rungo

On 2/25/2018 at 3:01 PM, gumchum said:

@itsbenhere Here's a shot from the side. A bit hard to see from this angle, but the teeth at the start are squeezed somewhat close together. I can try to get another shot of the area when zipped. The way the teeth come together there looks to be slightly off.

 

Probably worth a try, but a low key solution that might help is to rub some wax on the zipper and run it up and down a few times, it can help by providing a little lubrication, which can be a problem with metal tooth zippers.

White paraffin wax is your best bet, if you had an unscented white candle around, that will probably do the trick.

Might help, might not, but it shouldn't hurt anything.

I've had good success in my locale finding a cobbler recognized for  working on quality goodyear welted footwear, for one piece resoles.  Work has been tidy, and held up well enough to warrant a return trip once the sole had worn down.  Most cobblers working on footwear that is expensive enough to deserve being repaired these days need to be pretty competent, otherwise I don't think their business would stay open very long.

Also in a personal opinion, the Vibram 2060 is one of the worst soles ever put on a boot. It may be long wearing and have that 'squishy' feel, but the grip is between awful and horrendous. I find more grip on my leather sole/stacked heel shoes than with the 2060. Not as long wearing, but the Christy (4014) sole, has proven to have better performance in varied conditions, with a pretty high level of comfort. It is heavier, though.

If it was a resole with leather soles, I would wager most of that will go away with the break in.  New leather soles tend to be rather stiff, so even a small amount of tension in the sole attachment/stitching will be noticeable at first, and go away quite quickly with a bit of wear.

That's been my experience anyway, the first week is like 'oh I don't know if this went right' and after that everything evens out and you'll be back to where your comfort was before.  I've had that experience with 2-3 resoles on different shoes/boots.

If my newish pair of Lot 770s are anything to go on, I would suggest not worrying about the price in correlation to quality.  Probably best to make sure that the measurements are going to work for you and go for it.

One of the better fits I've had in a while, in addition the most functional front pockets I have ever experienced in Japanese denim. I can actually fit like, stuff in there.

Figured i would add this review here that i posted on reddit a few hours ago....

 

 

I have to say, I have a very similar pair going on year 3 from Yuketen right now, they are the same colour (more or less), unlined rough out db style toe stitch, and they're the old 7 hole style (all eyelets, new 7 holes have speed hooks).

After putting them through the paces a few times, I have to say, while I found them pretty comfortable out of the box (Yuketens fit me exceptionally well), they took a good 3+ months of regular wear to really start to wear in the mid sole, they are built for the long haul.

The one major downside for me was the 2021 sole, which is between crap and awful on anything approaching snow or ice, and doesn't take particularly well to the field/hills in the summer either.  It lasts damn near forever, and is springy the whole way through, but it is not the most functional piece for outdoor use.  I strongly prefer a Cortina or Roccia style sole unit with these, makes them much more useful for a jaunt through the forest with the dogs.

Overall, I think the style of boot takes a bit of getting used to, but they are perhaps under rated as really enjoyable boots to wear, and they wear in possibly more comfortably than anything else I have tried thus far.  I got mine for a song ($260 CAD, shipped), but having said that, if I ever need another pair, I might strongly consider putting the full price down for a make up I'm really keen on.

I'll try to get a pic up in a bit, but I don't own a quality camera, so it will be peasant quality.

Strange,

My PR Heritage 17oz has a single chain stitch inseam.  The fit isn't bad, but definitely not the favorite of  anything I've ever had.

The one thing that kills me is the front pockets, I went sort of .5 size down, pretty normal for me, in a somewhat more relaxed cut, but they are neigh impossible to get anything in or out of, due to the small width of the opening.

Given that I scored them for about $100, they are pretty solid jeans.

@Ben what kind of kicks are those? Is that the Italian flag on the heel?

If I'm correct, those are Visvim Skagways, of some description or other.

Hey boot experts, little question for you - what would you suggest as a good cream/wax/whatever for my boots (Lofgren engineers made from Chromexcel, Flat Head boots made from horsehide)? I've used products like saddle soap, Hubert's shoe grease, and Equus leather conditioner, but none of these give me the shine I've seen in pictures of nicely maintained engineer boots. Any suggestions?

