Shoes that look better with age...

[the_ming]

just a quick pic of my new alden indy chromexels, with my new evisu no.1 fat cuffs (until i get them hemmed this weekend.) these should both age well if experience is any sort of guide.

[mikecch]

^ Nice, waiting on mine.

How 'd you find the neoprene cork outsole? OK in the rain?

@CTB & Paul T: I won't be able to join the veldt group buy for at least another 4 months, sorry. But you guys have more than enough anyway!

[nicka]

not sure if this of interest to any of the brits on here ....but yesterday i spotted a pair of nice brown

Lotus veldtschoen shoes -size 8,5 in the vintage showroom opposite the Carhartt store in Covent Garden. they had leather- not commando soles- and were in pretty good nick. bit expensive(around 200 pounds) but they might take an offer.

[Paul T]

not sure if this of interest to any of the brits on here ....but yesterday i spotted a pair of nice brown

Lotus veldtschoen shoes -size 8,5 in the vintage showroom opposite the Carhartt store in Covent Garden. they had leather- not commando soles- and were in pretty good nick. bit expensive(around 200 pounds) but they might take an offer.

A 'bit'? I hope they had the original laces and box for that sum.

[killer b]

my dad's shoes are alfred sargents apparently

http://alfred-sargent.blogspot.com/

really like the look of those boots at the top of the blog...

[the_ming]

^ Nice, waiting on mine.

How 'd you find the neoprene cork outsole? OK in the rain?

the soles are really nice and springy, but i haven't worn them in real rain yet so i can't report back about how they deal with it. others have told me that they are fine in the rain though.

[nicka]

A 'bit'? I hope they had the original laces and box for that sum.

i know - british understatement!

actually i think they were in a box- but didn't check. they only caught my eye because of the recent discussions around the same make and model(s) on here.

wrong size and overpriced for me anyway

[triumph.man]

Quick question:

Any good boots under $200? Minus LL Bean/Chippewas. I would love to get the WWII impressions but they are out of my size. Pretty much want to use them as beaters when I ride...

[ranonranonarat]

just picked up a pair of AS Kelso's off for a great great price. god i love VAT refunds!

[Paul T]

Even though I am suffering from existential despair because everyone but me seems to own a pair of Selkirks...

AS Culford, UK size 9, £204. Bargain:

http://www.tredders.com/product_info.php?products_id=258&osCsid=eec1434740b2a6f6367d898bbe53e992

[Happy Hooligan]

Well I wore my SD's all day yesterday with only a few take offs to to help the break in process. Wearing them again today all day... and I have to say, they're feeling much better... I guess guys with flat feet have to suffer for a few weeks before they mold to the foot.

Though you'd enjoy a crappy phone pic of my new white's helping me to get to work today....

[CrashTestBrummie]

Nice pic, HH...

my dad's shoes are alfred sargents apparently

And a very nice pair, too!

i know - british understatement!

actually i think they were in a box- but didn't check. they only caught my eye because of the recent discussions around the same make and model(s) on here.

wrong size and overpriced for me anyway

To be honest, a couple of hundred quid would have been worthwhile if they'd have been unworn and boxed...and they'd probably last a lifetime, even though they'd be old even before wearing them

just picked up a pair of AS Kelso's off for a great great price. god i love VAT refunds!

Ok, now it's a revival!

Tecnics, soaped, polished and waxed...shoulda probably polished after waxing, but hey ho...

Before:

After:

I'd expect them to lose some of the shine after a little while, then I'll polish them again. The previous owner had added black polish to the mix, by the looks of it. Pretty comfortable to wear all day...

[ranonranonarat]

those look lovely ben, great pickups. can you do a picture of ALL the boots you've got in your collection right now? and that comes with a PLEASE.

[fre-co]

HH they look hella good. This makes me extra happy because mine are the same and on their way. Glad they are getting better and might work out for you.

More pictures of the vehicle are necessary....

[riff]

All these lovely veldtschoens popping up - makes me sad that the group buy didn't go thru

HH - glad they are starting to fit better - give it time!

question:

i believe it is built on a different last then other Whites,

so comparing them to your others...

is the classic worker boot a smaller profile or different toe-box then the SJ or SD??

dose the last feel different?

Sorry Davi, I missed your question - they definitely have less of the strong arch, and the toe box is slightly rounder than on the SD - closer to the SJ. It's single celastic, but you could choose none, which would make the toe sleeker in profile..

[TallyHo]

took just shy of forever for these to show up, but good things come to those who wait...

snuff suede ultimate indy from leather soul:

360 degree welt, recently discussed:

+ one awful quality fit pic:

[Paul T]

All these lovely veldtschoens popping up - makes me sad that the group buy didn't go thru

.

Hmmm... not necessarily gone forever. Would Ben really want to miss out on a one-off, SuFu-only boot if everyone was clamoring for one??

I mean, if it had, say, speed hooks, the normal AS scalloping, and a real rather than fake toecaps?

[denimjunky]

Thats a cool pic, HH. Looks like taken from the 40s honestly.

