Shoes that look better with age...

[GregNYC]

here's some pictures of the White's factory on a Japanese site http://www.wdgsof.com/whitefactory.htm

Cool find, and great pictures of a wide variety of White's boots as well. Another reason this thread rocks!

[edmond]

very nice choice very nice

[Happy Hooligan]

First Wesco's take forever to break in and will kill your feet... now that said, they're fantastic boots and once actually broken in are well fantastic... So hang in there.

I also called Whites the other day and asked about custom. They can/will do what ever you request. The guy I talked with said he actually was wearing the semi dress in black roughouts! He went as far to say if I wanted blue lizard they would make them in blue lizard...

So keep that in mind. That's one reason I do enjoy this thread. It shows you, you don't have to have what everyone else has. You can customize. That's why I love wesco, I had an idea for a boot and they made it for me. It wasn't on their catalog or website but they did it just the same...

[GregNYC]

That's one reason I do enjoy this thread. It shows you, you don't have to have what everyone else has. You can customize. That's why I love wesco, I had an idea for a boot and they made it for me. It wasn't on their catalog or website but they did it just the same...

Amen to the thread. Now, these custom Wescos... Like Chicken said, you don't really have them till we can see them!

[skalogre]

Amen to the thread. Now, these custom Wescos... Like Chicken said, you don't really have them till we can see them!

See, that is peer-approval/pressure done right!

[Happy Hooligan]

Amen to the thread. Now, these custom Wescos... Like Chicken said, you don't really have them till we can see them!

They were my boss "James Dean" I've posted them before.

[GregNYC]

These? Cool color!

[Happy Hooligan]

that's them...

[WhiteShark]

Crap.

someone just told me today that Alden of carmel is removing the 5 steel eyelets at the bottom of the shoe. I was all ready to buy a pair. Here is what they had to say...

Copied from another forum....

Thank you for your e-mail.

The new version of our AF64 will not have the round metal eyelets. (the 5 lower eyelets out of the 9 total)

It will still have the 4 speed hooks. The top 4 eyelets out of 9 total.

The round metal eyelets will be replaced by "invisible" or "blind" eyelets, which are just plain lace holes. (these are reinforced under the leather layer)

So to re-cap. We are changing the lower 5 eyelets from: round metal eyelets (called "agatine" eyelets) to: "invisible" or "blind" eyelets, which are just plain lace holes like an ordinary shoe.

There were two other misunderstandings that came up in our correspondence with Mr. French.

First, we do not sell AF64 as a hiking boot. It has never said anything like that on our web site.

Second, though AF64 is based on the Indy Boot, it was never our intention to make the boot as close to the Indy Boot as possible.

If we wanted to do that, we would use the same sole as the original Indy Boot, and, we would not use this heavily oiled leather.

AF64 is based on the Indy Boot pattern, but is essentially a different shoe, because of the sole and the leather used.

If you are posting to a web site or are in e-mail correspondence with Indy Boot fans, perhaps you can pass on this information in order to help avoid any confusion or disappointment.

If you have any questions, please e-mail.

Sincerely, Adam, Alden of Carmel"

My question is, Does the lack of steel eyelts actually make any diffrence?

I seem to remember someone on here owning a pair like this....opinions?

[amlai]

Crap.

someone just told me today that Alden of carmel is removing the 5 steel eyelets at the bottom of the shoe. I was all ready to buy a pair. Here is what they had to say...

Copied from another forum....

My question is, Does the lack of steel eyelts actually make any diffrence?

I seem to remember someone on here owning a pair like this....opinions?

Typically, in my opinion, it makes the boot look dressier, and more like a regular shoe. However, I don't think that in this case, it will make the boot dressier given the material and design. I imagine that the metal eyelets don't significantly contribute to the overall strength of the eyelets. There are still holes there regardless. I also foresee the eyelet rings rusting eventually. I would imagine the largest difference to be a lace friction / durability difference. With the rings, the laces should flow through with less friction and might also have less wear.

[WhiteShark]

Thats what confuses me about all this,

why on a boot that is supposed to be rugged, why the hell would you make a change to it that would possibly DECREASE its strenght. It makes no sense at all.

[GregNYC]

^ I agree, hidden eyelets with an oiled leather upper? As far as eyelets and oiled leather go, I'm kinda liking the combo on these Red Wing 8146's I'm wearing today. It all goes together with the chunky Vibram sole...

[DenimDad]

Well after wearing the Wescos most of the day my ankles feel like this:

I'd love to see them with jeans!

Here you go. The first shot is the Wescos with the Samurai S3000VX, a relaxed cut. The second is with the SDA SD-103, a more tapered and slim fit (click for larger).

Also wearing it in the rain helps, as well and oiling the leather. Also add an extra insole. They are so comfortable now after a couple months of wear, so its worth it to give it a shot!

yeah thats what i did with my loggers boots... i oiled it up and used it it soften up the leather a bit...makes it more comfy to break in.. i put oil specially on the upper heel part where it hurts the most initially..

coleslaw, demonito: Thanks, I'll give the insoles and the oiling a try. Luckily here's a little rain forecasted over the next few days so I'll have an opportunity to try this as well.

