Shoes that look better with age...

[dave023]

How much were they in US$ if you don't mind me asking? If it were a little more expensive, I'd just buy it here (can't try them on in Sydney. Only know of a store in Melbourne that sells them). But we're talking almost double the price, and I think Redwing has done a Sugarcane-esk crack down on their US account holders selling their boots to Australians at normal US prices. Some of the online boot stores don't even return my emails about the 877. Not too fussed at the moment about it, but yeah, I love that orange-brown leather and crepe sole. You'll be seeing me with a pair by year's end for sure.

I got the boot in chrome red-brown leather (not too impressed by the French veal, at least not +$65 more impressed), with leather uppers, steel shank and Vibram Montagna sole. There's not all that many options on the Imperials, since its got a fair few built in.

The Red wing 877 are $349 and the 875 are $320.

I advize you to try on a pair if you have the possibility, since sizing with Red wing isn't easy!

[indigo_junkie]

The Red wing 877 are $349 and the 875 are $320.

I advize you to try on a pair if you have the possibility, since sizing with Red wing isn't easy!

Gah! Same price as what I would have paid in Aus for them. If I can't try them on either way, might as well go with the proxy. This won't be until late this year anyway. My birthday's in October, hmmm...

LeicaLad - I'm normally an 8 in Blundstones (which is a big 8 compared to say, the 8 of a RMW). If US sizes are a 1/2 size up than UK on average, then theoretically I should be a 8.5 in the Indy's. I got the 405s in 8.5E and they fit almost too well (not much room in the foot to move). Not uncomfortably tight or anything, but I was worried there might be problems with the fit once I started actually walking in them for any real distance. I sent a fax of my foot with true measurements to Adam at Carmel. He recommended a 9E in the AF64. Good comfortable fit. Roomy in the toes, the way I like it, but well fitted and snug on the top of the foot and the ankle.

What really pissed me off is that if the retailer of the 405s just gave them a quick 30 second inspection, could have saved me a lot of time and hassle. No matter, like I said, the AF64 suits my needs better anyway.

I just gave them a quick walk to go buy some bread at the store. Feels good. Will give regular updates, that is until my Russells get here.

[CAFC]

i am looking for a dress shoe to go with a suit for interview

this is the style i like but in black....any recommendation?

my budget is no more than $180

allen edmonds....find this on ebay, but they dont have black...

this is the one i LOVE....AE Westgate

testoni....$300??too much for me

Can anyone tell is there any shoe laces on the testoni or is the laces hidden under the opening??find that pics on ebay

I recently bought a very similar style to the black AE Wingates in Grensons. A beautifully made shoe for 180 quid. I'm usually a UK 10 but went for a UK 9.5. Kind of wish I'd sized down to a 9. Still, some insoles did the trick. They are very - erm - long though. I dunno, maybe I'm not used to this style of shoe, but, while they're a nice fit (with the insoles) and beautifully made, I feel kind of self-conscious at how, you know, looooong they are.

[GregNYC]

Great posts you guys. This thread is turning into quite a footwear resource! I've been offline, my home PC crashed, got a super-duper gamer's PC and all the graphics goodies so I'm back online more now.

Everyone - fascinating question, the size equivalence between Red Wing and Indies.

Here's the equivalence for me:

Red Wing 875: 10D (fantastic fit, w/ or w/o cushy insoles)

Alden Indy 405: 8.5EE*

(* EE are not available unless you order 12 of them, so I went with EEE)

I have an Indy story for a future post. Remember how I was gonna sell one or both pairs? Well now I'm keeping them, I figured out how to make them comfortable. I basically had to remove Minas's inserts which got uncomfortable after a while, and put in Crocket & Jones inserts. Now they feel really nice. More later!

Leica - great way to see the 1911s, from the door of a chopper! That one pic of *both feet* in the chopper doorway gave me a bit of dizziness! What were you holding onto, the one hand on the camera! I'm glad the helicopter didn't have to jerk to dodge a tracer round! I'll miss these shots too.

LL and Dave - I agree with these sizing comments about the 1911s. Definitely a skinnier last and a flatter toe-box than the famous American-friendly 875s. In 875s, the D fits a lot better. About 8 months ago I heard somewhere, maybe on VLJ2 or AAAC, that Red Wings' Euro-only retro models were long and skinny.

Indigo - Blundstones are great for comfort aren't they! Blunnies used to be my daily wearer in the late 90s. I ran 5 miles in a pair once, they're that comfortable. I next went to R.M. Williams and wore them for another 5 years before catching the shoe bug.

