coleslawyum

In terms if finishing and attention to detail, based on what I've experienced, from best to worst:

- Alfred Sargent

- Viberg

- Alden's

- White's

If you are looking for CXL, only White's and Viberg offer that as an option. MTO Alfred Sargent has been my best experience based on choices, ease and cost. Alden's has no MTO program, so you're pretty much in the hands of the retailer. White's is still the cheapest for the options you can get, but I've always been a bit (not a lot) disappointed by the the finishing. It's a true heavy duty work boot. Viberg falls between a work boot and a dress boot.

Another option you should look at is Lone Wolf Boots. They are about $680 and are made of CXL.

Looks like the wk lasts are inspired by concrete bricks. I love the craftsmanship and care put into the work, however. 2 year wait seems insane. Its a good thing he has other jobs to subsidize his boot business. He must make like 1 pair of boots a month. I rather get some mto shoes instead for that kind of money and less wait. I guess you have to be a big fan to cough up almost $2000 for work boots.

I use vinegar to get out a lot of different stains around the house. Never tried it on shoes, but i guess it works too.

I usually never wear the same shoes 2 days in a row and I never let them stay dirty. I don't polish them obsessively, but I always give them a good brushing over and I clean and moisturize the leather soles with Lexol. Makes them last for years.

Thanks! I'll probably re-heel them at some point in the future, or I might just wait till the sole catches up. This particular horsehide is a tank. Looks like it'll take a lot of abuse. Looking forward to some more pics.

Nice boots, coleslawyum. I'm going to get a little something in shell next year, methinks...Been half-tempted by the Skye 2 but might go for a lighter shade instead.

Thanks Ben. Too bad the Skye 2 is in dark brown shell. Although so is the Wolverine, and the patina is showing through quickly. I love the regular Skye 1 in chestnut. It's my favorite dress boot.

Rider Boots Ravello Cordovan 3 years

Get Your pops to wear poper boots. I find them more bearable than straight up cowboy boots.

Wolverine 744LTD. Looks better with a little bit of age.

Wow, this was on Page 4.

Buco Horsehide 1 year. Don't wear these often enough.

Not surprising, Cat's Paw heels are done…

Toys McCoy / Real McCoys: dress shoe like finishing. Impeccable details. Highest quality materials used.

White's: Very workboots like craftsmanship. . Rough finishing. Good to beat up. Heavy.

Lone Wolf: Somewhere in between McCoys and White's. Uses chromexcel. I think Red Wing is a better choice money wise.

Yes, Toyo Enterprise is behind Sugar Cane, Mr. Freedom, (production side), Cheswick etc. etc.

I think they even started a small capsule of Cat's Paw "clothing" which probably has to licensed in order to be produced.

In terms of Real McCoy's and Toys McCoy, they use their own specific factory separate from who Sugar Cane uses. Could be more than one company that licenses Cat's Paw.

I'm also beginning to think that the Real McCoys, Toys McCoys soles and heels are repros. They don't seem to match my NOS Cat's Paw from the 60's in terms of material and composition. The ones on the Buco's and Railman's are much spongier. Kind of explains why they can release the same number of boots year after after.

As evidenced by the 2013 Real McCoy's catalog. Another release of 200 pairs of heels and soles. Unless they unearthed some buried mine full of Cat's Paw, they must be making them from scratch.

BTW, I think I found the next pair of Sargents I what to pick up. Harris Tweed / AS.

I'm not hating on other brands, but AS is really doing it right these days. Construction is on par with C&J and the Handgrade collection rivals Edward Green at a lower price point. Also their MTO options are fantastic. Something to think about. Big thanks to Chay Cooper, the man behind the recent Handgrade and Exclusive collections.