Here are some comparison shots with other SuFu favorites:

Sorry for the long post...I don't know how to make the pictures appear side-by-side? :confused:

[Denim Phenom]

I emailed Tom at LeatherSoul and he doesn't know anything about the Black leather Indys coming out. It must be exclusive to the Alden store in New York. I'm going to give them a call this week to see how I can obtain a pair.

[cash]

Alden of Carmel is calling one of theirn boots a Black Indy (AF76).

http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/Shoes-Black_Indy_Boot_210.htm

[xchen]

cash, this is not the black Indy boot everyone has been talking about. This is shell cordovan leather (horse). These also have a commando sole.

The new black Indy boots will be the same calfskin as the brown ones and should also have the neoprene soles. I'm guessing the stitching will likely be the same as it is now.

[Disillusioned]

Well after wearing the Wescos most of the day my ankles feel like this:

Ha - Misery: that movie is a classic. Watched it very recently.

[HEWSINATOR]

This image has come up a few times recently on the forum, can not remember where else, why?

[heinrich BCN]

Well after wearing the Wescos most of the day my ankles feel like this:

Here you go. The first shot is the Wescos with the Samurai S3000VX, a relaxed cut. The second is with the SDA SD-103, a more tapered and slim fit (click for larger).

coleslaw, demonito: Thanks, I'll give the insoles and the oiling a try. Luckily here's a little rain forecasted over the next few days so I'll have an opportunity to try this as well.

Here are some comparison shots with other SuFu favorites:

Sorry for the long post...I don't know how to make the pictures appear side-by-side? :confused:

Hello DenimDad, could you make a comparison weightwise on these three really nice boots of yours? And which one is summer compatible?

Thanks in advance,

Heinrich

[amlai]

Thats what confuses me about all this,

why on a boot that is supposed to be rugged, why the hell would you make a change to it that would possibly DECREASE its strenght. It makes no sense at all.

What I was trying to say is that I don't think it decreases the strength of the boot, but perhaps decreases longevity of the laces.

[DenimDad]

Hello DenimDad, could you make a comparison weightwise on these three really nice boots of yours? And which one is summer compatible?

Thanks in advance,

Heinrich

In my opinion, the Wescos are the "heftiest" boots out of the three, followed by the Whites and then the Aldens. Despite their history and cinematic reputation, the Aldens are probably the dressiest and most versatile...they can be dressed up or down much more readily than the other two. If I understand your question correctly, I would say they would also be the most "summer compatible".

Familyman summed it up pretty nicely a few pages back:

In the end, the Semi dress is a boot and you wouldn't be afraid to do booty things in it. Go for a hike, shovel the show, push someones car out of a ditch, boot stuff. The Alden at it's heart is a shoe and I think it's much better suited to the shoe stuff that makes up 99% of the lives of 99% of us.

Really, you probably need both.

[Mich]

^^ The Wesco's look great with jeans DenimDad, especially the fuller repro cut of the S3000VX looks good with these.

[GregNYC]

Denim Dad, the Wescos look great, especially with the SDAs which show them a tiny bit better. Thanks for the writeup on the three types.

Everyone - does anyone have profile shots of the Wesco Jobmasters and White's Smokejumpers? I'd like to see how raked the heel is. Are the Wescos less Cuban than the Whites?

[fre-co]

Smoke Jumper:

Jobmaster:

Jobmaster:

Smokejumper:

[heinrich BCN]

Thanks denimdad,

I understand what you are aiming at. Would you say "the Alden is half the size of a white's semi dress" or something comparable.

And to the others who own the Red Wing GT and a Alden 404 and a White's Semi Dress.

Which one can you wear during summer...?

I'm in Barcelona, but love ankle support and leather shoes/boots...

Thanks in advance to all of you....

[GregNYC]

fre$co - thanks for the pics, confirms what I thought. I'm tempted to stay with Whites just because they already have my measurements, but the Wesco heel seems to slant less.

heinrich - I can wear all of them in the summer. Did you mean the 405s as in Indy boots? The Whites are the thickest, then the GTs then the Indies. The Indies have that cotton canvas lining, which could cool the shoe down a bit. The others are unlined. I wear boots all year around, and have no coolness issues with them. The better the fit, the more comfortable, then the cooler they will seem....

[fre-co]

but the Wesco heel seems to slant less.

Yeah that was my opinion too. Looking at denimdads pictures, the wesco heel seems significantly higher than the semi-dress and indy though. The stiletto of the workboot world?

[GregNYC]

Yeah that was my opinion too. Looking at denimdads pictures, the wesco heel seems significantly higher than the semi-dress and indy though. The stiletto of the workboot world?

Works for me!

[matrix7583]

<br> ffrom my blog of Denim http://www.wretch.cc/blog/takkikrista&article_id=11369328

[DenimDad]

^ nice nudies...do you carry brass knuckles in the right back pocket?