Shoes that look better with age...

[indigo_junkie]

Inspired by Bill's post from about 100 pages back.

Both are size 9E. The Aldens feel longer but flatter than the 875s. The 875s are shorter and higher in the toe box. The quality of the Aldens are much better than that of the 875s (but that was to be expected I guess) and although the boots are roughly the same weight, the 875s definitely feel more chunkier and heavier on my feet. That being said, the crepe sole works better for constant pavement walking. The leather of the 875s is actually darker than in the photo. I gave them a good rub down with Obenauf's oil and then gave them a top coat of Obenauf's LP + gentle heat treatment. They're nice and moist now, just like my AF64s. I also replace the laces with some good thick heavy duty boot laces. I didn't like the thin plasticky laces that came with the boots.

[lowrider]

Okie... pics of my new shoes - hard to get the lighting right to show the colour contrast but I tried...

[LaiShin]

those are beautiful.

How much?

[fre-co]

I just had a conversation with David at the trickers factory in Northampton, He is really very nice but quite clearly a madman. Anyway, the upshot is that I think I will pay them a visit on Friday and have a look at the factory and see how things are done, he has a few Stowes in my size in the factory shop for £100 which if they turn out ok is a bargain.

He was talking about the custom service that he can offer and how compared to Jermyn street it is so much better (and cheaper) to go direct to him. You can have a choice of 150 different leathers and 10 soles, any colour combination you like! He reckons he might be able to persuade me into this.....

I'll let you know what comes about.

[Jamolos Orm]

Wow, lowrider. Those shoes look absolutely beautiful. I bet you're a very happy man right now. I know I would be. Congratulations.

[lowrider]

those are beautiful.

How much?

They retail for $560USD and worth every penny IMHO.

[lowrider]

Wow, lowrider. Those shoes look absolutely beautiful. I bet you're a very happy man right now. I know I would be. Congratulations.

Thanks man. Now I can wear my Aldens everyday (like my jeans) rotating between my Indy and the v-tips. I'm wearing my cigar Indy today with my SExIH01BK and it actually goes well. I guess that's cuz there's quite a bit of blue showing through - people in the office thought they were a midnight blue instead of black.

[LeicaLad]

I just had a conversation with David at the trickers factory in Northampton, He is really very nice but quite clearly a madman. Anyway, the upshot is that I think I will pay them a visit on Friday and have a look at the factory and see how things are done, he has a few Stowes in my size in the factory shop for £100 which if they turn out ok is a bargain.

He was talking about the custom service that he can offer and how compared to Jermyn street it is so much better (and cheaper) to go direct to him. You can have a choice of 150 different leathers and 10 soles, any colour combination you like! He reckons he might be able to persuade me into this.....

I'll let you know what comes about.

Boy! I sure wish I had a trip to the UK in my immediate future. I'd make a bee-line straight for Northampton!

Keep us posted on this.

[LeicaLad]

Well, as I am wrapping up my stay here in charming Talibanistan, I found that I just HAD to have a last pair of Bespoke Chappals made. The two pair I had made earlier (long documented story earlier in this thread), have been nice, but I just knew I had to have a pair made up in suede.

So, some weeks back, I went back down into the heart of the Old City of Peshwar, to find the Chappal zone. The Old City dates to pre-history, and, as this is the primary city at the base of the Khyber Pass, everybody from Alexander the Great and his many adversaries, predecessors and successors, have tromped through. The old mosque nearby the shoe guys was rebuilt in the 14th century. Basically, when they call it the "Old City", they mean OLD!!

ANYWAY, I picked out the suede that I liked from about different pieces they put in front of me. These weren't samples. The piece I like was marked with my name, and that piece became my shoes. The shoe man flipped through his huge book and even without the number of my previous order (that I had, just in case), he found my original measurements in just seconds. In that I'd last been there about 4 months back, I was impressed.

Well, I picked them up today, and slid them right on. These are comfy, and are a great match to jeans. If the others are any indication, they should hold up well. And, although quite sturdy in construction, they are definitely cooler than the hightop boots, which are definitely into boxes until I relocate to some cooler clime.

So, that's my "new shoes" story for now. Cheers.

[fre-co]

Trickers Factory shop visit report:

For anyone visiting by car, the visitors car park and entrance is at the back on a different street to the listed address.

In the shop there are shoes lining the walls seperated according to size and seemed to be about 20 pairs of each size. David at the shop is very nice and helpful and asked me what I was interested in. After measuring my foot he disappeared into another room and came back with about 5 pairs of country boot for me to try on.

I think it's best just to ask him what he has rather than browsing the shelves. In the end I came away with a Weatherby boot in C shade Tan with a commando sole and full bellows tongue for £100. They look perfect to me but I forgot to ask if they were seconds or what. He even gave me a tin of wax when I asked to buy it. He had no Stowe boots in my size so these will have to wait until next time.

He had lots of stories of unique boots and advice on breaking them in and looking after them and all in all it was a very pleasant boot buying experience.

Highly recommended.

Pics of my boots to follow.

[LeicaLad]

Boy! Am I green with envy. What fun! Post pics when you can.

[mizanation]

leicalad, those chappals are super fresh. i love the suede!!!

plus, chappals are pretty masculine, they keep toe exposure to a minimum. a great look with some jeans. bespoke chappals are probably impossible to find in the states, huh?

