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Shoes that look better with age...


kiya

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Clay all the way

I need to get rid of.some extra stuff myself and get my paws on a pair too.

I've been trying for two years now to get a second hand pair from yahoo Japan but bigger sizes never come up unfortunately. It's however a great opportunity for peeps with smaller feet.

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looking fwd to the fit pix @volvo240thebest ...

those look in great condition where it matters @fre-co

@Broark  -the oneida has it own charm ... am enjoying both the chukka and the saddle oneida slip on, but the lamarie suede is most def. suited to yr warmer climes ... some of the cosmicjumper set ups of fishing oxfords look really nice too... 

Edited by bartlebyyphonics
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Just got a pair of Yuketen Alan boots they did back in 2015 with SE that are essentially BNWT...

HOLY MOTHER are these on another level. From the leather quality to the construction, the fine and subtle quality all around... it's superb. 

These are like Aldens on steroids. Stitching that puts my Lofgren's to shame... These feel properly hand made, through and through. 

Plus 1 to Yuketen! (These were made in Mexico, and I think it goes to show, it matter WHO makes the footwear, not where they are LOCATED. Looking at you Lofgren...)

 

 

Edited by JMS
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OK, here're my Russell Moccasin boots. Hiker, 7" tall", double vamp, leather lined, waterproof leather from Redwing (can't recall the leather name) and Imperials, 10" double vamp, leather lined, French calf leather. My criteria was Munson last, wider at the toe box, flat with no heel or arch support. One pair for hiker and beating on, one pair for nice wear.

It was a really long back and forth process with RM.  I started the process in June 2016, and got the final pairs in November 2017. Sue, the grand daughter of the founder, was just great dealing me. I had several issues along the way, and she was very accommodating in getting things sorted out. I did foot tracings and complete measurements. Originally, I wanted bison leather boots, so I sourced some shrunken bison leather and sent it to them. They made me 2 pairs, but were sized way too big despite the tracings and measurements. They took the boots back and worked with me on getting the sizing right. They made me a new pair of Hikers, still didn't fit right, and took them back. They sent me sample pairs in different sizes to try. Finally settled on the size, and had the Hikers made first. They fit well, except the upper closure was way off - too small over the ankle and too big at the top where the upper corner touched when not even laced tightly. They modified the upper by cutting the stitching at the pull tab, cutting the upper seam and re-sewing, but the pull tab couldn't be re-sewn so it's just floppy. I requested a thicker leather mid-sole, but they couldn't do it. The grinding of the outsole edge was very uneven and inconsistent, so they cleaned it up. Still a bit wonky and uneven around the perimeter and from boot to boot. 

The 2nd pair was the Imperials. This pair was built quite a bit better than the Hikers. There are fewer boot makers in their shop that work on these boots due to the higher level of skill required for the hand-stitching. This French calf leather is really nice, some of the better leather I've had in any footwear. There's a massive twist in the right boot. Not sure why, maybe it's the way the grain of the leather runs when the pattern was cut. It got a little better with wear, and didn't affect the way the boots fit. In one of the boots, they didn't put the footbed liner in. So they sent me one to install myself. It's about a half-length liner. The issue there was the liner was cut square from stock leather, and the front edge was not skived. I tried to skive and sand it myself to make a smooth transition, but it's not as clean as the the left boot finished in the factory. I can feel that small transition. The Hilers still felt a tad big, so I had the Imperials built 1/2 down. For the first 2-3 months they felt great, but then it felt like the toe pulled back and I could feel the front of the boot. I have to tie them really tight at the instep to keep my foot back in the heel pocket. I should have stayed with the same exact size in the Hikers. 

As much as I want to, I can't say that I'm 100% pleased with the end product. I guess I had much higher hopes. Sue and customer service overall were fantastic, and nothing negative to say about that at all. I was very particular in what I wanted, and how I wanted the boots to fit. Sue told me at one point that doing full custom fitting lead to far more frustrations that she thinks it's worth, and that RM should just go with a wide range of standard sizes. I wouldn't not recommend RM to anyone, but not sure I'd get another pair myself. When it comes to true moccasin footwear they are in a league of their own. I don't think the other companies that use this method can compare with their experience, options, and durability. Their overall fit and finish is very wabi-sabi. Their main market in the US is the hunting world. Sue told me the JP market is much more fashion-forward, and I think the footwear they make for export is finished to a higher level. But that's a guess on my part and I could be completely wrong. 

