Shoes that look better with age...

[mizanation]

Hey Miz, where's your Greek cobbler? I'm looking for a really good one, who can take care of Goodyear welts and stuff.

ah, minas the greek. he is on 67 wall street. tell him you were recommended by his japanese friend. he can take care of anything you need.

btw, greg, nice boots!!! especially the whites...

[superBobo]

Greg

does the 1911 run bigger then 875s?

I really like the 8130s, but black leather is "dead" in a whole different way than brown imo. Not so much looking better with age.

[familyman]

Greg, do post pictures of the Whites if you get them. I've been looking at them for a long time but haven't been able to convince myself they're quite what I want. I'd sort of like to get boots from most of the great American makers and Whites has to be on that list.

[GregNYC]

Bobo,

Yes, surprisingly enough, the 1911s do run bigger. In 875s, 10D is too narrow, and just the right length. In the 1911s, 10.5D is just wide enough, yet way too long, more than a half-size too long.

I agree about the deadness of black leather, especially as it seems more and more opaque with age. But my 875s are getting way-stained with indigo from my raw jeans because of the boots' oil finish. Lots and lots of polish and even silicone (not what I normally like on leather) are not helping much. This staining is why I'm looking for other boots with a smooth-tanned polished surface.

[Bill2]

The 1956 Jump boots: post-lovin (a saddle soap wash, and polish). I'm still new to polishing, and there are some goodsize chunks taken out of the toe caps that are gonna take multiple shinings to glaze over....but, they do look damn good for how old they are!

[GregNYC]

Great boots bill! Wow, makes me want to put on my Corcorans! I've been taking care of leather since childhood when my dad taught me, then the Army, then an old cowboy in upstate New York, then the folks at VLJ2. Here's what a fanatic like me would do with those boots. 1 - light coat of Pecard's antique leather dressing or Sno Seal to put the fat back into the leather. 2 - a few coats of Propert's Boot Creme to get the black color back into the leather and still keep it from drying. If that doesn't work, you can always use a little Fiebing's Professional Oil Dye to get the black back. 3 - if you want a high shine, then use Kiwi Parade Gloss. But Kiwi (even regular old-skool black Kiwi) doesn't protect the leather, it can dry it out. That's why I protect the leather underneath first.

Let's see some pictures of those boots with some jeans!

[GregNYC]

Let me add a PS - some people use Propert's as their main way to shine their boots. It really protects the leather, but doesn't gie a very high shine. Strictly speaking, if you never wanted a glossy shine, you could do very well with Propert's alone.

[Bill2]

Thanks for the Polishing how-to. So far I've been using melatonin boot creme to maintain moisture, and Kiwi regualr black to polish. I was so tempted to get the parade shine black...I'm kinda mad I didn't. I will probably go back and get a tin to try it out.

Here's a somewhat lousy pic of the boots with my Okinawas

[superBobo]

What size/width do you wear in 875s? How is the toe box on the 1911? I can pull off a D last if the toe box isn´t too narrow...

You really think the indigo staining is that much of a problem? I wear em with raw jeans aswell, and have some staining. I have used clear Kiwi polish and a wax rain guard spray on them recently, and the certainly have smoother surface. They´re still stained though, but I expect they will be both dirty and beaten during their life span

Bobo,

Yes, surprisingly enough, the 1911s do run bigger. In 875s, 10D is too narrow, and just the right length. In the 1911s, 10.5D is just wide enough, yet way too long, more than a half-size too long.

I agree about the deadness of black leather, especially as it seems more and more opaque with age. But my 875s are getting way-stained with indigo from my raw jeans because of the boots' oil finish. Lots and lots of polish and even silicone (not what I normally like on leather) are not helping much. This staining is why I'm looking for other boots with a smooth-tanned polished surface.

[Denim Phenom]

I kind of laugh when I see people wearing jump boots in anything but bloused BDU pants. At least that's how I wear mine since i'm in the AF.

[GregNYC]

What size/width do you wear in 875s? How is the toe box on the 1911? I can pull off a D last if the toe box isn´t too narrow...

You really think the indigo staining is that much of a problem?

