Shoes that look better with age...

[GregNYC]

Familyman - one thing I like about the Allen Edmunds is they have widths, and their insole rocks. I don't know why they took the medallion wholecut off the market. There's a reseller here in NYC, Tom Austin, who carries AE and Alden. They had the medallions but in size 11 only! I'll try some others this week.

Airfrog - nice to see you here, without you, I probably wouldn't have gotten into Indies - or old-skool denim either. I'd be wearing black jeans from Carhartt and Marks and Spencer.

Chicken - the Indies would e cool with a honey Vibram. Here's something that Vibram's website had:

[Chicken]

airfrog -- yeah i have quite a bit to go to reach your level. so far, i've been through one pair of laces and i'm onto a second set of soles.

greg -- yup, i think that's exactly the one minas is trying to get. i'm really curious as to how my indys will feel with them. and of course, how they look.

[BrokenGlass]

Any idea as to what the boots were used in this Rag and Bone ss07 show? Or something similar. I don't own any boots but these look rad.

hate to quote myself and bring this back up but going back through the thread, and I caught this, no one really mentioned anything and the color/shape looks fantastic. Bill said indy's but I'm not sure.

Anyone? I'm needing 3 things this spring, a navy blazer/suit. brown boots (hence the clarks brown pebbled leather, or these) and a trench.

If I can figure out what these are or grab some leather desert boots the void in my life will be filled.

edit: snapped this pic off the rag&bone website, maybe it will help ID them

[GregNYC]

Those look a bit like a cap-toe Alden boot with a bit of brogue on the seam. But they're probably not, because of the rubber sole, and the Aldens are shell cordovan and these aren't. The shape of the toe looks too round to be Italian or English - it's very round even for Alden. But if I had to guess, I'd guess one of the medium level English brands...

[mizanation]

could be an old army boot because of the speed laces and the cap toe.

[Bill2]

Thanks for the zoom in pic, much easier to see. From that pic I definitely recant my previous guess of indy's, as they don't have a moc toe (albeit Indy's "moc" toe is really a a mock moc toe.....anywho). Something in the old workboot/army boot realm sounds about right. The soles look like they could be nicely worn down cats paws, or something similair.

[cuddlysheep]

anyonere actually purchased the af72 or people just talking alot fo fluff not pulling the trigger? if so,would be nice to see some pics of those who picked one up .

[englandmj7]

Tarmac & Chicken...........boots look great!

I've never considered the Trickers before, but they look fantastic in Tarmac's photo.

[Tarmac]

thanks england! RM williams are next on my list.

VERY NICE!!!

i actually receive mine today, but i get it the acorn antique color

i didnt get the espresso because i already have too many pairs of brown shoe/boot

i wouldnt put lexol on mine because it will darken my boot, but your wont change since the color so dark already. How long have you have those?I'll guess about a year and half?? It look much nicer compare to the left after you condition them!!! :D

I got mine second hand from ebay but yeah I would guess overall age to be somewhere around a year.

had to repost your pic from the shopping thread. The acorn color you got is really nice, espresso is kind of subdued, very few people notice my plain brown boots. I'm sure you will be getting lots of compliments when you wear them. Please post how they look after a few or many wears!

[Chicken]

thanks england,

your rm williams are looking fantastic. as a side note, my friend crownzip has a pair in black, but he's been wearing them as his beaters -- completely different flavor.

[skalogre]

Thanks guys.

'Whiskey'

Ah, looks more like it here at work. Soph's pics of his tan pair of Craftsman chelseas looked similar to yours at home. Their whiskey leather really is gorgeous.

[englandmj7]

thanks england,

your rm williams are looking fantastic. as a side note, my friend crownzip has a pair in black, but he's been wearing them as his beaters -- completely different flavor.

Thanks

Their damn comofortable for chelsea boots. And for $200, you can't beat them.

Ah, looks more like it here at work. Soph's pics of his tan pair of Craftsman chelseas looked similar to yours at home. Their whiskey leather really is gorgeous.

I'm really glad I got an MTO pair in this color as I hear they have a very limited run of it and they might not offer it again.

[partytaco]

mackintosh. the best.

and a trench.

]

[fattybfat]

Chicken

what did you do this winter? It seems you alden wear pretty quickly?

When do you plan to resole the bottom?? Actually i am asking everyone, about at what point should the bottom be resole for the Goodyear Welt??

Very nice alden:D

before:

after:

[Bill2]

Here are some beater Justin "lacers" that I polished for the first time other day. I really like the combination of the weathered (truthfully, trashed) leather, but with a reasonably detailed shine put on them (as good as I can muster anyhow). Very country gentlemanly. . .

And for good measure; a family photo. Back row: 1956 Jump Boots, Justins. Front row: Alden, Mod'd 8130's, trashed 875's

[VDSUPREME]

Here are some beater Justin "lacers" that I polished for the first time other day. I really like the combination of the weathered (truthfully, trashed) leather, but with a reasonably detailed shine put on them (as good as I can muster anyhow). Very country gentlemanly. . .

