work some conditioner into all the little nooks and crannies is a big plus.
Bick 4 Leather Conditioner
Bick 4 is the conditioner I’d give someone who wears smooth, finished leather boots. Check the pair they wear most before you buy. Suede and roughout have a fuzzy surface, and I’d leave those finishes out of this recommendation.
A bottle of Bick 4 and a horsehair brush make a good gift when paird together. The brush handles everyday dust. The conditioner is for the occasional time the leather feels dry.
Bick 4 is what I use, and what I recommend to our customers. It’s easy to use and does a great job replenishing the leather on your boots. If you have 3 pairs or less, go with the 8oz bottle; that will last you long enough in most cases.
Round Boot Laces
Replacement laces are an easy gift to get right if you can borrow one of the originals for a minute. Pull it out, lay it flat, and measure from tip to tip. Check the thickness, too. That matters if the boots have small eyelets or narrow speed hooks.
We use flexible round laces on Naang boots because I like a lace that holds a knot and still gives a little as the boot flexes. I’d match the original length and thickness, then have some fun with the color. But if you want more options, Check Out this Blog all About Different Types of Laces.
Merino Wool Toe Socks
The only socks I wear! Merino wool toe socks are the pair I’d give someone with an active lifestyle and who likes a roomy toe box. Each toe sits in its own sleeve, so there’s fabric between neighboring toes. If you know the person already enjoys toe socks, a merino pair is an easy pick.
When you shop, pay attention to thickness as well as size. If their boots fit well with lightweight socks, I’d stick close to that weight. A heavily cushioned pair takes up more room inside the same boot.
If you want to take a deep dive into toe socks, Check Out This Article.
The Soldier’s Foot and the Military Shoe by Edward L. Munson
This is the book I’d give the person who turns a conversation about boots into a conversation about feet. Munson looked at a practical problem: how do you fit soldiers with shoes they can march in? As a bootmaker, what interests me is how familiar that question still feels. We still hear from people buying longer boots because the pair that fits their heel squeezes their toes.
If the person on your list has ever pulled out an insole to show you where their foot hangs over the edge, I think you’ve found their gift.
This book is a bit of a grind to read, but if the person you are buying a gift for is the ultimate boot nerd, then this is something they are gonna want on the shelf.
Which Bags and Accessories Make Good Gifts for Commuters and Travelers?
What I like about a good everyday bag is what it lets me do once I’m out the door. A sling keeps my phone and notebook within reach when I’m walking around Bangkok. On a longer trip, a folding keyboard and a phone stand let me sit down at a café and work on the Naang Journal over coffee.
That’s what I look for in a travel gift. Sometimes it’s a backpack with room for the groceries you pick up on the way home. Sometimes it’s a little clip that gives you somewhere to hang the bag you already carry.
What you’ll see in all of these items is that it’s the little things that add immense value to their daily use.
tomtoc Sling Bag
I am obsessed with keeping most things out of my pockets; for that reason, I like a sling for keeping things secure and close by. The part I appreciate most is being able to pull the bag around to the front, grab what I need, and keep walking.
I’d give the tomtoc to someone who likes to spend a few hours exploring a city on foot. If they carry a large phone or a favorite notebook, check its dimensions against the sling you choose.
On the daily, I carry the 1.5L sling; it holds my phone, wallet, notepad, power bank, and a few extras as needed without issue. When I am traveling or out for an extended trip, I switch out to the 3.5L that gives me a bit more room to stash my Bluetooth keyboard, an extra power bank, and whatever odds and ends I need. I always keep a hero clip attached to the strap so I can clip my hat to it and hang it somewhere if I need to.
Timbuk2 Roll-Top Backpack
What I like about a roll-top backpack is the extra room at the end of the day. You can roll the Timbuk2 down around what you need for work, then open it up a little when you pick up groceries on the way home. I’d choose it for a commuter who also wants a bag for the occasional weekend away.
This is my daily backpack and has been for years. My affinity for TimBuk2 bags goes back to when I was a bike messenger in Boston in the late 90s and early 00s… but that’s a story for another day.
Another nice thing about a roll-top bag is that it keeps things dry if you get caught in the rain, and in Bangkok, rainy season can be a real pain in the but. The bag has been a lifesaver more than once.
I recently had my motorcycle bag fail and needed to pack up some other bags, and this backpack got loaded to the brim and strapped to the back of my bike on the way down to Surat Thani.
Heroclip Gear Clip
The Heroclip is the stocking stuffer I’d buy for someone who takes their bag everywhere. It clips to the grab handle, and a swivel hook folds out so you can hang the bag from the edge of a table. At a busy café, that keeps your bag off the wet floor and leaves the spare chair open. Choose a Heroclip size that can support the bag when it’s full.
When I first saw a Heroclip I honestly wasn’t sold on the idea. But after a friend gifted me one, I figured I would try it out. I replaced the carabiner I use to attach my hat to my bag with and gave it a try. Within a day, I used it to hang my bag off a table at a cafe so I could work. It kept it secure and saved space. One of them has lived on my bag ever since.
Stainless Steel Water Bottle
In Bangkok, I’m always happy to have water with me. When choosing a bottle as a gift, I’d look for a stainless steel bottle that’s easy to pull out for a drink and has a lid that closes securely for the ride home.
This is the bottle I have; it fits in the side pocket of my TimBuk2 bag and stays secure in there. But what I really like about this bottle is the small stainless screen that pops into the top. This aerates the water as it flows out, which I like, but also allows me to toss in some tea leaves or a slice of lemon and not worry about it coming out as I drink.