[Tarmac]

I've never heard of Trickers Wetherby. Please post pics!

[fre-co]

it's the same as the ripon I think. just with bellows tongue and a commando sole.

Apparently the design dates back to 1921 and is unchanged. That is why the sizing runs a little large, in those days socks were thick woollen things knitted by the wife/mother and made one's feet a half size lager than today.

[petng]

Hey Fresco. What advice did you get for breakingin?

[Biff15]

These just came in today... Can't wait to break them in!!

[fattybfat]

I just had a conversation with David at the trickers factory in Northampton, He is really very nice but quite clearly a madman. Anyway, the upshot is that I think I will pay them a visit on Friday and have a look at the factory and see how things are done, he has a few Stowes in my size in the factory shop for £100 which if they turn out ok is a bargain.

He was talking about the custom service that he can offer and how compared to Jermyn street it is so much better (and cheaper) to go direct to him. You can have a choice of 150 different leathers and 10 soles, any colour combination you like! He reckons he might be able to persuade me into this.....

I'll let you know what comes about.

fre$co...

so is it anyone can go visit that trickers factory or only certain person can? is it like a outlet of trickers??

i live in the u.s...so i cannot get tricker's here, i order mine online too , but never heard of the factory before, what you saying is that i can basically customize my trickers with the leather and soles i like at there?

anyway, such a great post and looking forward for you pics:)

[fre-co]

Petng: His advice on breaking in boots was that you have to wear them for a minimum of thirty hours, by putting them on for a couple of hours then taking them off so that they stretch and soften up. Leather soles are waxed and polished at trickers so these need to be scuffed up before attempting to walk on carpet or marble floors or driving.

He said there is an easy way to break boots in, that they don't officially recommend. That is filling them with warm water, empty, then wear them for an hour wet, take them off and let them dry naturally, then repeat a couple of times. I didn't boother with this though.... haha

Fatty: Yes anyone can go there, it is the factory shop and is like an outlet. They sell cancelled orders, returns and seconds etc for very cheap. They will also do custom and bespoke shoes for substantially less than the Jermyn street store in London.

For example, For about £100 you can get a pair from the stock he has, for £300 you can have a custom shoe made with 150 choices of leather and 10 different soles. For £200 he said I could order a standard boot that he didn't have right there and then. For £5000 you can have a turtle skin brogue made, or more for a salt water croc shoe.

[phuphyter]

damn right fre$co, you do need to scuff the hell out of the soles! I was walking around work as if I was on ice skates for the first time in my life. If I only knew...

How far is the factory from Cambridge? My friend is going there for the summer and maybe I can have her pick up a pair for me.

[fattybfat]

damn right fre$co, you do need to scuff the hell out of the soles! I was walking around work as if I was on ice skates for the first time in my life. If I only knew...

How far is the factory from Cambridge? My friend is going there for the summer and maybe I can have her pick up a pair for me.

hell yeah, the sole are so slippery, i was like 1,2,3, slip 1,2,3 slip again

thanks fresco, i guess that's why i saw so many different variation of tricker's on yahoo auction japan....like brown/white c shade/brown....which i dont see on pediware...

waiting for you to posted you whetherby...

BTW, i am not going to risk mine in warm water... , mine break in after 3 days....redwings took about a week to do it

i MUST go there one day, why am i in TEXAS????:confused:

[fre-co]

Pics of my wetherbys:

[polishmike]

Very nice fre$co, they will only get better and better with age. I like the commando sole.

[fre-co]

Cheers mike. I like the commando sole, they had a pair identical but with the leather sole... I thought the commando would be more useful in the end for my first pair.

[emaze]

Anyone know anything about this brand? Dunham

[Tarmac]

Nice pair.

My trickers are some of the best made shoes I own. perfect stitching and cutting, etc.

[LeicaLad]

And now, as they say, for something completely different!

Guaranteed NOT to get better with age. Guaranteed to be NoWhere even near something like a Tricker’s quality of leather, cutting or stitching.

I bring you: The Talibanistan Special Sandals!

Straight from Quetta, Baluchistan. AKA – Taliban South Headquarters.

Handmade, hand-cut, hammered, stretched and stitched. The quality is pretty damn low. But, I must admit, they’re amazingly comfy. Great house slippers, although that not how most Taliban would view them.

These were a going away present from one of my engineers who was just down there. I gotta admit, they will be talking pieces, if nothing else. As long as you stay out of the mud puddles, they’re great for dusting the house, eh?

It was 51 degrees Celsius/Centigrade yesterday and today. In Fahrenheit that's 124 bl**dy degrees!!!! :eek:

[viv1984viv]

Leica Lad - They are....well, they are interesting! Another fascintating post!

I bet some company owner is lurking and taking notes of the details and construction, the tassles and the round thingys, and thinking "mmmmm next years design maybe....." but in uber high qualitity.... heh.

[sarlo]

what about these?

for slimmer jeans?

[moykky]

^ ^ Beatle has got a pair.

[jpgm]

not a huge fan of those to be honest sarlo...i think they'd be a hell of a lot nicer without the stitching just above the sole.

fresco - those trickers are great....love the stitching at the back. you definitely wont be disappointed....couldnt be happier with my trickers stow.