And for good measure; a family photo. Back row: 1956 Jump Boots, Justins. Front row: Alden, Mod'd 8130's, trashed 875's

straight ace. damn they are nice!

[Chicken]

Chicken

what did you do this winter? It seems you alden wear pretty quickly?

When do you plan to resole the bottom?? Actually i am asking everyone, about at what point should the bottom be resole for the Goodyear Welt??

Very nice alden:D

i just walked around in them like every day. even in bad weathers. but i try to polish them whenever they start looking dirty. i don't know if aldens wear quickly or slowly because i've never been into boots before like this. (nooby time.)

you might be able to tell from the photos but my heels are already pretty much gone. so i consulted miz's shoe cobbler and he thought i could use a resoling job done, and with something very durable. because normally, the soles shouldn't wear out this fast.

if you have a pair of shoes, have good soles and aren't wearing out quickly, there's really no need to change the soles. unless, you just really need a certain type of grip, comfort or style immediately, imo.

Here are some beater Justin "lacers" that I polished for the first time other day. I really like the combination of the weathered (truthfully, trashed) leather, but with a reasonably detailed shine put on them (as good as I can muster anyhow). Very country gentlemanly. . .

those are nice. it's patina time! and a nice collection, too.

[GregNYC]

Bill, like those Justins! What kind of sole do they have? Also, amazing how little jump boots have changed in the decades - they look like current ones. Your 875s look, as they say in the Army, like you work for a livin'!

[LeicaLad]

Time for another “Taliban Target Practice†photo-op. Maybe I should just put these in the WAYWT thread. Actually, I think I will over in the Ask Andy forum. That shoe thread is filled with utter snobs. This thread is home. Lots of cool stuff been added. Thanks for keeping this thread alive!

Anyway, got 4 days of poppy huntin’ duty this week. Flights over Kurram Agency just cancelled cause the fighting is really, really hot this week. Got shot at today over Khyber (Bara River Valley), but the pilot told me, “They don’t really mean it, they just shoot at everyone.†I felt so much better.

Today’s footwear is a pair of Alden work boots, matched with Sammie 5000BKs. Gotta show these Taliban what SuFu style is all about, eh?

I’ve added two more shots of some poppy fields. The first is with shoes . Boots and poppy. That green strip back there is ALL poppy.

The other is a poppy field shot of a section of the Bara Valley. Basically, 90% of what is green in this photo is poppy. It’s a bumper crop this year.

This view is from pretty high up. They were shooting at us here.

[cuddlysheep]

damn how thoughtful. got to love the talibans.

[englandmj7]

Awesome pics LeicaLad.

[__3xL]

So are you indulging in the poppy Leica ? if no what in the hell are you doing there anyways lol ..

[tweeds]

“They don’t really mean it, they just shoot at everyone.â€

...good to know

leicalad, sorry if it's been asked before, but what exactly is the nature of your work (and why are you flying over afghanistan?

[GregNYC]

LeicaLad, Cool shots to add to the arsenal. Those Alden work boots have a pretty rounded toe! Yea, I wish the folks at Style Forum and AAAC were as nice as the folks here. There was even a StyleForum guy who asked if one can be interested in style and be a gentleman too. He got roundly flamed for that!

England - agree on the RM's. The most comfortable shoe I have, the Aussie last was made for my foot. I think they beat Lobb and the other ultra-high-end makers for a chelsea boot, if not for the refinements. I told you guys about the Lobb chelsea display model in the NY store whose loop broke? They used only one loop, at the back, and in leather. Not great for the incredible forces needed to sqeeze one's foot into the narrow-lasted Lobb design.

There's a StyleForum special RM you can order. Nailed leather sole, narrower welt, looks more refined. I'd do it, but I have been wearing RMs for 7 years, want to branch into other stuff.

FattyB - That's a good question, how long to let it go before resoling. Chicken's boots are a good case in point. Cobblers have always told me, get it done sometime before the wear goes past the first layer of sole or heel. Especially if the midsole or heel layers are fancy or proprietary. Of course a good cobbler can repair it even if one has worn holes all the way through, or the heel is totally scraped off - but it's much easier on the upper and your wallet the earlier you catch it.

[LeicaLad]

Actually, I’m ready to hear from Skalogre for an update on his RM Williams Stockmans (the jodhpur model), not to mention his Grensons. I’ll probably wear my Grensons tomorrow. I like them a lot. Although, with the heat rising, the boots may go into the closet for a few months.

What is I doing? Most of my work is oversight of construction of roads and border security outposts. But, I’m also responsible for the annual poppy acreage survey for the NWFP (northwest frontier province of Pakistan). So, we make three sets of chopper flights (March, April and May) over the prime growing areas. Most of these are not visible from any road, thus the need to fly over. Fortunately, all I have to do is oversee the count. Whatever the authorities need to do about it is NOT up to me.

If a country can get under 1,000 acres in poppy in the field, they are certified as “poppy freeâ€. As I saw over 3,000 acres today, alone, I’d say it ain’t gonna happen this year!

What can I say? It's a gig.

