Shoes that look better with age...

[Duke Mantee]

Tea core?!!! You should f-cking know better … and worse you want overdye?!!! Why not just get those ‘tea-core’ jeans while you’re at it, or maybe even just a pair of stonewashed to save any work whatsoever 🙄

😂😂😂

 

Anyway, what you’re after is a secondary service - so probably you’d need to speak to the maker is they’d dye a brown pair of boots black for you. I think that might limit things further unfortunately.

[Duke Mantee]

1 hour ago, Tapori said:

Achtung!

I couldn't find a separate thread for Wolverine boots, so I thought I'd post it here.

Looking for a bargain on a pair of Wolverine 1000 Milers in the UK? Reduced from £318 to £89!! 

Official UK Wolverine website. HERE.

Mods please move to the correct forum/thread if required.

[I have copied this post in "Sales" in the Supershopper forum].

Looks a bit fake

[Broark]

If I know one thing it's how to get Duke going.
Honestly I think Skoob or Attractions is the way to go here. Their black horsehide looks nice.

[Tapori]

49 minutes ago, Duke Mantee said:

Looks a bit fake

You are right Duke. My apologies to everyone.

Post removed from above & in Supershopper. If it's too good to be true, etc etc.

www.wolverine-ukboots.com is a fake website. Avoid.

Edited January 12 by Tapori

[Duke Mantee]

24 minutes ago, Broark said:

If I know one thing it's how to get Duke going.
Honestly I think Skoob or Attractions is the way to go here. Their black horsehide looks nice.

🤬

[mlwdp]

Gleem makes engineer boots that are horsehide I believe.  Made in Japan.

[mlwdp]

1 hour ago, Broark said:

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure. I probably know more of what I don't want than what I do.
I know we've discussed the "merits" of a lot of tea-core horsehide. I don't want something so exaggerated as this, I find these garish and over the top:

However I do want leather that go from this, a nice dark black:

To this after several years of wear:

Gotta do a lot of street walking and ride a few motorcycles for that type of wear! 😂

[Broark]

The Gleem look nice, but again only go up to size 10.

[chicote]

I am curious, what leathers do you all have & like in your black engineers? I'm now at the 2-year point with my CXL Flat Head engineers and have to say i wish i just saved up for horsehide. There was a sweet spot about 6mo-1yr in where they looked good, but kind of stopped aging gracefully and went straight to looking kinda thrashed. cxl seems a bit too dainty for a pair of boots.. I don't know if that's why many here don't prefer it but i should have listened!

It reminds me of a philosophy ive been trying to put into practice re broarks dilemma... when faced w a bunch of different options, it's often worth the extra money / time etc to try and get the thing that you really find perfect, or that tugs at your heart a little more than the others... if you don't you'll end up with a very nice thing that you'll only have a superficial relationship with & maybe won't be able to commit to as easily. Of course, things can grow on you with time, but i think you can never go wrong putting in the extra labor to get the boots you won't have a problem keeping with you forever.

[Duke Mantee]

Horsehide (of any persuasion) isn’t better than CXL … just different

[l13902733261]

About 30 ish of wear on those, aged pretty well for non tea-core 😁

Edited January 12 by l13902733261

[Duke Mantee]

We can reasonably assume most leathers from respected (and many less well known) tanneries will be very good. It is their very purpose.

However, and this has parallels with the discussions elsewhere, marketing has led us by the nose and educated us on what is good and bad.

An example is the need for Lofgren to continually refresh the engineer boot offering:

Horween = good

then 

Badalassi Carlo = good; so Horween = not good

then 

Shinki = good; so Badalassi Carlo = not good, and Horween = even more not gooder

It’s just trends - and meanwhile the idiots who bought the Horween boots (me) are stuck with them, with their decade of patina, furious that we (I) don’t have the Shinki version which would have a much better patina because it’s better leather (we are told) … although another decade would make me 70 so I’ll probably have arthritis and not be able to wear engineers, so that Shinki (the super best leather) just wouldn’t have the chance to age.

But wait! Tea-core leather ages quicker doesn’t it? (No) … and if I add an amateur paint finish over the professional tannery finish then that will rub off quickly and make my tea-core even more amazing won’t it? (Nope)

Here’s a thought: wear a good pair of boots a lot (which is not equivalent to wearing many pairs a little), look after them (dry them properly after they get soaked, brush off mud and whatnot) and give them a little bit of polish every now and then. After a good few years you’ll have a beautiful patina … from a great value pair of boots regardless of the leather

Edited January 12 by Duke Mantee

[mlwdp]

I’ve had both Horsehide and now CXL.  Honestly, I wish had calf leather.

[mlwdp]

I want these if/when they restock. Jodphur boots by Sunset Bay in horse Latigo At Anemoscope. Also available in calf.

 

Edited January 13 by mlwdp

[tod]

On 1/11/2024 at 3:20 PM, Broark said:

I'd prefer horsehide (cxl doesn't do much for me) and I can't tell you the last time a size 11 fit my foot.
The smallest boot I wear is an 11.5 in the Viberg 2045 last which is quite full.

Curious what 2045 boots you have. I’ve always liked the shape of those, but Viberg stopped using the last several years ago.

