Shoes that look better with age...

[BrownMetallic]

New year, new 'bergs. Navy Latigo Roughout Scouts on the 2030 last with a Vibram Gloxi-Cut sole.

Jesus - those look incredible...

interesting sole. never seen that one before.

'Was thinking ahead on sole unit replacement, once it's time to re-sole the Christys on my MocToe Chukkas ... NYC pavement is like a giant grindstone. Initially, I was toying on the idea of swapping to either corded soles or ripple__ but, these Gloxi-cuts seem a more sensible, less radical option.

Btw, TheBurreauBelfast has these exact build__ Red Dog Roughout Scout on 110 last.

Edited December 30, 2015 by BrownMetallic

[BrownMetallic]

Man viberg sold the fuck out.

Metaphorically, Viberg is like a virtually unknown underground band we used to follow across town, playing small/intimate gigs .... Now, they've crested, selling out bigger venues, & playing spanking new shit from their new EP/LP. I mean, where'd bands like U2 be if they stuck to their early sounds?! Ans: A "heritage" band__ they wouldn't have had "Joshua Tree", etc, etc.

As a brand, they are starting to get noticed. Brett & company know they got momentum. Armed with that inertia, they're pushing creative boundaries as far as they can get away with, to open up their market base. It's a business after all.

But to be fair, they haven't abandoned anything. They still continue to put out their usual stuff__ @times, on limited availability leathers. With regards to the new stuff they've been churning out, they're basically, adding & mixing components in their "creative bowl", throw those samples on the proverbial wall & see w/c sticks.

After all that's been said, hyped & done, the market will dictate their niche__ how they proceed from there, is entirely up to them, really.

Edited December 31, 2015 by BrownMetallic

[claes]

Tricker's monkey boots after about a month and a half, coming along quite nicely.

 

[BrownMetallic]

It looks weird because of the angle of the back on the saw blade I am using as a gauge, and the condition of my old boot, but can see the size difference. Didn't even bother putting that boot on as I can clearly see it looks like a clowns boot in the box.

But besides the unwearble issue, these boots are fucking sweet. Wouldn't have gone with cuban heel, but apparently you have to if you want a steel toe which I found kind of odd to be honest. But builds pretty obvious, lace to toe, 8", red dog rough and smooth (love the combos, and had to get the red dog rough out after seeing gnomes and max's)

.

I've had the Packer, SJ, & SD. SmokeJumpers usually come with unstructured/soft toes. From experience, SD last is a tad longer than the SJ ... i.e., based on actual inside measurements I got on mine.

BH is SD standard last__ so, if you factor in [for sizing consideration] the extra toe room from a higher profiled steel toes [versus SJ soft toes] + the inside length difference between SD vs SJ, it adds up. You side by side photo says it all.

As for the Cuban, that's why it's called "standard". These boots were originally designed for work on standard heels, if you opted on steel toes__ the specs default to [work] standard ... Just logical deduction ... don't know shit about the tech/science aspect of it

Edited December 31, 2015 by BrownMetallic

[DhaDha]

Happy New Year Guys!

 

for the last few months of last year I was contemplating picking up a pair of boots in red/burgundy colourway. Lofgren's Donkey Puncher and Flat Head's Medallion Work Boots being the top contenders, with Julian Bowery being a close third. They were all available in Thailand and share similar profiles and price point. Problem was they all retailed about $8-900 here in Thailand, which made the decision to cop them not too easy, and i couldn't really decide which one. 

 

Then a few days ago Pronto came out with a pretty aggressive White's Deal, with final price being 20-30% cheaper than if i were to order directly from White's themselves or Baker's (White's retails here about 30-40% more expensive than in the States owing to TAX/VAT/profit making imperative). Having touched them all in shops, while of course Japanese-made boots are more impeccably made than White's, the value proposition of White's now became unmatched by any other pairs I was considering. At almost half price cheaper, it was a no brainer. Speaking of which, even if White's aren't as well made aesthetically, they feel like they could take more of a beating than either Lofgren or FH. Well they are real work boots as opposes to fashion boots, so no surprise there.

