Shoes that look better with age...

[Leonard Leroy]

what are good boot shoe trees?

[Tarmac]

i use regular shoe trees for my boots.

[rnrswitch]

If by "the appearance of authenticity" you mean someone who rocks, say, his $250 jeans with his $250 boots (and then chats about them on an internet forum), then I think you'd be hard-pressed to find "actual authenticity" around these parts (including when you look in the mirror?). Overblown criticism of "inauthenticity" is nothing but a cheap straw man in a discussion like this one, in my opinion.

Oh how philosophic. I don't exclude myself from these discussions of inauthenticity. But to actually plan on looking "authentic" is a little inauthentic itself, due to the fact that authenticity, in style, as it pertains to work wear is to wear the clothes/footwear in the most utilitarian way.

[edmond]

how can someone be really authentic ? posting here with a high tech computer ? come on now dont be jealous of someone ( me or whoever) that can afford all these expensive stuff and help people here on their future purchase? anyways

i might be wrong you might be really working in a coal mine

i think the bullhide leather has more grains then the water buffalo one

[Dick Danger]

awesome grasp of the irrelevant

I can see the beauty in a pair of well worn, and well cared for, boots, kinda like an old leather jacket, they just look and feel right. But boots that really get worked don't end up looking like a pair of old friends, after awhile they're just sitting in the corner praying for the sweet release of death, looking old and beat all to shit.

btw if you want grainy elephant is the way to go if you can find it

[edmond]

i can..

[fattybfat]

those whites are extraodinary, but to me, just not a fan of the grainy elephant or lizard or snake....

[Mich]

i might be wrong you might be really working in a coal mine

^ Those elephant skin White's ain't pretty...

[coleslawyum]

after awhile they're just sitting in the corner praying for the sweet release of death, looking old and beat all to shit.

That's how people look sometimes.

I agree with this. A work boot, for the most part, serves its function as a protector of a person's feet who works in dangerous environments such as construction. That has beauty in itself, but I can appreciate a boot that has been cared for also.

I am someone who works in an office but enjoy taking care of my work boots. The fascination of making them shiny and soft might just be a weird fetish though.

^^ps. Those boots look kind of gross.

[Denim Phenom]

^ Those elephant skin White's ain't pretty...

Yeah, they are hideous.

[Happy Hooligan]

they could be worse...

If I was wearing them...

really though? Work boots NEVER came in elephant or alligator or anything exotic...

That's why denim tuxedos just don't look right

[rnrswitch]

how can someone be really authentic ? posting here with a high tech computer ? come on now dont be jealous of someone ( me or whoever) that can afford all these expensive stuff and help people here on their future purchase? anyways

i might be wrong you might be really working in a coal mine

i think the bullhide leather has more grains then the water buffalo one

Not to get in a pissing match with you, but I am not jealous of people who buy a lot of crap. It just tells me that whoever is doing the buying is somewhat making up for some inadequacies. Most people who go into massive buying frenzies suffer from some sort of trauma in their life and need to feel complete buying loads of stuff. I have no reason to buy a bunch of work boots. I like wearing a few pairs of boots frequently, rather than letting a lot of nice boots go to waste sitting in my closet.

Are you assuming that because someone doesn't buy the farm that it means that they can't afford the farm... ridiculous. Some people don't feel the need to buy everything they can afford.

By the way, Edmond, what size of Nike Dunks do you wear again?

[fre-co]

here we go again....

Those elephant things are monstrous.

What happened to the black indies? no pictures yet?

Where the hell is Greg?

[Infamy]

I picked up a pair of Alden Cordovan # 8 Wing Tip oxford's never worn outside for $109 with tax. Will post pictures later. The thickness of the sole is a bit bothersome, but I'll have to cope.

[cash]

There was a period circa '89 were all the hillbillies (not cowboys, more like high-class rednecks) in my hometown ended up with elephant-skin cowboy boots. Sorta nostalgic to see the hide. Trust me, elephant looks great in gray with a tight pair of acid-washed 501s and some neon Oakley Blades. Makes me want to cruise around all night in the back seat of a '72 Firebird listening to Tha Crue.

As for authenticity: Get over it, we live in a Post-Modern World.

Also, it's easy to have great taste with endless resources. Much harder to do when you can't buy everything that tickles your fancy (not saying Ed has bad taste. He has great taste. And, I wish I had his kind of funds. I guess I should work harder).

[robin]

I just picked up a new project for F/W from the guys at the Filson flagship store in Seattle (very cool store btw, a lot of you guys would like it).

Filson Upland Wellington Boots

They fit true to size on me. The leather is very oily, and the soles are Vibram Gumlites. They're also goodyear welted and are made in Pennsylvania (which makes me think they're made by Double H, which has many other similar style boots down to the same stitching). I'll post more pictures of these next year after they get some wear and tear. The lace up Upland boots are also pretty cool in person, along with their chukka boots. Retail is about $250, but if you look around online you can get them for about $200.

