Shoes that look better with age...

[fattybfat]

^ redwing 936? never see em before...but i assume it is suede or nubuck right? if is, i dont think you should use mink oil on them.

[Zacdog]

I have a really worn in pair, I'll try to take a pic. They're thrashed pretty bad though (blue ones).

Cool.

10char

[edmond]

bill, are these the cavaliers?

what leather is this? looks hot!!!

[Denim Phenom]

Those look like uggs. Do they come with a Paris Hilton?

[indigo_junkie]

bill, are these the cavaliers?

what leather is this? looks hot!!!

Ed, they look like Russell double moccasin bottom zephirs. The Russell Cavalier doesn't have a zip down the back. The leather looks like black Navigator, but from the picture, I can' t be 100% sure.

[edmond]

ohh thanks rob ! i just find these guys handsome..!

[fre-co]

Not too keen on those eddie.

[GregNYC]

This is a bit of a tough one. Normally with black dyed hides like this, you fix scratches and nicks with a combination of dye and polish or Propert's boot creme. But with the 8136s, most folks prefer to keep the stitching and welt un-stained.

So, you can protect the welt with masking tape and just be careful around the stitching. Apply the polish with one finger wrapped tightly in a cotton handkerchief. Rub well into the leather. Then brush and buff.

I wanted to ask everyone about their experience with RW's "black chrome" leather. I've got a pair of these 8136s:

The leather's picked up scuffing from wear, which is pretty noticeable against the sort-of-shiny surface of the leather.

For those with similar RWs, what do you use for leather care? Do you polish them? Or use a treatment like Obenauf's or Sno-Seal? Some other combo? Thanks for your advice!

[GregNYC]

Not too keen on those eddie.

Me either....

[fre-co]

I managed to spill used gearbox oil on my indies at the weekend when I was dropping the engine out of my vespa, so I finally had to darken them a bit with some brown kiwi after a bit of panicked wiping. There is still a faint mark from the black oil but it's all character.

I took your advice with the neutral wax on the stitching and welt Greg and there was not a great deal of darkening on these so thanks. I think they look pretty good with the extra depth of colour, I will snap a couple of pictures if it's sunny when I get home.

[Bill2]

Ed, they look like Russell double moccasin bottom zephirs. The Russell Cavalier doesn't have a zip down the back. The leather looks like black Navigator, but from the picture, I can' t be 100% sure.

Indigo- Thats dead on. Demonito: The zephyr is exactly the cavalier boot but with that zipper down the back....And on my monitor those boots look Dark Green. Russell makes a few dark green leathers/suedes I think. I'll look at the swatch book when I get to work today...

[Chicken]

I managed to spill used gearbox oil on my indies at the weekend when I was dropping the engine out of my vespa, so I finally had to darken them a bit with some brown kiwi after a bit of panicked wiping. There is still a faint mark from the black oil but it's all character.

i also have some oil streaks on my indys that i got from running around the new york subways. i'm pretty sure they'll never come completely off, but i figured they're indy boots after all. why not.

looking forward to your pics.

[fre-co]

Here's some pics of my indies. I have had them for about 4 months after buying them lightly used from Greg.

The oil stains did fade quite a lot and are not really visible, perhaps due to the coating of oregon trail wax I gave them a couple of weeks ago. I like the colour of these now, it's developed into something quite rich.

edit: oddly, the colours look different in iphoto compared to the same photo uploaded onto flickr...?

[jiomitori]

[indy Boots sold!]

That being said, my 9D Indy Boots are an absolutely perfect fit for me. I love these boots. I also own a pair of 8.5D White's Smokejumpers (which have a completely different fit), so I'd be happy to answer sizing questions.

[Chicken]

^ i think it depends on the asking price for me.

edit: oddly, the colours look different in iphoto compared to the same photo uploaded onto flickr...?

i have the same problem all the time. i think the browsers change the colors of jpgs quite often. don't know how to go around it.

nice pics of your indys nonetheless. the colors getting richer.

[.Legacy]

^ i think it depends on the asking price for me.

i have the same problem all the time. i think the browsers change the colors of jpgs quite often. don't know how to go around it.

nice pics of your indys nonetheless. the colors getting richer.

If you have firefox 3.0 install this plugin, you can configure it to use the same color profile that iphoto is using or any other compatible color profiles...

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6891

[GregNYC]

Here's some pics of my indies. I have had them for about 4 months after buying them lightly used from Greg.

The oil stains did fade quite a lot and are not really visible, perhaps due to the coating of oregon trail wax I gave them a couple of weeks ago. I like the colour of these now, it's developed into something quite rich.

