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Shoes that look better with age...


kiya

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I think I've decided to do my first pair of Whites, either awarding myself once I get this new job or with tax return. Going through Baker's for this.

Anyway, i can't tell if this heel is a standard heel, a plus 1/4 heel, or a minus 1/4 heel?

06CE2829-1656-43F1-B2EE-A254843A72FA_zps

 

Also, is the leather smokejumper on here considered to be Chromexcel? I can't really tell by the picture, nor does it say in the description:

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/jalana/item/whites-smkjmpr-blkdm/

thanks

 

Edited by mlwdp
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@mlwdp - that's a lace-to-toe Smoke Jumper. Heel looks standard height. Standard SJ leather is not Chormexcel - that leather is no where near durable enough for what the boots are intended for. I think standard leather is Domain, which is very thick and stiff, tough to break in. That outsole is a very thick lugged Vibram sole that glued, stitched and screwed. White's and the other PNW boot makers don't use a steel shank, as it would get hot and burn your feet when walking on hot coals, so they use an extremely thick and heavy built-up oak leather shank and arch support. 

 

IMO, after owning a pair for 14+ years, and having them rebuilt, unless you're logging or fighting forest fires, these boots are way, way overkill for everyday use and wear. I rarely wear mine because they're simply too heavy and stiff, and they're well broken in. For everyday and light duty use, talk to Kyle at Baker's about scaling them back a little, with a more manageable outsole, possibly a more supple leather (although the Domain is great), lower heel and arch to use less leather and make them a little lighter. 

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Here's a pair of White's I somehow stumbled across on Imgur. I don't know/can't tell who this fella is, but big thanks to him for posting pics of his fine boots. 

 

To me, this is probably THE BEST looking pair of White's I have ever seen. Everything from the leather to the overall construction and detailing looks nearly perfect, both in craftsmanship and aesthetics. When I had mine rebuilt a couple of years ago, I was hoping for something like this. What I got was nothing close. After oogling this Imgur post for months now, I'm considering having them rebuilt again, using this pair as an example. 

White's Bounty Hunter - Brown Dress 

KdvrXaO.jpg 

Edited by mpukas
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^Great look indeed! Having owned a few pairs over 6" I've decided that 6" is as tall as I can go comfortably. I never wear my 8", 10" or 12"s which are relegated to collecting dust in the closet while my 6" Farmer Ranchers are worn pretty much every day. I've been considering doing a custom build for one or two more boots at 6", but simply haven't needed them since my Farmer Ranchers are still solid. For daily wear, I agree that full spec Smoke Jumpers are overkill; Stick with either Bounty Hunters, Farmer Ranchers, or Semi Dress!

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On 2/25/2017 at 3:17 PM, mpukas said:

@mlwdp - that's a lace-to-toe Smoke Jumper. Heel looks standard height. Standard SJ leather is not Chormexcel - that leather is no where near durable enough for what the boots are intended for. I think standard leather is Domain, which is very thick and stiff, tough to break in. That outsole is a very thick lugged Vibram sole that glued, stitched and screwed. White's and the other PNW boot makers don't use a steel shank, as it would get hot and burn your feet when walking on hot coals, so they use an extremely thick and heavy built-up oak leather shank and arch support. 

 

IMO, after owning a pair for 14+ years, and having them rebuilt, unless you're logging or fighting forest fires, these boots are way, way overkill for everyday use and wear. I rarely wear mine because they're simply too heavy and stiff, and they're well broken in. For everyday and light duty use, talk to Kyle at Baker's about scaling them back a little, with a more manageable outsole, possibly a more supple leather (although the Domain is great), lower heel and arch to use less leather and make them a little lighter. 

I kept wondering why I see more For sale listings of SJs versus worn pics, especially here.  I think I remarked awhile that I don't see too many SJs in this thread, particularly in that build.  Now I know why. Read one review that compared wearing them to having a roll of quarters under your feet.  Ouch! Don't think I've would've enjoyed that type of pain, including how you described it. They do look pretty cool though, especially on Rakuten.  

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For reference (for guys that haven't seen these before), here are my SJ's I had rebuilt in early 05/2014. Originally purchased in early 2003. I wore them for many years as "causal" boots, before they got to be too unbearable for every day wear. The original build was full-on black Smoke Jumper spec. The rebuild was 1/4" lowered curved heel, half sole, Quabag heel cap, brown Domain leather, toe cap w/ broguing. 

 

When I first got them back, one of the boot's heels was not compressed evenly, and it was angled very noticeably from outside to inside. Sent them back and they re-did the one boot's heel. Who ever ground the sole edge did a terrible job, and nearly ground off the entire second row of stitching. The top edge of the leather sole was also very rough and uneven. Since Domain leather is very thick and tough, the stitch-down construction produces a very bulbous edge. I wore them walking the dog in the snow a lot, and that abraded off the edge finish. I then hit the with Obenauf's leather oil, which darkened the brown leather significantly. 

 

If I ever get these rebuilt again, I'd have them made 1/2 size longer (currently an 8), at least one size wider wider (currently EE - I'd prefer 3E or 4E), and made with a square lowered heel, close trim (if White's will do it; I've heard they won't do square heel with close trim, but if you order through Baker's they will do it for you afterwards), low or even flat arch, no toe cap, change to all eyelets with no hooks - antique brass no bright brass, and built as a semi-dress boot with either CXL or White's dress leather. AND I'd make sure the outsole stitching and edge grinding is done extra carefully. White's has the ability to do incredible work, my pair wasn't up to par, IMO. Maybe on their semi-dress and finer leather boots they take more care in the work. 

