Shoes that look better with age...

[partytaco]

and correct me if i'm wrong airfrog but he usually wears his jeans rolled keeping the overturned indigo dyed warp thread hem away from the leather maybe explaining why there is no bleeding on his boots. my brown boots while not overly blue definently have some slight staining from the hem of my pants which i don't wear cuffed or rolled.

ooops. hope i didn't help blow it out of water, pt. that's why i tried to hide it a bit in my post.

speaking of, looks like airfrog just blew me out of the water with his six years old 405s. good to know my indys are indigo-safe for a long time, though.

[LeicaLad]

next time i see a pair of cool worker boots at size 10, i'll pm you instead of posting here.

Gee, I hope not. I didn't bid, but was really glad to see these. I really wondered what condition the leather really was, 'cause they look pretty dry. I'd also suggest that the measurements made them a modern 10.5, and probably a narrow b/c width. I take a 10.5, but prefer a wide.

Since the auction is over, and they went for $247.50!, here's the photo!

[airfrogusmc]

and correct me if i'm wrong airfrog but he usually wears his jeans rolled keeping the overturned indigo dyed warp thread hem away from the leather maybe explaining why there is no bleeding on his boots. my brown boots while not overly blue definently have some slight staining from the hem of my pants which i don't wear cuffed or rolled.

Most of the time when they're raw I wear them cuffed. Have to cause before they fully shrink they are way to long. I do get some bleeding on my Chuck though.

[nino]

I want a pair of red wing 8130s, and maybe 1905s. For red wing 875/1905/8130 owners: The boots come without insoles so will the insole affect sizing? I tried on a pair of 875 for sizing purposes and they fit ok without an insole. Also the fit was good except my left little toe is barely squeezed. The red wing guy said that its ok because the leather will stretch 1/8". Is this true in your experience?

Also I know nothing about insoles, anything you guys recommend?

Finally for 8130 owners, where did you get them? My redwing store doesnt have any and says they were discontinued a while ago. I know of one website I can get them at but Im curious if you found them instore, possibly on clearance. Maybe I can get them on the cheap. Thanks.

[Chicken]

Gee, I hope not. I didn't bid, but was really glad to see these.

okay, i'll pm you, too.

[GregNYC]

Denim has stained my Red Wing 875s. I wear my jeans unrolled stacked on top of my shoes. Here's a stock pic from the RW site:

Here are mine, side view, back view and the indigo on the sole.

[Bill2]

Insoles definitely effect sizing. My 8130's fit perfectly without insoles, and are nearly unwearable with them in, thats how much tighter they get. I found them plenty comfortable without them however.

About finding some 8130's...I have a buddy with a Red Wing Account and he can get them. He got me mine. PM me for details.

I want a pair of red wing 8130s, and maybe 1905s. For red wing 875/1905/8130 owners: The boots come without insoles so will the insole affect sizing? I tried on a pair of 875 for sizing purposes and they fit ok without an insole. Also the fit was good except my left little toe is barely squeezed. The red wing guy said that its ok because the leather will stretch 1/8". Is this true in your experience?

Also I know nothing about insoles, anything you guys recommend?

Finally for 8130 owners, where did you get them? My redwing store doesnt have any and says they were discontinued a while ago. I know of one website I can get them at but Im curious if you found them instore, possibly on clearance. Maybe I can get them on the cheap. Thanks.

[__3xL]

Those 1950's Wolverines were VERY nice Leica indeed . I was going to big $200 and think it would be an easy win .. Obviously not .. I can't afford more not now anyways .

I planned to treat the hide with some Lexol conditioner for nourishment ..

[LIVENUDEGIRLS]

Yeah, I had kinda hoped those would go at a bargain price also. Didn't realize there were other sf'ers watching them. I should have known though.

[Chicken]

there were also few bidders who posted questions from asia. i kind of knew it wasn't going to be cheap when i noticed that.

[jubei]

while we're still sort of on the red wing topic... I know nothing about leathers and shoes, so I was wondering if anyone could comment on the horween chromexcel leather that they use on the red wing 1911s. As others have posted before, they do not sell them in the US, and abroad they sell them for $350 and up. I'm just wondering whether they're worth that price when I could buy something like Alden which would last a lot longer.

http://www.redwingshoe-europe.com/Default.aspx?tabid=387

And while we're at it, could anyone reccomend something similar to the Red Wing 1911 or the Alden dress boot that would be available in the U.S?

[Edge_Of_Denim]

This site has some pretty bizarre footwear but these may be worth considering. Handmade Air Force officers shoe. $150 less than Buzz Rickson. A quality alternative?

http://motorcowboy.zoovy.com/product/USAA2

[vivaloschet]

I was wondering if anyone could comment on the horween chromexcel leather that they use on the red wing 1911s. As others have posted before, they do not sell them in the US, and abroad they sell them for $350 and up. I'm just wondering whether they're worth that price when I could buy something like Alden which would last a lot longer.

