Ben Hertz was sitting on the Spanish Steps in Rome when he looked down and noticed one of his shoelaces had snapped. He quickly bought a random red-colored pair at a nearby shop. As he walked through the Italian city, complete strangers began commenting on his shoes. "I was just this guy from Minnesota, and they were all taking pictures of my shoes," he said. Back home in Minneapolis, the red shoelaces continued to turn heads. A real estate developer by day, Hertz, 27, found that the pop of color gave his conservative business wardrobe a flash of personality. He wanted...

  Growing up in New England, penny loafers were a style staple, alongside Boat & Totes, cable knit sweaters and the Preppy Handbook.  So, when we discovered Benjo’s and their collection of fashion pennies, we simply couldn’t resist adding our own two cents. The perfect blend of old school prep and modern street chic, our hearts soar at the notion of adding a pinch of glam to a classic silhouette. With hues like Sherbet and Wet Canary, we highly recommend diving deep into your piggy bank and stocking up on all your favorites; when that adorable little package arrives, you’ll know it...

In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe famously declares, “I just love finding new places to wear diamonds!” And that is exactly the way we feel about color. Meet Benjo’s Boot & Shoelaces, a new company that wants to add a little spring in your step. Founder Ben Hertz started the company after he was caught in Rome with a broken shoelace. At a local cobbler, he was presented with three choices: black, brown or red.  You can probably guess which one he went for. Stoked on his new style, Hertz decided to share his discovery from The Continent back in...

$6 | Benjosmpls.com  Add new life to your favorite boots and shoes with these colored waxed cotton laces. Made in the USA in Minneapolis, MN. Sold in 30-inch lengths in a variety of colors Read More

When I was growing up in Southern California in the late ‘80s/ early '90s, all the cool kids wore Adidas, and the even cooler kids wore them with colored shoelaces. Lately, that seems to be coming back - mostly with boots, but also with dress shoes. Benjo’s, one of the companies that makes such laces, sent me some to check out. I was given a wide assortment of colors and each pair of laces was waxed, which made them a bit stiff, but also more durable. They’re each 30" long, which means they’re most appropriate for shoes with three to...

When I can't pony up the moolah for more Margiela, I make a style statement with small, but bold touches, like my shoelaces. So thank the fashion gods that I discovered Ben Herts, a.k.a. the "colored lace guy" and the man behind Benjo's, which makes shoelaces in yummy jelly bean colors. My lace-up Thom Browne oxfords now pop with hot pink and my suede Coach bucks scream their way into a room with bright orange laces. Hertz, who works in the "conservative industry" of real estate development in Minneapolis, came up with the idea for Benjo's while on vacation in...