Shoes that look better with age...

[dudewuttheheck]

1 hour ago, julian-wolf said:

Honestly, the heel counters on these are also pretty messed up

They don't fill all the way to the constructional stitching on the inside of either boot, which has allowed them to stretch inward, and has my heels sitting way towards the insides of the boots rather than over their centers

This doesn't seem to affect comfort much, but I worry that it may lead to premature wear elsewhere on the boots, and it's not great to look at either

Shame, 'cause otherwise these are right up to Lofgren's usual standards

When I read this I am imagining Ed lurking, frothing at the mouth wanting to be able say that this proves his dislike of Lofgren to be correct.

What you said previously is partly why I don't like wedge soles or any type of synthetic sole. In my experience, leather insoles and midsoles help provide support and help keep the structure of the outsole overall. I like that substantial feeling of boots. Would you replace these with another wedge sole of some kind or actually get a stacked leather heel of some type?

[julian-wolf]

11 minutes ago, dudewuttheheck said:

When I read this I am imagining Ed lurking, frothing at the mouth wanting to be able say that this proves his dislike of Lofgren to be correct.

What you said previously is partly why I don't like wedge soles or any type of synthetic sole. In my experience, leather insoles and midsoles help provide support and help keep the structure of the outsole overall. I like that substantial feeling of boots. Would you replace these with another wedge sole of some kind or actually get a stacked leather heel of some type?

Hah, yeah, I thought the same thing when posting—Ed would have a field day (although wasn't his whole issue really with John himself moreso than with the boots? not that he'd ever have admitted that)

I'll end up going with another wedge sole, just with a thicker leather midsole on top of it. They wear fast, but they're really my favorite option for work boots—they're comfortable walking and standing all day, even on concrete; they have good grip on a pretty wide range of materials; and, as you mention, they're a good bit lighter, which in this case is a positive for me…plus I just like the look w/ moc toes

Edited November 19, 2020 by julian-wolf

[dudewuttheheck]

1 minute ago, julian-wolf said:

Hah, yeah, I thought the same thing when posting—Ed would have a field day (although wasn't his whole issue really with John himself moreso than with the boots? not that he'd ever have admitted that)

I'll end up going with another wedge sole, just with a thicker leather midsole on top of it. They wear fast, but they're really my favorite option for work boots—they're comfortable walking and standing all day, even on concrete, and they have good grip on a pretty wide range of materials…plus I just like the look w/ moc toes

Yeah he would

Understood. I'm not a wedge sole guy, but I find even boots with the thickest midsoles to be more comfortable over a full day than sneakers, so wedge soles just aren't my thing. However, I know that a lot of people swear by their comfort. 

[Geeman]

7 hours ago, julian-wolf said:

Shame, 'cause otherwise these are right up to Lofgren's usual standards

 

So other than the soles wearing quickly, the lack of midsole and the heels giving up they are great boots? 

No trolling intended .

[julian-wolf]

@Geeman, fair play—I don't really see either of the sole issues as construction flaws, just the heel counter thing. Soft midsole's maybe a weird design choice, but given that most folks probably aren't doing any actual work in these I can see why Lofgren would've wanted to angle for comfort over robustness. Meanwhile, fast wear's par for the course for single-density wedge soles—I knew what I was getting into when I bought them

Don't get me wrong: I do see them as an imperfect product (especially given their price), and at this point I doubt I'd consider buying another pair—but they're still great boots, and the only real constructional issue that I've seen with them is the heel counter

[volvo240thebest]

Should I ever want a pair of "premium" moctoe type boot I'd mosdef order a pair from flamepanda, he had put so much more personality in his design that the boot looks much more than a redwing 875 made by another maker.
If you like wedge soles give the vibram 2021 a try when resoling, looks great, is super comfy and in my experience takes a lot of time to wear.

[Duke Mantee]

Who knows these guys?

https://txtureboots.com/product/sanity-boots-redwine-2/

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I wrote with them on IG but can't say anything about the quality of the product or the leather they use.

[Duke Mantee]

6 minutes ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

I wrote with them on IG but can't say anything about the quality of the product or the leather they use.

That was kinda where I was going with them. They say very little (of any consequence) about the product/materials ... but there’s some nice styling going on

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I agree, the pictures of shoes/boots look nice but if they use subpar leather it might not be worth it.

