Jump to content

Shoes that look better with age...

mizanation

By mizanation
in superdenim

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 28k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Chicken
Chicken

been going cheep: 1/4/10 1/4/10 purchased these clarks desert boots a while back. after moving to sunny california, i kind of got tired of hauling around in heavy duty boots, so i thought these

coleslawyum
coleslawyum

Minor update on my Toys McCoy Railman boots. 4 years. Vegetable tanned cowhide. Built like tanks.

riff
riff

I posted these on my tumblr a while back & realized I forgot to post here - my current workboot rotation:

Bill2

Bill2

Posted
Posted

An update on my Indy's. Here they are after a good shine with regular kiwi brown. It stains the stitching brown, but I think they look better like this; more rugged. First shot is most representative of their true color, second pic shows their detail better:

IMG_0481.jpg

IMG_0480.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
captain5640

captain5640

Posted
Posted
Just arrived today. Crockett & Jones handgrade Cliffords. They do look good with jeans, because that's what I was wearing when I tried them on in the store!

337.front.gif

337.splaygood.gif

337.sole.gif

337.back.gif

337.splay.gif

Very nice!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GregNYC

GregNYC

Posted
Posted

skalogre - Yes they are on the 337 last, as are all the Crockett and Jones shoes. I have the Villiers on order - hope they fit as well. This is the most elegant (e.g., narrow!) last I've ever been able to fit. Cindy at C & J told me a tip about antiquing, something I had no idea about - the darker parts go on the same areas that take a higher polish. The toe, the sides, the outside of the heel counter. Where the leather is stretched tighter. Which is what you would expect, since rubbing leather over time makes it darker, and tighter leather is more open to pressure. If I try to antique these, I might first do it thru just rubbing. This is what I used to do with my WWII-looking watch straps I wore on my Panerai. Worked very well, looked very authentic.

dave - Jeans photo coming with those Cliffords!

bill - welcome to the Indy club!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
familyman

familyman

Posted
Posted

Greg - beautiful shoes. It would be so hard to take those out on cement for the first time. I know they're shoes and that's what they're meant for but they're just so pretty. I can't wait to see pictures of the coming boots.

Bill - your Indys look awesome. Such a great boot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tarmac

Tarmac

Posted
Posted
Tricker's report - I went to Nom de Guerre today. Like someone said, very expensive boutique-y. I looked for selvage among their various jeans and didn't find a single pair.

But they did have a few models of Trickers, including the Stow:

edit

They had some custom ordered with a nice chunky, knobby Goodyear commando sole. I preferred leather, but I tried them on anyway. The 10 was too large in every direction, and the 9 was too small. The instep was too low, the boot too narrow for my foot.

But the worst thing was that the construction wasn't worthy of a boot costing over $600.

Well nom de guerre is overpriced for sure. And sure $600 for Stows sounds extravagant, but how much are Skyes? $700? $800? You can't really justify any of these prices on a rational level. I paid $150 for my Stows. Also thats funny that they didn't have a 9.5, because that's the size I have. Fits perfectly.

Anyway I think the best sole to get with Stows or other brogue boots is the Dainite studded. They didn't have those there? It's a lower profile than the commando (which is a full on combat sole) and honestly I think a rubber sole is more appropriate for a country boot, cobblery tradition be damned. I would reserve a leather sole for my brogue oxfords, non-boots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bill2

Bill2

Posted
Posted
Bill- Nice evolution on the 405, how often do you wear them?

I've had the indy's since december. They get about two/three days wear a week, but all of it around L.A. Nothing too outdoorsy. They do make for very comfortable everyday shoes though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GregNYC

GregNYC

Posted
Posted

Dave, those 1911s look great! I'd prefer to not use an insole, but I ended up trying several to get a better fit. The 1911s were too long for me. I couldn't have gone with a smaller size because then they would have been too narrow. My heels were slipping up in back as I walked. To try to take up space, I used various insoles. The ones that helped cure the slippage the most ended up being too thick. This thickness back by the heel would place my own heel too high in the heel counter, and I'd get that irritating feeling that I wasn't fully in the boot. Plus the curvature of the heel counter would dig into my heel at the lower point of the Achilles.

Yeah, fitting is like calculus, for sure!