 

Since these Bounty Hunter were custom ordered by Pronto, I don't know the exact configuration. They are in Smooth Red Dog leather, single sole, roll top, cap toe with single celastic toe box, vibram 269 sole, antique hook and eyelet. These are 8D, which fits me perfectly. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that i have White's i know what they are all about. Make all my other boots (red wings/oak street/dry bones) and italian/english dress shoe look insubstantial by comparison. my next boots purchase will now be a tough decision, with wanting more White's on the one hand and wanting to try out Wesco/Viberg/etc. on the other. 

Edited January 1, 2016 by DhaDha

[bradl]

.

I've had the Packer, SJ, & SD. SmokeJumpers usually come with unstructured/soft toes. From experience, SD last is a tad longer than the SJ ... i.e., based on actual inside measurements I got on mine.

BH is SD standard last__ so, if you factor in [for sizing consideration] the extra toe room from a higher profiled steel toes [versus SJ soft toes] + the inside length difference between SD vs SJ, it adds up. You side by side photo says it all.

As for the Cuban, that's why it's called "standard". These boots were originally designed for work on standard heels, if you opted on steel toes__ the specs default to [work] standard ... Just logical deduction ... don't know shit about the tech/science aspect of it

They're going back to Kyle to see if they're lasted properly which I can almost guarantee they are. But I do agree with you with the interior measurements being a bit longer.

Not sure what you mean about the Cuban heel. But for me it just seems to not be as stable as a block heel, but haven't gotten to work in the Cuban to compare.

[erk]

I was just at White's with my family getting my brother measured and I talked to Bob Putt there and he says the Steel Toe SJ last is different from the soft toe. so thats a possibility for difference

[Cold Summer]

Hey boot experts, little question for you - what would you suggest as a good cream/wax/whatever for my boots (Lofgren engineers made from Chromexcel, Flat Head boots made from horsehide)? I've used products like saddle soap, Hubert's shoe grease, and Equus leather conditioner, but none of these give me the shine I've seen in pictures of nicely maintained engineer boots. Any suggestions?

[karanimal]

I would say try out some saphir reno or VSC. Saphir is gonna be a bit pricier but i really like how it works on my shell boots and some of my CXL pairs. VSC is what viberg ships their boots with and is what horween recommends for their CXL. 

 

IMO saphir reno is going to get the glow i think you're after 

[FreeCharlesManson]

@Bradl are these your boots? http://viberg.com/blogs/journal/50017284-field-repair

[bradl]

Hahaha no, they do look similar, granted those are better condition. Gives me some ideas though....

[rungo]

Hey boot experts, little question for you - what would you suggest as a good cream/wax/whatever for my boots (Lofgren engineers made from Chromexcel, Flat Head boots made from horsehide)? I've used products like saddle soap, Hubert's shoe grease, and Equus leather conditioner, but none of these give me the shine I've seen in pictures of nicely maintained engineer boots. Any suggestions?

In addition to the Saphir reno, maybe try out some color appropriate paste polish (I use Saphir), it doesn't build quite the same way as hard polish does, but I find on my black and dark brown footwear, it really brings that deep shine, without looking glassy.

[dylanbooth78]

wolverine 1000 mile boots

 

 

[MoonFuneral]

My 8114s just hit a year. Got a huge gash in them a few hours after this photo was taken

[cameosis]

here is an update on the french army boots i had bought in early october -- initially, they looked like this:

 

 

before i brought them to the cobbler, i undertook some do-it-yourself refurbishing:

 

first, i pulled out all the hobnails with pincers, and also removed all the rivets and eyelets.

 

then, i took acetone to remove the layers of black shoepolish, dirt and other residue. after that, i sanded the leather until i felt that most of the excess was removed and the boots were ready for the next step.