In addition to the Saphir reno, maybe try out some color appropriate paste polish (I use Saphir), it doesn't build quite the same way as hard polish does, but I find on my black and dark brown footwear, it really brings that deep shine, without looking glassy.

Most people wildly overestimate what their inseam is.  We have NBA players shopping at our stores buying 34" inseam jeans.  

That's not to say you don't need a longer inseam if you need a wild stack or a double cuffed jean, but in reality very few people need an inseam over 35" or so.

I gotta say, the whole reason I got into Japanese denim was the availability of a long inseam with a waist size (actually) below 32".  I'm about 6'1, and manage to need a 34.75" inseam if I want to cover my socks while wearing low shoes (I basically don't have a torso).  One of my friends who I turned on to Japanese denim happens to take the same inseam I do, except he's 6'11.

The concept of a long inseam, especially somewhere like Self Edge who can put a proper hem on it, means that no matter what length you need or want can be made. You can always cut fabric, but you can't add it if its not there.

Would be neat, although perhaps a bit conspicuous if he did like, a western yolk on the grizzly jkt or something.

From personal experience, Obenaufs is a far superior protector of work boots than the RW conditioner, especially when it comes to abrasive dusts (cement) and serious water/mud exposure. However, I would also state, that I have personally found the Obenaufs liquid to do a better job of sheer waterproofing than the HD, although, with the application schedule required for my work boots, I may just prefer the liquid because its faster.

Recently acquired a pair of Yuketen Maine guide boots from Barney's Warehouse at well...substantial discount. Needed some new dog walking boots, and I have a rather fond spot for my dress mocs, but they weren't too hot for walking long distances in, as I can slip them on and off without touching the lacing, so blisters are possible. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but they are my style, and definitely meet the highest standards of comfort.

Olive rough out, with a vibram EVA type sole. I'm not totally convinced on the sole durability, but I'll just get a kletterlift thrown on when these wear out anyway. The only thing I'm not sure about is what I'll do to them when winter comes around, either dub them, or oil them, which will have different effects on the texture.

Quick fit pic. They don't stand out as much as you might think.

They do have some nifty shoe bags.

All right Northern boys, time to get off your arse and go...more North.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-21588578

Some 1940s goodness with these CC41-stamped boots in a size 11 - unusual to find boots in that size from that period, in my experience:

.....

And another decent find (even if I say so myself!) with these Edward Green suede brogues sourced from the States, branded 'Trafalgar' and with the UK size crossed out and replaced with the American size. But the original EG width was a 'D' (narrow) so shouldn't these have been marked a US 10 C, or have I just made that up?

If they were US bound they could have botched the size but not the width marking, and thus the width was an American D from the start, which would be 'standard' width at the time (although it seems E is the standard width now).

No pictures, but if anyone has the 2010 Brew Dog Tokyo Star cellaring, it is drinking VERY well right now, although, I suppose a few more years probably wont hurt anything...

After what could be described as "a delay" here are some pics of my first Pima run 5507's, colors are fairly accurate, although there is a bit more contrast in real life. They are powerfully easy wearing, if not questionable in the stitching durability department. This is probably 1.5 years of wear in, just after their second crotch rebuild.

The Pima cotton is a two way street for fading, its MUCH softer but it also means there is less resistance to move in the fabric. I have some of the old new run 5507, and the denim has an almost satin feel, it moves very fluidly compared to handling the Texas cotton pairs, and even compared to my much more worn Flatheads. On the upswing though, the fabric is pretty resiliant, and BF, you won't be getting a whole lot of texture out of it if its like mine, but oh man are they comfortable. I like the Pima jeans actually, they are by a wide margin the most comfortable denim I have fabric wise, but still thick and substantial. Will get some pics up, if they decide to work.

Yuketen dress mocs, shot these with flash so it would show up, but I thought it was pretty neat that where my toes and foot are show up in the vamp now. Been wearing these for about a month. Sole still pretty stiff though.