My own Ebert-and-Roeper analysis of the two boots:

The 1911 has it on design, color, and overall classic workwear shape. Their retro details like the commando half-sole on the leather mid-sole, and the waxed laces, all rock!

The Indy has it on fit and materials. The Truebalance last is a fairly serious attempt on Alden's part to fit the prole worker's wide foot. More utilitarian than elegant. It is a pretty good fit for many people. One of their better lasts.

The 1911 strikes me more like a concept-shoe, whereas the Indy was designed to actually be worn!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GregNYC

GregNYC

Posted
Posted

Tarmac - I hear you on the commando/Dainite-sole country-boot thing. But I myself am in an old-skool leather sole mode. And I'm basically turning them into a dressier town-boot version than they were designed for.

I'm seriously thinking of a pair of brown Conistons. That C & J 325 last fits my foot like a dream - my black Conistons are one of my most comfortable shoes, much better than the Indies. Cindy at C & J convinced me that if I get the Conistons, to go with the Dainite, wear them way out, then resole them with leather. At C&J it costs $250, but what a welt, what a sole, what a heel! Not resoling right at first will make them last longer. Each resoling takes its toll on the life of the vamp. The Dainite is a great rubber sole, very low profile, grippy but not too clunky or rustic looking. There's still a wonderful leather welt there and a side view will yield the pleasure of lots of midsole leather.

So I'd prefer leather, butthe Dainite is one of the coolest rubber soles. The Indy brick/cork rubber is cool too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dave023

dave023

Posted
Posted
Dave, those 1911s look great! I'd prefer to not use an insole, but I ended up trying several to get a better fit. The 1911s were too long for me. I couldn't have gone with a smaller size because then they would have been too narrow. My heels were slipping up in back as I walked. To try to take up space, I used various insoles. The ones that helped cure the slippage the most ended up being too thick. This thickness back by the heel would place my own heel too high in the heel counter, and I'd get that irritating feeling that I wasn't fully in the boot. Plus the curvature of the heel counter would dig into my heel at the lower point of the Achilles.

Yeah, fitting is like calculus, for sure!

My own Ebert-and-Roeper analysis of the two boots:

The 1911 has it on design, color, and overall classic workwear shape. Their retro details like the commando half-sole on the leather mid-sole, and the waxed laces, all rock!

The Indy has it on fit and materials. The Truebalance last is a fairly serious attempt on Alden's part to fit the prole worker's wide foot. More utilitarian than elegant. It is a pretty good fit for many people. One of their better lasts.

The 1911 strikes me more like a concept-shoe, whereas the Indy was designed to actually be worn!

Greg-I really would like a pair of alden indy's too, but sizing causes me a headache...so these 1911 are a size 10.5D and fit me well with a thin insole since there isn't one in these boots( I just don't get why red wing sells boots without an insole)...let's now guess my alden indy boot size...

Bobo- thanks, the color is black cherry...:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Happy Hooligan

Happy Hooligan

Posted
Posted

Greg,

you must have a very understanding wife...

granted I'd do own the same thing...

Still working on mine to get those whites...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
coleslawyum

coleslawyum

Posted
Posted
damn, these are beautiful.

<weep>

nice purchase. would love to see how these will change over time.

Yes, them Beckman boots are nice… What's wrong with Red Wing not releasing the cool shit in the States?

Anyway, those C&J's reminded my of some Paul Smith shoes I got a few years ago.

redshoe2.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GregNYC

GregNYC

Posted
Posted
Greg,

you must have a very understanding wife...

granted I'd do own the same thing...

Still working on mine to get those whites...

Yes, my wife is great! She doesn't like brown as much as black, but she is starting to understand the vintage WWII-era appeal. She's from mainland China, different background. But she does know quality, and sees the quality in lots of this stuff.

Waiting for those white whats??

Link to comment
Share on other sites
still

still

Posted
Posted
you can't tell if they are shell cordovan from a pic of an unworn shoe--especially in black. they look like aldens though.

yes they are aldens. the seller was selling the boots for someone else and he has no idea what is shell cordovan..

i'll take some more pics after i got it. at least they look awesome in the photos ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing


×
×
  • Create New...
superfuture®
supertravel
products
services

  • follow us
    • superfuture
    © 2003 – 2023 superfuture® All Rights Reserved