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Daniel Day-Lewis Might Be Coming Out of Retirement, but the Current Star Is His Boots

In a rare public sighting — alongside director Steven Spielberg, no less — the actor was spotted in a pair of Nicks Handmade Boots.

a picture of daniel day lewis next to a boot Lars Niki / Stringer, Nick's Boots

By Sean Tirman

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Celebrities and fashion often go hand-in-hand, and we’ve found ourselves often turning to movies and TV shows for style inspiration. Recently, this was seen in full force when Pedro Pascal’s outfits from HBO’s The Last of Us fired up the menswear community or when Yellowstone sent fashion enthusiasts darting for the nearest Filson and Carhartt retailers. Sometimes, however, that inspiration comes courtesy of rare candid shots of these actors out and about in their daily lives.

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This week marks an occasion in line with the latter, as retired Academy Award-winning actor and notorious recluse Daniel Day-Lewis was spotted taking a rare (and curious) meeting with director Steven Spielberg. And while the rest of the internet is wondering whether or not this means the lauded thespian may be coming out of retirement, something else caught our eye: his footwear. As it turns out, Day-Lewis (who is no stranger among menswear fanatics) has excellent taste in boots.

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Here’s what’s so special about Daniel Day-Lewis’s boots

As mentioned, Daniel Day-Lewis is kind of a not-so-under-the-radar fashion icon, even when not projected on the silver screen. In fact, back in 2018, the Wall Street Journal credited him as the best-dressed man of the year. Vice caught onto the actor’s personal style that year, as well. But it looks like the trend continues here in 2024, as Day-Lewis was spied wearing a pair of Nicks Handmade Boots (his affinity for Nicks was confirmed some time ago on Reddit by user Stoic_sasquatch who works for the brand — meaning this isn’t the first time Day-Lewis has been spotted in the brand’s boots).

For those not in the know, Nicks is a deeply lauded and highly respected footwear manufacturer responsible for crafting footwear for the likes of loggers, wildland firefighters, ranchers, explorers, artisans and craftspeople — among so many others. What helps set the brand apart — besides a deep dedication to the craft and excessively high-quality materials — is a combination of the boots’ extreme customization (the brand will let customers pick nearly every facet of their boots’ construction, even including the arch profile, height of the heel and hardware) and the handmade nature of each individual order.

boots
Nicks makes handcrafted boots tough enough for loggers, wildland firefighters, ranchers and so many others.
Nick’s Boots

In fact, Nicks utilizes some very old-school manufacturing techniques — like handsewn stitchdown construction (here’s how it differs from Goodyear Welt construction) — that have largely been abandoned by other mass-market manufacturers. That means there’s a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail found in these boots that’s simply not found elsewhere (but for a few, rare exceptions, like White’s). Just as Daniel Day-Lewis picking these boots is a credit to Nicks, these boots lend credit to Day-Lewis’s exceptional taste.

So, which of Nicks boots is Daniel Day-Lewis wearing?

Unfortunately, due to both the custom nature of Nicks Handmade Boots and the blurriness of the photos of the famed actor, it’s pretty difficult to tell which boots he’s actually wearing. However, with a bit of digging and some discussion, we think we’ve narrowed it down to a couple of options based on the colorway, leather style, detailing and silhouette of these most recently spotted Day-Lewis boots.

If they’re not entirely custom, they look to be Nicks Urban Logger — perhaps obviously with some measure of customization — because of the style of the toe, lug sole, boot height, lace style, etc. They also appear to have an added kiltie (or false tongue), which Nicks can add to any boot.

If they are custom (which seems especially likely), our best estimation of the style is the Lace Up Heritage with the following selections: 6-inch boot height, HNW #3 toe, walnut roughout leather, antique hardware, standard toe, V100 lug, logger heel profile, moderate heel stack, and black edge. And again, they have that added kiltie.

Of course, beyond the fact that these are Nicks Handmade Boots, this is our best estimate/speculation. Regardless, if you want to look as stylish as this legendary actor, you can buy a pair for yourself — whatever your selections, you’ll get sturdy, fashionable boots that are hand-built to last a lifetime (or more).

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