Shoes that look better with age...

[min2max]

Some amazing SDs in the thread lately...

I'm in the market for a first pair but sizing and options are making my head explode! like whats the difference between the standard sole trim and the close trim?? also what's the deal with white's measuring instructions? you've got to send them by snail mail or fax it seems? i think i remember there being a fee for this, but there is no mention on their site. does baker's offer a similar service? what's the general consensus on sizing?

btw, i'm a US8.5 in redwing, US9 in clark's dbs, US9.5 in vans/nikes, if thats any indication..

[patrick_b]

Here is mainly why I will give lots of love to my latest SDs which also have the vamp made in semi dress brown. They do look better with age!

Wow! These really look terrific. How old are they?

[denimjunky]

Some amazing SDs in the thread lately...

I'm in the market for a first pair but sizing and options are making my head explode! like whats the difference between the standard sole trim and the close trim?? also what's the deal with white's measuring instructions? you've got to send them by snail mail or fax it seems? i think i remember there being a fee for this, but there is no mention on their site. does baker's offer a similar service? what's the general consensus on sizing?

btw, i'm a US8.5 in redwing, US9 in clark's dbs, US9.5 in vans/nikes, if thats any indication..

Close trim = only one row of welt & outsole stitch.

Close trim looks a bit more slick and the standard trim is SO typically white's.

I dont know of any other brand that does it.

Never did the measuring according to whites's

I wear US9D in RW and in SDs US9E. (The Redwings are a bit bigger.)

Never tried a 8.5E RW but I could probably fit them well.

Wow! These really look terrific. How old are they?

No idea (not mine).

[rkusmant]

I need to get White's SD...

In the mean time, here's my dress packers:

[CrashTestBrummie]

I like the colour of those, it's just the silhouette of the boot that I could never feel comfortable with...

[rkusmant]

I bought this a while ago because I want to try the look of western boots, and with ~70% off retail it's hard to pass on the deal.

One thing I know that I need to get lower heel lift for my next White's, my 6'3 build doesn't need any more lift

[the_ming]

only had these a couple of weeks and they're already coming along nicely:

[superbeveridge]

i have my first pair of codorvan aldens coming this week. i have never had cordovan shoes before, any tips on caring for the leather?

[rkusmant]

^^

dust off with horsehair brush and buff with flannel cloth, use paste wax when needed (rarely).

I still need to figure out what to use to condition/rejuvenate it (saphir renovateur/venetian shoe cream?)

[davichan]

^ i'm a fan of Saphir Renovateur for conditioner for my cordovan and chrome-taned shoes. wonderful product.

[the_ming]

i have my first pair of codorvan aldens coming this week. i have never had cordovan shoes before, any tips on caring for the leather?

google for the "mac method"

[Joseph Hill]

A bit over a year on the Corcorans. Beat to hell every day at work. Repeated dousings with tranny fluid, engine oil and various chemical solvents took the phony 'spit shine' finish off fairly quickly. I grease and polish every week or so. Constant abrasion to the toes have sueded them so they no longer shine up. Before polish on the left, after on the right.

Fifteen or so years on the Fryes. They've walked on ten states, and gone through a couple resoles. They started a light gray-brown, and years of mink oil and polish have turned them to Hersheys dark chocolate. Warming them up with a fresh oiling and slipping them on is one of the more luxurious things I do for myself.

[mikecch]

^ Those Fryes look fantastic Joseph Hill - now that's looking better with age!

[rockon99]

Quick question........

generally, are all those doc marten, solovair, etc boots of about the same quality? i'm thinking of getting solovairs at some point soon, but if theyre essentially docs, i might as well just get docs.

thanks..

[Denton]

solovair are generally considered better than docs. theyre made by the company that used to make docs in england.

[xallanx]

I bought this a while ago because I want to try the look of western boots, and with ~70% off retail it's hard to pass on the deal.

One thing I know that I need to get lower heel lift for my next White's, my 6'3 build doesn't need any more lift

I'm in full support of the packer. Where did you get it at ~70% off retail?

[killer b]

Yeah, the far east made docs are an inferior product to the old made in england boots, no question. I'd get solovair or the 'premium' made in england docs...

[triumph.man]

LL Bean Kathadins

[killer b]

solovair are generally considered better than docs. theyre made by the company that used to make docs in england.

hm, interesting - in that case it looks like solovair and the DM made in england range are made by the same people.

fwiw, i reckon the DM capper is the best option - can be picked up for around 100 quid on ebay...

[rkusmant]

I'm in full support of the packer. Where did you get it at ~70% off retail?

I found it on Ebay, I believe it's from the White's boots factory. Haven't seen any others in my size these days.

[offyatree]

CLARKS DESERT TREKS!

[ihatebrianwilliams]

Repeated dousings with tranny fluid

Yeah that is funny taken out of context. HAHA. Boots look rad. I don't think I have seen black Corcorans before. Love seeing the boots that do work for a living.

[nameness]

Usually don't x-post but thought some of you guys might be interested in the Tricker's Keswick size UK 8 I'm selling:

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=282280

[Paul T]

My Lotus Veldtschoen had nearly a fornight camping. These are, as they claim, waterproof, everyone else was wearing wellies but these came thru fine. After maybe 8 or 9 days of tramping thru wet grass, the outside had turned dull, when some water had soaked in, but they were dry as a bone.

I am now a Laces Geek. those are the original, two of the aglets (sp?) came off in the damp, so I need to work out how to make some new ones using glue, stickytape and paint (I'll add them to me to-do pile, with the broken espresso machines and the nipper's toy tanks).

New, temporary laces (I couldn't find green)... and a quick clean up using CTB's spit'n'polish technique.

I have now, at my advanced age, finally learned how to tie shoelaces properly so they don't come undone. Definiteyl worth googling, you will save hours, weeks even, of your life!

[SLAB]

yeah, i got the shoe lace tying technique from a free & easy boot magazine; laces used to come undone the whole time, not anymore now!

btw i like the new look of your Lotus shoes Paul

[pomata]

great shoes Paul T!

as I see there's some love for trickers here's my small collection:

these are 12 years old but they have not been used a lot. I pull them out every now and then and it's my first and favourite pair of Trickers .

william, these have been worn more and they'll need a resole job soon

[killer b]

I have now, at my advanced age, finally learned how to tie shoelaces properly so they don't come undone. Definiteyl worth googling, you will save hours, weeks even, of your life!

this is something of a revelation... i've never even considered there may be more than one way of tying your shoes.

i'm trying out a 'surgeons knot' this afternoon.

[pomata]

black fredrick, what's the difference with the stows? I dunno

[pomata]

and stows w/crepe sole, most comfortable boot ever imo

[spidereye]

hm, interesting - in that case it looks like solovair and the DM made in england range are made by the same people.

fwiw, i reckon the DM capper is the best option - can be picked up for around 100 quid on ebay...

Thanks..posting it here i like capper..this collour & black one.