Tarmac - BB Peal. I heard some gossip about those from the folks at Alden. I'm not sure who private-labels for the Peal company, but they cheat. I had a big prob with one pair of chelseas from them. Alden told me Peal saves money by doing only a half-sole on the outside (from the heel to the arch), and merely paste a strip of leather over the underside the toe to look good. It began to "peal" off, revealing an unfinished stack of leather on the sole. I took them back for a full refund. The BB manager wasn't happy, and told me that "all good shoes do that." That's the kind of stupid sales talk that a customer must listen to if they don't know any better, which at the time, I didn't!

[salaami]

clarks originals(wally's/desert trek/desert boots,etc.) and of course, chucks and pro keds.

[LeicaLad]

Leica - great way to see the 1911s, from the door of a chopper! That one pic of *both feet* in the chopper doorway gave me a bit of dizziness! What were you holding onto, the one hand on the camera! I'm glad the helicopter didn't have to jerk to dodge a tracer round! I'll miss these shots too.

Greg, as you like OldSkool, I'll show you just how OldSkool these choppers are. Check out the seat belt. That's it, no shoulder strap/harness, nadda. Look at the buckle.

Another gratuitous poppy shot, just for fun. The house is totally surrounded by poppy in bloom.

And now back to cool shoes 'n stuff.

[LeicaLad]

Returning to the subject of the thread: Here is a line of my more interesting footwear. I should do another line up of my Afghan chappals. But for the moment:

Left to Right: Grenson Ilkley, Red Wing 1911, Alden 306, Tricker Keswicks.

[fattybfat]

Leicalad:

those all look very nice and new, and you put shoe tree in all of them too

the alden and redwing looks plain and simple, the trickers look high class

i especially like the trickers, maybe i wil post some of mine shoes too

[familyman]

Where do you go from there LL? I can see a place for a true dress boot in the collection. Perhaps a captoe?

I'm going to miss the poppy flower photos, great stuff.

[LeicaLad]

What I really WANT is a captoe balmoral boot in shell cordovan. Dunno tho. When I leave here, the odds are that I'll head back to Thailand, where boots of any kind are just so impractical. To be seen.

Thanks. I'll try to come up with other supporting photos. The chopper is gonna be tough to beat, tho. ha.

[Tarmac]

some Trickers knick knacks my girl picked up in London.

[countchocula8]

Can someone tell me where can I get some Redwing 1911?

[superBobo]

^^

www.cultizm.com

[fattybfat]

Tarmac:

i love to see you post...anyway, are those trickers shoe paste or shoe cream??

know where to get them??

i need to get a acorn antique one for my boot

[Tarmac]

Yeah they are wax polish in espresso, black, and neutral. I asked her to pick up just the espresso and she picked up 2 more, typical

Anyway I only asked her to get espresso because I was a stickler for getting my exact color for my boots. Honestly though, I don't think it makes any difference. I was using Lincoln Dark Brown before the trickers wax and it seems nearly identical, really, even down to the similar smell. For your light color I would probably get 1 neutral Lincoln and 1 tan or light brown. Much cheaper and just as good.

PS trickers wax cost 5 pound at the Jermyn st shop, thats $10:eek: You can get a smaller size tin in certain colors at pediwear for 3 pounds, but you would have to buy a pair of shoes to make the shipping worth it.

[drivel]

I just picked these up off ebay, prett sweet for $16.13. Vintage Redwing 510.

[mizanation]

leicalad, i like those tricker's the best. definitely the next pair i will get (unless it's the indy's).

[Ispy]

$16? Very nice, good pick-up.

I just picked these up off ebay, prett sweet for $16.13. Vintage Redwing 510.

[LeicaLad]

leicalad, i like those tricker's the best. definitely the next pair i will get (unless it's the indy's).

I really like them, too. Sadly, they're a full size too big, so I really am not wearing them much. They're a UK10.5, which, in this case, means a US11.5. Even after stuffing them with insoles and heel pads, they're boats on my feet. sigh. They are soooo cool. I really should sell them, but it hurts when I think about it.

[Happy Hooligan]

you know, I happen to wear an 11.5.....

[bart1]

Maybe I will ask here. I had been looking for a good boot that was a tad dressier, but still very rugged, than my Blundstones. I have been wearing Blunnies for years now and love them. Wanted something a little different, maybe with a leather sole and a little more rock & roll. I looked at Mark Nason and a few other and was not terribly impressed. I would prefer a rubber grip on the front, but my favorite so far have been these from Varvatos:

My only concern is that the leg opening is a little big and don't quite look right with my Skull 5010 jeans. Will these soften and relax over time to better accomodate the slim Skulls? Other than that, build quality and style look just right for me. Thanks for any opinions or advice.

