Cold Summer

I can see how that could be the case @Duke Mantee - however, I'll say that my two pairs of Wesco engineers in the MP last are the best-fitting boots I've ever worn, and really only a bespoke shoe would be an improvement over that. But I do feel my feet are a somewhat unusual shape - low instep, low profile, small ankles, but somewhat long. Also, my right foot is slightly larger and fills out the boot a little more than the left, but the right boot also has more rolling going on. I'm sure the individual qualities of the particular piece of horsehide used for the vamp is a big part of that as well. It makes me wonder if Clinch's pursuit of a particular rolling-focused aging originated in Japanese enthusiasts wearing vintage engineer boots that didn't exactly fit their feet just right (given the relative lack of choice you have for fine-tuning your fit when trying vintage boots), and sort of took on a life of its own in becoming a desirable characteristic - along the same lines as denim's fading or Union Special 43200G roping originally being defects, but now constitute idealized features. I'd be unhappy with such mismatched boots as in the above S&S product photo - but it's easy enough to avoid, just go with the Chromexcel version, which is not just cheaper but regular and predictable in terms of grain. When you go with the Shinki ones you're sort of taking a higher risk/higher reward approach. I hate how black Chromexcel looks on boots like this and didn't mind taking the risk, but I'm in the minority there.

Yeah, I don't like that sort of grain either. My left and right boots don't look exactly the same, but the difference is not really noticeable. I don't have much trouble getting mine on and off, but I have skinny ankles and heels, low profile feet, and a low instep, so all that is probably helping me out. Never had to use the plastic bag trick or anything like that.

I’m still taking daily outfit pics I’m posting on Instagram, but I think I’m going to restrict myself to about two posts per week on this thread to avoid overloading it with my pics. Yesterday: Flat Head houndstooth flannel, single riders jacket, cordovan long wallet, 3005 jeans; John Lofgren Wabash Shinki horsebutt boots.

@Broark Here are my Lofgren Shinki horsebutt engineers. This leather can be a bit of a lottery since I’ve seen some pairs with weird grain or the two boots have dramatically mismatched grain. But my pair is absolutely gorgeous, easily the most beautiful leather on a pair of shoes I’ve owned, and I love the profile. Still breaking in, but they should be very comfortable afterwards. The CXL version is cheaper and easier to get, but I really dislike black CXL. I know you said you don’t like PNW brands, but here are my Wesco Mister Lous. Maryam veg tanned horsehide is great and forming nice rolls. Really the only bad thing about these boots is that the stitchdown stitching is pretty sloppy and uneven, unlike my older Wesco 7500s which are very cleanly stitched. Fit is excellent on these. Unfortunately neither of these is particularly cheap or easy to obtain, but both excellent options.

That's right @Tapori, it's their current production single riders jacket. I should take some detail shots of it; quite beautiful, inside and out.

Awesome jeans, now that's a properly worn-in pair right there.

TSG / RMC / Equus / TFH / Wesco

Wesco 7500. Worn since mid-2019. Great pair of boots. Excellent construction quality, and great patina on the cinnamon colored uppers. They call it “British Tan Domane,” not sure where it’s from, but it has more character than CXL and is more reactive, though it’s not vegetable tanned; probably some kind of combination process. Also very comfortable to wear and walk in. What’s amazing is how these have so much life left in the outsoles despite how much I’ve worn them. Someday when they need a resole I’ll probably have some Dr. Sole Supergrip half soles put on.

@toothSorry you had some issues with yours. I looked over mine pretty closely and I'm happy to say I can't find anything wrong with them, but I suppose even a top end brand like JL makes mistakes sometimes. I looked at a similar pair by Attractions and thought they looked really nice. I slightly preferred the profile of the Lofgren boots, and the fact that I knew exactly which size would work for me in their boots.

@mpukas You could get them altered for a bigger front pocket opening. You'll lose the original rivets (and probably also pocket bags), but a place like Indigo Proof can do it. I had it done on my 3005XXX a couple years ago, at the same time I needed new pocket bags, and it definitely improved the comfort of the front pockets. I agree with you though, my 3009s had annoying small front pocket openings too.

