Shoes that look better with age...

[unders]

1 hour ago, Ar_thor said:

On the topic of Monkey Boots. I just got these in the mail yesterday night. I've had them on for 5 minutes and it feels like I've worn them for years.

Real nice. 

What are the trousers? TCB Seamen’s? Great combo. 

[Ar_thor]

24 minutes ago, unders said:

Real nice. 

What are the trousers? TCB Seamen’s? Great combo. 

Yeah, that's right. There's no better trousers for the summer months. 

[Kit Carruthers]

@Ar_thor Beautiful boots. Who makes them?

[Duodequinquagesimus]

Auld school Sebago

Great shoes for reading sessions at the library

 

[Ar_thor]

31 minutes ago, Kit Carruthers said:

@Ar_thor Beautiful boots. Who makes them?

They're Lofgrens and a pretty new offering I think (not an expert on his catalogue).

[Geeman]

7 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

Don’t stay away - Grenson is a good shoe and probably offers a bigger range of style (and price) than Trickers. There is a quality difference unless you go bench made or higher since a lot of Grenson is made in India ... although it’s not entirely true to assume that something made in a country like India or China means low quality 

Great analogy - my Grenson lasted for years and were a bit cheaper than my Trickers. I stick with Trickers now because the finishing is excellent and the last seems better, Grenson seem a bit ‘baggy’ after long use.

 

7 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

Don’t stay away - Grenson is a good shoe and probably offers a bigger range of style (and price) than Trickers. There is a quality difference unless you go bench made or higher since a lot of Grenson is made in India ... although it’s not entirely true to assume that something made in a country like India or China means low quality 

Great analogy - my Grenson lasted for years and were a bit cheaper than my Trickers. I stick with Trickers now because the finishing is excellent and the last seems better, Grenson seem a bit ‘baggy’ after long use.

Great summary Duke, Grenson offer good bang for your book especially if bought on sale. Never experienced sagging/baggies although I do rotate my footwear a lot. My oldest pair are about 8 years and still going strong, my winter boots. 

Customer service and aftercare are also great. I spilt some drain cleaner on my winter boots and they took them back and repolished and buffed them back to nearly as good for free!

[mlwdp]

@GeemanThat is good customer service!

[mlwdp]

Who here wears cotton socks with their engineer boots!

[dudewuttheheck]

16 minutes ago, mlwdp said:

Who here wears cotton socks with their engineer boots!

I do

[fre-co]

4 minutes ago, dudewuttheheck said:

I do

me too. White ones

[dudewuttheheck]

1 minute ago, fre-co said:

me too. White ones

Same, actually. I just wear basic white socks usually with my engineers.

[mpukas]

You guys need to try merino socks w/ boots. They're not hot in warm climates, even in tall leather boots, and they're much more comfortable for a long day. Darn Tough are hard to beat. 

[julian-wolf]

Yeah, I can't imagine going back to non-wool socks at any point, for boots or otherwise

[fre-co]

I’ve got some of those. Expensive and I don’t like them much to be honest

[BrownMetallic]

3 hours ago, mpukas said:

You guys need to try merino socks w/ boots. They're not hot in warm climates, even in tall leather boots, and they're much more comfortable for a long day. Darn Tough are hard to beat. 

IMO, best socks ever ... Got pairs from 10yrs ago that I still use.

[mlwdp]

@ecsong187 @Broark thoughts on socks?

[Broark]

Don't really think too much about socks, I have a lot of Uniqlo socks since they seem to last forever and are dirt cheap.
I have a hard time finding socks that are long enough to wear with my Lofgren engineer boots.

[wmb]

Some steadfast chukka’s

[Josh'N'Roll]

@wmb Are those the Office Hours X Lofgren natural Chromexcel rough out? They look fantastic.

