Shoes that look better with age...

[rungo]

He'll get 100F in difference before the winter is out. It hits -40 (F=C) at least once a year. Last year there was a day where the HIGH was -46C (-51F)

And on to the boots. Pulled these out of my dad's basement while cleaning. They look like they're from the 70s give or take. Says "Made Expressly for Woodard and Sons. Made in Canada". They're basically unworn, and after a couple of coats of Obenauf's they're looking pretty decent. Need some breaking in though, wicked blister zone on the back of the heel.

Didn't really need the Made in Canada to figure out where they were from, this was a dead giveaway.

[wgmds]

anyone know the price of viberg semi dress in america/ if there is a non japan version?

[slide13]

What type of leather is that in the middle?

Those are mine, they are brown Chromexcel....and size 11 and for sale if anybody is interested.

[beeetus]

really?? Ah man. I think how dude's wearing them is pretty douchey too, but johdpurs are just so... Classy yet interesting. Certainly not the workwear style that gets most love and attention up in here, but I think they're just the right amount of unusual mixed with debonair. One day...

I just don't think I could ever pull them off.

[kiya]

anyone know the price of viberg semi dress in america/ if there is a non japan version?

I'd guess between $600 and $650.

[Yin]

My "supersearch" is having some problem.....

What is the difference between french calf and Horween excel chrome in terms of how they feel?

[lance]

I guess it also depends on where you are in Florida, a lot of the state is only at about 65 fahrenheit.

Ok, back to boots.

Ha, so shoot me for a couple degrees:) low to mid 80s here most of the week.

[HoustonChris]

OK, I meant to post a couple of days ago, but then SuFu disappeared and my weekend got really busy. So, apologies to everyone. Now, on the the business at hand- more info about my William Lennon boots.

I've had the 78PTC boots in the waxy tan leather for about a month now. Delivery came about 5 weeks after I placed my order, which is right what the website said it would be. I had to pony up an extra 29.95 pounds for international shipping. Interestingly, the boots were mailed in 2 separate boxes, one boot per box, and arrived on 2 different days. I read somewhere on the web that, due to a quirk in UK shipping rates, this method is actually cheaper than sending the pair in a single box. According to the stamps, William Lennon paid 14.95 per box for shipping, so the company made a whopping 5 pence off me through the exorbitant additional charge.

As for sizing, I don't know how these compare to Alden, Clark, Crockett & Jones, Red Wing, Tricker's, Viberg, Wesco, White's or Wolverine, since I've never owned any of those brands (I know, it's crazy). That said, I'm pretty consistently a size 11 (US) in everything else I own, so I ordered the equivalent size 10 (UK). The boots are big by about 1/2 a size, so I just tossed a pair of insoles in them and now they fit fine. Straight out of the box (well, technically, boxes), they were comfortable. Lots of wiggle room in the toe and a good snug fit through the heel and ankle. No problems whatsoever with chafing or blisters. Due to the massive triple leather sole, these have been slow to break in. I swear, I think it took about a week before I even got them to flex at the ball of the foot.

Overall quality is pretty good. The leather looks good- consistent grain, no blemishes or scarring, good color depth and clarity, etc. They smell great; I love that fresh leather aroma. Stitching is generally good, as well. Soles are, as I said, triple leather and are stitched and brass nailed. The boots are heavy. I haven't weighed them, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're 4+ pounds. They're a bit bulkier than they appear on the website; in fact, I was worried that they'd be Frankenstein-ish. However, when I tried them on, my wife commented, “oh, those don't look as large as I thought they would.†Which is sort of good, I guess... I have received 2-3 compliments on them, which, considering how I dress, is remarkable.

And finally, after all the boring words, here are the slightly less boring pics:

Lighting in this room is terrible, so the color is a bit off, as is the white balance. Damn hotel CFLs.

[denimjunky]

^Thanks a lot for this very good description of the WL boots, Houston.

What type of leather is that in the middle?

Its chrome excel.

[SLAB]

Houston Chris, could you post some pictures wearing the boots?

[Megatron1505]

Very nice HC.

[Pavlov's Bell]

c&j belgrave or something else from another brand? around 500 ish help maybe in brown or chestnut.. i need a new meeting shoe

nah man do an alden cap toe. c&j's is too pointy.

