Shoes that look better with age...

[CrashTestBrummie]

CTB, you are a bad man, sending me details of where to cop boots cheap, and then posting those lovely pics.

SOme people would say you are kind, instead i know you are the evil voice of temptation...

(repped)

Paul, my sincerest apologies

You're in London, right? I'll show you the boots in person over coffee next time I'm down...

[patrick_b]

IMO the Australians got it right with the elastic sided boot.

Just wanted to add a few more in my current rotation. I've always been a big fan of the chelsea boot but for years opted for cheap boots and wore them to work (business attire) mostly in the winter and they lasted a season or two. A few yrs back, I came across the RM Williams thread at styleforum and was hooked.

Both are RMW B543, the standard Yearling Craftsman in blk and chestnut with leather sole. I bought both from Barry at bootsonline.com and couldn't be more pleased with the experience. He processed both orders quickly (out the door in 1-2 days tops) and they were at my door from AUS to in 5 days.

I had previously tried on the boots at the Manhattan RMW store so I knew that the AUS 10H (which is a US 11E/wide) was perfect for me. They are so damn comfortable I can't bear to not wear them. The craftsman works as well with denim & khaki as they do w/business attire, IMO. As an added bonus, I travel frequently and they are great at TSA checkpoints.

They ended up at ~$250 shipped ($242 & $252 ordered 3-4 weeks apart), which is a steal for handcrafted footwear...especially handcrafted boots...especially handcrafted whole cut boots! At the RMW Store in Manhattan, this model runs ~$450-$500.

Sorry for the above novel...here are the images. Note, these are coming up on 2 yrs old now with an average of probably one day per week for both pairs. I take very good care of them (shoe trees even while traveling and approx once a month clean, condition & polish and I rarely wear the same pair on consecutive days). I use the RMW branded leather conditioner and kiwi wax polish.

While somewhat blasphemous, I made the decision this fall to add a topy-style Vibram 2337 half sole so I could wear them safely right through winter. I did the black pair first and was so pleased with the work, I had the cobbler do the chestnut as well. In the pic below, the chestnut pair is still leather only and the blk has the half vibram sole.

From the side, it's virtually impossible to tell it has a vibram rubber sole added. Still sleek and doesn't take anything away from the aesthetics of the boot, IMO.Clearly not for everyone but with the winter we're having here in Boston, I think I made the right choice.

Probably a year of wear here, pictured along side a pair of Blundstone chisel toe boots (a little older than the RMW's).

Lastly, these are my go-to casual boot. Big fan of the Australian elastic sided boot as I'm constantly donning and doffing to take out the dog. Brutus is a pug/beagle mix (Puggle) and is now 4.5 months old. That means lots of trips outside and if I had to lace up boots every 1.5-2 hrs, I'd shoot myself

OT...pic of Brutus for reference

[halberdklown]

Would anyone be able to identify if these Smoke Jumpers (posted by Bill when he used to work at The Stronghold), have a shorter than normal heel? This is the shortest cuban heel I have seen on a smoke jumper, or any pair of white's with a cuban heel for that matter.

[denimjunky]

It is probably something like this from bakers:

Smoke Jumper

Edge Brown, Counter Leather Brown Smooth, Toe Cap No Thanks, Upper (Shaft) Leather Red Dog Smooth, Size - Width E, Celastic Toe Box Double Celastic Toe, Hardware Antique Eyes & Hooks, Midsole Single, Toe Cap Leather Color Does Not Apply, Lace Design Plain Toe, Sole Leather, Height 8", Leather Liner No Thanks, Last Standard, Toe Vamp Leather Brown Smooth, Size - Length 9, Steel Toe No Thanks, Top Cut.

459$

[edmond]

i think the shaft is waterbuffalo

[denimjunky]

Yes maybe its sienna WB.

they are VERY similar

Reddog smooth:

WB sienna:

[halberdklown]

bill mentioned in the post that it was burgundy water buffalo with dress brown vamps. So this is the standard last and not the bounty hunter last option? and the heel is the standard cuban heel height? it looks shorter to me for some reason...

[denimjunky]

That coud be the angle of the foto. Wide angle lens exaggerates the size of the last and understates the size of the heel.

Gosh, its doenst look like burgundy at all...

[ThinFinn]

maybe a late-pass thought this should also belong in here...

Viberg Boots x Iron Heart Works Inc.

Viberg, a Canadian manufacturer of high quality boots coveted all over the world, has teamed up with Iron Heart to create a spectacular piece. The toe cap of this boot is made of black leather, the rest is a deep blue hue, and of course it features Iron Heart's signature denim. And unlike other boots, you won't need to worry about your jeans bleeding on the leather.

[superhero]

My current shoe rotation, missing wolverine 1000 miles which i left at a party whilst drunk:

Alden for Winn Perry:

RM Williams Comfort Craftsman:

Country Road:

Mark McNairy (new, but i hope suede wears in well):

My staples in shoe care:

[marineabilly]

[Happy Hooligan]

that must be some party to lose your boots at...

[denimjunky]

Scary, I found a pic of the exact config of my next pair:

Except for the leather, this is probably excel.

[rayw44]

Where are these from? I love the shape of the toe.

[morse9443]

Viberg Boots x Iron Heart Works Inc

The looks are pretty fugly, and I shudder to think how much they'll cost. I almost have trouble respecting Viberg because their prices are so fucking ridiculous.

[marineabilly]

^^^@ Rayw44, they are from Japan and made of Horsehide.

[fre-co]

The looks are pretty fugly, and I shudder to think how much they'll cost. I almost have trouble respecting Viberg because their prices are so fucking ridiculous.

The first thing I thought when I saw those was HYPE. Stick Iron heart on anything and people will get excited.

[big truck]

yup - iron heart is almost gimmicky now. No doubt there will be plenty to be made of the 'amazing construction and detail' but money is better spent elsewhere.

[denimjunky]

Too much hypeness and collabs nowadays. Stick with the real thing, no shit.

[rayw44]

^^^@ Rayw44, they are from Japan and made of Horsehide.

Thanks, any info on the brand or manufacturer? I did a quick search of Rakuten and couldn't find anything on them.

The horsehide looks pretty high quality.

[ranonranonarat]

those are some very lovely engineers but damn, i would love to see more pictures of the denim! +rep!

[ThinFinn]

i'd love to see more of those great boots AND this fantastic denim!looks promising...+!

[Layne]

This is the Supreme x Nike SB collab of the "rugged" workwear industry.

However, both of these brands make excellent products... They should just continue to do so one their own.

[Alex3000]

Wait till the whites x samurai boots come out. #8 cordovan and samurai 40oz denim uppers shit will change lives (10)

[cheapmuthafukr]

ive already preordered... the whites that is.

[edmond]

what kind cheap?

where to cop that engineer boots?

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

this is the worst...

[Denton]

isn't that a normal vibram sole? what'd they do to it?

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

look again . . .

[morse9443]

What, the poor grammar or the fact that Vibram should sue their ass for biting?