There is no reason why those Red Wings wouldn't last just as long as Alden's. Both are repairable and resoleable. Horween is a major and very well-regarded U.S. garment leather manufacturer, and in all likelihood at least some of Alden's leather comes from Horween as well.

[vivaloschet]

actually, didn't someone say earlier in this thread that the cordovan Alden uses is from Horween?

yes: http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?p=256727&highlight=horween#post256727

[mizanation]

yes, much of the leather that alden uses comes from horween.

[Neilfuji]

as ever coming in a little late

how about these?

[__3xL]

there were also few bidders who posted questions from asia. i kind of knew it wasn't going to be cheap when i noticed that.

errr chicken you are so smart man . I didn't even check the questions out .

once again omg those were THE boots to own ..

[Chicken]

as ever coming in a little late

how about these?

nice beaters!

what's the story behind them? say, like how old are they?

[Tarmac]

What do you guys think of these? They are 12 years old, I have worn every single step. 100% waterproof pittards. Should I resole or just give up on them?

[LeicaLad]

What do you guys think of these? They are 12 years old, I have worn every single step. 100% waterproof pittards. Should I resole or just give up on them?

One of life’s little lessons, and one of the key morals of this thread, is that shoes that show serious mileage AND have been well cared for along the journey are the ones that, ultimately, show the serious cool.

Beaters are fine, but if someone had put a little elbow grease (as my daddy always called it) into the care and treatment along the way, then the real patina of the shoes would have been allowed to come out. Then it’d look like you’ve actually done something AND had a bit of class in the doing. Not a bad combo.

The few guys that did service in here (Airfrogusmc, GregNYC, and a few others) are among those that can’t abide by ignoring the needs of their shoes. AND, if you look through this entire thread, there is NO doubt that the coolest looking old shoes are those that show they’ve been routinely cared for as well as seriously used.

Today’s little philosophy rant. Just my POV.

So, those are pretty good looking boots. Give ‘em some TLC and elbow grease. If they need it (unclear that they do), then new soles. That leather is desperate for attention.., and it looks like it’d be worth it on every account.

[LeicaLad]

As this thread has been so utterly cool, I offer a little travelogue story here about my first pair of “bespoke†chappals.

I’ll probably do a slightly longer version to post on AAAF, just ‘cause it will make a nice counterbalance to the discussions of “bespoke†Lobbs (starting at US$4,000 a pair).

BUT, because I love this thread:

This is the story of Chappal Love.

The chappal is basically the national footwear of South Asia. In it’s basic form, the chappal is a slipper. That said, there are many varieties of the chappal. The chappals of Kolhapur, India, are the most famous. The problem with these, however, is that they are basically are a light-weight, frilly, slip-on leather sandal.

The type of chappal we’re looking at here is the SUV of chappals.

In the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan and throughout much of Afghanistan, what is called the “Afghani Chappal†is a much more solid affair that have heavy, wide straps criss-cross over the front of the foot, with a wide ankle strap. While I had often noticed that tribal men in the mountains often favored this open-backed strapped shoe, it had not particularly been of interest. I saw it more as part of the overall uniform of most Pushtun tribesmen as opposed to an item of footwear to be of interest to me.

Recently, however, I attended a function at the historical old Fort Balahisar in Peshawar. I could not help but notice that Major General Muhammad Alam Khattak, the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps NWFP, and his Brigadier ADC, were both wearing a version of the Afghani chappal that was of noticeably far higher quality than the usual version I’d grown used to seeing. While they clearly had a substantial rubber sole, both the quality of leather and the stitching caught my eye. They looked goood!

Well, I wasn’t going to cruise over and say, “Hey, General. Tell me about those cool shoes you’re rockin’.†Fortunately, one of our national engineers is very well connected. So, I discretely asked him about the shoes these officers were wearing. “Those,†he says. “Well, I happen to know the shop that has the contract to supply the officer’s footwear. We can go down this weekend.†I could hardly wait.

When time came, we drove down into the center of the old city of Peshawar. This town is really, really old. Many centuries old, and the center city has buildings that feel at least that old. Anyway, we went to the Peshawar equivalent of Jermyn Street. Well, it’s probably more accurate to consider it as the equivalent of High Street in Northampton (the center of English shoe making).

A corner shop.

Chappal Row

Prepping Insoles

So, after walking up and down to look into a dozen busy shops, we found the one we were looking for. Like the others, the walls were covered in chappals of various weights, colors and construction. Initially, the shop considered me like any foreigner wanting a pair of shoes. They showed me a variety of the standard POS middle-of-the-road choices. Pleasant enough, but nothing I was very taken with.

Then, out of the entire shop, I saw one sample that caught my eye. Far more substantial than the rest, the owner was taken back when I went for it. “Oh,†he says. “These are much more expensive. The soles are hand-stitched, and the leather is quite different, sir.†Ah, says I. But, this is what I came looking for.

