Shoes that look better with age...

[WhiteShark]

Bryan at Giesche Shoes is doing a special run of the boot.

This is a re-post from another forum, he asked me to put it up here to

see if there was any interest.

Hi Folks, After MUCH deliberation, I have decided to throw my hat into the ring, and have Alden make up an exclusive boot for the shop I work in Giesche Shoes. It will be built on their 405 last, so it will be available in any size the 405 comes in. As with the AB boot, I will need 12 pair pre-ordered, in order to have Alden make it up. Well, 11 pair as I will get one ;-) . I am still in the design stages and have a few details that I think I want to leave up to you guys.

Here's what is definite...

It's going to be this leather

[/img]

which the Alden catalog lists as aniline calfskin, but my sales rep called "Chromex". It's tanned, AND oiled. It will be a more water resistant than the traditional 405, and will wear very well. Because it is oiled, the oils will shift around in the leather, giving the boot quite a bit of character. I am also planning on having it fully leather lined. This will help the boot wear well too.

NOW, the things that are "open for discussion" will be...

1. The sole. It's one of two options. Either the traditional 405 neoprene sole and orthopedic Thomas heels OR this...

[/img]

This is a goodyear rubber mini lug sole it's got a lower profile than the commando sole (like on the AF64), similar to the traditional 405 sole, but I think it's going to provide (at least a little) more traction!!

2. This is still a maybe. And that is the welt color. The welt is the band of leather that goes around the perimeter of the boot, where you can see the stitching. I was thinking brown with brown stitching, as blond with white stitching may look a tad odd on this dark a leather while new, but may look OK once dirtied up a bit. If anyone has any input, please feel free.

I am going to post some polls tonight or tomorrow for the different details. One for the sole, one for the stitching. Feel free to voice opinions before that though.

As soon as I get the details worked out with Alden, I there will be a price. And yes I can assure you that it will be more than the regular 405. But I don't know what yet. Rest Assured, when I find out, I'll post something!!

Thanks to All in advance

Bryan

[milosz]

The Vintage Indy pre-order is on and I've got to have a pair.

I was sized as a 13E in the Red Wing scale/machine thing. Generally wear a US 13 in everything (Chucks, RWs, Docs, Adidas, New Balance), except for Clarks Desert Boots. A 13 in those is too long, a 12 is good but maybe a 12.5 would be better if it existed.

I'm thinking a 12.5E would be my best choice for Aldens?

[sonagi]

i got these dior boots and i was hoping for suggestions on how to take care of these...or do i need to at all? thanks

[cabl3]

anyone heard any news about the Alden x Context boot?

all I could manage to get from them is a confirmation that it is happening and that its going to be "The perfect jeans boot"

that leaves a LOT of room for interpretation.

[fndmybetterhalf]

Quick qeustion about Red Wings...

I apologize if this has been covered already.

I just noticed online the "Red Wing Inspired" boots:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/28439991/c/3.html

What is the differnet between these and the "Red Wing Lifestyle Classic boots"

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/28451830/c/126909.html

is there a shape difference?

[fre-co]

Cheaper materials and made in china, I think.

Edit. Not sure about the shape, it looks different to me in the pictures I have seen

[seenmy]

so i have decided im going to go and investigate the trickers custom service at jermyn st, as i still not come close to finding on the shelf what i want, Im hoping they will offer this sole as a option (they used it on the above make up for museum ark and also on a lost souls stow)

first boot if i can do it will be burford in beige suede with this crepe soul, followed by a brouge like above

now i just need to get over my shitty flu and go to the store

[fre-co]

Picked these up on Saturday

Overall I like them a lot. The red wing craftsmanship leaves a lot to be desired when compared to White's for example but they were a hell of a lot cheaper.

[Quinnskimo]

iron rangers, right? quite a good looking boot. nice cop

[pieiskewl]

Wow. These are amazing.

[seenmy]

gonna order a pair of the above this week i think 10-12 wait is gonna be painful

[thaiison]

Picked these up on Saturday

man these are nice!! if i'm ever getting a pair of red wings, i'll get the gentlemen travelers or these ones

[emmitbrown]

Quick qeustion about Red Wings...

I apologize if this has been covered already.

I just noticed online the "Red Wing Inspired" boots:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/28439991/c/3.html

What is the differnet between these and the "Red Wing Lifestyle Classic boots"

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/28451830/c/126909.html

is there a shape difference?

I have 875s and inspireds, so I will give you my opinion on both. The Lifestyle Classic that you show there are pretty much 875s, but in the oil slick. They are going to be a lot heavier straight away. The leather is very thick, and much tougher to break in than the inspired. The soles wear better on the 875. The inspired soles are lighter, and therefore a less dense material, and wear a lot quicker. The inspired are lined and have an insole, whereas the 875 don't have a liner or an insole.

The shapes are very similar, but the slight difference to me is in the toebox. The 875s have a higher toebox and a more authentic workwear look all together. I feel like the inspired are a more casual workwear type of look.

