Shoes that look better with age...

[erk]

i had a similar incident, twice on one boot.

the first time a flap got torn and all i did was treat the boots with obenauf's like i usually do, and the flap stayed down and wasnt noticeable. it was still susceptible to being pried up though.

a few months later my foot slipped in between some rail road tracks and scratched the crap outta the toe on the same boot. This time the scratch scraped all the pigment off of the leather and was very noticeable. so I got some kiwi brown and polished them. this was the best decision, cause it filled in the scratch and helped out with the other flap-like scratch. Also the boots looked a lot better color wise and the white toe stitching was a light-medium shade of brown (which is now starting to turn light again).

here is a picture

I dont have a really good picture of the flap scratch on the left side of the left boot, but you can kinda see it in the 2nd picture; along with the other scratches.

[Aquaphor]

I finally got a chance to head to check out Northampton yesterday. Definitely worth the visit. Unfortunately the Trickers factory shop didn't have anything worthwhile in my size, but I did manage to pickup two pairs at C&J.

The left pair is Onslow, I think in burgundy. I think they're cordovan leather but I'm not experienced enough to know for sure. Any easy way to tell??

The one on the right is the waterproof Veldt model a commando sole.

[fre-co]

How much are they charging these days?

[st199ml]

What the f**k was I thinking? Whites/Hawthorn 12" Lineman in black. Serious, serious working boot.

[Aquaphor]

How much are they charging these days?

Both pairs were £150 each. I guess they were a lot cheaper a few years back?

[fre-co]

oh shit, last time I went they were £90 or something

[fre-co]

What the f**k was I thinking? Whites/Hawthorn 12" Lineman in black. Serious, serious working boot.

Good luck breaking those monsters in.

How are the semi-dress?

[Aquaphor]

Damn... how long ago was that? They did have some that were £110 or something, but they were the cheaper models to begin with.

Seems like all these brands are jacking up their prices. Lots of Tricker's were going for £150 too.

[fattybfat]

thanks for the many replies guys; I have always intended to use them as regular boots,not as a dress shoe so Ill consider this their first 'mark'.

It pissed me off so much because of, like rnrswitch said, the boots still look like new which makes the scratch very obvious. Ill get to work with some meltonian and kiwi polish, just havent decided yet if ill leave the flap on or cut it off and sandpaper it. Fattyb, can you send me a picture of your repair work if possible?

SLAB, here is a pic of the toe, i remember i scratched the right toe, however, i cant even noticed where the scratch are now after i repair it. It has been over two to three years ago...

[fre-co]

Trickers factory shop used to be £95 for everything, then they put the prices up to £150 after they started the ebay shop.

C&J remained low, i remember trying on conistons for £90 about 18 months ago or so. I guess they have cottoned on now. Last time I went to the Jermyn street shop in the sale, they had some subs for over £150 which I thought was pretty cheeky.

[st199ml]

Good luck breaking those monsters in.

How are the semi-dress?

Here's hoping for a dreadful winter to give me a chance to wear them, let alone break them in.

Semi-dress are fantastic. Just had a new sole fitted. I was literally shitting a brick that the cobbler was gonna ruin 'em. Probably slightly darker brown than when you had them due to polish not being a perfect match.

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

I was literally shitting a brick

pics plz.123456

[fre-co]

where did you get them resoled? pics please!

[Mike147]

Anyone ever dealt with these guys? On closeout...

http://workingperson.com/products/22_353_42/1/7395/Whites_Boots:_Hawthorne_Hi-Line_Lineman_Boots_1275LC.html

[Mike147]

The heel on White's boots is probably THE most important and distinguishing feature. The "reality of what these boots are all about" is functional footwear for men who work on their feet all day (e.g. firemen, loggers, construction workers, ranchers). They are designed to more appropriately distribute the weight of the upper body to the weight bearing bones of the legs and improve arch support, per White's patented Arch Ease. I doubt you would describe most of the guys who have been wearing these boots for years as "feminine."

Great info on the arch, I'm all about comfort and quality so I'll have to check them out. I wear the Modified Last and the Alden Orthopedic heel certainly helps. The Semi-Dress look like a fantastic work boot. I already put down a deposit on a pair of INDY Boots on Modified Last... So the question is, how many work boots does a wall street dushbag like me really need ???

The concern I have with White's is that I am very hard to fit and have very bad feet - would really need to try on boots in a few sizes, with my orthotic inserts, to get the right fit. I'm in NYC area... Any suggestions? White's website doesn't list any dealers in this area. I would want a professional to fit me before dropping the cash.