John Lofgren Wabash engineer boots, Shinki Horsebutt edition. Day one. For me, this is the ultimate black engineer boot. The construction is immaculate. The materials sublime. The silhouette, iconic. I had been wearing a pair of black Wesco Mister Lous, after enjoying Wesco's cinnamon-colored 7500 engineers the last 4+ years. However, I'm switching from the Mister Lous to these for a couple reasons. One, my preference for black engineer boots is different from brown, I've realized. I like the all-black look on these, and the more classic profile. I feel the Wescos are more slim and modern looking, intended to be worn with slimmer fitting jeans for a sleeker, edgier look, and between the brown midsole edges and white stitchdown contrast, it makes the boot look too visually busy for me. I will say that although not quite as cool as the Shinki horsebutt, the Maryam horsehide of the Wescos does compare quite favorably. The Lofgren profile has a bit more visual presence and I prefer it over some, such as Clinch, which I feel are too flat-looking in the toe. The stuff you get on the (even more) expensive engineers like Clinch and Role Club, such as hand-stitched welting, is past the point of diminishing returns for me. IMO, the best reason to go with boots like that, are if you really need them bespoke lasted for your feet. It'd be nice to have, but these are good enough for me. Interestingly, these Lofgrens are noticeably lighter than the Wescos. This is actually a good thing for me, as the weight of the Wescos was quite fatiguing. I suspect this is because Lofgren uses a cork footbed, and Wesco, oak bark tanned leather. While technically the latter is a "superior" construction technique, it probably makes little difference if you're not a logger or firefighter, certainly not for my casual wearing of the boots. The 110 last is the same as my Lofgren Steadfast boots, so I took 10.5, same as in those. There's a slight narrowness in the outer toes of the right foot (my right foot being slightly larger than the left), but with the Steadfast boot, that settled in as I wore the boots and is no longer really noticeable, so I think the same will be the case here. As usual, my low profile, low instep feet demand that I tighten the instep strap as tight as freaking possible, but I like the look, and it feels snug enough around the ankle now. Some examples of these boots have ridiculously hexagoned leather grain, which is a bit much for me; but I lucked out on my pair, which have, to my eyes, just the right amount of grain, and should form some nice rolls with wear. Wonderful boots which are sure to be my most worn pair for the foreseeable future.

Flat Head Raspberry Native Check western shirt Flat Head Single Riders Jacket Iron Heart belt Flat Head cordovan long wallet Flat Head 3005 John Lofgren Shinki Horsebutt engineer boots

@Duke Mantee Chest on the jacket measures about 41". I haven't taken my own chest measurement in a long time but I recall it's somewhere around 38". I generally wear tops with a 40-42" chest, anything smaller and it pulls around the buttons when I move my arms/shoulders back, and all that. I'm tall and thin, about 6'3"/191 cm and 160 lbs or so. Really like how this jacket fits in the chest and shoulders, it makes me look more V-shaped than pencil shaped, and width/tightness seems just right all around.

The pocket openings on my 3005s, 3003xx, and 1005 are decent sized. They're not gigantic, but usable enough. This does seem to be an issue on the slimmer fits, no idea why the openings are cut like that.

Cross-post from WAYWT, showing my new TFH leather jacket. Amazing jacket. Beautiful Shinki horsehide, great design, construction, details, and perfect fit. Couldn't be more pleased.

Freenote Cloth flannel Flat Head Single Riders Jacket Iron Heart belt Flat Head cordovan long wallet Flat Head 3005 Wesco Mister Lou horsehide

@Geeman Biggest factor for me is that I don’t have a large rear end and the seat of my jeans is not particularly snug - so when I sit, the wallet pushes off to the side and I’m not actually sitting on top of it. In certain seats and for long periods it can be uncomfortable having the wallet “pushing” into the side of my rear, such as driving long distances; but in that case I’d take it out and sit in my lap or next to my leg. The chain helps me avoid forgetting it’s there and walking off without it! In my experience, this also seemed to be the case observing long wallets in Japan, most of the Amekaji guys aren't wearing snug-fitting pants, and often take out the wallet when they sit down. Sure maybe it comes across as more trouble than it's worth, but there are far crazier ways people "suffer for the sake of fashion," and since I don't care much for/feel strange wearing much conventional jewelry/bling, the wallet stuff adds a unique flavor to my look that you just don't ever see around where I live. It's very much a love-it-or-hate-it type of look, but you can probably guess which side I'm on

Flat Head Honeycomb western flannel Flat Head Native scarf Flat Head down jacket Equus belt Flat Head cordovan long wallet Flat Head 3005 Wesco 7500

Love that shirt @chicote, looks awesome.

Happy New Year’s to everyone. I’m in my Samurai S3000vx, I’m aiming to wear these during winter on days when I’m wearing an untucked shirt, and my TFH 3005s on other days and mix in my TFH hickory stripe pants once a week or so.

Flat Head Strawberries and Cream western flannel Freenote Cloth RJ-1 jacket Flat Head cordovan long wallet Samurai S3000vx jeans Wesco Mister Lou horsehide

Flat Head Houndstooth western flannel Real McCoys A-2 jacket Equus belt Flat Head cordovan long wallet Flat Head 3005 jeans Wesco 7500

Flat Head Salt And Pepper western chambray JCrew cashmere topcoat Flat Head 3005 jeans Wesco Mister Lou horsehide boots

Flat Head western flannel Flat Head 6002W denim jacket Iron Heart Tochigi belt Flat Head cordovan long wallet Flat Head 3005 jeans Wesco Mister Lou horsehide boots

I second that, love the fading gradation on the jacket, especially the back. Looks very much like a vintage garment that was used for hard workin', bravo.