Good vibes, good vibes.

[CrashTestBrummie]

those look lovely ben, great pickups. can you do a picture of ALL the boots you've got in your collection right now? and that comes with a PLEASE.

Tomorrow, promise! The light is fading now...

All these lovely veldtschoens popping up - makes me sad that the group buy didn't go thru

Hmmm... not necessarily gone forever. Would Ben really want to miss out on a one-off, SuFu-only boot if everyone was clamoring for one??

Incorrigible to the core, both of you. I'm under such peer pressure when I'm already thinking of downsizing?!

Can we discuss this in July?

[triumph.man]

i would def be interested in a group buy...if the price is right.

[Maynard Friedman]

CTB,

Never downsize your boots, it could be very painful!

[mikecch]

I modded my emu cream to make a cream polish, the wax content adjusted to give a matte polish.

Here it is after a light brush-down with horsehair:

The formulation is so that the leather will continue to acquire lustre over the first few days of wear, and hold the polish relatively well - but at the same time, the cream acts as leather food, doesn't affect the leather's ability to breath too much, and can be used on all colours

I'm hoping to formulate something which will give an uber shine, but so far the trouble is that the penetration of the cream will be compromised - I may have to add in some paraffin.

[Paul T]

Nice Sanders' officer-style shoes, size 8UK:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150610759769&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1123

[SLAB]

love that fit pic HH

hope to pick up a pair of veldtschoen shoes myself soon

btw any reason why they are called veldtschoen as it appears to be a dutch word?

[CrashTestBrummie]

love that fit pic HH

hope to pick up a pair of veldtschoen shoes myself soon

btw any reason why they are called veldtschoen as it appears to be a dutch word?

It's from the Dutch Voortrekkers who were pioneers in South Africa. They made shoes with game hide using the stitch-down construction as it would deflect debris away from the foot - the origin of the original desert boot, I'd imagine.

There's not much info on how the construction ended up being used by English shoemakers, but you can bet it was brought back by some soldier of bureaucrat of the British Empire. Looks like they modified the construction to use a double upper, with the outer upper stitched directly to the midsole and the inner upper being attached to a welt, contrary to what I previously thought. This double upper plus stitched down build, bellows tongue and minimal seams on the upper all make the boot as water resistant as you'll get.

So the Afrikaans 'field shoe' became an officer's boot, eventually...

[mikecch]

^ Thanks for knowledge!

[Paul T]

Yup, thanks for the information, Ben, altho I have mixed feelings, I have a feeling every time we post more info about veldts, another Size 8 gets sold. Just called on of the last stockists in Sussex, no luck!

There's a pretty good diagram of Goodyear welt, and Veldtschoen construction here: www.rjsp.co.uk.

[CrashTestBrummie]

Yup, thanks for the information, Ben, altho I have mixed feelings, I have a feeling every time we post more info about veldts, another Size 8 gets sold. Just called on of the last stockists in Sussex, no luck!

There's a pretty good diagram of Goodyear welt, and Veldtschoen construction here: www.rjsp.co.uk.

You'll find a pair soon enough...

And that link is for a shoe repairer who specifically deals with both Goodyear and Veldt repairs, unlike Richard. Might be worth checking out for resoling...

There's not much info on how the construction ended up being used by English shoemakers, but you can bet it was brought back by some soldier of bureaucrat of the British Empire.

Seems like it was Albert Edward Ingham, father of the English mathematician A E Ingham the younger:

http://www.jstor.org/pss/769447

The son was educated in Northampton and then Stafford, which is where Lotus Ltd started before moving to Northampton. The linked article says that A E Ingham the elder was a boot-machine operator (also mentioned elsewhere).

I've read elsewhere that Lotus patented their design in 1914, which ties in with this timescale so possibly this is the origin of the boot as we know it...

Of course, I could be barking up entirely the wrong tree but...

those look lovely ben, great pickups. can you do a picture of ALL the boots you've got in your collection right now? and that comes with a PLEASE.

I'm kinda embarrassed to post this, but you did ask nicely...this is mostly all that remains of a once-proud collection of vintage 80s adidas tennis shoes and trainers. This is why I'm in no rush to get anything else in a hurry:

Back row: Tricker's Wetherby, Tricker's Burford, RW GTs

Middle Row: Tricker's Eaton, Tricker's Stow, C&J Coniston, C&J Arran

Front row: Tecnic Veldtschoen, Tricker's Veldtschoen, Lotus Veldtschoen, Tricker's Grasmere

[Happy Hooligan]

that's a lot of boots..... and I thought I had too many... fantastic collection.

Oh, and for the SD fans out there.... I'm glad I'm sticking with these... Yes the first couple of days were painful, but bam about the 3rd day these are really starting to settle in and begin molding to my feet. I can see why everyone who has a pair loves them. They're quite light weight and agile. More so than my aldens. Even with that double row of stitching...

I'll get some updated pics this weekend...

[CrashTestBrummie]

Glad they're working out for you, mate!