[fattybfat]

very nice filson boot robin

[superBobo]

Robin, great boots, and good price aswell. True to size = your common sneaker size, boot size or both? I love pull on boots since its so fast and lazy, so these definitly seems very wearable.

[robin]

True to size = your common sneaker size, boot size or both?

Boot size I suppose. For other comparisons, I'm a 12D on Alden's Plaza last, an 11.5D on Alden's Barrie and TruBalance last, a 12 in most sperry's. I tried on an 11.5 in the Upland boots and they were just too right all around the foot, but the 12's were perfect.

They were also loose in the heels at first, but after I broke in the soles a bit by flexing them backwards it's no longer a problem.

For something even cheaper, I noticed Double H's offerings sell for less and they might be worth looking into: http://www.doublehboots.com/mens-collection.asp?catid=59. If they do actually make Filson's boots, that means I paid an extra $100 for the Filson logo imprints and the moc toe stitching.

[amlai]

Cordovan is popular because of its anti-aging qualities.

Yes and no. Cordovan will last a long, long time (I guess the anti-aging part), but it definitely has amazing aging qualities. It changes over time, becoming softer and ripply and the color changes.

The best example of this that I've seen so far, is a pair of approximately 5 year old loafers in #8 (and yes... not really in the style of this board) from ds23pallas at AAAC:

[meader]

What is the consensus regarding sizing on Red Wings? Is there any? I am wearing a pair of 8131 in size 8 US, 7 UK, 40 EUR, and they fit me good. Thinkig about getting myself another pair of boots from this great company, maybe a pair of 1911. Should I get the same size? Any help is greatly appreciated.

[superBobo]

^ Redwing is pretty consistant in sizing, so the same size should work in different models. The thing that might wary is the shape of the last, especially in the toe box, which might make some boots to small if you have wider feet. I think 1911s are a longer, narrower shape, but if you have normal width feet, it shouldnt be a problem.

Im a 11 EE in atleast 3-4 different models ive tried out.

[meader]

^ Redwing is pretty consistant in sizing, so the same size should work in different models. The thing that might wary is the shape of the last, especially in the toe box, which might make some boots to small if you have wider feet. I think 1911s are a longer, narrower shape, but if you have normal width feet, it shouldnt be a problem.

Im a 11 EE in atleast 3-4 different models ive tried out.

Sounds good. I go with the same size then. Thanks a lot.

[Ichiran]

I've followed this thread for a long time without contributing any shoes of my own. I thought this would be a good opportunity to change that. Please excuse my limited photography skills (please see Zappos for the details)...

I've worn these only a couple of times so far. As you can see, I've had the speed hooks replaced with eyelets (just a personal preference), and I switched the original round laces with some flat laces (again, just a personal preference). I've treated the boots with Obenauf's, which darkened them very slightly.

The boots are made from an oily type of leather - so most scratches/scuffs can just be rubbed out with a finger. Like the GTs, the welt stitching does not include the heel. The other main difference with the GTs are the man-made outsole, the toe cap, the heel cap (the rear panel of the upper extends forward up to the white stitching), and the top of the shaft (where the back is slanted upwards instead of parallel to the ground). Perhaps most importantly, they come in EE widths.

In the end, the Iron Ranger feels something like a WWII ankle boot created out of oily leather, which is exactly what I'd been looking for. I'm planning to use these regularly, and especially for times when the weather or terrain is rough. They already look better than they did out of the box, and I hope that they continue to gain character with use.

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

Those look great. Glad someone picked them up so everyone could see...

[fre-co]

Yeah they look great. I was talking to my local redwing dealer on the phone and he said he had these in.... I might have to go look now.

[fattybfat]

^ looks fantastic ichiran, especially with the flat laces, i am very sure it would look even better in a year of wear

[tmadd]

Yes and no. Cordovan will last a long, long time (I guess the anti-aging part), but it definitely has amazing aging qualities. It changes over time, becoming softer and ripply and the color changes.

The best example of this that I've seen so far, is a pair of approximately 5 year old loafers in #8 (and yes... not really in the style of this board) from ds23pallas at AAAC:

The best example I have seen is posted somewhere in this thread...a pair of 15 year old chukkas in #8 that Greg posted with permission of someone from styleforum if I am not mistaken. I remember these because they were my desktop background for a few months. Time for me to go on a little search.

[tmadd]

Copied with permission from the owner from another forum. Now that's patina.

Alden chukka boots #8 shell cordovan (15 years old). Most of those years as a hiking/camping boot.

My mistake...it was familyman. These things are ridiculous and make me want to sell all of my shoes and just rotate two or three pairs of #8 boots for anything and everything I do.

[Calden]

Does #8 cordovan turn into a brown color over time? All the picture of new shoes or boots in #8 look dark maroon and almost purple. Am I missing something?