[englandmj7]

England - agree on the RM's. The most comfortable shoe I have, the Aussie last was made for my foot. I think they beat Lobb and the other ultra-high-end makers for a chelsea boot, if not for the refinements. I told you guys about the Lobb chelsea display model in the NY store whose loop broke? They used only one loop, at the back, and in leather. Not great for the incredible forces needed to sqeeze one's foot into the narrow-lasted Lobb design.

There's a StyleForum special RM you can order. Nailed leather sole, narrower welt, looks more refined. I'd do it, but I have been wearing RMs for 7 years, want to branch into other stuff.

I saw the "Forum Special" over there as that's the thread I used to answer all my own questions (and believe me, there were plenty!) when I ordered my pair

It definitely looks good, but I went with the composite (rubber) sole on mine and the traditional chiseled last. I have a pair of leather-soled Charles Tyrwhitt slim, black Chelseas and wanted a pair I could be a little rougher with. Problem is, I actually treat the R.M. Williams like a pair of silk slippers and wear my CTs in the rain/mud......he heh.

Regarding the Lobbs, I couldn't help but make a snide remark at a Styleforum member who ordered a bespoke pair of black JL chelseas for something like $1300. In my humble opinion, they looked pretty sub-par for the price (heel was awkwardly small, shoe didn't look like anything special). Sure, JL makes a quality pair of handmade shoes, but hell, R.M. Williams has been making dependable boots for Aussie ranchers for a damn long time.........to me, that is a much better indicator of quality. Even if the JLs are far superior to R.M. Williams in terms of quality (which I doubt), you can order 6 pairs of made-to-order R.M. Williams for the same price :eek:

That put things in perspective for me.

[__3xL]

Oh so that's whatchoo is doing there .. I don't even do drugs , but if I was around that much poppy best believe I would be toking some opium .

thanks though interesting gig and damn nice photos of da bootsies

[ricochet]

I wanted to thank you guys for this awesome thread. It's been really helpful for me and will no doubt be hurtful to my wallet.

I have a Red Wing sizing question. I'm really interested in the 1911's and saw that Greg said they usually run about a size too big. I'm hesitant to order them blind without trying them on. No local shops that carry RW even have the 875, 8130, or similar models mentioned in this thread.

I was able to try on these 926's that were the only non-1155 type model. They fit best in a 10D (assuming they were all D's) but were still a little loose in the toe. The 9.5D was more fitted lengthwise but somewhat hurt the top of my foot and was too constricting on the sides. I doubt anyone has experience with this model, but I'm not sure how much RW sizing varies. Would I be better off ordering a US9.5 in the 1911 or something else?

I'm used to wearing a 11 or 11.5 in sneakers so this is new to me. I appreciate your help.

[skalogre]

Actually, I’m ready to hear from Skalogre for an update on his RM Williams Stockmans (the jodhpur model), not to mention his Grensons. I’ll probably wear my Grensons tomorrow. I like them a lot. Although, with the heat rising, the boots may go into the closet for a few months.

What is I doing? Most of my work is oversight of construction of roads and border security outposts. But, I’m also responsible for the annual poppy acreage survey for the NWFP (northwest frontier province of Pakistan). So, we make three sets of chopper flights (March, April and May) over the prime growing areas. Most of these are not visible from any road, thus the need to fly over. Fortunately, all I have to do is oversee the count. Whatever the authorities need to do about it is NOT up to me.

If a country can get under 1,000 acres in poppy in the field, they are certified as “poppy free”. As I saw over 3,000 acres today, alone, I’d say it ain’t gonna happen this year!

What can I say? It's a gig.

Ah, I have been remiss in my status reports. The Grensons are plodding along, their colour keeps improving. Thick socks + Ilkley is a great combination, even with the slight looseness. Something about their design makes them very good for walking, even miles at a time in the heat.

As for the Stockmans, the much-vaunted RMW creasing looks a lot worse when they are not worn. Once I have them on they look much better. The roo skin makes them feel like sneakers in a way. The moment I put them on they feel tight -around the base of the toes then within maybe 5 minutes it stretches out a bit and the mold to my foot. Quite amazing; however due to this fit I have learned I must be careful with my choice of socks. I must wear socks with lower profile toe seams otherwise then they rub the top of my two smaller toes and give me grief - for some reason much more apparent on my left foot.

Anyway, I just wish the straps were shorter. I am curious about the sole though. There is no indication whether RMW used the marsupial leather there as well. But for whatever reason, even though there are rocks and gravel everywhere in Tucson (including right outside my door), they seem to be dealing with the wear that surface causes much better than other leather soled shoes. Actually the rubber on the heel seems to have more wear on it than the sole itself!

I should probably polish them up and take a new pic.

Oh and something I found: I thought of using tan polish to brighten them up a little bit and add more depth; it backfired as for some reason it made the creases more apparent! I have fixed that now just by subsequently going back to brown but anyway, lesson learned...

P.s. like Englandmj7 I am finding it hard not to baby the RMWs

P.s. 2 LeaicaLad just noticed the pics you posted. Just be careful out there with all those nuts. You don't want any bullets to scrape the leather on those nice boots

[mizanation]

man, i love visiting this thread and seeing new leicalad pics and other posts.

it's like walking into cheers.