 

i submerged the boots in a bucket full of distilled water for two days, in order to wash out all the dirt, sweat and whatnot that had accumulated over the decades. after a day, the water in the bucket turned black -- i exchanged it for a second run, and took the boots out afterwards to dry out.

 

the dry boots then received new eyelets and rivets, and i applied lots of shoe grease and let it soak in for another day. after a quick polish they were ready to go to the cobbler's.

 

now, he did a very good job and i am definitely satisfied with the end result -- but he also told me that it was a mess to resole them, as the old leather soles were literally crumbling to dust and falling apart; if i had another pair in similar condition, i shouldn't come to his place again ... thankfully, there are enough cobblers here in frankfurt who can do the job just as well.

 

the pictures aren't good, but i still hope that you can see how they turned out.

 

make no mistake, these boots are still rather stiff, but very wearable -- they are quite a snug fit, so thick socks are not the best option, to be honest. i made a pair of leather insoles and will probably have to split them a bit more in order to reduce the pressure on the big toes in the toe box. other than that, a couple of band aids around the small toes help through the break-in phase.

 

the boots were confiscated by the german wehrmacht procurement office during the occupation of france, and there is a small nazi stamp inside -- on a militaria forum, a helpful guy dated them to the late 1930s.

 

the old hardware (hobnails, rivets and eyelets) and the original leather laces:

 

 

leather insoles:

 

 

shoes without insoles:

 

 

shoes with insoles:

 

Edited January 18, 2016 by cameosis

[cameosis]

 

 

 

 

[cameosis]

 

 

 

 

not a bad thing to resurrect boots that are close to 80 years old!

[HGS]

Really amazing!!!  Those are truly something to behold. Great job (and post)

[knucks]

We'll see how these Craft Rite turn out.

 

[knucks]

Edited January 19, 2016 by knucks

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Shameless plug and a bump for this thread.

 

I have some pairs that look better with age for sale.

 

http://supertalk.superfuture.com/index.php/topic/160052-boots-sale-moto-pecos-red-wing-engineers/

 

 

[Ayebomb]

My natural Buttero sneakers

 

2013 (might wanna turn down your screen brightness for those ankles)

 

At the pub a few weeks ago

 

Bonus comparison with the new suede numbers

 

 

[aho]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XYXNrx7ROo

[ShootThePier]

He talked too much. I just wanted to hear about the boots.

[Iron Horse]

Shameless plug and a bump for this thread.

 

I have some pairs that look better with age for sale.

 

http://supertalk.superfuture.com/index.php/topic/160052-boots-sale-moto-pecos-red-wing-engineers/

 

 

 

 

Too bad they're a bit too small for me; I love the rough out RW engineers.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Iron Horse

[mlwdp]

Old North Co from Asheville, North Carolina did a collab with White's on a smokejumper

http://www.acquiremag.com/style/old-north-whites

Edited February 4, 2016 by mlwdp

[Max Power]

^that's pretty much the builup I would have gone for myself (just all rough out). Hmm...I'm tempted.

 

Edit: They're sold out. Good.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Max Power

[Sugar Mountain]

Max, how are your Vibergs doing these days? Don't recall seeing them in a while.

[Max Power]

I'm wearing the Brown Oil Tan at least 3 days a week. But I'm having the Cat's paw heel replaced these days as it wears out pretty fast. I try to save up my black waxed flesh ones a bit more, so they get only occasional wear.  I'll take some Pictures when I get them back from repairing.

 

(Both leathers are as ddifferent as can be: the oil tan Looks brand new after 2 years, you can clean out every stain. The waxed flesh Looks much more worn in with 10% of the wear).

Edited February 4, 2016 by Max Power

[Sugar Mountain]

Good to hear. Actually, I didn't even realise that you had two pairs of Vibergs. Waxed flesh does appear to be one of the fastest evolving leathers out there - which is likely why people love it so much.