Liking the color on these! The shade doesn't look too different from my well-polished stock Indies. I say "stock" because this pair I haven't done any mods to. And the polish I've been using is Kiwi Tan. Yours look like a natural patina. You said they lightened up a bit - I think the oil soaked in and dried a bit, ?no? So good recovery!

[GregNYC]

Could I use Kiwi Suede and Nubuck Cleaner on a pair of Red Wing 936s? I bought it for my Clae Leather slip-ons a while back.

Photos? What's a 936? I can't find them on Are they nubuck or suede? If so, use a suede brush and the cleaners you mention. But suede is to be treated more gently than top-grain. They are more "town" boots than "country" boots, to use the older British terms.

Also, could I be reminded about when and if I should be using Mink oil?

On suede? Like never. It will clog the nap and darken the surface.

Another concern, I mainly wear my SEXSC which fit very "snugly." A majority of the people I know say that I look fine pairing the jean with the 936 (D 12), but I get the feeling that it appears a bit too awkward because of the sudden size increase.

I'm curious if it would be worth it to order a pair of sized down Iron Heart Bootcuts to create a better overall look. The leg opening of my sugar canes barely fits around the top of the boot. The larger leg opening would look more relaxed instead of my current "leather pants" tightness around the ankle.

One more question: Are stacks or cuffs more appropriate when pairing with a boot?

I'll post pictures of me with the boots and sugar canes as a follow-up edit.

Good questions. There are no rules any more. With these work boots, much of the esthetic comes from retro and repro styling, which not everyone goes for (I do!). In the 40s and 50s and 60s, skinnier leg openings went with narrower, pointier shoes. Pegged pants and Beatle boots on one extreme. The other extreme was what the gas station attendant or pilot would wear. Wider leg openings went with thicker boots. Have you ever seen any WWII movies and seen the U.S. Army khaki pants? Very wide at the opening. So if you're going for a retro look, then a boot cut would be good. But I still can't find a RW 936 on the web, so can't answer more fully what would look good with it.

in those mid-century decades, you'd see definitely more cuffs than stacks. Remember the denim photos related to the Wild One. They liked a stright up and down look, whether the cut was slender or fuller. One reason for the prominence of cuffs is that the leg opening could very well be too large to stack without dragging the ends on the ground.

Pictures, pictures!

[superBobo]

Does anyone have experience with Carolina Shoes (/boots)?

Im very interested in the oxford work shoes (basically low cut RW 875), but have no clue on either sizing or quality.

[amlai]

People might be interested to know that the Alden x LeatherSoul x SF boot has arrived:

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=1136395&postcount=134

Personally, I think they look awesome. A bit dressy for the crowd on this board though.

[Chicken]

^ very nice. but you're right -- i don't think it'll go with my steez.

[Denim Phenom]

I was watching Grease last night and I noticed that Kenickie (Danny's blonde haired T-Bird buddy) was wearing a pair of boots with white dot Cats Paw soles. Not sure which company but I would guess they were Buco considering it was a movie costume. His jeans were also selvedge with at least a 4-5" cuff.

[jiomitori]

Can we get Superfuture x Alden boots made? They can be the same as another pair but just cheaper.

[fre-co]

second that!

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Recently read Capote's In Cold Blood. Perry Smith apparently had Cat's Paw soles:

Finney County Sheriff Robinson asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to take over the investigation of the Clutter murders. A task force of eighteen men, headed by Special Agent Alvin Dewey, the KBI's representative in Garden City, was assigned to the Clutter case. When Dewey looked at the negatives of the photographs taken at the crime scene, he saw bloody boot prints on the cardboard on which Herb Clutter's body had laid. One boot print had a diamond pattern on the heel (later identified as Hickock's), and the other (later identified as Smith's) had a Cat's Paw insignia.

[Chicken]

^ good thing the murder didn't happen recently. i might've been mistaken as the murderer.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

Incidentally, I was at a (cat-themed) cafe in the Kensington part of Philadelphia and observed several Cat's Paw heels in their boxes lined along the shelf as some sort of decoration. If I had any use for them, I would have procured.

[mizanation]

People might be interested to know that the Alden x LeatherSoul x SF boot has arrived:

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=1136395&postcount=134

Personally, I think they look awesome. A bit dressy for the crowd on this board though.

wow... (10 chars)

[Chicken]

Incidentally, I was at a (cat-themed) cafe in the Kensington part of Philadelphia and observed several Cat's Paw heels in their boxes lined along the shelf as some sort of decoration. If I had any use for them, I would have procured.

amazing how many of them still seem to be floating around in deadstock conditions.

[Denim Phenom]

HTC on Beverly have some on display as well.