The Horse Leather Footwear Contest

[mikecch]

Place holder for the horse leather footwear contest - this post will be updated with the latest details:

Good morning from Australia!

Thought it would be a good idea to get a shoe/boot wearing contest started!

Similar to the current Roy x Cone contest thread, I'm hoping for a combination of fit-pics, details, leather care, polish & conditioning tips & tricks, repairs, and "what are your shoes doing today"...horsehide stories around the world, basically.

My initial thoughts:

* Footwear has to be some kind of horsehide, whether it be shell, veg. tanned strip, front-quarter or re-tanned (e.g. CXL horsehide), etc.

* Each contestant can enter up to 3 pairs if they wish (to encourage rotation)

* Judging can be done by the forum or judges - what is looked for is not how badly you trash a pair of shoes, but how the leather and the shoes overall has changed over time with honest wear

* Start time will be early to mid-2012; gives people time to acquire shoes & boots (as we know some MTO can take a long time)

* Footwear must be brand-new at the start of the contest (no slightly worn or nos vintage)

* Contest length, after considering the evolution of the different cuts & tannages of horsehide, IMO should be 2 years.

Overall, I think it should be a low-stress deal.

There's no compulsion to have to buy boots/shoes from a particular source, there's no limit on the footwear style as long as it is horsehide, and you can update as frequently or as little as you like.

Being that up to 3 pairs are allowed, we won't need to stick to one pair of shoes either - and work requirements that usually make denim contests difficult won't be so much of an issue.

Another issue is sponsorship/judging - do let me know if any shops or companies would be interested.

It'll be nice if fellow contestants can help organise sponsorship contacts & details - not much is needed, maybe just small prizes for the winner (or even top 3 if we generate enough interest.)

If you are interested, please PM me, and I'll add you to the participants list.

Participants:

1. ADH92

2. mikecch

> Tricker's Stow boot, in mahogany shell cordovan (Horween)

> Thorogood (for Epaulet) 685-repro, in brown vegetable tanned strip (North of Cordovan) horsehide (Horween)

> ??? project boot, in burgundy Chromexcel horse butt (Horween)

3. rayw44

4. joelz

> Alden chukka boot, in #8 shell cordovan (Horween)

5. SLAB

6. TheBlackGoat (place hold)

7. baldy

8. riff (place hold)

9. aho (place hold)

10. Festival (place hold)

11. marineabilly

12. smittybat (place hold)

13. BrownMetallic (place hold)

14. randomkoreandude

15. rkusmant

16. Aquaphor

17. ranonranonarat (place hold)

18. Vanquish Gold

19. beatle

20. a.khan12390 (place hold)

21. sweapea (place hold)

22. Sriracha

23. onehundy

24. hopesgone

25. khris89

[mikecch]

Judging will be done by a panel.

Judges:

1. Horween Leather Co. (Nick Horween)

2. Don't Mourn, Organize! (Scott Willis)

3. marineabilly

Sponsors/prizes:

1. Don't Mourn, Organize! (Scott Willis) >>> hand-made double horsehide belt

2. marineabilly >>> hand-made trucker's wallet

[BrownMetallic]

if the "Lennon" project pushes through, i'm IN as well

[mikecch]

Bump - half way to 30

[marineabilly]

I posted the details on my blog

http://vintageengineerboots.blogspot.com/2011/10/horsehide-leather-footwear-contest.html

[mikecch]

Thanks for the plug mate - some very nice boots too

[ranonranonarat]

i might be in on this as well. pending on funds at the moment.

[TheBlackGoat]

if the "Lennon" project pushes through, i'm IN as well

Indeed!!!!!! God I hope that buy come though!

if it does count me in!

[mikecch]

I'm quite excited - Paul T might pop by the factory for some pics in the next few weeks, and I hope he'll be able to give us a better idea of the last shapes being considered

[beatle]

down for this..let´s beat up some boots

[mikecch]

Alrighty, I reckon we have enough people to push this contest along.

Hopefully a few of the guys in our horsehide service boots project will jump in as well, after we get the ordering process underway.

What does everyone think about starting on the 1st of April, 2012?

Thus, contest ending 1st April, 2014?

It'll be a Sunday, so we'd get time to take some photos for the contest commencement, hopefully.

P.S. Would be awesome if I could get some help with finding a prize sponsor/judge

[smittybat]

How about a rolling start date of January 1 to April 1. That'll give everybody a chance to get the boots they want and allow the guys to start wearing them when they get them. I'm hoping to get a pair of Alden shell cordovan boots. It'll be hard to not wear them until April 1.

[BrownMetallic]

^imo, 'sounds concionable & humane.

[k4727]

hey mikecch can i join pending the success of the group buy?