[shredwin_206]

@julian-wolf I’m with you on the wedge soles. 
I have a pair of whites that I’ve worn for 4 months and they’re due for a re sole. 
I do walk on concrete 40-60hrs a week tho. Still a bit annoyed that the wedge sole wore out so quickly. 

[Maynard Friedman]

I bought a pair of Redwings (875) about 9 years ago. Overall, I’ve been pleased with them and the wedge sole was hardwearing, although slippery in wet weather once worn down a bit. I had them resoled at the Vibram shop in London about 2 years ago (cheaper and faster turnaround than official Redwing process and just down the road from my workplace at the time). This was very disappointing, the Vibram sole is lighter, became worn very quickly with far less wear and is akin to wearing skates if the pavement is wet. I took them back to Vibram for a minor repair, when the sole became punctured by a shard of glass and discovered they are not solid rubber but have air pockets - hence the lighter weight. They did tell me that Vibram now offers a more heavy duty replacement wedge sole that may be more suitable. When I get them resoled (again), probably for the last time, I may give that option a try, otherwise I’ll do it via Redwing.

[bartlebyyphonics]

the Lofgren/Vibram dissolving under strenuous use reminds me a little of the discussion in the engineer boot thread of denimbro on the applicability of cxl leather in his engineers... also reminds me some of post overall chores: they keep the chore coat design but in fabrics that would fall apart if put to anything more than desk warriors usage, seems like a similar(-ish) issue here? [agreeing that the counter issue not great at all] I imagine the donkey puncher would hold up much better, but I still hold a flame for the jobmaster instead... 

...if I was going to do an Ed impression, I would be slamming Lofgren and then of course comparing to Wesco (but not sure if they are in the moc-toe game yet?) or Russell Moccassin  - and then combine that with Volvo's recommend for Vibram 2021, but supply a 2060 example for distractions sake...

http://www.cosmicjumper.com/russell_BS_026.html

I am eyeing up their own make-up of the bird shooter, the standard 360 sole looks very pliable for stalking in the bush, but may well get ground down with concrete city walking... 

https://www.russellmoccasin.com/the-anniversary-south-40-bird-shooter/

& on sole talk, I know I blah on the rw pecos, but their nitrate cork sole, which I thought would barely hold out, is holding up nicely... [whilst these do remind me of the crimes of ugg yet have a certain appeal...]

Edited November 19, 2020 by bartlebyyphonics

[Geeman]

I'm starting to get intrested in RM the more I see them. Warehouse posted a great looking pair recently 

[bartlebyyphonics]

@Geeman - sure I've said it before, the suede version of the sporting clay chukka I have are like clarks wallabees on steroids... always fancied wallabees but the sole never quite seemed wide enough / sturdy enough... they are built like tanks, but light to wear (not finessed stitching or leather cutting tho if that bothers you)

away from boots... this version of the rm fishing oxford featured on the cosmic jumper site has a certain brothel creeper vibes meets workwear utility je ne sais quoi...

Edited November 19, 2020 by bartlebyyphonics

[MJF9]

^ I chanced upon that cosmic site a while back and keep returning. All write ups, yours firmly included, point to solid reliable boots and they look really good too. I was thinking down the High Grade US Standard duck jacket route with them too, hunter cosplay 

Yep they don't make them Redwing moc soles like wot they used to. The new ones have flyaway soles by comparison to an old dense-soled pair I've got. Profits thru multiple buy business strategy over quality and robustness tut tut...

[julian-wolf]

I had really bad luck with a Red Wing factory resole on a pair of moc toes a couple of years ago and won’t be using them for any resoling work in the future, but I will say that their Dual Density Traction Tread lasted a good chunk longer than the standard RW wedge soles or the Vibrams that Lofgren uses

[Cocoa_Lapin]

So what do you all think is the strongest, sturdiest outsole, especially the heel part? Or what are some common options for a pair with a metal thingy, like the one on RDT boots on the toe? I quite like my RDT’s for that little detail though it’s a bit slippery.

[Duke Mantee]

Strikes me that the majority of soles we see on the popular boot brands here are Vibram - so I guess we should just refer to them for guidance on durability, grip etc.

https://eu.vibram.com/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-VibramEU-Library/default/dw8760b92c/pdfs/RepairCatalogue_EN.pdf

@julian-wolf I’m a fan of Lofgren engineers and I have the M-43 which I really like (although in clear second to the engineer) but those Mocs have made sure I’ll not likely invest anything further.

