Shoes that look better with age...

[DocBlue]

oh yea Paul, sorry i forgot. i will asap.

its not my wife and yes those are unwearable inside. i should have thought twice before pulling the trigger

moths DO eat old leather Rnr

[kiya]

Doc, we need good photos of those boots!

[Tiro]

we also need some update photos of your vibergs kiya

[almostnice]

doc,nailed soles and the horseshoe heel make great sparks when riding your bike.

[kiya]

we also need some update photos of your vibergs kiya

Photos, just for you..

Worn about twice a week for six months.

[rayw44]

thanks DJ,

just spoke with Whites..

and the general consensus from sales to the work floor, is that their

Oil-tan and Chromexcel leathers are very closely matched in terms of durability and are stronger then their "dress" and french calf series of leathers.

I think I can attest to what Ed is saying. My Vibergs haven't developed holes in the creases, but bumps that would normally create a scuff or a small nick have a tendency to do more damage to Chromexcel.

My boots for reference are Viberg Merlot Chromexcel Engineers.

Picture 824 by ray.wendolowski, on Flickr[/img]

And my boots have tons of marks like this that come from fairly light daily wear.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5556512128_30b4c2339b_z.jpg' alt='5556512128_30b4c2339b_z.jpg'> Picture 829 by ray.wendolowski, on Flickr[/img]

I don't think this means that the leather is lower quality, or even that Chromexcel is not strong. Rather, I think it just means your boots will show more wear and will show it quicker, but a lot of the superficial stuff disappears and fades after a light treatment of saddle soap or other conditioner. Ultimately, if you like a worn-in looking boot that still retains some luster, Chromexcel will be perfect for you, but if you are like Ed, and you love a nice high shine, look elsewhere.

[DocBlue]

doc,nailed soles and the horseshoe heel make great sparks when riding your bike.

and you havent seen my horsehide denim yet Pal (thx for the rep Markus btw)

[DocBlue]

ok

first ones are WW1 replica roughouts boots, as PaulT requested. Leather is very very nice, they will age very well, but the nails make them shlightly hard to wear on a regular basis. i must have worn those 5 times in 5 months

Second ones are Hob nailed boots. Pics talk for themselves. Never worn in 5 months, but they got a very badass look ....

All by William Lennon.

[mctaran]

speaking of oil-taned leather:

white's got reddog and brown oil-tan leather and it's ages very nicely!

My reddog whites (old pic):

[Tiro]

Photos, just for you..

Worn about twice a week for six months.

thanks kiya, they look awesome, that's such a nice looking leather...

[davichan]

Kiya, those are looking real nice, thanks for sharing.

rayw44,

thank you for your comments and posts,

i agree with you about chromexcels nature to "show" wear much easier on the surface and looks like it loves gashes and anything that touches it.

[Supawiwi]

Anyone having both boots and shoes on the modified last?

My boots are really comfortable but I have a lot of room throughout the foot and I would like to know if the shoes will hold my foot enough.

[lostinthesupermarket]

I have both boots and shoes on the modified. There's no real difference in fit between the two for the same size. If anything the shoes fit me a tiny bit better in the heel than the boots do. That could be Aldens QC at work though.

Re: Chromexcel vs. oil tan, I haven't handled White's oil tan, but I really like chromexcel.....partly because it shows wear so easily. Most pull-up leathers are like that. I think it works better in brown than black, though.

David Chan....you might find this interesting if you haven't come across it already:

http://horween.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/chromexcel%C2%AE-2/

One of the points that post by Nick Horween makes is that in fact Chromexcel is a combination tannage. It's tanned first using chromium salts and then there is a vegetable retannage stage.

[davichan]

Anyone having both boots and shoes on the modified last?

My boots are really comfortable but I have a lot of room throughout the foot and I would like to know if the shoes will hold my foot enough.

i have also worn boots and tried on shoes in modified last,

my personal favorite from Alden.

agreed about the extended toe box area that last generates,

which for boots i enjoy.

when i was looking into wingtips, the modified felt great, the extended toe box actually was not as noticeable, (as with the boots)

The medallion punch pattern looked a little weird.. and i couldn't get over it so i ended up going more conservative at the time with a pair of Churches.. (which offered a very similar last to the modified)

wish now i would have know better and stuck with the Alden modified initial choice.