The usual chat over tea and cookies ensued. Almost everything in the NWFP requires a sharing of tea. I’ll admit that it’s that terribly sweet, cheap black tea with milk and tons of sugar concoction of which I’ve never been very fond, but it’s a bedrock of the culture. Between cups of such stuff, my foot was traced into a large master book and additional measurements adequate for an equestrian boot were taken. I decided on two pair, one in black and the other is a burgundy/brown. When tea and measurements were finished, I was told that my bespoke chappals would be ready in about 2 1/2 weeks. I’m pleased that the holidays made the time go quickly.

SO. Taa-Daaa! I have now picked up my new chappals and I am prepared to share the magic. Strictly for your entertainment.

A front view. The flash distorts the color to less burgundy and more brown.

Not quite the most attractive Commando sole, but subtantial and certainly hand-stitched on there.

Oh, yes. And I saved the best for last. The cost required a certain amount of negotiation. Like the sharing of tea, if there is no negotiation there is no sharing of respect. You can't be too cheap in your offers, but can't fold over too easily. It's a tribal man's pride thing.

Thus, after a respectable amount of dickering, we settled on the quite princely sum of Pak Rps 1,000 per pair. (Our senior-most engineer told me his fine examples were Rps 800, so I knew I was into stratospheric chappal range.)

At the current local exchange rate of about 60.9 Rps to the dollar, these fine babies set me back US$16.42 each.

I'm going back for the suede version.

[Shark]

Shark Edit

[tweeds]

that's a very fascinating background to those two pairs of chappal...echoing Shark i'd love to see pictures of them worn with something. the burgundy pair does look like it would look good with a pair of berms and a intelligent-looking shirt.

and the workmanship on those babies looks good.

[Tarmac]

One of life’s little lessons, and one of the key morals of this thread, is that shoes that show serious mileage AND have been well cared for along the journey are the ones that, ultimately, show the serious cool.

Beaters are fine, but if someone had put a little elbow grease (as my daddy always called it) into the care and treatment along the way, then the real patina of the shoes would have been allowed to come out. Then it’d look like you’ve actually done something AND had a bit of class in the doing. Not a bad combo.

The few guys that did service in here (Airfrogusmc, GregNYC, and a few others) are among those that can’t abide by ignoring the needs of their shoes. AND, if you look through this entire thread, there is NO doubt that the coolest looking old shoes are those that show they’ve been routinely cared for as well as seriously used.

Today’s little philosophy rant. Just my POV.

So, those are pretty good looking boots. Give ‘em some TLC and elbow grease. If they need it (unclear that they do), then new soles. That leather is desperate for attention.., and it looks like it’d be worth it on every account.

Thanks for the reply. Actually I was just being a positive feedback whore, I wanted people to reply "oh are you crazy? dont't throw those away, those are dope!!!" Hehe, sorry. I have no intention of tossing them.

[skalogre]

Great pics and post on the chappal! Would be nice if we got more such things on more unusual (to western eyes at least ) footwear such as those! Now I have had an aversion to sandals for many years so I would find it hard to wear those but they really look fascinating.

What leather was the "special" leather?

[LeicaLad]

Thanks for the reply. Actually I was just being a positive feedback whore, I wanted people to reply "oh are you crazy? dont't throw those away, those are dope!!!" Hehe, sorry. I have no intention of tossing them.

Well, it was pretty clear you weren't tossing them! You just got my philosophy rant of the day that they look even MORE dope if you put some energy into 'em. This is just my POV. We're all whores for something, eh?

[LeicaLad]

Bugga me. I was nearly complete with a long response and hit some key that jumped me out of there and lost it. Grrrr. I hate it when that happens.

Where was I? These wear well with about anything you want. I’ve already worn mine with denim, mountain khakis and a pair of RMWilliams moleskin jeans. They look good, depending mostly on the color match. The burgundy/brown do well with denim, but I already know the suede will look even better with denim. They’re comfortable, although it is odd to feel like the front end is a tank and feel the air on your heels (socks or not).

On the leather, I couldn’t get the details I wanted beyond understanding it was the best available. I asked about horse butt leather, but they were mostly amused by this. I did get that their best was “young cowâ€, I guessed meaning calf. But, who knows? I have gotten some good feedback from various people that they are about as good as it gets. It’s good leather, but it wouldn’t impress the Edward Green crowd. It is thicker than the usual fare used.

Photos will take a while. I’ve been deliberately waiting, seemingly forever, to go digital. I have lots of films cameras. Now, if I’d stop buying pricey denim and shoes, I might save enough to buy the Leica M8 to go with my lenses. In the meantime, this will be a nice “end of the film rolls†sorta project. I’ll post ‘em when I make ‘em. Hope this was entertaining.

[partytaco]

out of my price range now so I thought i would share.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1940s-CONVERSE-WWII-Army-Felt-COMBAT-Shoes_W0QQitemZ170066816647QQihZ007QQcategoryZ52389QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170066816647

[Tarmac]

wow, felt bottoms.

[holotekor]

leica, that was a great story. i was expecting them to be low cost, but 16 bills? awesome. I wouldve been willing to pay much more, and the story behind them makes them even more valuable.