Shoes that look better with age...

[familyman]

Greg - I can see how those would look horrible if you're used to and happy with looking down on your feet and seeing a pair of Skyes. I do like them a lot though. They have a different feel from a different era. Nothing dress about them at all despite their name. Those are straight up work boots. It's jeans and workwear with those.

I don't suppose you could indulge me and post them next to the Skyes? It would be interesting to see them right up close to each other.

A pair of Whites may be in my future yet. I can certainly see a place for them, maybe even more so than some of the really nice countrty boots.

Thanks for sharing.

[Chicken]

i think these are looking great, especially from these angles:

(the double-stitching is so badass.)

i agree with you that you could probably use a narrower pair of jeans when you're wearing these. the side profile is so beautiful, but the more you cover up the ankle area the more you might lose that.

i think my taste leans more towards work boots than dress shoes, so these really go with my steez. nice purchase and i'd love to watch them age.

[airfrogusmc]

Greg they look great to me.

[mizanation]

nice stuff.

[Bill2]

Greg-

I think the whites are dope! The construction looks nice and solid. I understand your duck-footed woes, I've passed up on many a boot for the same reason. Maybe try wearing them with wider leg pants, but with the legs cuffed (or double cuffed) so they fall mid-boot and don't drag under the heel. Those big toeboxes are gonna look even bigger with slim jeans I think

[meader]

Great boots Greg. What jeans are you wearing on the pic?

[coleslawyum]

Yeah, it's weird how the white's looks so different at different angles. They look great from above, though, which is how most people will seem 'em.

[Happy Hooligan]

Greg,

First off, those are amazing boots.

I think you've been picking up all these sport cars lately and wearing them all over town. Now you picked a vintage Dodge Power Wagon. You're just use to the sports cars. Let this pair of Dodges grow on you for a while.

[old viking ring]

[GregNYC]

Wow, thanks everyone!

Jamolos, that's right, rustic!

Familyman, Yes, the Skyes have conditioned me to a more city kind of boot. I'll try to do some side-by-sides of the White's next to the Skye and Indies.

Dave, the 1911's are very different - much narrower last and longer footbed, rubber sole over a very natural-colored welt, a more reddish hue, more bubbly toe box. But they had the best boot laces I've ever seen. Lots of wax on top of some nice brown cotton.

Chicken, I agree with you, the best angles of vision for these is from the side, and so I won't want too long a jean. So I'll probably wear them a lot with the 1947s and definitely roll them up. I hate having the jeans hem fray apart from dragging on the ground. Probably the second greatest denim sin after highwater jeans!

Airfrog, Miz - thanks dudes. I think we agree on most looks, being old-skool and stuff!

Bill - I thought the same thing, larger leg opening would make the toe box look smaller. On the other hand, it would hide the welt and heel from a side view. So I'll probably end up comparing different widths with different amounts of roll. If other people think they look better than I do, then I can probably get used to looking down on Mickey Mouse feet.... That's why I appreciate youse guys' comments!

Meader - LVC 1947's, the narrowest model I know of in LVC.

Coleslaw - If other people look at them from above off to the side, I agree. Maybe I'll just never point my feet at someone straight on - like the cultural taboo in some places of exposing the sole of your shoe to someone :-)

HH - thanks for the Dodge photo! They can keep their Hummers! Anyway, there something to the Dodge Power Wagon analogy, since I was thinking about the Villiers, and the last pair of boots I tried on at a shoe store was the John Lobb Brooklands. "Veddy different eh old chap?"

[skalogre]

...

Wooooowwwww....

If it were not for the absurd JL prices I would snap one of those up in an instance...

[superBobo]

I agree on the Whites semis, they look great! slimmer jeans or higher roll would be my (as everyone else) suggestion, to really show off the shape of the boot.

They have looked akward to me before in pics, with the rounded back towars the sloping (not sure about the word, english isn´t my first language) heel, but on the pic with the jeans they look great!

A pretty unqiue boot aswell, nothing much like that around anymore. Great!

[GregNYC]

Bobo - Yeah, that's the way to think about these - old-skool to the max. Not too much like them these days, where it's molded and bonded bubber soles and built-in obsolescence.

My next boot will be the Villiers, on special order now. Photo cribbed from AAAC:

[superBobo]

haha, you just dont stop, do you? boot crazy!

[familyman]

That's a damn nice boot Greg.

I was just thinking, is there a list of the remaining great Ameircan shoe makers? Alden, Allen Edmonds, Frye, Whites, Russell, Red Wing.... who else? (not the cowboy boot makers, that's a very long list) I'm drawn to the idea of collecting at least one shoe/boot from all of them that I can.

[dave023]

Greg, I like your versatility in boots!!

[superBobo]

Speaking of Russell, what about moccasin boots? are there any other available options than russell (and that other custom place some pages back..)? Cultizm has some cool Red wing moccasin boots, that I´d scoop up if they werent more expenisive than 1911s!