@Cocoa_Lapin Those ‘Blakey’s’ that RDT use are just a throwback to a distant era. The daft thing is, they have cut away the more durable sole at the toe to add a bit of leather and a steel plate ... which doesn’t last as long as the main sole unit 

[Cocoa_Lapin]

@Duke Mantee That’s good info, thanks! Haven’t worn my RDT’s much yet, we’ll see how the sole holds up. I have no experience with cat’s paw heel either, I’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for me destroy it; Dainite disintegrates pretty fast the way I wear it.

[julian-wolf]

Yeah, I've always really liked the idea of toe taps on leather soles, particularly for dress shoes, but adding leather to the part of the sole that takes the biggest beating just to add a tap over it seems pretty fishy

[tod]

12 hours ago, julian-wolf said:

Yeah, I've always really liked the idea of toe taps on leather soles, particularly for dress shoes, but adding leather to the part of the sole that takes the biggest beating just to add a tap over it seems pretty fishy

With my RDTs I was surprised to find that the metal toe taps wore out faster than the sole. And they were very slippery.  As Posted here before, I had them re-soled early on with wedge soles, which have held up very well (better than the RDT uppers!).

[tod]

 I have always liked the fact that this WW2 GI Joe is wearing my Chippewa boots. 

[darkstar73]

Howdy! Yesterday I received my Nick’s Robert boots in brown cxl after waiting 5 months. I went through their whole fit sheet and try on process and they nailed it! These feel amazing, obviously they will take a while to break in but the fit is perfect and the support is awesome. This is my first pair of “nice” boots so I’m really excited. 

[Duke Mantee]

2 hours ago, tod said:

 I have always liked the fact that this WW2 GI Joe is wearing my Chippewa boots. 

You must have amazingly small feet

[Duke Mantee]

2 hours ago, tod said:

With my RDTs I was surprised to find that the metal toe taps wore out faster than the sole. And they were very slippery.  As Posted here before, I had them re-soled early on with wedge soles, which have held up very well (better than the RDT uppers!).

The toe taps will always wear quicker - they’re merely an added layer of protection that’s supposed to be replaced. It’s more daft (IMO) to take the time to cut away a piece of the nitrile sole, which is very durable, and replace that part with a piece of leather, which is less durable, then screw on a toe tap.

[shredwin_206]

Best sole in my opinion is the vibram 100 full lug sole. 
I’ll be adding a low heel and lug sole to my whites boots when I re sole. The wedge sole was nice but just didn’t last for me. Done foe after only 4 months 

[Maynard Friedman]

Took a look at my Redwings and noticed the resole is a Vibram Moreflex - I assume that’s one of their lighter weight wedges (and possibly cheaper too). I’ll ensure I specify that’s NOT want I want if I go for another Vibram resole.

[MJF9]

@darkstar73 some good looking boots there!

[indigoeagle]

Sharing my Paraboot Chambord sizing experiences here.
Perhaps it helps someone.
I've been interested in Paraboot shoes for many years. Thomas I Punkt in Hamburg here has been offering the Michael for more than 20 years and I always admired them, when I saw them.
And recently I quite enjoyed like many others the fit of Hayashi-san with his jeans and often the Chambord.

So, after researching a bit, it seemed that they fit a bit larger.
I wear EUR 44 mostly (UK 10/US11), so I got the UK 9.5.
Initially they fit pretty well, they even seemed a bit slippery in the heel area.
Then I read, that many found, that they fit the same as the RW Mocs. So I got a bit worried, that they might stretch and become too big.T
To be sure, I also got them in UK 9.
But those were far too small.

So I kept them 9.5.
But when I wore them a bit longer inside I realized, that while my left foot is quite fine, the right foot didn't have enough space mostly in width.
The toes felt cramped.
I had read, that they will stretch over time. After all this was already 0.5 size bigger than the general recommendation.
But the leather seems very sturdy.
I put them on two more times in my flat for an hour or so, walking around. But they didn't feel good. It was always a relief to take them off.

So, now I got them in UK 10, true to size.
These are a bit loose in the back, but now the right foot feels much more comfortable, even though still a bit restricted in the width.

It's kind of mysterious with finding the right shoe or boots size, in that sometimes one just cannot transfer others experiences.
For me, true to size is the right size.
And now I have a basically new UK 9.5 on offer in Cafe, if somebody is interested.

By the way, these are the 10, which I just got today. Right out of the box.
The leather is quite a bit waxy.

The 9.5 look more or less the same.

Edited November 20, 2020 by indigoeagle