[Paul T]

Thanks for posting, Chris. How's the leather quality? It looks slightly more opaque than the waxy tan leather on their site.

FWIW, I asked them about the different leathers; I thought the waxy tan looked better quality than that shown on the Derby - they said they're all the same type of hides, just different colours. I ordered the mid brown latigo, like the boots indigojunky posted...

Mine should be about a month, so we'll soon have more Lennon action going on.

[coleslawyum]

That's like the most serious cap toe I've ever seen…

[Paul T]

That's like the most serious cap toe I've ever seen…

yes, much heavier than the Fedora Lounge version:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?45213-New-William-Lennon-Derby-Boot-Singular!

[dkatz]

Wolverine Shell Cordovan Boots vtg 50s 1000 horsehide on ebay... pretty rad

[rayw44]

Wolverine Shell Cordovan Boots vtg 50s 1000 horsehide on ebay... pretty rad

I'm actually the one selling these if you want to know anything about them. They are pretty cool, but I was surprised by the shell on these. It isn't quite as high gloss as most shell cordovan, and it has more of a rugged feel.

[damienos]

Horsehide is NOT Shell Cordovan.

Horsehide is much cheaper and do not have the same prized features of shell.

Should not pay shell cordovan prices if they were advertised and asking for such.

Nice boots though!

[Yin]

Just received my SD, lovely boots, but they are a size too big, any solution guys?

If i exchange it, Baker will charge me 50-70 to get a new pair.....

[Happy Hooligan]

^what size are they?

[rayw44]

Horsehide is NOT Shell Cordovan.

Horsehide is much cheaper and do not have the same prized features of shell.

Should not pay shell cordovan prices if they were advertised and asking for such.

Nice boots though!

I completely understand, however the tag on the inside of the boots actually reads "Wolverine Triple Tanned Shell Horsehide," which makes me believe they are indeed shell cordovan. And they don't look that different, just not quite as glossy. I think there were some vintage ads depicting this use of shell horsehide as a synonym to shell cordovan a few pages back too.

See:http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5202238730_4bf92511ba_z.jpg' alt='5202238730_4bf92511ba_z.jpg'> Picture 351 by ray.wendolowski, on Flickr[/img]

[Aries]

Rayw44 - They are not shell cordovan. The dead giveaway is in the wrinkles: Cordovan doesn't "wrinkle", after many wears it just shows curves.

Here are my shell cordovans, notice how the leather creases are smooth, not wrinkled:

[fre-co]

They don't look like cordovan to me judging by the creases, but then I've never seen 60 year old shell before.

Aries beat me to it

[Yin]

^what size are they?

Size 7D....i have baby feet, i know....

Standard last, 430 sole, dress brown leather, nickle eyes and hooks, natural edge, double midsole, cream liner, standard trim, no toe cap, standard heel.

Any solution guys? would insole helps a little?

[fre-co]

To be honest, if they are a whole size too big I would just return them for an exchange and eat the charge.

You will find it hard to sell a size like that without making a loss, which could also take a while.

By all means try an insole but remember these boots are going to last you a lifetime and it's always best to get the right size from the beginning instead of realising it a few months down the line.

[Yin]

To be honest, if they are a whole size too big I would just return them for an exchange and eat the charge.

You will find it hard to sell a size like that without making a loss, which could also take a while.

By all means try an insole but remember these boots are going to last you a lifetime and it's always best to get the right size from the beginning instead of realising it a few months down the line.

You are absolutely right about the boots are going to last pretty much forever, i'm gonna exchange it, thanks for the help.

[rnrswitch]

If those wolverines were just horsehide the "crinkle" would be all over the boot. Shell, over time, with hard use will show faint "crinkles" where the creases are. I have seen this effect on vintage florsheim shell shoes.

[fre-co]

Good to know.... and I wondered if that might be the case on old cordovan

[mctaran]

Just found pictures of smokejumper made in shark leather (brown and black).

Anyone got some info about shark leather? Is it durable?

I kinda like the looks (but maybe it will go better combined with some dress leather or calf), but never tried it.

[wgmds]

it's very tough. some cowboy boots are made from it. it has a fairly rough texture if i'm not mistaken.