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Shoes that look better with age...


mizanation

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i'm interested to see how the beeswax leather on these desert boots will age. has anyone here had experience with this leather? i'm curious if there's different maintenance with beeswax leather.

Beeswax leather is pretty low maintenance. It's very tough and durable, though it might get scuffed up. But you can wipe it down or use a stiff horsehair brush and even out the area around the scuff. Boots tanned this way aren't meant to carry a shine, but rather to be water and wind-resistant. I use beeswax on my Red Wings 875's which are oil-tanned. I put it on with a toothbrush, making sure I rub it into the seams as well as into the surfaces of the uppers. It protects the leather and the threads of the seams better than oil does. The beeswax I use is Sno Seal - many folks around here have seen me post it before, and it *really* works if you need to do touch-ups:

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Chicken-san; do you have any pics where you are wearing the White's? I wonder how they look like worn... Also what kind of was/oil do you use on your Alden 405's? Does oil treatment always make the white stitching to become black?

sorry, no pics of me wearing them yet. not sure if i want to start breaking them in the way they are.

with my aldens, i was just using lexol in the beginning. lately, i've been trying something different. first i brush off dirt, then apply some dark brown shoe cream around scuffed areas. then i polish up the entire shoes with cordovan shoe polish with a little water. then finish them off with horse hair brush. i'm liking the effects so i think i'll stick with it, for now.

Chicken, those White's look pretty good, less hobbit-like than mine, partially because of your double-leather sole and the raked heel angle.

i like your single sole look too, but TAKASHI-san turned me on to the idea of #705s with double mid soles. that might be even less of what you'd call hobbit-like. stronghold also offers an option of triple leather soles, for anyone interested. :cool:

Are these the standard semi-dress w/ double leather? Or did you ask for anything special? You're in NYC, right? Do you know of somewhere that would put #705s on top? I've been thinking of getting a pair and doing something like this myself.

i'm actually in LA now. just moved here recently. unfortunately, i had miz's go-to-guy for shoes, but now i have to look for someone reliable here to get #705 installed. i've heard andre #1 is good from bill, but haven't heard of anybody else yet. the only special thing i asked for was to get the ankle resized. it's been discussed here before, but i do have chicken feet with narrow ankles and wide feet.

The title of his post is "White's Semi Dress," and you quoted the bit where he said "Purchased at stronghold from bill." So, White's, and yes.

thank you for sparing me. ;)

Very nice pair of boots there Chicken, looks pretty hard to break in as well :D

i welcome the challenge. :D

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I just cannot get past the cuban heel on the Whites boots.

You know, one thing about those Cuban heels is that they let the back of my jeans cuffs will drag on the ground. With all my other boots, the straight-down heel catches the cuff for a puddling effect, which I really prefer. So with the Whites I have to roll all my jeans other than the LVC 47's. With other boots, I might have to roll only the LVC 33s. One more reason I wear the White's less. But with their Smoke Jumper, I foresee no such problem!!

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i'm actually in LA now. just moved here recently. unfortunately, i had miz's go-to-guy for shoes, but now i have to look for someone reliable here to get #705 installed. i've heard andre #1 is good from bill, but haven't heard of anybody else yet.

I know that Miz's shoe guy (Milos?) could take the ankles in. Hope you find someone good in LA and you won't have to drive too far. I grew up in the LA area and you had to have a car!

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the indy boots are beautiful. i had the pleasure of trying othem on at the alden store near union square in sf the other day. the people working there were quite friendly and helpful. i'll be getting a pair in a couple months when my bank account recovers from the weekend.

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Greg, those White's look awesome with selvedge jeans.

Chicken, I never noticed that you dyed your top stitching. I've seen your boots like a million times. I have to say I like it a lot. Looks real rugged esp. with that rubber sole. Speaking of the sole, looks like it needs a new one soon. Whats next?

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the indy boots are beautiful. i had the pleasure of trying othem on at the alden store near union square in sf the other day. the people working there were quite friendly and helpful. i'll be getting a pair in a couple months when my bank account recovers from the weekend.