[peter1]

28 minutes ago, Broark said:

Don't really think too much about socks, I have a lot of Uniqlo socks since they seem to last forever and are dirt cheap.
I have a hard time finding socks that are long enough to wear with my Lofgren engineer boots.

Just get over the calf socks from Thorlo or Wigwam. I used to wear Wigwam polypro OTC hiking socks from Cabela's years ago with Roper style boots. I have skinny ankles and hate when socks fall down. Check out the military anti-fatigue socks here https://www.thorlo.com/shop/men-socks-over_calf

[mpukas]

Fellas!!! Seriously, step up your sock game. No excuses!  

https://darntough.com/collections/men/material-merino-wool+height-over-the-calf 

[unders]

30 bucks for socks. Eff that! 

Dunlop from Sports Direct. 7 squid for five pairs. 

[mlwdp]

It’s weird when you change socks and suddenly the boots/shoes you’re wearing now feel “looser” in fit.  I’m referring to custom built footwear btw not stock footwear.

Edited June 11, 2020 by mlwdp

[julian-wolf]

$30 for a pair of socks seems absurd but $300 for jeans doesn’t? Socks have more of an effect on day-to-day comfort and overall quality of life than any other piece of clothing, in my experience, and accordingly I’m more willing to splurge on them than just about anything else—warm, dry, well-cushioned feet are worth a whole lot

[Ar_thor]

Anyone else using bamboo socks? I find that they make for very good dress socks which for me is a necessity in the warmer months. The bamboo works better for me than cotton socks in terms of heat regulation and overall feel.

Socks are a bit hit and miss though. You can spend a fortune on very nice socks like Chup or something similar. They're obviously very well made and look really nice but I don't find that they do anything particularly good for my feet. Proper boot socks made for hiking are usually a much better bang for the buck in my opinion. I haven't tried the middle ground yet though, I'm considering investing in some Tender socks come autumn - anyone got experience with them?

[julian-wolf]

^ Yep, I wear Tender socks every day and have been for a couple of years now. Tried a handful of the “fancier” brands along with the usual REI, Darn Tough, etc., and these are by far my favorites. I particularly like the mohair and the standard wool; the alpaca is good too when it’s cold.

Bamboo would be what, viscose? I don’t have much experience with synthetics, but being that it’s cellulose-based I’d be surprised if you didn’t find wool to be a good step up in terms of comfort.

[unders]

41 minutes ago, julian-wolf said:

$30 for a pair of socks seems absurd but $300 for jeans doesn’t? Socks have more of an effect on day-to-day comfort and overall quality of life than any other piece of clothing, in my experience, and accordingly I’m more willing to splurge on them than just about anything else—warm, dry, well-cushioned feet are worth a whole lot

Not sure I said absurd. Just not willing to spend that. 

I can see form your posts your lifestyle is far more active than mine, hiking and working on your feet at a market (I think) which I’m enviable of. I have a desk job, do pretty mild activities with the fam and go to the pub (more than I should). As such I don’t need to invest in socks. I appreciate that others do. 

[Duke Mantee]

I wear woollen socks most of the time. They’re best for heat regulation and for sweat - I’m fortunate not to have particularly sweaty feet but even so I’ve worn (by necessity) hiking socks for a few days at a time and never had problems with blisters or odours. 

Good cotton socks are ok - but they’ve got to have hand-linked toes to be properly comfortable. I prefer Falke if it’s cotton socks I want - brilliant quality and fit. I’ve went through a batch of Tender socks - neither the linen nor the cotton are worth the money IMO and I’ll not buy them again. Neither am I a big fan of the Chup style sock - again too high a price for what’s on offer.

Edited June 12, 2020 by Duke Mantee

[wmb]

4 hours ago, Josh'N'Roll said:

@wmb Are those the Office Hours X Lofgren natural Chromexcel rough out? They look fantastic.

Thank you - yes they are

[julian-wolf]

^^ Def. agree that the non-woolen Tender socks are a way harder sell than the woolen, yeah