Anker Power Bank
On a travel day, your phone might be your map on the ride down, your camera when you stop, and the place you saved the address of tonight’s hotel. That’s who I’d buy an Anker power bank for. For a commuter, I’d choose one small enough to leave in the bag all week. For someone who regularly spends a full day on the road, I’d go for more capacity and check that it works with the charging cable they already carry.
This Specific Anker power bank is a good size to fit in my sling bag or in my backpack and has more than enough capacity for me to keep a number of devices charged up. it laso has a USB C cable built in, which saves me from having to pull one out every time I need to charge a single item.
This power bank has saved my but more than a few times.
Folding Bluetooth Keyboard
If the person you’re buying for has ever tried to write a newsletter on a phone, they’ll see the appeal of a folding Bluetooth keyboard. Prop the phone up on a café table, unfold the keyboard, and you can type with both hands.
This one fits right in my sling bag, and just about every week I am working on mine from a café or co-working space when I am on the road. Almost all of the Naang Journal has been written with my folding Bluetooth keyboard and my phone. This has been a game changer for me, opening up new possibilities for when and where I can work.
UAG Magnetic Phone Ring Stand
I’d pair the UAG magnetic phone ring stand with the folding Bluetooth keyboard. The ring gives you a steadier grip when you’re taking a photo one-handed. When you stop for coffee, it folds out into a stand so you can prop up your phone and type with both hands.
I have had mine for a few years, and it has been a game changer for me, knowing that it is always there on the back of my phone and allows me to just fold it out and stand my phone up makes things super convenient. As a bonus, the color wears off over time creating a really cool worn patina look to it.
Everyday Carry Gifts I Recommend as a Bangkok Bootmaker
The things I carry every day tend to be small enough to leave in a pocket and useful enough that I miss them when I leave them at home. That’s a good place to start if you’re buying an everyday carry gift. Think about the person’s routine. What would they reach for at work, on the road, or on a walk around town?
Buck 110 Folding Hunter Sport
The Buck 110 Folding Hunter Sport is the pocketknife I’d give someone who likes a full-size handle on a folding knife. I carry one myself. For an everyday job like cutting cord or breaking down a cardboard box, I appreciate having enough handle to get a comfortable grip.
My father carried. a buck knife daily; he kept a little folder in his pocket and a 110 in a sheath on his belt. A belt carry has never been my thing, I have always prefered a knife with a pocket clip so when Buck came out with this Hunter Sport with a thiner profile and a deep carry pocket clip I picked one up, it’s been my daily since.
Retractable Tailor’s Measuring Tape
A soft tape can follow the curve of a foot or wrap around the ball of it. That’s what makes a tailor’s measuring tape useful to a bootmaker, and it’s just as handy for checking a waist measurement when you’re shopping for clothes, or checking the measurements of an opening you want to get something through.
Yes, I am constantly measuring feet, so this comes in handy, but I actually measure a lot more things than you might think. This comes in super handy all the time. And it can just be fun to measure things.
Rechargeable Flashlight
I like getting out by the river after dark to look for snakes, so a rechargeable flashlight is an easy recommendation for me. On a night walk, I want to see where I’m putting my boots and still have enough light to get a look at something farther down the bank. If you’re choosing one as a gift, look for a low setting as well. You need a lot less light to find a dropped key than you do to see down a path.
I keep a rechargeable flashlight in my backpack at all times, and whenever I travel, there is one on me. I like having a rechargeable one so my power bank can top it up if needed. This ended up being an item I use a lot more than I thought I would.
Cotton Bandana
Take your helmet off at a roadside coffee stop in Thailand, and you’ll appreciate having a cotton bandana in your pocket. It’s handy for wiping sweat off your face, and you can wet it and lay it across the back of your neck on a hot afternoon. This is one of the easiest stocking stuffers on my list.
This is hands down the single item I have used the most and for so many different things. Of course, it can be a sweat rag, cover your head or neck when it’s sunny, used to clean up a mess; it has even been a bandage for myself, and I have used them as bandages on others. You can even fold it into a makeshift bag if you need to carry something. The uses are endless.
Carhartt Canvas Card Wallet
The Carhartt canvas card wallet is a good gift for someone who leaves the house with an ID and a few cards. What I like about a wallet this size is that it takes up very little room in a front pocket or sling bag.
It might seem strange for me to recommend a canvas wallet given Naang Boots is all about leather, and we will probably offer our own leather card wallet in the future, but I have always liked canvas wallets. I have had the same one for 20 years.
A card wallet is really all one needs in the world today. A few cards, a few bills, and you’re good to go. Everything else we need is on our phone.
Field Notebook
A field notebook makes sense to me because a boot design is often easier to sketch than it is to describe. There’s room beside the drawing for a measurement or a note about what I want to change. I’d choose blank or dot-grid pages for someone who draws and ruled pages for someone who keeps notes on the road.
I keep two different types with me: a dotted page for sketching out design ideas and a ruled page for taking notes. These notebooks are skinny enough that carrying two isn’t an issue.
Citizen Promaster Land Watch
The Citizen Promaster Land is the one I’d save for a bigger gift. What I like about wearing a watch is how little it asks of you. A glance at your wrist tells you how much time you’ve got before you need to get back on the road, and your phone can stay in your pocket.
I am admittedly a Citizen fanboy. Their Promaster watches powered by their Eco-Drive movements are damn near perfect in my opinion. They are solar-powered, so they never need to be wound or have a battery changed and they are as rugged as our boots.
I wear a Promaster Land every day. I have taken it on adventures and beat the hell out of it, and it just keeps ticking along perfectly, keeping perfect time. Simple perfection.
What to Read Next
These limited run snake skin kilties will dress up your boots and really make them stand out.
These are backed with nubuck leather.
Sold in pairs.