True thats the only way I've found them. BTW, what size are your heels? If your boots are 7.5 US, you always have to go with a size 8 or 9 heel. Which I happen to have a pair… (9-10, that is)

Viberg and Wesco call their construction "stitch-down" but its basically a Veldt as well.The upper creates a channel by turning out instead of in like most welted footwear. It makes it more water resistant. It is not the same as a storm welt, or Norwegian welt.

Yeah, I didn't have a clue either, until I tried on a pair of C&J and then it rolled downhill from there. Been almost an obsession of mine these days. I love the history, the craftsmanship as well as the small shops that still do bespoke. Beats a pair of Alden's or any American shoe any day, (sorry) in terms of style, craft and finish.

CTB, I didn't really pay attention, that a lot of shoemakers were moving away from the classic English look. I think I like that English manufacturers have stepped their game up a bit, because denim looks great with those wild finishes!

Some Samurai Love…

JIN Jacket. From a few years ago. I don't get to where this often, but still beautiful denim.

0500xx. I can't believe I've had this for 5 years. Don't wear them as often either, only during the cold months.

Say it ain't so b_f… but I feel you.

My favorite jeans from Samurai has always been their interpretation of classics:

- JIN Leepro, Leepro Jacket and Wrangler repro

- RR (esp. 510 and 510-66)

- 5000vx, 3000vx

I would say that I'm more of a Warehouse and Real McCoys fan in terms of an overall brand, but the classic Samurai will always bring me warm feelings, like a pair of No 1 Evisu.

Google yielded some results. I can't vouch for any of them…

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And BERBERJIn has a repair shop in Shibuya.

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Some guy thoroughly thrashed his Wolverine 721 on SF. He's been on hiking trips, knee deep in rivers and all kinds of other crap. And after all that, a bit of oil and a brushing, the cordovan leather still look great. I'll try to find the link sometime.

Its in a heavily populated store-centric neighborhood. So lots of other places to see around there as well.

Speaking of which, I love the new fit of the Sorahiko for 2012. They've made the rise taller and the the legs straighter and slimmer. No hip flares either. I hate the price however, $400…

Nice build and a whole lot of boot for the price. CXL is a pretty oily leather, so I agree that RRL doesn't use it. Its very dry in comparison.

Looking forward to seeing those - I really like some of their designs but not sure that they're really my 'style'. Have you gone for a shoe or a boot, mate?

At first I thought G&G was an Italian shoe company since the designs felt a bit like that. But they do have more traditional English shoes, but still made with a small heel and a sharply bevelled waist.

Some more conservative shoes I found around the intranets:

Even if it isn't your thing, I definitely think you can rock some of them, especially the boots.

I went for a loafer this time around. Prices are around £500~£700.

Bonus pic from Men's Ex:

The reason why they can get a sharp bevelled waist is because they use a molded wooden shank:

Cleaning day again… horween shell. usually a light brushing is all the leather needs to bring it back to a shiny luster. I don't even use polish.

Also some bespoke beauties from G&G. if you ever are looking for some high end mto shoes, i highly recommend G&G. They are a tad more elegant than Edward Green, and they are a very small operation. Prices are the same. Also Dean Girling is a great guy and extremely helpful with explaining the whole manufacturing process. mto takes about 4-5 months. And if you are a baller, you can go full bespoke.

since I'm not a baller, I put my mto order in.

I remember this old post from chicken who translated an interview from Lightning Magazine.

Tips on Maintenance

Denim Works, located in Shibuya, is a shop that’s trusted by serious denim collectors. They do everything from repairs and hemming with chain stitches, customizations such as downsizing the waist size and modifying the silhouette, production of original jeans and made-to-order jeans. It’s an incredible shop for denim lovers looking for highly skilled help and practical advice.

The owner of Denim Works, Takashi Fukuda, who has done countless numbers of denim repairs shares his maintenance knowledge here.

1. Is it true that you shouldn’t wash your jeans to get beautiful contrasts?

t is true if you are looking just for contrasts. But as you wear your jeans, sweat and grease gets inside the fabric, making it soggier and weaker against abrasion. In other words, your denim becomes prone to rip apart. So if you want your denim to last you should wash your denim often. During winter, wash your denim when it starts feeling a little damp.

