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want to meet at fmd_good Corner Diner
want to meet at fmd_good City Market
want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
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Hello, I'm looking for shoe shops that have a selection of (leather) boots. Especially those with high soles. Can you recommend any?
if you're into the whole high sole / chunky welt thing, try searching for "goodyear welt" or "commando sole" at the shops in Ueno's Ameyoko market. there's a spot called Shoe Factory near the main drag that carries a lot of Japanese repro brands like Red Moon and The Real McCoy's, they usually have a few pairs of engineer boots with those massive lug soles. also check out Marui One in Shinjuku, the men's floor has a dedicated "boots corner" with brands like Tricker's and Loake, though they run expensive. for something cheaper but still solid, the ABC-Mart flagship in Shibuya sometimes stocks Dr. Martens with the exaggerated sole, not just the classic 1460
honestly check out the basement floor at Isetan Men's in Shinjuku, they always have a solid rotation of leather boots with chunky soles. if you want something more niche, try 2nd Street or Mode Off in Shimokitazawa for secondhand finds - i've scored some really nice Red Wings there for like half retail. there's also a small shop called The North Face Standard in Harajuku that sometimes carries Danner boots with those high Vibram soles u mentioned
For high sole leather boots, you should walk through the backstreets of Daikanyama. There is a store called Grimoire that stocks a lot of Japanese work boot brands like Brass Tokyo and The Flat Head, they usually have a few models with thick Vibram or wedge soles. If you are willing to spend a bit more, Dover Street Market Ginza carries Guidi and Carol Christian Poell, which have those sculptural, elevated soles. Avoid the main streets in Harajuku, the tourist traps there rarely have anything with proper construction.
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.
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