tod

Airport security..

Appreciate the feedback.  (And apologies for the repetition for those who've seen these on another board.)  As far as the heel goes, I know lots of folks like their boot heels taller than me, but all I can say is I've worn a lot of boots over the past 35 years or so and discovered early on that 1" to 1.25" feel good to me and anything taller doesn't.  I feel like I'm walking downhill with taller heels.  Aesthetically, I am quite sure that they would not look bad to me -- my White's and Chippewas both have 1" heels and they look great -- assuming the work was not botched, which is why I was wondering about the feasibility of removing a lift.   Anyway, still undecided on keeping them or not...

4 minutes ago, dudewuttheheck said:

I think those TMC boots look really good and making the heel shorter would make them look worse IMO. It would make the toe look even larger. It looks more balanced as it is now. 

One lift is about 1/8”,  and honestly I don’t think that’s going to make a noticeable difference in the toe.  I may be wrong, but there are lots of white’s boots, for example, that are lowered by a quarter inch and it doesn’t seem to affect the toe visibly. 

10 minutes ago, oomslokop said:

how are the fit and comfort @tod? they look ace btw. the heel looks already perfectly proportioned? might look a bit weird if it's lowered, though maybe feels more to yr liking! i remember you also felt yr rdt heel was too high (?) and replaced the whole sole with black crepe (?). they looked great.

 Yes, you remember rightly! I also couldn’t quite live with the higher heel on that RDTs. I have learned that anything over an inch just doesn’t work for me. I’m a real “heel striker.“

 As far as fit goes, one of the main issues is that I have high and sharp instep and it’s pushing right up against the place where the tongue and vamp come together. If that makes sense. 

And the Cat’s Paw:

In my current search for a new pair of boots I decided to finally try out for size a pair I’ve always admired from afar, the Toys McCoys Surveyor Boots.  I have to Admit that I love the way they look!  But am not Sure about fit and comfort. 

A few observations:  there is a bit less shiny and it appears in those pictures, which I’m glad for.

Love the rivets!

The tongue is a very thin sort of suede I guess, almost feels like fabric, which I’m not really a fan of.  

Also, the heel feels just a little too tall to me. Anyone know how easy it would be to get one of the lifts removed, while still retaining the cats paw heel? 

A few pics here:

Anyone here try Dundas boots?  A Norwegian co, but I guess the boots are made by William Lennon in the UK maybe..?  Anyway, just curious as to feedback on fit, constuction, etc, and would love to see pics of them being worn -- in some that I've see the sprung toe is extreme, but in others not so much.

12 hours ago, Aries said:

They’re comparable in length to Alden sizing, but wider, I’d compare to an E or EE Alden trubalance.

Thanks!

Looking for sizing info on Toys McCoys boots - more specifically the Surveyor Boots, though I think they are the same fit as the Railman and probably others.  Can anyone compare to Viberg, White's, or Alden?  Thanks!

Current boot lineup:

Chippewa 1 year / White's 5 years / Rolling Dub Trio 3 years

3 hours ago, Geeman said:

TMC boots are being discussed over on Denimbro, Double OO has a real worn in pair that look great and we'll made, he seems really pleased with them. Take a look and drop him a msg. 

https://www.denimbro.com/how-its-worn_topic7_page987.html

 

Thanks, will check it out!

1 hour ago, mpukas said:

One of the best boots ever, IMO. I'll lust after a pair until I'm face-up in a dirt bed. While I don't have any real world experience with either the TMC or the LW Mechanics boots, I've looked endlessly at pics and I think the TMC is a better looking boot. Can't really say that one is any better quality than the other, but I suspect the TMC is as good as it gets. The LW doesn't seem to exude quite the same level. The LW does look wider in the forefoot when looking at the sole view; the TMC look standard width, although I think they are advertised as E width. That may be a consideration of the Trubalance last fits you well. All of that is purely speculation on my part...  

Yeah I'm with you. Hard to beat the Toys Mccoys for looks.  The stitching looks great, and little things like the rivets...  It used to be that I thought they were unreasonably expensive, but these days $600 or so for a pair of high end boots seems to be the going rate, not much more than a pair of Whites.  It's the pain and cost of returning to Japan if the fit is off that really makes me pause.

Oh, and can anyone compare/contrast those Toys Mccoys with Lone Wolf mechanic boots?  They seem very similar...

Anyone have sizing advice for Toys Mccoys boots, especially the surveyor boots?  I have admired them from afar for years, but have never thought too seriously because they always seemed difficult to get in the US, and I had no experience with sizing. But am now thinking about giving them a shot anyway.  I wear a 9.5E in both Whites and Alden trubalance.

22 hours ago, mpukas said:

 Their Arch Ease concept is complete, utter marketing BS nonsense. It's just old-timey snake oil that has persisted over time. 

No man, the arch-ease is real!  As someone with high arches who can't wear any other boots without insoles except for White's, I can attest to the effectiveness of that thick leather arch support.

22 hours ago, mlwdp said:

@todAre we talking Harley or?  I can't see cork soles providing much traction or stability, especially for kick starts and stops on steep and slippery surfaces, but that's just me.  I use my oxfords with the vibram 2021 sole for support.

Triumph Bobber.  The Chippewas have a hard rubber sole actually. Grippy enough for traction, but not so soft that they are going to wear too quickly.  I think I'd miss having a heel if I wore the Vibram squishy soles...

And while I am at it, here are two pics of my Rolling Dub Trio coupen boots (aka work shoes).  I like these a lot, but I have to say that I am slightly disappointed on the workmanship for expensive Japanese bench built boots.  You can only see a hint of it, but there is some loose stitching on the left boot, where the top quarter/eyelets are stitched to the vamp.  And I know creasing is hard to predict, but I don't like the way the CXL on these has worn compared with other CXL boots I've had.  Ah well, not perfect, but still glad I have them..

Very pleased with these cheap Chippewas I got off ebay a couple of months ago.  They are not made of the highest quality materials (eg, there is a plastic fake leather welt of sorts at the back of the boot), and while they say made in the US that is apparently debatable.  Acc to another site a guy cut a pair open and it said made in the China in the toebox.  So maybe "partly assembled" in the US is more likely.  Nevertheless, I am pleased with them.  I bought a similar pair about 15 years ago (which interestingly said made in China at the time), and I wore them regularly for over 10 years.  We'll how long these go.  They make good motorcycle boots, but also everyday wear.

Current line-up:

Rolling Dub Trio / Chippewa / White's

Rolling Dub Trios, new and a few years old (with Vibram resoles).

3 hours ago, edmond said:

the heel looks a little low?

It's White's standard lowered block heel. About 1.25" rather than 1.5".

16 hours ago, mlwdp said:

Bounty Hunters or SJ?  

Bounty Hunters.

Motorcycle damage to my White's heels:

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