Shoes that look better with age...

[JDelage]

I like those Dinkelacker. They remind me of some Vass and Carmina models. Your pair looks awesome with jeans, I have to say.

[the shivman]

Smooth Sailors old Clinch boots after some cleaning and conditioning.

 

[smoothsailor]

good work shivman

[the shivman]

My pleasure, you did all the hard work. It's an honor to have this pair.

[Duke Mantee]

It’ll be 50/50 whether these look better with age

Rolling Dub Trio Bowery II

Edited December 20, 2020 by Duke Mantee

[smoothsailor]

Ooh , those would be a challenge.

they,d be better with some wear though

[Maynard Friedman]

Surely they belong in the ‘shoes that look better with dye’ thread?

[Ciabatta]

Anybody have a pair of Kleman’s? Do they run small? Their chart shows that a EU 43 is a US 9.5 when normally it would be a US 10. 
 

 

[salaami]

I gotta pair of Altama all leather Ro-searches from the mid 90’s , is there any way they be resoled w a minimalist zero-drop outsole? 

[chicote]

I was doing some research on a pair of Lone Wolf boots I got off of yahoo auctions last week, and came across a curious review from a chinese blogger documenting a “fatal flaw” in the boots’ design.

https://m.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=598&t=5983132

Translated from the post:

You can look at the side view of this pair of shoes can be found in the whole pair of shoes tilted forward shoes tilted forward is normal, but the problem is brother you did not cut the heel aligned with the ground ah! Wear it to know that this really does not support the point are not right arch completely unsupported heel can not be evenly aligned with the heel of the shoe weight are concentrated in a point as follows: Figure.

At first I thought this design had a special meaning because the whole batch of boots are long like this, but after asking the professionals in the shoe industry, he thought it was simply badly done, so to speak, a design mistake.

I’m curious to hear others’ thoughts on this. I’m not knowledgeable about boot construction and am not sure if this could be remedied by sanding down the heel to be parallel with the ground and looking to a rebuild down the line, or whether this is even as big of an issue as the post seems to suggest. I’d definitely never looked at the angle of the heel with any regard to support or comfort before so at least that’s been educational lol. Thanks in advance for the help!

[mpukas]

This is a big pet peeve of mine, and I agree w/ the reviewer. To a point. A heel block that does not sit level to the ground is not uncommon. Many makers do it. For example, it can be seen on Lofgren's M-43 boots. This is not unique to Lone Wolf, and probably wasn't an oversight. I have/had boots/shoes with a heel like this, and it drives me nuts. The front edge of the heel puts enormous pressure on the heel of foot, directly above the leading edge of the heel where it strikes the ground. I have boots/shoes where the heel block is sloped, and that pressure is greatly reduced. 

Getting the heel re-made by a good cobbler that has experience with this type of built-up stacked leather heel isn't a big deal. The slope of the heel block should be in on of the stacked leather layers above the rubber outsole, so the outsole does not need modification. 

If you like the boots, get them, try them. If the heel is an issue, it can be corrected to suit your tastes/needs. I wouldn't let that deter you from getting them, if you like them that much. 

[mpukas]

I've posted these Rios of Mercedes vids before. This is part 3. At about 2:50, he talks about the heel. He likes to see a little day light at the front of the heel, never at the back. That way when you step there's a little spring.  If there's day light at the back, he says that pressure will feel like you're standing on a pipe. I concur. 

For anyone who has an interest in how boots and shoes are made, I highly encourage you to watch this series, even if you're not into cowboy boots. It's very informative, and many techniques that they use can be applied to any other footwear. Some techniques are unique to cowboy boots, like the lemon wood nails in the sole. If I were to get a pair of cowboy boots, it would be Rios of Mercedes, prolly even over Lucchese. 

 

 

[chicote]

Thank you, that’s really helpful, and I’m grateful for your input as it seems you know a good deal about ergonomics and shoe construction. Have you had the heels of any of your shoes reconstructed in the way you mentioned? What does it look and feel like in comparison?

[mlwdp]

I bought another Wesco Boss, this time in Black Chromexcel.  @shredwin_206White’s boots just ain’t for me anymore.

[shredwin_206]

@mlwdp I’d give wesco or even Nicks a chance but luckily no dealers around. 
I’m a whites guy for life I think. Haha  
2 pairs of smokejumper, the 4q69 boot, and the new perry moc toe    
always looking at other boots but my wife would kill me if she found me with another pair 

[mpukas]

15 hours ago, chicote said:

Thank you, that’s really helpful, and I’m grateful for your input as it seems you know a good deal about ergonomics and shoe construction. Have you had the heels of any of your shoes reconstructed in the way you mentioned? What does it look and feel like in comparison?

