Shoes that look better with age...

[mizanation]

yeah, familyman, one pair of boots a year. that's definitely doable.

or two boots a year.

[snugglepony]

Speaking of Red Wings, how good is the overall quality of the Eric Clapton editions?

i've only seen them in ebay auctions, but they look to be just as high quality as the rest of the line.

[mizanation]

i just came back from my old greek shoe repair man, minas.

i thanked him for increasing the width on my shoes. now they fit beautifully and are very, very comfortable.

before i left he said, "wait!"

"let me tell you something about those cordovans. those are great shoes. and you know those are great shoes. you know that you got a great deal. once you break in those cordovans, they keep their shape forever. if you take care of those shoes, they will take care of you for 25 years and more."

i thanked him for the advice and walked away, wondering if i would be able to take care of myself enough to grow old with my cordovans.

[moykky]

I have no doubt that two monts of archaeology in a dry rocky climate will do that to a pair of indy's. The guys job was probably more like those laborers you see carrying baskets of rocks in the IJ movies than of Indy himself.

Maybe I need a regular pair of Indy's? If I just pick up one pair of boots per year I think I have the next decade filled with ideas.

Hehe, if you go to those Indiana Jones fansites you see lots of badly molested Aldens there. Wannabee Indys are sandpapering them to get the right look

[Chicken]

I've had mine for about a month. I wear mine every second day. I always rotate my boots, so that I never wear the same pair two days in a row. I subscribe to the belief that leather needs a chance to breathe and re-form.

I'm already thinking about getting a second pair so that I can rotate between two pairs.

question: do you use shoe trees for your indy boots?

[airfrogusmc]

I know I should but I don't. I just wear'm. And I use brown Kiwi thats it.

[Chicken]

i think i'm going to do something similar -- wear them rough. thanks for the input.

[Guest DUM]

ha

"Shoes that look better with...

Chicken"

[LeicaLad]

Here's a chance to see what a, supposedly, mere two months of abuse can do to a nice pair of Indy's.

These are on e-prey right now: http://cgi.ebay.com/Alden-405-Boots-just-like-Indiana-Jones_W0QQitemZ130040274750QQihZ003QQcategoryZ63850QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Gone in a flash with a BIN.

[fpo]

question: do you use shoe trees for your indy boots?

Yeah, I bought shoe trees. My first pair too. The main reason isn't to prevent creasing on the upper, but rather to protect the lining.

I hope to have these boots for a long time. I know the leather will last, I worry more about the lining. Also, cedar trees make your boots smell nice.

As for leather protection, I've been using neutral Melonian boot cream. I love the colour of the boot, so I'm going to avoid using any coloured polish. And I use Lexol for conditioning the leather.

Other than that, I just wear them. They are hands down the best walking boot I've ever owned.

[Chicken]

hmm. to shoe tree or not to shoe tree...

thanks for the input.

[BigTime]

I know differnt types of polish has been disscussed here ad-nasum. However thanks to this thread i have been wearing my new Indys for like 3 weeks now. I have the darker color and I dont mind if it chnages with wear, but I dont want it to change du to the polish. So of all the polish that has been recomended here, which is best for my needs?

Thanks much

PS: I am so happy i found this thread, the Indys are amazing!!! Thanks guys.

[mizanation]

Gone in a flash with a BIN.

so, you got them?

[LeicaLad]

Nah. I definitely prefer to earn my own battle scars, be it denim, leather or my own hide. Indeed, I have plenty. I find/call the purchase of pre-distressed anything "poseur", but that's just me. OTOH, I love to see the well-earned markings of others. Better than medals or royal decorations, eh?

[mizanation]

Nah. I definitely prefer to earn my own battle scars, be it denim, leather or my own hide. Indeed, I have plenty. I find call the purchase of pre-distressed anything "poseur", but that's just me. OTOH, I love to see the well-earned markings of others. Better than medals or royal decorations, eh?

agreed, leicalad.

travelling all over the world, you must have picked up a lot of battle scars, man.

i really like the color of the worn indy. i don't know if it's the dust, but it looks like a tan brown.