I will try and take pictures of both of mine after work, for a compare and contrast.

[fndmybetterhalf]

Ah thank you.

I thrifted a pair of...what i think is the 875's (?) but it not being quite the right size, i'm looking to just pick up a new pair and the inspired seem like a great option since it does have a lower toebox...

[SLAB]

WhiteShark; is there any way of getting in touch with Brian through email?

I'd like to order some Alden Indy's. Would you happen to know his policy regarding shipping internationally (eg signed as gift etc)?

[edmond]

another one of the pics from kinjiro-san's website

[Skeese]

seenmy why don't you see if oki-ni has any stock of these left?

[moykky]

^^ Those are almost exactly like what Tricker's did for Paul Smith about two years ago. Very nice, indeed. Wedge sole is very comfortable!

[emmitbrown]

Here are the pictures of my Red Wings as promised...

875 - 3 months or so

Inspired - You can tell by the 2 pictures how much lower the toebox is.

847 Irish Setter

[WhiteShark]

For those of you whom have an easier time contacting Bryan at Gische via email, here's his address.

schmidthouse75 AT gmail.com

removed the @ for spam saving reasons.

[YoungPunch]

@ Emmitbrown, I like the color on the red wing inspired, but the shape of the high toe box on the 875 is best.

[corter]

i ended up needing some workboots for winter, so i found these on ebay. i'm a 13 EEE, so i was super surprised when i found em. they're from carolina shoes, apparently made in north carolina, and they were around $50. anybody know anything about them? I don't really, i was just told by a red wing salesman that the crepe wedge ( i think) would be most comfy for city walking.

oh, and i used mink oil and obenaufs lp to seal em, which darkened them a bit...i just dont want to ruin them.

[emmitbrown]

@ Emmitbrown, I like the color on the red wing inspired, but the shape of the high toe box on the 875 is best.

Yeah they definitely tried to make them more casual by changing the shape.

[cash]

they're from carolina shoes, apparently made in north carolina, and they were around $50.

I have a pair of Carolina engineer boots I bought in '93. They were never as good as my Red Wings in terms of quality -- and the details are certainly down market. But, I traveled all over Honduras in them and wore them as my light winter boot for 2 or 3 years of digging graves. Come to think of it, they really lasted a long time.

[corter]

that'll work just fine for me! i only really will wear them in the snow, so i kinda assumed they werent up to red wing snuff...i'm not much of a boot guy though, so they're perfect. plus, 2-3 years is a pretty long time for $50!

[Torn]

Is it possible to get the Redwing GTs resoled with the wedge sole like the 875? The GTs don't have stitching all the way around the heel like the 875, it stop short like the Indys.

[cash]

^ You shouldn't have a problem getting a wedge sole put on the GTs. Your cobbler will just glue it the midsole . You might be making a mistake, though. The GTs have a great, pre-wedge, vintage look.

[Torn]

^ You shouldn't have a problem getting a wedge sole put on the GTs. Your cobbler will just glue it the midsole . You might be making a mistake, though. The GTs have a great, pre-wedge, vintage look.

Yeah, I do like the look. It isn't that great for daily wear as it picks up a lot of mud and gravel though. I spend a day or two every week on a jobsite, so I need function as well as form, but maybe another pair of boots would be a better idea.

[Akilae]

Somebody was asking about WWII-style Corcoran jump boots.

WWII Impressions carries jump boots that are made by Corcoran (along with WWII service shoes and other combat boots). I bought a pair of service shoes and posted a short-ish review on the thread. The quality is quite good and I'm satisfied for the price I paid for them ($150).

For those interested, a little post-usage review:

The soles are made of really, REALLY tough stuff. The soles on my Alden 405s that I wear every other day are already semi-rounded from the NYC pavement, but the soles on the service shoes have barely rubbed out, if at all... even the original detail and text on the soles are still visible. They're very grippy on anything that has texture. The only problem I've had is when it snows. Snow just gets packed onto the soles and rob you of any grip, but it's much better than the 405s.

The leather is still as unforgiving as ever. I finally managed to bend and knead the leather so that the creases conformed to my feet, but anywhere that I didn't touch looks like new.

The inserts for the service shoes are very thin. After a few weeks of wear, my feet could feel the nails that were holding the sole to the shoe. Some military-style cushion sole socks, or a pair of cork inserts, are highly recommended.

I wear 7.5EEE in 405s, and got a pair of 8Ds for the service shoes. They fit quite well, but if I got another pair I'd probably try to get 8.5D or 8E to give me some more space for heavy wool socks or inserts.

If the service shoes are any indication (WWII Impressions claims Corcoran made them to WWII mil-spec, and I don't doubt that), then the jump boots most likely aren't bad.

[coleslawyum]

maybe another pair of boots would be a better idea.

What a great idea! You could always try some Red Wing 816X.

Here's a 8165 in black.