Here's my first pair of bison leather Imperials that were too big. Can't recall the leather color name, but it was very red, much redder than I expected. This is the pair RM took back and sold off. 

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Edited by mpukas
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Imperials when new, and currently after quite a bit of wear and sitting in the closet. The twist in the right boot is rather obvious in the new pics. 

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Edited by mpukas
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This a pair that I fell ion love with. Cavalier built for a JP retailer on Old Bull Hide. This would have been my next pair of RM, but with a flat sole. 

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I like Grant Stone boots a lot. I got my first pair in 11/2017. Size 9 1/2 E. The width was good, but far too long. I wore them quite a bit, but always wanted to get a size better suited to me. They do EEE widths in some models. During their BF sale, I ordered several pairs and spoke to them on the phone. They said to ordered a couple different sizes, and return the ones that didn't fit. I settled on  size 8 1/2 EEE. I maybe could have gone down to an 8 EEE, and the 8 1/2 EEE still look really long to my eye. But the overall fit of the 8 1/2 EEE is so good in width, volume, and where the ball of my foot bends. 

There are many things that I like about GS: Their Leo last is great and offered in EEE width; and they do some models in double leather outsole. This is my preferred construction for casual boots/shoes, as I have a cobbler install a rubber overlay that can easily be replaced when it wears out, and have to go through the expense of a full resole. For work / heavy duty boots this prolly wouldn't be a good option. 

For the price, GS can't be beat. And at the sale price, I ended up getting 4 pairs. Boots and shoes for life, for me. I'll only wear these casually, and I don't often have occasion to weart the dressier shoes. It's kinda sobering to think that I'll have these boots & shoes until I can't wear boots and shoes any longer. 

If you're curious about the build quality of GS footwear, here's Anvil_Rose cutting a pair of Diesel boots in half: 

 

Edited by mpukas
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Diesel boots in Badalassi Tan veg tan. Svig mini-lug outsoles (made in Italy; my local cobbler says this rubber compound is much better than the Viberg MiC outsoles. That remains to be seen... he did a very nice job installing them). This is the pair that I wanted from the start. So glad I have them in this leather and size. 

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Plain Toe in Dune CXL, double leather outsole. The color of this leather to me looks very similar to JL's Natural CXL. W/ Svig outsole and heel overlays. 

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Long Wing in British Tan Calf, double leather outsole w/ Svig forefoot and heel overlays. Since I was in college I've had a thing for wing tips. I prefer a full brogue where the brogue looks as a heel counter, rather than this style of long brogue at the full length of the side. But given everything else I like about GS, I'll happily take it. 

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Final thought for now: As I mentioned a few posts ago in this thread, a pet peeve of mine is boots/shoes with a square heel block. GS heel is sloped so the heel sits flat on the ground. When comparing the fit of the double leather sole with a built up full leather leather heel to the micro stud sole that runs the full length of the sole, and then the heel cap is installed on top of that, the double leather sole is more comfortable. On the micro stud sole, I can feel the front edge of the built up heel under foot. On the double leather sole, there's no sensation of that at all. 

I'm pretty well set in my kit for this type of boot/shoe. But if/when GS releases a new leather for the Diesel boot in EEE w/ a double leather sole, I'll be copping for sure. 

Oh, I also order a pair of their Chelsea boots to try on. I have to admit, as much as I like their designs for their core boots and shoes, their Chelsea is their crowning achievement. It's such a well designed, good looking boot. It bridges the gap between super pointy fashion dress boot and clunky toe work boot. Elegant with a just enough rugged edge, and a hint of Western / Cowboy boots influence. I returned them because they were too narrow. If / when they offer a wide size, I'll definitely cop a pair. 

Edited by mpukas
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4 hours ago, the shivman said:

Nice, who did the resole?

Leather_Sniffer on IG 
he worked for Baker Boots for a while and did all their re sole work. 
he now works as a cobbler for Truman but still does re sole work as well 

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Peak Indy for me...40538H from Alden Madison, most importantly, on cork neoprene sole just like the OG 405. I understand the trend of Commando soles the last few years for anyone who still follows Alden, but I generally prefer cork or leather soles as they just seem to match these old styles better.

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Yuketen Alan's. Picked up second hand, had no wear on the sole (or anywhere for that matter). Been breaking them in for a couple of hours every day. Wildly comfortable!

So wonderfully built, certainly not overly built (which I personally dislike), and very well balanced. Kinda the do-it-all boot for me. 

Cheers! 

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Edited by JMS
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