I tried D width 875s and they chafe the sides of my feet a little, so the Es are very comfortable. The toe box of the 1911 seems broad and roomy, though not as tall (vertically from sole to upper) as the 875. But then my impression is based partly on the 1911s being quite long as well. I just sent the 10.5 size 1911s back to Dejan and will let you know how the 9.5s fit. The 10.5s seemed an entire size too large!

Yes, the indigo staining on the 875s does bug me. Maybe it's my almost decade in the Army, but I like my boots to be what they call strack - clean and polished. With brown, I like the resonance of the color to emerge with more time and more polishing - so the staining takes away from all that for me.....

[ang_kangkong]

Greg, I actually have the 875s. They tend to go brown and not that burgundy/dark magenta color. I've been daydreaming about how those'll darken, as the 875s have darkened up after a couple of waterproofings and lotionings.

[zephyr11]

someone asked for updates on my af60s:

p0ardon my ignorrance, what shoes are these?

n do they come in any other color?

[Roland]

^ Alden AF60s.

http://www.alden-of-carmel.com/index.cfm/Shoes-Black_Shell_Cordovan_Straight_Tip_Boot_169.htm

[GregNYC]

Greg, I actually have the 875s. They tend to go brown and not that burgundy/dark magenta color. I've been daydreaming about how those'll darken, as the 875s have darkened up after a couple of waterproofings and lotionings.

Maybe it's the lighting - I'm using Meltonian Leather Lotion every day (to lessen the oily, and they do seem to be going towards a rich dark golden brown, not towards a scatalogical dirt-brown.

[MiniW]

stumbled across this thread, have to say those af60's are really, really sweet, almost perfect.

[aubrgene]

My year old Berlutis.

http://www.pbase.com/rends/image/74914862.jpg

[spackadam]

I love these, but don't know what make they are....any ideas?

[skalogre]

My year old Berlutis.

http://www.pbase.com/rends/image/74914862.jpg

Nice - I love wholecuts

[superBobo]

Thanks Greg!

good info for the hopeful 1911 buyer. Keep us updated on how they fit!

[zephyr11]

thanx roland...

looks good.....

[GregNYC]

Thanks Greg!

good info for the hopeful 1911 buyer. Keep us updated on how they fit!

Will do. I will probably wait on the White's til I see how the 1911s fit.

[Chicken]

i'm quietly watching too because those are two boots i'm intersted in myself -- white's semi dress and redwings beckman boots.

[mizanation]

yeah, i noticed that the white's semi dress and redwings beckman's are very, very similar.

[GregNYC]

And the Beckman's are Japan-only, correct?

[Joe E Taleo]

I've had my eye on these as well, but am hoping I can see someone wearing them before I seriously consider purchase. I've also thought a pair of russell sporting clays would be nice. Very different shoes, I know, but nevertheless, these are the two shoes on my radar.

I might spring for these White's Semi-Dress boots in the next few weeks. Old-skool to the max. Not cheap, but made-to order. You do about 16 measurements for each foot, and they say they guarantee the sizing. And they rebuild them for life.

[ang_kangkong]

Hye Greg, and everyone else concerned about the indigo bleeding onto their leather shoes, I just read in the other SF that using a rubber eraser takes out the indigo. Give it a try.

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=9941

[mizanation]

^^^ also, just put some clear packing tape on the inside of the cuff. solves your problem right there.

btw, the shell cordovans that i got from ebay have mysteriously disappeared. the USPS says that they were "delivered" on friday, but i never got it. i really fucking hate the USPS and everyone who works for them. went to the post office, and they said there's nothing i can do. if possible, always use UPS or FedEx!

[skalogre]

^^^ also, just put some clear packing tape on the inside of the cuff. solves your problem right there.

btw, the shell cordovans that i got from ebay have mysteriously disappeared. the USPS says that they were "delivered" on friday, but i never got it. i really fucking hate the USPS and everyone who works for them. went to the post office, and they said there's nothing i can do. if possible, always use UPS or FedEx!

It is the opposite for me, FedEx are the worst. Consistently throw things over the front gate, even if it is raining. Thankfully most people living in my complex are honest it would seem but still. The postman makes a point of trying the intercom first unlike UPS/FedEx.

Miza, contact the local USPS that is in charge of deliveries in your zip code. They should be able to find easily who the carrier was and work out what happenned.

[Superstar]

you sure they were sent in the first place miz ?