Comfort, performance and style are seldom co-habitants when it comes to footwear. But after slipping on icy New York City sidewalks in dress shoes one too many times Columbia Business School colleagues and budding entrepreneurs Connor Wilson and Nolan Walsh decided to create the Thursday Boot Company. "Thursday is the unofficial start to the weekend," explained Wilson as we munched on tacos and sliders at the brand’s New York Fashion Week presentation at Vandal on the Bowery. "You're still working hard on Thursday but you're also ready to have some fun. That's what the Thursday Boot Company is all about."

Made of buttery soft leathers, and durable rubber or stacked-leather soles, Thursday boots are sold mainly through the company's website, but they are also experimenting with some limited retail partnerships. Direct-to-consumer sales have always been important to Wilson and Walsh's business plan in order to keep costs down. Most boots are priced around $200, and while they work well with suits or skirts when traversing a New York City sidewalk in inclement weather, they are also ideal for hiking in Africa, should you find yourself in such a position.

"Two months ago, I was heading to Ghana and Liberia and I needed a new pair of boots," explained actress Rosario Dawson as we sipped on signature cocktails of the downtown venue. After trying on a pair of Thursday boots, she impulsively brought them on her trip, and then spent weeks wearing them as she hiked across challenging terrain. "That's not something you usually do in a new pair of boots without breaking them in first," Dawson said. She was so excited about how the boots held up that she became a Thursday investor when she returned to the States. "They are hand-made with quality and longevity, said Dawson. "And that's something that really speaks to me, in this age of fast fashion."

Actor and musician Tyson Ritter is also an investor in Thursday boots. "I'm from Oklahoma, which is boot country," he said as we listened to DJ Huda play the 50 Cent classic "If I Can't." "But I never liked the way boots felt. It took me 33 years to find a pair of boots that are comfortable and look good." After admitting to a penchant for walking through puddles, Ritter explained that Thursday boots are also waterproof.

"The minute I put them on, I said, 'These are my favorite boots ever!' " said Nina Agdal, an elegant long-legged model who wouldn't seem the least bit out of place teetering around on heels. And given my own footwear choice that night– four-inch stiletto cage heels– I couldn't help but envy Nina's comfy ankle boots. She was working hard, but ready to have some fun in her favorites from Thursday Boot Company. But for me, it was just another Wednesday.

WRITTEN BY KAREN FRAGALA-SMITH

EDITED BY HOLLIS DE LANEY

PHOTOGRAPHY: TACHPASIT KUNAPORN