mattbernier

As a former trail worker who put in several 9-12 mile days in Baxter State Park and Deboullie Public Land unit in both White's with a higher than normal heel, and in Red Wings with a normal height heel, I'll chime in with my own input. The White's are indeed heavy and the heels slightly more difficult on rocky downhills where you can't kick the heel into the dirt to form a step. But they're the only boot or shoe I've worn where my feet came out of the boot every day feeling exactly like they did when I put them in. (Although they often looked different- during river crossings or rain storms the boots would dye my feet orange.) The Red Wings are lighter and more "athletic", but are less protective, and make my feet feel more tired and used at the end of a day. Where the Red Wings ended up being preferable during long hikes, I really missed them when I had to stand for extended periods on hard ground, and when I had to lift heavy things. The White's made both activities much easier.

Here's what my White's looked like after their trail seasons:

I love how the color is developing on these. Funny thing with the sprung toes is, they hardly crease because they don't get bent there much.

I often wind up at Superfuture forums when researching the construction, fit, and reliability of boots before I buy them. These forums often have the best, and sometimes the only, photos and accounts by people who have actually worn certain boots.  So I'm reposting this text from a FB post I made to my fellow Maine Conservation Corps trail workers about these Willaim Lennon boots I bought, so someone like me could find this info too:

 

"Had these about a week now and I feel like it's really important for me to say something about these for all the people I know in trail work. I got these boots on sale at Portland Trading Company They're a special makeup between their house brand Kofi and British work boot maker William Lennon. The reasons I think trail people need to know about this company are the fit, quality, customizability, and price.

English lasts are famously generous in the toe box, but what I didn't realize till I tried these on is, they are very snug and secure in the heel. Even in my "sized and fit" Red Wings, I need an insole to keep my heel from sloshing around and my toes are slightly crowded. In these boots, my heel is snug and secure, but my toes can splay fully apart. Total opposite. It makes a big damn difference in stability and balance. My feet fit in these boots WITHOUT insoles, which means my feet are fully in contact with the solid, vegetable tanned insole, as they goddamned well should be. Speaking from experience with my White's, such a sole will mold to your foot and become dreamily comfortable. I have thin ankles and midfeet, and these are the first boots I have ever tried on where the laces didn't close completely before they were snug enough without the help of an insole and kilty. My version of these problems is extreme, but I know very few trail workers whose boot heels don't feel sloppy and whose toes don't feel cramped.

These boots are shockingly light, but are as sturdy in construction as White's. Instead of welt stitching, they use blake stitching AND threaded brass screw wire to stitch the midsole, insole, and upper together. There are only five machines that can do this left on Earth, and William Lennon has two of them. Rubber soles can be glued and screwed onto the leather midsole if desired.

The ability to customize an order is insane. I like tall boots. That's fine, as they can build it as high as ten inches. They can build the boot with the eyelet facings further apart, so they will lace tighter and not close up as they stretch. They can make it steel toe or non steel toe. I can choose the leather I want. I can choose eyelets or speedhooks. If I wanted I could have them leather lined. I can order different kinds of sole or send them one of my own to put on.

And finally, the base price for those boots? About $150. For less money than a pair of Red Wings, you can have a boot whose quality level matches that of $450 boots. With MUCH less weight, which is a big issue on hike ins.

Their customer service person Libs is actually the granddaughter of William Lennon, and I've been corresponding with her a lot with my questions. She can answer things like what your British shoe size would be, and what options they can give you with different models.

Clearly I am in love with these and I will be buying work boots from them in the future."

 

 

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Just posted these for sale: http://supertalk.superfuture.com/index.php?/topic/147290-ll-bean-katahdin-iron-works-boots-7ee-made-in-usa/ Proceeds go to resoling my White's!

Link to listing: http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1555.l2649

You don't usually see these this shiny or dark. These were my work boots for years, during which time they received many coats of dubbin, which changed the leather in a rather desirable way, to my taste. Then they became my casual boots, and I started shining up the toes a bit for fun. They're in great condition; the soles are hardly worn, despite years of use, and the leather has little more than some shallow scratches. No cracks, I kept them very supple. I took very good care of these and I hope they'll find a loving home.