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_1.jpg

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_12.jpg

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_13.jpg

20141205_133647.jpg

20141205_133520.jpg

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I'll second the height talk. 8" is nice, but when contrasted with my semi dress boots - the lower height is way better for walking around town and is more comfortable in general. And I've thought more than once about having them cut down to 6" ( you should ask whites about this aho ) 8" farmer ranchers are brown smooth - it's comfortable but seriously heavy duty. 

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On 2/26/2017 at 4:04 PM, mpukas said:

For reference (for guys that haven't seen these before), here are my SJ's I had rebuilt in early 05/2014. Originally purchased in early 2003. I wore them for many years as "causal" boots, before they got to be too unbearable for every day wear. The original build was full-on black Smoke Jumper spec. The rebuild was 1/4" lowered curved heel, half sole, Quabag heel cap, brown Domain leather, toe cap w/ broguing. 

 

When I first got them back, one of the boot's heels was not compressed evenly, and it was angled very noticeably from outside to inside. Sent them back and they re-did the one boot's heel. Who ever ground the sole edge did a terrible job, and nearly ground off the entire second row of stitching. The top edge of the leather sole was also very rough and uneven. Since Domain leather is very thick and tough, the stitch-down construction produces a very bulbous edge. I wore them walking the dog in the snow a lot, and that abraded off the edge finish. I then hit the with Obenauf's leather oil, which darkened the brown leather significantly. 

 

If I ever get these rebuilt again, I'd have them made 1/2 size longer (currently an 8), at least one size wider wider (currently EE - I'd prefer 3E or 4E), and made with a square lowered heel, close trim (if White's will do it; I've heard they won't do square heel with close trim, but if you order through Baker's they will do it for you afterwards), low or even flat arch, no toe cap, change to all eyelets with no hooks - antique brass no bright brass, and built as a semi-dress boot with either CXL or White's dress leather. AND I'd make sure the outsole stitching and edge grinding is done extra carefully. White's has the ability to do incredible work, my pair wasn't up to par, IMO. Maybe on their semi-dress and finer leather boots they take more care in the work. 

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_1.jpg

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_12.jpg

Whites_Smoke-Jumper_rebuild_05-05-14_13.jpg

20141205_133647.jpg

20141205_133520.jpg

Just for shits and giggles I did talked to a staff member at Bakers today about "test driving" a pair of regular smoke jumpers, for science, while getting either the semi dress or bounty hunters built.  

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Just a minor gripe but I don't understand why Nick's only stock the Robert boot in Seidel brown but doesn't offer it in Black as well unless you get it Made to Order.  Seems odd to only offer the boot in brown instead of both colors.  I'm just saying, especially when it comes to dealing with a wait time for just a black version of the boot.

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  • sufu1 changed the title to Shoes that look better with age...
10 hours ago, sociallyincorrect said:

Toys McCoy Ironclad Workboots

New vs 6-months after

Really nice tea-core leather, excited to see the inner leather to create some nice patina. 

 

 

Wow, very nice indeed!  The rivets are cool, and the overall shape just classic. 

Just curious how these fit compared to other boots you've worn..?  Also, can you tell me what the total heel height measures as?  Thanks!

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Decided to sell my RRL engineer boots i picked up off ebay and managed to grab a pair of RRL Julian made engineer boots in brown size 13 for a great deal (NOS). More pics incoming when these eventually arrive at my door step from the USA 

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There's a bit of puckering on both of the toes of the boots, i don't really see it becoming a major issue so whatever 

 

If anyone wants a pair of black rrl engineer boots in size 11 let me know, will cut you a great deal, they are not made by Julian but are not the 'murdock' engineer boots, VEB has a decent write up comparing the Julian boots to this black pair 

T9eSprR.jpg

vLDsJf4.jpg

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Found a Whites authorized dealer here in Pittsboro that both stocks and does sizing measurements.  Made the trek out there today and got some pics.  Boot heaven, pretty much has everything from Danner to Filson.

704ED00B-1521-4456-9429-325101E6FA82_zps

4F04DCF3-7BE5-4F57-9416-D9ED5617EF31_zps

880B7E0F-6BD4-47FE-AF99-EF94333E73B4_zps

8AF809B5-4652-4381-937C-D8F54DAD6BCF_zps

9EF63E49-E55A-41EC-A442-FD3547B2629D_zps

C9068110-FE9A-4DB1-A4B6-4627DDD8E960_zps

9F97FF23-452A-4B1D-9226-6DFB2F6418A6_zps

9E17BA9B-9C23-438C-9270-28DA3F27D0D7_zps

7144A2B2-0EBD-4C75-BA1A-E8EDA4D20BD3_zps

5E18DCDA-5BA4-40CD-9718-6EEDAAB97331_zps

What's next door to the store is a barbeque restaurant 

6B2FD714-1329-4214-B05C-5F9EBE6DA0A4_zps

Anyway, I tried on the Smokejumpers here  and they actually fitted ok.  I've worn some torture chambers on feet like my Olympic weightlifting shoes with a wood block and no flex so these sj's felt right at home lol.

Anyway, I got my measurements there and ready to send them off to Baker!

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On 3/7/2017 at 11:18 PM, tod said:

Wow, very nice indeed!  The rivets are cool, and the overall shape just classic. 

Just curious how these fit compared to other boots you've worn..?  Also, can you tell me what the total heel height measures as?  Thanks!

 

They're incredibly comfortable, you need to size down a bit by half a size for a snug fit. :)

As for the total heel height, i may need to take a measure...

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Alfred Sargent Dumfries. I've had them for about 5.5 years now and they've been resoled with a Commando sole and heel after the original triple leather sole wore through.

IMG_3417.JPG

IMG_3418.JPG

Edited by Maynard Friedman
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