[tod]

Got these White’s several months ago, but ionly now starting to wear them a bit. Here’s a picture when brand new, and one today.

Apologies for the CXL..🙂

 

 

Edited January 13 by tod

[Broark]

45 minutes ago, tod said:

Curious what 2045 boots you have. I’ve always liked the shape of those, but Viberg stopped using the last several years ago.

I have the roughout cxl boondockers that they used to make on that last. One of my favorite boot lasts, very comfortable. They’re long overdue for a resole, should probably find someone for that. 

[shredwin_206]

Nicks Builder Pro in 1964 tan roughout 

[MJF9]

7 hours ago, Broark said:

I have the roughout cxl boondockers that they used to make on that last. One of my favorite boot lasts, very comfortable. They’re long overdue for a resole, should probably find someone for that. 

I have the same boot, same last... a fine one it is too.  It'll out-last me, if you pardon the pun

And they used to do a fine chunky derby (I think that's what they called them... shoe police please correct me), that I think Whites seem to be filling the void with now.  I recall they had a comeback re-issue Japan only that looked great in tan roughout... shudda jumped on them

Ahhh the good ole days of Viberg before they went all modern and pointy lasted (last time I looked, at least) aligned to the narrow-hemmed crew

[Broark]

1 hour ago, MJF9 said:

Ahhh the good ole days of Viberg before they went all modern and pointy lasted (last time I looked, at least) aligned to the narrow-hemmed crew

And back when all of their boots weren't $900+$45 shipping, the good ole' days.

[mlwdp]

@Cold SummerThought about changing your buckles on your Wesco’s?  All three Wesco boss models I had I changed the buckles to Furukuju because I found Wesco’s buckles to be lacking unlike Wesco Japan offering.

[tod]

Speaking of the 2045, here a few from what to my mind is the heyday of Viberg's semi-work boot era, back when they had just switched to the "new" Viberg.com site, with the new 310s, 2045s, and 110s (before the 2030 came about).

I briefly owned the scotch grain black shell boots pictured here (with captoe), but let them because of sizing, and have regretted it ever since...😟

Also, the smooth horsehide on the other black was a killer leather, not sure the tannery, but I don't think they've had it since.  It was thick, older style workboot horsehide.  I had a pair of very cool 310s with it, which I wore for probably over a year before (again) selling due to sizing. 😭

[Lukenstein]

[Talan]

On 1/12/2024 at 3:01 AM, mpukas said:

I agree about Lofgren's being extremely difficult to get on. I, too, have the Devil's Causeway and it's a real struggle to get them on. Once on, they're comfortable. But I can't wear them if I'll be walking and/or standing a lot. A heel that tall hurts my feet badly. 

Lofgrens are very difficult to put on at first. For the first few months I couldn't do it without the plastic bag. But each time it got easier and easier, now it's ok.

[mlwdp]

Delete 

Edited January 14 by mlwdp

[Cold Summer]

On 1/13/2024 at 12:44 PM, mlwdp said:

@Cold SummerThought about changing your buckles on your Wesco’s?  All three Wesco boss models I had I changed the buckles to Furukuju because I found Wesco’s buckles to be lacking unlike Wesco Japan offering.

Never occurred to me! The buckles on my 7500s are okay. Maybe someday I’ll see about changing them. 
 

Is Viberg still such a big deal? My impression was that their popularity has dropped off a lot since the 2030 heyday of 2016-18 or so, but I could be wrong. I don’t think those are bad looking boots, and they go well especially with slim trousers and a bit more refined menswear look. But the whole tight fitting Iron Heart or Rogue Territory flannel with slim tapered jeans and Viberg 2030s feels like a very dated 2017 sort of look. 
 

I’d feel weird wearing 2030 boots with my straight jeans. On the other hand I think the 310 last is too chunky. 

Edited January 15 by Cold Summer

[mlwdp]

Bison leather doesn’t get any talk here.  Seems like the board hasn’t embraced this leather yet due to its ruggedness.  Really like this aging on these Whites.

 

[tod]

12 hours ago, Cold Summer said:
 

Is Viberg still such a big deal? My impression was that their popularity has dropped off a lot since the 2030 heyday of 2016-18 or so, but I could be wrong. I don’t think those are bad looking boots, and they go well especially with slim trousers and a bit more refined menswear look. But the whole tight fitting Iron Heart or Rogue Territory flannel with slim tapered jeans and Viberg 2030s feels like a very dated 2017 sort of look. 
 

I’d feel weird wearing 2030 boots with my straight jeans. On the other hand I think the 310 last is too chunky. 

I like the 310, but know what you mean. That’s why the 2045 was just right — not pointy but not all the way bumped up like the 310.  Not sure why they replaced it with the 2040.

[Duke Mantee]

4 hours ago, mlwdp said:

Bison leather doesn’t get any talk here. 

Do you know the difference between buffalo and bison?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…. you can wash your hands in a bison

(Maynard will get it)

[mlwdp]

I miss this pair sometimes.  Back when Wesco stocked Horween.  Black horsehide. Iron Heart buckles.  Sold this pair over two years ago.