[Tarmac]

Speaking of Russell, what about moccasin boots? are there any other available options than russell (and that other custom place some pages back..)? Cultizm has some cool Red wing moccasin boots, that I´d scoop up if they werent more expenisive than 1911s!

I think russells are an incredible value. If I am reading their catalog correctly, they will do custom made shoes to your own measurements for around $300-400.

[mizanation]

john lobb shoes are so beautiful. are there any shoes out there that compare to its sleek delicate lines?

[familyman]

I think russells are an incredible value. If I am reading their catalog correctly, they will do custom made shoes to your own measurements for around $300-400.

Sort of. They have about a zillion different lasts that can accomodate basically any foot that you can trace. If you have different sized feet they make different sized boots. If you need extra space for bunions or something they can do that. If in fact they don't have a last that will fit your feet then they will make one but they've been making boots for so long that doesn't happen much from my understanding. Other than that they are custom. You start with a basic pattern and you can change leathers and height and soles and a lot of details. I do think they are a great boot and a great value, even more if you have wierd feet. I love mine, supremely comfortable.

[indigo_junkie]

Sort of. They have about a zillion different lasts that can accomodate basically any foot that you can trace. If you have different sized feet they make different sized boots. If you need extra space for bunions or something they can do that. If in fact they don't have a last that will fit your feet then they will make one but they've been making boots for so long that doesn't happen much from my understanding. Other than that they are custom. You start with a basic pattern and you can change leathers and height and soles and a lot of details. I do think they are a great boot and a great value, even more if you have wierd feet. I love mine, supremely comfortable.

They're very accommodating. I've arranged for them to bill me in installments for my Imperial boots becauase it'd be hard for me to take a USD$400 hit in one go. Now there's just the interminable wait for those boots to get to me. 16 weeks, freak me. I can't wait to see how these boots fit and feel. I've always liked my moccasin slippers, but for something like boots, you can't get anything like Russells here.

[Carl]

I got these off eBay today.

36 shipped.

No idea on information about the brand. Anyone know anything?

They feel and look really nice, and for the price i can't complain.

Here is some info on the bottom of the boot;

[skalogre]

I like those boots, Carl! Never heard of them...

[mr fluffernutter]

they look really nice carl, good find/buy

[partytaco]

everyone always forgets

http://www.westcoastshoe.com/wesco/

for true work boots i don't think anyone compares.

That's a damn nice boot Greg.

I was just thinking, is there a list of the remaining great Ameircan shoe makers? Alden, Allen Edmonds, Frye, Whites, Russell, Red Wing.... who else? (not the cowboy boot makers, that's a very long list) I'm drawn to the idea of collecting at least one shoe/boot from all of them that I can.

[partytaco]

They're very accommodating. I've arranged for them to bill me in installments for my Imperial boots becauase it'd be hard for me to take a USD$400 hit in one go. Now there's just the interminable wait for those boots to get to me. 16 weeks, freak me. I can't wait to see how these boots fit and feel. I've always liked my moccasin slippers, but for something like boots, you can't get anything like Russells here.

well except maybe...

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=2838&feature_id=&dir_id=885&group_id=909&cat_id=7777&subcat_id=9352

or these...

http://www.bigfoottrail.com/highland.html

the moccasin boots used to be quite popular back in the 50's and 60's and in my hunts on ebay i've seen quite a few smaller brands who are no longer with us who made this style of boot usually calling it a "snake boot" or "snake proof boot" because it's bullhide leather resisted puncture from snake bites.

[viv1984viv]

nom de code, dunno how well they will wear, or fit yet for that matter! But yeah, I really like this brand, dont really know much about their quality but guess ill be finding out, they have lots of nice designs, like brown suede motocycycle zip boots, might get those too seeing as I cant find any decent zip boots on pediwear from any english makers.

[indigo_junkie]

well except maybe...

http://www.orvis.com/store/product_choice.asp?pf_id=2838&feature_id=&dir_id=885&group_id=909&cat_id=7777&subcat_id=9352

or these...

http://www.bigfoottrail.com/highland.html

the moccasin boots used to be quite popular back in the 50's and 60's and in my hunts on ebay i've seen quite a few smaller brands who are no longer with us who made this style of boot usually calling it a "snake boot" or "snake proof boot" because it's bullhide leather resisted puncture from snake bites.

I meant in Australia. I've looked at those other manufacturers of moc boots before I went with Russell. The Mac Rostie boots are just too far out of my price range to consider them, and while I liked the orvis gokies, it just seemed to me that russell had more options (and familyman's pics of his russell hikers showed just how good the chromexel leather could look after a few wears).

[lowrider]

Nice boots Carl!!

[LeicaLad]

Damn nice, Carl. It is quite difficult to find a captoe balmoral. What size are those?