[LeicaLad]

When I was in college, a group of us lived in an old farm house out in the country. We had this old-timey thing going on, including kerosene lamps, yadda, yadda. My mother declared us thoroughly nuts, as she’d grown up with such lamps and was quite happy to never use them again.

Earlier in this thread, there’s a Depression era photo of a bunch of farmers -- highlighting their work shoe/boots, I suppose -- that made me think of my mother’s point of view. I still have family on working farms in middle America. I can assure you that no one in those families romanticize that dress style. Not even the older generation who may still wear exactly that style of clothes into the fields today would see it as a style to emulate. Earn, perhaps. Emulate? No. Attitude adopted is obviously not earned. And it really looks stupid on poseurs.

The missing picture is what they put on for special occasions, as dress clothes. (I haven’t actually heard the phrase “Sunday go to meetin’ clothes” since I was a kid, but that’s still the idea.) Thus, an Alden boot in shell cordovan holds enormous appeal as a classy dress shoe, but the Indy’s trashed to look like Red Wing field boots after a year of dirt farming sure doesn’t do it.

OTOH, the pair of 10 year old Fryes, several pages back in this thread, if only for example, elicit great respect from me, precisely because they’ve been so well cared for. The stunning patina on that pair of shoes is beautiful partly because it is so clear it’s been earned over time of hard walking and good care.

I sure don’t think of myself as “conservative”, but the idea of “shoes that look better with age” to my simple mind, refers to a base of material quality to which miles and elbow grease have each been lovingly applied. The reason this thread is so fabulous is precisely because there are some really fine examples on display here.

Sorry so long, but I hope it was on subject. My own battle scars, &/or patina, can await for another thread, eh? Cheers!

[mizanation]

that's a great post. a different viewpoint from many on here.

my father was in the logging industry so i grew up knowing a lot of loggers. really tough guys who wore american workwear as a necessity. growing up in the pacific northwest, flannel shirts were the most effective piece of clothing for our climate--light, layerable, breathable, warm, and cheap. thus the poorly-named "grunge" look that was popularized by many a seattle band. it's interesting to me that these kind of clothes are catching on as fashion--but i'm also happy to see it because it is something that is familiar and somewhat comforting to me. and to think, people used to give me a hard time for wearing this stuff when i moved over here. i picked up a couple flannel shirts at H&M the other day. first time i've worn one in 10 years.

your description of country folk wearing their best sunday clothes was very cool. you're right, it's a type of clothes that doesn't get too much attention in japanese american-style clothing magazines. definitely something to look into, though.

poseurs will always be there, but they are pretty harmless. in fact, i find them amusing sometimes. for instance, the ones that wear "white trash" clothing but never stepped inside a trailer park. the ones that have guns on their shirts or around their neck but never had to carry one. the ones that carry around skateboards but don't know how to ride. the list goes on and on....

[familyman]

I still have family on working farms in middle America. I can assure you that no one in those families romanticize that dress style. Not even the older generation who may still wear exactly that style of clothes into the fields today would see it as a style to emulate. Earn, perhaps. Emulate? No. Attitude adopted is obviously not earned. And it really looks stupid on poseurs.

What's interesting is that I also have family and friends on working farms in middle America and they really do romanticize their style. In those small towns where you've got farmers and everybody else you can pick the farmers and the farm kids out by their boots. It's a mark of pride that they wear 'working boots' that have the living hell beat out of them. You can wear the same type of boots but that degree of wear is hard to achieve off the farm and it's obvious. Hats, coats, same thing. They own that particular style and are very defensive of it. They've 'earned' it. it has a very strong romance for them. This is also true of loggers and welders and field geologists and any of a dozen other professions that have signature looks. There's a certain pride in being recognized as a welder or a construction worker by the subtle differences in the clothes you wear.

There's a lot of romance and a lot of pride in these looks and I don't think there's anything wrong with an 'outsider' appreciating them and taking bits and pieces that they like.

As for the boots, I just love well made boots.

[LeicaLad]

Miz,

You're absolutely right. I hope my rant didn't appear tooo serious. They were just observations. This IS a fashion list, after all, and all of it IS quite a bit of fun. The re-cycling of images and the re-badging of fashion is a fundamental part of the po-mo experience, eh? Anyway, all in good fun. This remains a great thread, and an on-going threat to my bank account. Given time difference, I'm headed for sleep. Cheers.

