The small footprint / minimalist wallet thread.

[MMiUSA]

So a few years back, I wanted to find a small wallet that could hold a key / coins (if I wanted) bills, and cards but with a super small footprint. That seemed nearly impossible, and I studied pretty hard to find the few wallets that met this criteria. The most famous of all was of course, the Bellroy Hide & Seek.

I liked the Bellroy a lot, but it's a bit steep for a small wallet at ~$100.

There is a Chinese knock-off called the Ikepod that was virtually exactly the same as the Bellroy, but still $40... and questionable whether or not it would be decent quality.

* I don't mind spending money on a wallet, BTW. $40 isn't an insane price, but being I wasn't looking for a designer wallet or something that used exotic materials I definitely wasn't fond of dropping $100 on the Bellroy, and I just was unsure of the Ikepod quality wise.

So I stumbled upon a kickstarter for a wallet called the MiniMax, spoke to the dude who owned / started it (Simon) and elected to give it a shot for ~$30 USD back in 2017. This wallet, I legit swear by still 4 years later. It is tiny, holds coins, cash and cards. If you want to check the wallet out, his new campaign for the MM3 is here.

Pretty inventive. I guess I am still a bit old school and carry more than just cards on occasion, but maybe I am in the minority.

What wallet do you guys use? I know many prefer designer wallets. Figured this would be an interesting thread to show off wallets or help people that are also looking for something small / minimalist but don't want to spend hours researching like I did. Haha.

 

[radicaldog]

I'm on my second Comme des Garçons corner zip wallet and it's great: super compact, simple, discreet depending on the colour you go for. Leather quality is low but I don't even care because it's thin, light, and supple. The only downside is that plastic cards rub directly against each other and so tend to deteriorate a bit quickly.

 

[MMiUSA]

I'm on my second Comme des Garçons corner zip wallet and it's great: super compact, simple, discreet depending on the colour you go for. Leather quality is low but I don't even care because it's thin, light, and supple. The only downside is that plastic cards rub directly against each other and so tend to deteriorate a bit quickly.

View attachment 1577139

For some reason, I never really considered a zip wallet.

Nice stuff!

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The Ashland Leather Frank the Enforcer is a minimalist wallet -- here's mine, in unglazed shell cordovan. The front and back are pictured. There is also a slot in the top that can be used for bills, etc. I like this wallet a lot, it's surprisingly versatile and I carry it more than any of my other wallets:

 

[dieworkwear]

I use a Chester Mox alligator breast wallet. Design is big on purpose so it's easier to fish out of my in-breast pocket

But it's also thin, so it doesn't ruin the silhouette of a tailored jacket

Design is partly inspired by traditional coat wallets, but made more compact cause I don't carry as many cards or a checkbook

Also have a couple of small card cases from Chester Mox and Il Busseto, which I use in conjunction with an Elsa Perretti money clip. I use those with casualwear, as the coat wallet is too big for casual jackets.

 

[sargeinaz]

I bought a Chester Mox wallet due to an article written by @dieworkwear about 3 years ago. It has an Italian shell cordovan exterior and a French chèvre interior. I absolutely love the thing. I use it everyday. It’s my only wallet. I believe it’s model number 53.

Anyways, it’s so durable and well made. There isn’t a single stitching even fraying let alone torn. The thing literally looks brand new and Ive never done anything take care of it. I recommend them to everyone. I couldn’t be happier and I don’t even think about how much I spent on it since it’s worth every penny.

 

[josepidal]

Haven't found anything better than the Swaine Adeney London Tan bridle leather bifold, minimalist but elegant.

 

[Its Joseph]

I use a Chester Mox alligator breast wallet. Design is big on purpose so it's easier to fish out of my in-breast pocket

View attachment 1577326 View attachment 1577327

But it's also thin, so it doesn't ruin the silhouette of a tailored jacket

View attachment 1577328 View attachment 1577329


Design is partly inspired by traditional coat wallets, but made more compact cause I don't carry as many cards or a checkbook


View attachment 1577331 View attachment 1577330



Also have a couple of small card cases from Chester Mox and Il Busseto, which I use in conjunction with an Elsa Perretti money clip. I use those with casualwear, as the coat wallet is too big for casual jackets.

This wallet is fantastic ..
I’d love to purchase one of these .. I used to only wear alligator wallets.. very hard to find now
Joseph

 

[WriterActor]

I love this one. It fits anywhere, including pants side pocket. I don't need/want to carry keys in my wallet, but I need multiple cards, ID and cash. This is terrific for that purpose, and costs very little. I've had it for more than a year.

(I'm just a user, not affiliated with the company in any way. It's changed my life--I went from the guy with a fat wallet who had to take it out of the rear pants pocket and put it on the table to eat at a restaurant to carefree me now. Of course, I had to prune the number of cards and random stuff in my wallet. But this still holds what I need, and is ultra thin and feather light.)

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[MMiUSA]

I didn't put any pictures in the first post of the MiniMax, but here is one I took and one stock photo showing the features. Mine is more "small footprint" than minimalist I suppose, as it retains tiny shape but still allows me coins / cash / cards.

 

[Dodgeful Artist]

I recently switched out my (aging) card holder for this red hornback bifold that I bought a number of years ago. The card configuration is 3 and 3, plus a money clip. Like many bifolds, this wallet has interior pockets for extra cards; I don't use them because stuffing my wallet with old memberships and other unnecessary cards ruins the svelte profile that I've worked so hard since my high school days to achieve (were corpulent wallets ever in style?).

It may not look this way from the photos, but the hornback ridges have a considerable topography to them that makes the wallet easy to find in an exterior pocket (and confusing for pickpockets?). After about 8 months of consistent use, the wallet is showing no significant signs of wear.

 

[Shawnc]

The Ashland Leather Frank the Enforcer is a minimalist wallet -- here's mine, in unglazed shell cordovan. The front and back are pictured. There is also a slot in the top that can be used for bills, etc. I like this wallet a lot, it's surprisingly versatile and I carry it more than any of my other wallets:

View attachment 1577229
View attachment 1577231

Similar one here. Have had it for a little over a year and I love it. I've always carried my cash in my pocket so minimalist is all I need. It has aged quite nicely........

 

[wttm]

I'm on my second Comme des Garçons corner zip wallet and it's great: super compact, simple, discreet depending on the colour you go for. Leather quality is low but I don't even care because it's thin, light, and supple. The only downside is that plastic cards rub directly against each other and so tend to deteriorate a bit quickly.

I vouch for this! One of my most beloved wallets I've ever used. Very accessible to purchase with many different seasonal colors to choose from beside the staple colors.

 

[jab296]

You may be interested in kangaroo leather wallets from Australian shops such as Rose Leather Crafting, Nivisto, or Harrison. Super thin but also very strong