Here are some more. I have 2 pairs, same size, but one pair fits better. It has more polish and I wear it more.

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...also, they don't know how to care for it. cordovan is also a color, which helps the confusion

that explains what the guy i took them to said. i now have closure :D

.

also, when you buy used shoes, the previous owner has already imprinted the inner soles with their footprint, which can actually mess your feet up and your back. you can see the heel indentation on those used ones you picked up... its best to get a new pair, and make them yours.

i agree wholeheartedly. I don't have the funds to make my shoes match the rest of my style any other way for now. Eventually, I'd like to have a small collection (2 pairs in brown/black, 1 pair of boots the same way). I never considered the foot imprint thing. I'll keep that in mind.

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Beginning to think the Indy's deserves a thread of their own…

Greg, you take care of your shoes! How many times do you polish them?

Funny some people say that Indies are too common - but I've only seen one other person wearing them, and that was at the Alden shop! I polish them about each 4-5 times I wear them. And every time before I put them on (or any polished shoe), I run a nylon stocking over it to get a bit of gloss back. Old habit from my Army days....

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hey greg, it's funny, you started out not being a fan of indy's and now you have two pairs. how did that happen?

chicken, i have to agree with coleslaw and say your aldens look great with the dyed top stitching. you really turned them into your own thing. i think i need to get a pair now.

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thanks guys. i really owe it to this thread and people who contribute here. it's been a fun ride. i had no idea boots could be as fun, if not more, as denim.

miz, i've decided a while ago (since when minas suggested doing something very different on the soles) that i'd take my indys on a different path. hope it's also a good experiment for people here to see.

greg, it's great to see your indys side-by-side. shows how each pair can be different, even with the same owner.

i'm not quite sure about nightdeposit's account on used boots. just like you need to break into a brand new pair, you could break into a used pair until it begins to take your shape, too. i understand the satisfaction you can get from a pair you had from the beginning. but i also think there are times and places for nice used pairs too. there's something really fun about trying to restore a beaten up pair, too.

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Chicken, I always like the *idea* and the look and color of the Indies, I had just lost hope of getting a pair to fit. Then I waited a year and tried again at the Alden store. I found one that fit w/o pain. So I wore them so much (they're the darker ones) I got another pair so I could have one that was always nice, the other for all-weather. Turned out the newer pair didn't fit as well and the older ones are the only ones I really wear!

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which would look more better on a white semi dress

single leather sole

double leather sole

single leather with vibram?

thanks and what would be the best leather white's could offer?

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haven't worn these yet, considering putting half soles on them, tangerine got his done and he highly recommended it... i walk a lot... and I like the commando sole on my Aldens a lot...

what do u guys think?

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Chicken, I always like the *idea* and the look and color of the Indies, I had just lost hope of getting a pair to fit. Then I waited a year and tried again at the Alden store. I found one that fit w/o pain. So I wore them so much (they're the darker ones) I got another pair so I could have one that was always nice, the other for all-weather. Turned out the newer pair didn't fit as well and the older ones are the only ones I really wear!

funny story greg. do you think one of the pairs just fit you better because of slight differences in handcrafted details? or is it maybe because the other one you've been wearing have become so comfortable?

ed, white's are very different in terms of fit and comfort because of their arch supports. i've heard of many people telling me they can't live without them once you get used to them. but i guess since i'm very flatfooted i'm actually finding the white's to be tiring to my feet after long wears compared to my indys, for example. i think i actually need my white's arches adjusted little lower for my comfort sake.

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Chicken -- I'm curious how the Vibram sole is doing on the 405s. I have a pair of 405s, and I love them. But the neoprene sole is no good for winter, because it has no traction.

Have you had any experience in the snow with the 405s? If so, how do the Vibrams perform on snow? Did you switch to the Vibram sole for traction or comfort?

I've always thought the 405 would be a good winter boot, but it lacks the traction. Perhaps this is an option.

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