I have not had a pair of boots/shoe heels rebuilt specifically for this reason. I've only had 1 or maybe 2 pair with a non-sloped heel. I had a p[air of White's SJ rebuilt a few years ago, and they botched one of the heels. It was sloped inwards quite badly. I sent them back, and White's rebuilt the heel just on the one boot. 

I'm a bit of an anomaly 'round here... my boot/shoe game is pretty weak. Primarily because I've become accustomed to wearing dead-flat foot wear w/ no heel, foot friendly with a wide forefoot, no arch support or cushioning. The boots/shoes that fit that criteria are not attractive. I do have a couple pair that can maybe be SuFu acceptable, lol. 

Saying all that, I did cop some pairs of Grant Stone boots and shoes in their Black Friday sale. They'll suite me well for the rest of my days. Their one of the few makers of conventional footwear that offer a wide fit, EEE for some model, a sloped heel, and no arch support built into the last. And their price point in unrivaled for the quality. I need to post pics... I'm very pleased with them. But again, prolly frowned on my most here. 

[smoothsailor]

Had to dive deep in the closet after selling my boots. Found mybold pair of Whites sd, relsoled/relased by Brian the bootmaker. Maybe done 5yrs ago.

its like getting something new

 

[mlwdp]

On 12/22/2020 at 11:35 AM, shredwin_206 said:

@mlwdp I’d give wesco or even Nicks a chance but luckily no dealers around. 
I’m a whites guy for life I think. Haha  
2 pairs of smokejumper, the 4q69 boot, and the new perry moc toe    
always looking at other boots but my wife would kill me if she found me with another pair 

White’s was my first foray into custom footwear.  I remember perusing with envy over the various semi dress and smoke jumpers on life time gear’s blog and Rakuten.

I have now bought 4 Wesco’s and they have worked well for me.  Between the quality and customer service, Wesco works for me and my unusual feet.  I’m glad that I finally bought smoke jumpers but based on lifestyle and age they don’t work for me anymore.  I might buy a semi dress down the road but it won’t be before another Wesco.

[Signet]

for those who wants some black bison wesco's , wickett and craig tooling black and natural and  harness glazed leathers we can do it for you! 

choose your leather and choose your custom wesco . hit us up!

[fre-co]

Wore my old custom Russell Moccasins yesterday for the first time this year. These are about 7 years old, with a pic from new:

[mlwdp]

@fre-coReminds me of the incoming Dr. Sole collaboration with Russell 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJGrVxSjMTe/?igshid=18v6s1076pr3s

 

[fre-co]

Those look good. Mine are burgundy cxl single bird shooter with a bison leather moulded sole on the Munson last. The padded collar was actually their mistake because I never asked for it but oh well. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by fre-co

[the shivman]

I like the triple vamp on your pair. Super nice ones.

[BrownMetallic]

Shameless Plug: $OLD!!!

Viberg Boondocker UK 9.5 ... selling for a friend ... pm if interested.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/164610384148

Edited December 29, 2020 by BrownMetallic

[aho]

My all time favorite boots...Alden 4060 (HC variation). The 4060 was the design that got me into footwear in the mid-aughts after trying to find a dress boot that replicated the rugged yet dressy vibes of the 1920's-40's that could equally be worn wearing coveralls or a suit. In particular, I find that Alden's Grant last leans in heavy into this aesthetic, and I'm able to wear a dress boot like this all day (or an Indy for example), over heavier boots which now jolt my knees unfortunately. My White's and Wesco's are sadly collecting dust!

[Jurassic]

Just given my Red Wing 9874s a clean. Klondike leather showing some wear, mainly on the tongue.

[wmb]

Old Brooks Brothers unlined penny loafers made by Alden and sadly no longer offered at BB

Edited December 30, 2020 by wmb

[julian-wolf]

White's Hikers after 5 or 6 days of heavy wear

 

& After a brushing & a quick conditioning

 

Super comfy & so far seemingly well-suited to the job

[shredwin_206]

I dig that sole. Which model vibram is it? 

[julian-wolf]

I don't know what the model number is, and I don't see it on the Vibram catalog. You could ask White's or Baker's—it's whatever comes standard on the Hiker

It tracks real well (even on ice) and it's comfortable, but I don't think I'd recommend it for use on pavement: it's relatively soft, and would probably wear down quickly