[LeicaLad]

Familyman! Great post. I see pride and romanticism as opposite poles. Pride is the reality, underscored by that certain working class defensiveness. I know it well. I, too, grew up with it. Still have various forms of it. The romanticism is the poseur, in pre-stressed denim and e-bay'd boots trying to pull it off. Any one of those farm kids would sniff it out in a second. BUT, ..as noted, it is sorta cool that the "quality" items are floating up. It's why folks like us respond to the repro phenomenon, as well as our desire to support original manufacturers of quality goods. That pride never dies. g'nite.

[thelion1856]

here you go by far the best shoe in this entire thread. 100% rubber

[coleslawyum]

here you go by far the best shoe in this entire thread. 100% rubber

Are you serious...?

[holotekor]

and how do those even look better with age?

[nino]

Im leaning towards picking up a pair of Blundstones as a good all around boot that can be dressed up(to a certain point) and down.

Can Blundstone owners comment as to their weight and comfort? From pictures they dont look to stiff and heavy. How do you like your Blunnies?!

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i LOVE blunnies. i don't know how much they can be dressed up------in AUS, from what i understand, they are looked at purely as a work/hike boot. but i guess you may get away with dressing it up elsewhere. in any case, they are a handsome boot; not as sleek as RM Williams, but less expensive.

blunnies are very lightweight and extremely comfortable. the toe box allows for max. toespread. they are not extremely stiff. last weekend i hiked through the woods for six miles in my blunnies, not chafing, blisters or any discomfort----they may be my most comfortable footwear. they don't have the greatest ankle support, of course.

they can look kind of wide to the eye.

i sized up a half size on mine to accommodate wool socks in the winter. i have added insoles to snug up the fit in more temperate weather.

drawback: they are not very warm.

i have heard someone complain that if you are trekking through snow, ice can freeze in the grooves of the vibram sole. i have never had a problem with this.

i purchased the stout brown color------it reads as black for the better part of the year, but then brown tones peek out. it is lovely, actually.

do a search for blundstone at www.styleforum.net; there are numerous threads about the boots

bottom line: great value for an easy-to-wear, comely, workhorse of a boot

[beatle]

Looks like we found the right shoe for the crazy gardener...Autsch

[fpo]

Im leaning towards picking up a pair of Blundstones as a good all around boot that can be dressed up(to a certain point) and down.

Can Blundstone owners comment as to their weight and comfort? From pictures they dont look to stiff and heavy. How do you like your Blunnies?!

I have three pairs of Blundstones, and have been wearing them for over a decade. They are super comfortable, long-lasting and versatile. They are great for snow and rain, because they have no laces or zippers. They offer awesome customer service and guarantees. My first pair developed a small tear after 3.5 yrs, and they replaced them with a brand new pair.

However, I heard recently that they increased and moved production from Australia to China. I'm unsure whether or not this would affect the quality, I would think so.

Blundstones offer a lot of bang for the buck. And they have been my go-to boot for the last decade. But I have recently picked up a pair of Alden 405s, and they have easily become my favorite boots of all-time. If you can afford the 405s, I would say go for it. If you can't, the Blundstones are one of the best boots you could buy at that price point.

Oh, to answer your question, Blundstones are flexible and lightweight. Unlike the 405s, which seem like little tanks on your feet.

Some people have problems wearing Blundstones if they have a high arch, so if you do make sure you try them in the store. My wife is one of these people, she can't get the boot past her arch.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

i read that they moved production BACK to AUS

here's the wiki

[Ratatat]

yeah bluns are pretty much strictly work boots down here. people dress up rm williams though.

[nino]

Thanks for your replies guys. A pair of blunnies sounds like exactly what Im looking for; lightweight, comfortable, wide toe box, not too chunky, not too sleek, good price point.

This is my favorite thread in this forum and I have seriously been lusting after a pair of Alden Indys/cordovans/chukkas, trickers, and rm williams but at this point I cant really spend that much money on a boot that I wouldnt wear everyday. As far as dressing up the blunnies I'll see how it goes but I think one could get away with wearing them with jeans/dress shirt. I think I may have found my boot.