[Happy Hooligan]

Great info on the arch, I'm all about comfort and quality so I'll have to check them out. I wear the Modified Last and the Alden Orthopedic heel certainly helps. The Semi-Dress look like a fantastic work boot. I already put down a deposit on a pair of INDY Boots on Modified Last... So the question is, how many work boots does a wall street dushbag like me really need ???

The concern I have with White's is that I am very hard to fit and have very bad feet - would really need to try on boots in a few sizes, with my orthotic inserts, to get the right fit. I'm in NYC area... Any suggestions? White's website doesn't list any dealers in this area. I would want a professional to fit me before dropping the cash.

with white's you can trace your foot and they'll make your boot fit your foot

[rnrswitch]

Has anybody seen these?

http://www.epauletshop.com/servlet/the-343/Thorogood-for-Epaulet-Horsehide/Detail

Horsehide and $195. I don't like vibram soles, so I would probably get them resoled at some point with a cat's paw.

[Christmas In A Submarine.]

those are pretty nice... though they fill a strange need, at least for me. They're slightly too nice to be a real work boot, but are definitely too clunky and workboot-looking to go to an office, etc. nice looking leather though, and I sort of want to own a boot with those black cristys. Maybe I'll get my GTs resoled with some of those when the time comes... hmm.

[edmond]

those looks good but they have a little modern twist to it i wish they have a little less busy stitchings

[M4TM]

not bad at all and the price is pretty decent.

[st199ml]

where did you get them resoled? pics please!

The cobblers in Bromley's shopping centre, the Glades. Oh the glamour. Cost me £30 for half-sole on the Whites and £50 for a full sole and heel on some Paul Smith brogues. I was pleasantly surprised with how well they did it.

Here's the bottom of the boot:

Close up on the work as its a half re-sole:

And a close up of the stitch work, which they look to have dyed brown after stitching to match the original colour:

Here's the boots. Not looking their best:

And in answer to Mike147, I used the Working Person store to pick up those Lineman. They are a helluva pair of boots. Here's a slightly better picture:

[fre-co]

good stuff man. That is pretty cheap. Did they put a half sole on the original sole or remove the original and replace it?

[st199ml]

What it looks like is that they sliced off the sole halfway up the boot (if that makes sense) and replaced rather than stick another piece on top. The new stitching also makes me believe its a proper job rather than just glued on.

The guy did say they could take off the heel and completely replace the sole, but he advised against it because the heel could get damaged. When it comes time for that kind of rebuild, they're going back to the US of A.

I snapped the brogues too to show the work. I'd worn down the heels badly but they've cunningly rebuilt it with little wedges. Very clever I reckon.

Here they are with a new leash of life:

[Atzec]

as requested- more pics of my rw 956. according to the seller they´re from the 80s...

really happy, that they fit prefectly.

[Mike147]

with white's you can trace your foot and they'll make your boot fit your foot

I'll check it out - might need to just trace my foot while standing on my orthotic. Do White's come with an insert - what does the insole look like? Just regular leather-lined shoe, no insert?

st199ml - are those semi-dress in the regular black smooth or bounty hunters? Can anyone comment on the semi-dress versus the bounty hunters? Is there a substantial difference in style or comfort? Tough to tell on the Baker's website.

Can anyone comment on the the Alden 405's versus what I'm looking at with White's?

[Mr HaGa]

Some nice fucking boots you got, Atzec. Great find.

[crownzip]

awesome looking boots - dig the cuffs too.

[almostnice]

Atze,how much did they cost you? how do they fit?

one thing that holds me back to get used shoes from ebay is the fact that they are broken in by different shaped feet,and i dont know if they will mould to mine eventually.

[Atzec]

thanks, guys.

Atze,how much did they cost you? how do they fit?

one thing that holds me back to get used shoes from ebay is the fact that they are broken in by different shaped feet,and i dont know if they will mould to mine eventually.

they were €70, not a steal, but still quite ok for me (as this model isn´t made anymore).

i was a bit afraid of the same thing as you, but i´m quite surprised how well they fit. feels like they´ve been worn in by me. guess if they don´t fit right an insole might do the trick...

[MiniW]

I've probably gone through 10-15 different pairs of heavily used shoes in the past. I think about 1/3 to 1/2 fitted me well enough that I could wear them without hurting my feet, the others were problematic. There is no science to this though. I would think that insoles and arch supports could help if needed.