Golden Goose
I first spotted the weathered brown leather version of these boots a couple of months ago, at the Austin, Texas shop By George. I was immediately floored: They're perfectly simple and utterly refined, and even at first glance it was obvious the craftsmanship was exquisite. The salesgirl told me they were by Golden Goose, a company I'd never heard of.
Curious, I called my friend Michelle (a shoe buyer at Barneys New York), who further fueled my obsession by telling me that each one is handmade in Italy and takes hours to produce (which would explain the considerable price tag).
I already own tall brown flat boots, so it wasn't too hard to resist the impulse to splurge. But now that I've discovered the same pair online in subtly distressed black leather, a style that's unlike anything I have in my closet, I'm really feeling tempted again.
Soft luggage is really the way to go - it is amazing how much they can hold. Without the structure of hard cases they expand so you can keep shoving last minute things in. I pack loose items (like socks) in freezer size ziplock bags and to prevent wrinkles I fold my dressier items in dry cleaning wrap. It works very well.