2. Is it true that it’s better to turn your jeans inside-out when you wash them?

If you read fashion magazines and stuff, they’ll say things like, “Dry your jeans inside-out. If not your denim will get sunburned and will lose its color.†But when it comes to vintage denim, it’s a different story. Quite often, vintage jeans will have threads that have weakened over time. If you turn the jeans inside-out, the thread can get caught in the washing machine, causing it to tear apart. If possible, put your jeans, without turning it inside-out, inside a net before throwing it into a washing machine, then wash softly. Because it’s a precious article, one might think of washing it slowly with hand… but that’s going a bit too overboard. When you’re drying it, don’t worry about things like sunburns. For example, if you’re wearing your jeans during summer, you’re exposing it in the sun the whole time, yet it’s never a problem. However, if you have just purchased a new denim, you would want to wash your jeans two to three times inside-out to get rid of starch.

3. Will your fabric tighten up and become more durable if you dry your denim in a dryer?

It’s not like it’s absolutely bad, but if you use a dryer, your fabric will shrink radically and the denim’s surface will become soft. If you prefer your denim to be somewhat rigid, it’s much better to dry it naturally in the sun. It will dry crisply and it also feels good to wear something that has been sitting in the sun. Drying naturally is the best.

4. Is it better to avoid detergent with bleach?

Bleach, not only will turn your whole jeans white, but will also hurt its fabric. You probably don’t have to worry about detergents with just tiny amount of bleach in it. But for those who really care, it’s probably better to use denim detergents specifically designed to effectively remove grease and stains. I’ve actually heard of people who use spring water to wash their denims to avoid small amount of chlorine that’s inside tap water, but I wouldn’t worry about such a small amount of chlorine.

5. I’ve heard I shouldn’t use any detergent, but is it okay to use it when I feel like my jeans are getting too dirty?

While ago during vintage denim craze, it was said that it’s cool to not wash your jeans. There was a time when people celebrated the idea of not washing and respected people who claimed “I haven’t washed my jeans for one whole year.†But that’s just a myth and it’s better to wash your jeans often. Cellulose inside sweat and grease damages the fabric. If you let your jeans go dirty for a while, it could cause your denim to tear suddenly. If you wash often, your fabric can stay in a good shape and will result in longevity.

6. If my denim rips, can I repair it myself?

If you don’t screw up basic procedures, you can repair simple tears in places like the knee and the crotch. I even recommend this to customers who visit my shop. For patching, you can buy the denim from fabric stores or get them from jeans you’ve stopped wearing. Then all you need to do is just carefully sew using a sewing machine. If you sew along the direction of your denim’s weave pattern, it’ll be hard to notice the patch. Another way to do it is to use a fabric from your favorite shirt you can’t wear anymore and patch your jeans up in a trendy fashion. Things like that could deepen your affection toward your jeans.

7. Take preventative measures before damage worsens. (Extra)

I’ll never say things like “Store it in the drawers because it’s vintage!†Vintage jeans are cool when they are worn. But of course, jeans that have been worn for years have denim fabric and threads that have become fragile. Especially cotton yarns are very prone to tears. Although you can’t change this fact, it’s better to take preventative measures like patching your denim early before they start to rip apart. Other than that, you can maintain your denim by washing and drying in ways that won’t harm the fabric as explained in this page.To summarise, if you want high contrast fades, wash as little as possible. At the end of the day, jeans are meant to be thrashed and wear and wash them as you deemed fit.

Used to be Denim Works in Shibuya, but I think he's moving to Hiroshima.

Yes, they have them here.

Sorry got them confused. My apologies. I think Indonesia needs to step their shoe game up anyhow. Can't expect people to spend their hard earned cash on bullshit.