[mizanation]

those are standard harness boots. the leg opening will stay the same even with a lot of wear. if you like that style, you could probably save some money by getting some fryes or something like that, instead of going with varvatos--although these look like they have a sleeker last. if you wear jeans with a very slim leg opening and severe taper, they will probably not look that great, cuz they will bulge in the shin.

i'm at jury duty today. a lot of the lawyers are wearing shell cordovans. i see more shells here than on wall street believe it or not. now i know who, besides the guys on this thread, are buying the shells.

[bart1]

Thanks, Miz. I have looked at Fryes and most of them have a huge, chunky, all rubber sole. I like the sleeker leather Varvatos sole for this pair. I did like the Frye Marco Chelsea, but it is very similar to one of the several pair of Blunnies I already have.

[mizanation]

the opening on those varvatos doesn't look too huge. if you don't mind a little disfiguration, i bet you could pull it off. did you try them on yet?

[bart1]

Yep, ordered from Zappos and they are sitting at my house right now. I can try and get a pic.

[indigo_junkie]

Just thought I post a quick update on my AF64 Indy's. I've been wearing them for a few hours on the weekend and gave them their first hard walk yesterday.

They feel good. Snug, comfortable, with no pinching or strafing. Unfortunately, they aren't as comfortable as my Blundstones (no boot on the planet is, I think), but the additional upper ankle support from the laces feel much more secure than the elastic band that's on the leather upper of the Blundstones (I broke my ankle playing paintball a few years ago, and they're aren't as strong as they were when I was younger). They're more comfortable than my RM Williams boots though and the Vibram with rubber midsole absorbs heel strikes on the pavement better. No wear to mention as yet. The oil leather creases nicely though, and I'll probably give it a treatment of Obenauf's in a few months time to keep it nice and moist.

Tossing up on whether to put in a thin foot insert. That leather insole is hard, and since I sized a half size up, there is room for it. I might give it a few more days.

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

Thanks, Miz. I have looked at Fryes and most of them have a huge, chunky, all rubber sole. I like the sleeker leather Varvatos sole for this pair. I did like the Frye Marco Chelsea, but it is very similar to one of the several pair of Blunnies I already have.

Finally- something in this topic which I check everyday that I can actually chime in on!

I think you made the right choice if you're looking for something you can pair with anything dressier than jeans. I have a pair of these:

and they sole is definitely a bit big for anything other than jeans. Athough this color leather seems lucky to have gotten a differently colored midsole that allows the whole thing to look a bit slimmer. My main complaint however is that they're too damn skinny. Not that they don't fit, but that they look to skinny with anything other than super skinny denim, which the upper opening isn't conducive to, as you noted.

Anyhow, on the topic of fryes: I know a few folks here have picked up the brandos, but I wonder if anyone has looked at the lace up brandos? They seem like a really simple, cleanly made boot. Nice enough you can keep them for a long time, but not so nice you feel any need to baby them. Right now I'm wearing a pair of Carhartt by Redwing boots for construction/farm/mowing work, but I'm thinking these might be a reasonably priced next pair:

(however, I think I would have to swap those silly looking laces with either rawhide or flat cotton laces.)

opinions?

[partytaco]

wear the boot over the jean. that's how the engineer boot was designed to be worn. otherwise buy a bootcut jean or suffer through having fatty ankles if you wear them with a skinnier jean. if you must have an engineer boot with a slimmer leg opening try wesco who will customize for a reasonable amount and i'm sure will not be much more if not less than those fashion boots you're looking at.

My only concern is that the leg opening is a little big and don't quite look right with my Skull 5010 jeans. Will these soften and relax over time to better accomodate the slim Skulls? Other than that, build quality and style look just right for me. Thanks for any opinions or advice.

[bart1]

I am dragging this thread off topic, and for that I apologize. Here's a few pics:

My current fave boots, Blunndstone dress boots (550 maybe?):

The Varvatos harness (which I refuse to wear my jeans tucked with):

And some Mark Nason boots I got to try on, as well:

Top view of the Nason and Varvatos:

I don't know, maybe I should just get a Frye 8" harness. They are really chunkier than what I wanted (the Brando looks better, but too tall), but the leg opening actually looks smaller than these Varvatos.

I do appreciate the advice I am getting here.

[familyman]

I honestly don't think those Varvatos are going to work for you like that. Keep looking, the right boot is out there.

For the technical boot people, would there be a problem replacing the thick rubber sole on the Frye with a much thinner piece? Something like a Topy? It might solve the chunky problem. You'd have to thin down the heel as well to keep the balance but if you can have a pair of redwings go from a rubber sole to a leateher sole (which happened a long way back in this thread if I remember correctly) it seems like the Frye's could undergo similar surgery.