Well, lovely work it is!

Bodyslam, did Red Wing do that or did you have a cobbler do it?

Here's a bit of age: White's Bounty Hunters, plain brown leather, cap toe. Owned these for four years. Originally made with mini vibram soles. First three years worn as walking around boots, then resoled with Honey Vibrams and taken down 1/4" in the heel for a trail crew job. This is them after 962 hours of service. I wore them every day from April through November, in all weather, through stream crossings and swamps and rock work and up to 12 miles of hiking a day, an average of six. They have scratches and fraying, but not one, not ONE stitch has failed.

I thought folks on this forum might find this of interest: I couldn't find any diagrams online of how Red Wing's supersole was stitched together, until I looked up the patent, which has a diagram. Here it is, along with the patent description: http://www.google.co...ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ

just got some of the leather laces from White's. they're super high quality, really nice and oily. Rob at White's told me on the tour that the guy who makes these only has one customer, White's. Pretty cool.

you can definitely feel the difference from the piddly semi-dress laces they send with the boots.

I just love those laces. They have just a little bit of give, which made my boots much more comfortable breaking in. They also lace SECURELY. Never had them slip, not even on hikes. With age they turn entirely brown, and they sort of blend in as a natural part of the boot. They're very strong, too, quite a bit thicker than others I've seen. I'm delighted to hear they're such a unique item.

Brannock: 7D, though because my big toe points almost straight forward I have never fit into a D width in anything.

Alden Trubalance (Indy shoe): 6.5E, almost perfect except that the heel could be a bit narrower.

Munson last 7EE (LL bean Katahdin Ironworker): Bit roomy, requiring an insole, but with an insole a good fit. Pity they don't make a Munson 7E.

White's Bounty Hunters: 7E, best fit in any shoes I own, though I wonder if I might be able to go a touch longer and a tad narrower. I didn't do custom measure on these.

Dress shoes, brand unknown: 7E, good fit

European style hiking boots, brand unknown: 8D, require insole for a decent fit.

Virtually all sneakers: 8.

Xallanx, here's my recent experience with this issue:

I ordered a pair of Bounty Hunters through Bakers, sending tracings along. For reasons I haven't figured out, White's came back with some VERY funny sizes, left 8 A and right 7.5 A. Thing is, I'm normally a 7E. Size 8 shoes are normally too long for me, and even through the brannock puts me at a D width, my big toe points straight forward rather than at an angle on both feet, increasing the width needed. I can BARELY squeeze my toes, uncomfortably, into a D width shoe of even a wide last like the trubalance. I am, by the way, a 6.5E in trubalance, a perfect fit. (It's true that it runs large, though in my case, not a full size.)

So I wrote to Bakers with all this, and Kyle said it sounded like I was a 7E, but I was apprehensive about ordering them, as these would be a custom makeup, and I wouldn't be able to return them if they didn't fit. So Kyle at Baker's sent me a pair of shoes in my size and desired last to try on, with a return shipping label. Five pounds, both ways, for free, just to get the size right.

And 7E turned out to be perfect. The arch hit me just in the right place, no heel movement even at an angle, JUST enough room for my toes.

I have no idea what the deal was with the tracings. I made a little jig to keep the pencil absolutely straight up and down during the tracings, and took each measurement twice. I worse my boot socks for the measurements. All I know is I can't even get my foot into an A width shoe, let alone walk in it. But Baker's really went all out on their customer service on this one, and I recommend them highly.

I should specify too, I want to get them properly stitched on, not glued on.

Bonus points if the cobbler has/can get quabaug heels.

Hi,

Just bought a pair of Alden Indy shoes, and would like to get the leather sole and funky foot balance heel replaced with a vibram half-sole and heel.

Can anyone recommend a cobbler in NYC who can do this well for less than, say, $100? I figure this is the sort of operation people on this forum have probably had done.

Hi,

Just bought a pair of Alden Indy shoes, and would like to get the leather sole and funky foot balance heel replaced with a vibram half-sole and heel.

Can anyone recommend a cobbler in NYC who can do this well for less than, say, $100? I figure this is the sort of operation people on this forum have probably had done.