Yeh but this is my point - a moccasin is stitched at the top with the insole inside, littleway stitched through to the outsole - there's no way to attach the insole to a welt as it's contained within the upper.

edit - sorry I overlooked the last bit - I've given up English shoes, they just don't work for me

If you've got the Maine Guide,. any heel slip? The shaft looks to be directly vertical!

I have the chukkas currently, and there is heel slip out the ass, but that is subsiding as the sole becomes more flexible with wear (a lot of wear), however, I have tried on the Maine Guide, and while there is some heel slip, its not as pronounced as you would think. The pictures are deceiving, there is some shape to the shaft, and I feel that with the proper size and a thorough breaking in, heel slip should be minimized.

To illustrate what I mean about the heel slip, when I wear my yuks for a while, and a little bit of sweat builds into the sock to facilitate my sock and foot sticking slightly to the rear of the heel, rather than transition to an unpleasant rubbing, I get a strong reduction in heel slip, which I find gets better with continued wearings.

To address the point of 'true moccasin' construction, really, anything shy of a full leather all soft moc could be called false. I believe that they are referring to the vamp construction, and how it is actually comprised of two separate pieces, which are then joined with a proper moccasin toe construction including a non stiffened to box, rather than a moc toe, as see in some work boots. Where the moccasin vamp really does have a profound impact on fitting and comfort (as a side note, initial fit should be snug to quite snug through the foot for best results), an aesthetic moc toe, does considerably less in terms of fitting for example Red WIngs (which I use as work boots, and find to be extremely comfortable as well).

If you do decide to look into Yuketens, the fitting is as follows - widths as normal, I find the moccasins fit 1/2 size smaller than standard US, or the same size as Red Wings or Alden Barrie last. They should be pretty fitted when new, through the forefoot mine have stretched quite considerable to accommodate my very high instep. They take well to breaking in, but its a slow process.

In a related note, I thoroughly do not understand people who claim their boots are 'broken in' in a few days, or a week, or any such nonsense. I get break in periods in the months, comparing a fresh pair to something that's been worn to be fully formed to my foot.

Its two different parts of the shoe being covered. True moccasin construction refers to the construction in the vamp and forefoot area, which allow the shoe to flex around your foot, does shit for water resistance, but quite a lot for comfort (check out Russell Mocs website for a far clearer explanation, with pictures and the like).

As far as the sole is concerned, I have a pair of the dress chukkas on the cristy sole, and they are a 360 degree flat goodyear welt.

As a testament to Yuketens, they are extremely comfortable and easy wearing, I have to say, far more comfortable than my english footwear actually...

Does anyone know where I might come by some heavyweight denim overalls? The Ironheart 805s are nowhere to be found with a restock some time unknown, and I would rather like to get in on this thing, if possible.

I've been eyeing up some IH Overalls for work purposes for a while, are those contest eligible? (the denim one, obvs.)

^Being in chicago, I should be spoiled when it comes to Oakstreet...Seeing the boots online, I wasn't sure how I felt about them, seemed a bit too slim and "Fashion Forward" to me but when I dropped by Independence on Oak, they looked AMAZING in person (and being worn). They are the reason I can't buy jeans right now, and I'm also tempted by the blacks at Context (do they have them yet?)...

They're in at Context if your wallet is ready for impact http://www.contextclothing.com/item.php?id=3785

crat nice...boot, is it rrl?

These are Paraboot. I have this pair in a burgundy color, very comfortable, although waterproofing past where the tongue is is very questionable (ie non-existent) although they perform well in snow, which I see a lot of. For how comfortable and easy wearing they are, they hold up to abuse very well; I actually use mine for hiking, as well as kicking around.

To offer some additional support, I have the steel toe Red Wing version (essentially) of the elk tracker. They keep my feet dry and comfortable in a brewery where everyone else wears rubber boots. Surprising comfort, I would probably rate them as my most comfortable pair of footwear for all day wear currently.

As for the waterproofing, in 4 months I haven't had so much as damp toes spending all day either standing in water, or with constant splashing.