Shoes that look better with age...

[l13902733261]

Wesco custom jobmaster Horween Essex with old logo(90s?)

Figure those are bound to be stained by water, which products should I use to minimize it? horse oil or pecard?

[UkeNo]

What is going on here? 
Is this difference based on a custom fit or just a Friday vs Monday production quirk?

[l13902733261]

19 minutes ago, UkeNo said:

What is going on here? 
Is this difference based on a custom fit or just a Friday vs Monday production quirk?

That's post covid wesco for ya

[Cold Summer]

Heh. I bought a pair of Wesco 7500 in 2019, they're very well stitched and have no particular cosmetic issues.

My Mister Lou boots I bought in mid 2023 are comparatively sloppy, by far most noticeable on the stitchdown stitching. I found the uneven SPI so irritating that I ended up using black shoe polish to black out those white stitches, now the irregularity is practically invisible and I'm much happier with them, which is nice since beside that sloppy stitchdown work I love everything about the boots.

That seems pretty minor compared to the disparity above.

[Maynard Friedman]

1 hour ago, l13902733261 said:

That's post covid wesco for ya

I thought they were from the 90s?

[l13902733261]

38 minutes ago, Maynard Friedman said:

I thought they were from the 90s?

Nope. made in the 29th week of 2024 as the stamped numbers indicate. haven't seen any old wesco with those hipster natural veg tan leather.🤣

[mlwdp]

https://bakershoe.com/products/wesco-mr-lou-maryam-shell-cordovan

[Jared_Lee]

On 1/3/2025 at 8:42 AM, l13902733261 said:

That's post covid wesco for ya

That looks to me like the tongue on the left (right shoe) is just twisting leftward creating the appearance of a sharper point. Not saying they're perfect, but I believe the photo is distorting the shape significantly.

[shredwin_206]

It’s funny to me when people buy work boots and then get nit picky about stitching or boots being slightly off.  They’re still made by hand and not a robot so sometimes they won’t match up perfectly. 

[cultpop 0217]

Barker Black Archdale wingtip in antique chestnut calf. 

I've wanted these for about a decade but they were ridiculously priced. 

This used pair was a Christmas gift from my son and his husband. 

Love the crowned skull and crossbones motif on the toe, outsole, and insole. 

The design on the sole was made by hand with dozens of tiny brass nails. 

Amazing craftsmanship. 

[SLAYER]

Danner mountain light 

New vs ~ 1.5 years of wear

Looks so much better with wear

[smoothsailor]

Pretty cool @cultpop 0217, I noticed those shoes wayback to. I like that it’s still a classy shoe.

my wedding suit was from them, if I remember correctly. The buttons on sleeve where little skulls

[tod]

Candid shot: Chippewas on the left, White’s on the right. Both with years of wear.

[tod]

And here are three generations of Chippewa “engineer” boots (which were sometimes sold under L.L. Bean branding).  These are my work horses and have been out of production for a number of years, so I try to keep a pair always in reserve from eBay.

i’ve lost track a little bit of the years, but basically, from right to left:  (1) the first pair I bought, worn often for about 10 years (reheeled once) and now my yard boots, (2) that pair’s replacement and currently in regular use for the last 8 years or so, and (3) the lightly used pair waiting for their turn on regular duty.

 

[cultpop 0217]

Barker Black Archdale Wingtips on my feet. Seem to run a bit roomy so no dress socks. Might add a thin cork footbed to take up some slack. 

 

 

[Maynard Friedman]

@cultpop 0217, I have some Barker brogues - the Nunthorpe in rosewood (bought in 2014), which look similar to yours but without the skulls, etc. I had to send them back and exchange them for a half size down from my standard shoe size as they do come up big. They may be built on a similar last to yours. I know you can’t exchange your Archdales but just thought I’d let you know that it’s not you, it’s the shoes (although they’re still very nice)!