[mikecch]

How about a rolling start date of January 1 to April 1. That'll give everybody a chance to get the boots they want and allow the guys to start wearing them when they get them. I'm hoping to get a pair of Alden shell cordovan boots. It'll be hard to not wear them until April 1.

Mmm, interesting idea.

I would be more keen on a firm start date, but I do understand what you're saying.

Currently I already have in my possession two of my contest boots, a shell Tricker's and a strip Thorogood...I feel that pain every day.

Open to discussion though, what does everyone think?

Alternatively I think we could make the start date closer, say to Feb/Mar, and allow people to start later but still finish on the same day?

hey mikecch can i join pending the success of the group buy?

Yep, sure can

[Sriracha]

I am in!

[onehundy]

Can I join?

[mikecch]

^ Yep, I'll add you guys.

P.S. Sriracha, need to resize pic

[rayw44]

If anyone is looking for a pair of horsehide engineers to participate in this contest (I'm in need since my recent deadstock pair can't take part), then please let me know.

I've been talking to Zip Stevenson about this very idea, and he's willing to put something together for a group. Maybe with some details you can't find on the standard HTC Santa Rosa engineers.

I also believe that Onehundy is trying to put together a CXL horsehide engineer buy. Thought I would just help everyone out with some potential options.

[smittybat]

Also White's is supposed to be offering Horsehide as an option "soon" in the US, maybe in as soon as a few weeks.

[mctaran]

up for HH engineers (Santa Rosa by HTC are cool btw!)

but please for the love of panda bear not black HH

[hopesgone]

Hi there!

down for this, would go well together with another denim contest!

wonder when it'l start though,

would need to go around shopping for some shoes!

[mikecch]

Hi there!

down for this, would go well together with another denim contest!

wonder when it'l start though,

would need to go around shopping for some shoes!

Yep, I'll add your username to the 1st post.

I'm hoping for a start date March to April in 2012, though I understand some folks are hoping for an earlier commencement date.

No solid details yet, just catching interest and sponsor/s at the moment - would like to hear suggestions from potential participants!

Big thanks to rayw44 and marineabilly for helping out with finding judges

If I've missed anybody in the 1st post, please do PM me and I'll add you to the least.

Also, if you have footwear that's 100% confirmed for the contest, PM me and I'll add the details to the 1st post (so, brand/shoe model/leather colour & tannage.) Up to 3 pairs per contestant. Thanks!

[hopesgone]

Yep, I'll add your username to the 1st post.

I'm hoping for a start date March to April in 2012, though I understand some folks are hoping for an earlier commencement date.

No solid details yet, just catching interest and sponsor/s at the moment - would like to hear suggestions from potential participants!

Big thanks to rayw44 and marineabilly for helping out with finding judges

If I've missed anybody in the 1st post, please do PM me and I'll add you to the least.

Also, if you have footwear that's 100% confirmed for the contest, PM me and I'll add the details to the 1st post (so, brand/shoe model/leather colour & tannage.) Up to 3 pairs per contestant. Thanks!

i've recently moved to hong kong, not quite so sure where to start hunting for horsehide goodies really.....

might have to stick to online if worse comes to worse

[mikecch]

i've recently moved to hong kong, not quite so sure where to start hunting for horsehide goodies really.....

might have to stick to online if worse comes to worse

Haha, spare a thought for me in Australia

I distinctly remember there's a HK company that does MTO/bespoke shoes, and they do shell. Can't remember the name though...dude going by fishballs (?) on SF put up some nice pics a while back.

[SLAB]

lots of good idea's; i'm in favor for a rolling start from 2012. I still have a pair of Alden shell #8 that haven't seen any roads yet. I had some topy's added recently so I could start wearing them this autumn but then heard of this contest...

[mikecch]

^ If we do go for a rolling start, what do you guys think would be a good way to conclude the contest?

Me thinks slightly awkward to have, say, half the participants finish 3 months earlier leaving the others to remain active in the thread; then judging becomes somewhat of an issue too?

Or, what say we have the start date in Jan/Feb (02/12/2012 [dd/mm/yyyy] sounds nice), and keep the contest open for entries until, say, April/May? But we all finish at the same time?

I would prefer to have a firm end date for the contest.

Hopefully some participants wouldn't mind being a month or two behind, as it probably wouldn't make a great deal of difference in a contest which spans 2 years and involving up to 3 pairs of shoes.

[BrownMetallic]

rolling start & a set finish date should be quite 'aight.

[mikecch]

We have Horween on board as one of the judges

[Vanquish Gold]

I support the rolling start idea too... I think some might need more time to save and source for their ideal horsehide boots and having a rolling start won't hold back those who are ready to go. It is not good for health to always avoid eye contact with your horsehide footwear so that you can hold back your desire to wear them.