[joelz]

I tried on a pair of natural Indies on the modified last and the stitching was pointed at the tip (so it looked like the top of a bullet) which put me off.

[GregoryH]

these are coming along well, comfortable as all hell..seem to be pretty sturdy. Couldn't say no for the price, chippewa boots, exactly the same as the ll bean iron works model minus the cap toe. Only complaint is that I wish the eyelets were round rather than hex'd but other than that I love em

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

i have also worn boots and tried on shoes in modified last,

my personal favorite from Alden.

any chance you're a size 9 and want to buy this pair and take great photos for us??

:D:D

[davichan]

Thanks Christmas

But I'm a size 7.5-8 in alders

Thanks so much for your offer

[heinrich BCN]

i have to admit, that visiting Moulded shoe in NYC last week was one of "this" moments in my life. I tried the modified last and never ever felt so comfortable in a boot before. My large toes usually has to fight for his space in any boot or shoe I own, but this modified last is just perfect for my foot. Now I just have to decide on what kind of boot I want first and then buy it.

and thanks to everybody who pointed me towards this.

[denimjunky]

^wow, that excel. I wish white's had that leather as an option.

[Aries]

My Alden #8 cordo captoes sitting in the sun after a polish.

[slide13]

how old are those? I love how #8 changes to a great brown color over time.

On a separate note, I know some people have roughout White's that they haven't treated with anything. How do they handle rain and such? I've put my dubber SJ away now that the snow is gone an have gotten my Farmer/Ranchers out again but haven't worn them until today because of the rain. Just not sure what rain does to roughout.

[Aries]

Thanks slide, they are approximately 3.5 years old.

[SLAB]

i have to admit, that visiting Moulded shoe in NYC last week was one of "this" moments in my life. I tried the modified last and never ever felt so comfortable in a boot before. My large toes usually has to fight for his space in any boot or shoe I own, but this modified last is just perfect for my foot. Now I just have to decide on what kind of boot I want first and then buy it.

and thanks to everybody who pointed me towards this.

absolutey agree with this. the pair i bought from davichan is amazingly comfortable for a boot. the shape of the last gives the boots a rather formal appearence so if you are looking for the rugged look then this last might not be for you. Unlike the recommendations by most people i did not size down and they fit perfect

[Goominim]

Actually thinking about buying a pair of 1820's reproduction shoes. : )

[Goominim]

Dehner's $300+ saddle shoes look amazing. If I was rich and self absorbed…just kidding…I bet they're worth every penny

[heinrich BCN]

absolutey agree with this. the pair i bought from davichan is amazingly comfortable for a boot. the shape of the last gives the boots a rather formal appearence so if you are looking for the rugged look then this last might not be for you. Unlike the recommendations by most people i did not size down and they fit perfect

second that. even with the sizing I was surprised to be a straight 9.5. I tried a really simple pair of boots: black, calfskin, no captoe. They looked so normal and still classy enough to have some dinner with any given dictator after a long workday in the field.

actually I will sell almost all the shoes I accumulated over the years, which mistreated my big toes regardless of the many tries to find the right size and width.

so anybody willing to sell modified last aldens? I'm here.

[patrick_b]

Thx for posting the update.

It's these boots that I originally saw on the Viberg blog that pulled me out of my White's SD stupor. I'd almost made the decision to order the SD's...and you post these again.

The universe is conspiring against me. Making a decision can be so damn hard!! In any event, it's clear that the Viberg Service Boot and the SD are in a different class than my Wolverine 1K's.

I went with the leather laces after seeing how great they look on Viberg's boots.

[Paul T]

ok

Knowing how mine look in the flesh.... those are simply stupendous boots for the money.

[bungabunga]

My all- time favorite boots: Buttero 3 yrs . Think they are aging great. Simply love them.