Shoes that look better with age...

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 9, 2015 by hoggreaser

[cameosis]

Just goes to show, generally speaking, how much better quality leather was in prior decades. 

 

cheers, i very much agree -- if shoes (and they are work and/or service boots, mind you) just need new soles after such a long span of time and have virtually no loose stitches, they can't be bad, can they?

there are a number of very interesting and nice designs of current releases / makers, but if one is honest, everything is already there (vintage wise speaking) -- i grabbed new old stock from the 1950s and 1960s for € 20 and € 30, respectively, with incredible soles (appearance / look / condition) -- i'm talking about hand made quality construction for unworn shoes for that price!

i don't have a digital camera and i don't use smartphones (omg! i'm a bit peculiar in that regard, haha), so the seller pictures or snapshots with my sister's phone will have to do for the time being to illustrate my point:

 

german hiking boots in burgundy, also with the afore mentioned lining, probably 1950s (size is: european 43 / asian 27 cm / north american 10) -- i was looking for the sole for a while (it's a vintage continental model -- continental tyres used to produce rubber soles for shoes, like pretty much all of the tyre manufacturers back then -- called "berghaken" / "climbing hook"), the heel is called "feldwebel," because it's similar to the sergeant rank stripes in appearance.

 

[cameosis]

next is a pair of german army ankle boots (knöchelschnürschuhe), by defunct shoe factory johann ott. this was really a steal, because the seller had listed it in the "antiques" section and made some blurry pictures of the shoes, together with a nondescript title -- the brass eyelets had some verdigris, and on the pictures, the shoes looked as if the eyelets were made of green plastic ... not very attractive. € 25 was the winning bid -- they normally go for € 80 to € 120, in good used condition -- mine were unworn!

 

this model was used for the early postwar period by the german federal army, and it was identical to the wehrmacht boots. civil defense also was using the model, without a toe plate.

 

soles are nailed, with an added protective rubber sole that is sewn on top, looks super cool to my mind. not to mention the toe plate!

size is: european 42 / asian 26,5 cm / north american 09

 

the following pictures are not mine for a change, but they are so much better than the ones i have of my pair -- my shoes look like these on the photographs.

 

a final note: the title says "shoes that look better with age," and i have posted two pairs that are new old stock. in regard to the unworn hiking burgundy boots, i am positive that i can add pictures after repeated use and wear that will further support the statement. for the german ankle boots, i have added two pictures of a worn boot pair to show the normal end result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2014 by cameosis

[ZackV]

Album of my Brown CXL Viberg Service boots at just 6 weeks of wear

 

 

[aho]

Welp, I just put in an order for my personal White's grails...Some may be surprised by the simplicity: 8 Inch Black Farmer Ranchers, soft toe, plain toe, brass hardware, single mid, black trim, vibram 700...Essentially 8 inch smoke jumpers without a lug sole!

[edmond]

how much aho?

[aho]

^$409 shipped via Baker's!

[st199ml]

Nice new pair of Viberg service boots on the 310 last. These were a custom order by Cultizm and feel enormously over-engineered.

 

Being picky a few bits of stitching and cutting are off, but all-in-all they are pretty much everything I was looking for. Came up big though. These fit spot on and are a US9. I'm comfortably a UK9 in all other boots and shoes I've tried.

 

http://www.cultizm.com/index.php?cat=c200_Viberg-Boot.html 

 

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Nice boots!

My understanding was, that Viberg always&only uses UK-sizing so maybe Cultizm just labels them wrong on their HP?!

[rayw44]

I think they have used US sizing at some point. I have a pair of their boots in an 8.5 from a few years back, and they are definitely a US 8.5, not UK.

 

I had heard that they were only UK sizing now though, so it would be odd if a new pair were labeled in US sizing.

[Aries]

In my experience (and I think this is largely true of most boot makers) Viberg sizing is just that - 'Viberg' sizing.

 

Calling it US or UK is a bit misleading: if I had to give the most general advice, I'd say they lean towards UK, but that still doesn't say too much about how a 110 last fits versus a 2030.

 

In the case of stores, I think they just arbitrarily slap a UK or US next to the size stamped on the boot, depending upon whom their target market is.

 

Hence I guess why so many boot threads are people freaking out about size .

[LFC4ever]

OK I think I can help. Viberg don't officially subscribe to the UK sizing system but because the shoes  are based on old military/imdustrial lasts which assumed thick socks etc the effect is the same. If you are a US 12 you will take a Viberg 11 in I believe all lasts except the 2030. The 2030 is particularly shallow in the toe box so most  people will have to go up half a size in this last.I find it staggering that for a company and dealers who purport to be selling a premium handcrafted boot that there is not more effort put into clarifying sizing particularly given the variation and impact of different lasts. Viberg themselves have had a "coming soon" section on this on their website for months which is unforgivable. And I speak as someone who owns 6 pairs of their boots. Would have been 7 except the 2030 last pair I got from Superdenim.co.uk don't fit "true to  size" they're extremely shallow and narrow so I had to sell on ebay as I'd already worn them - first pair I bought thought I was wrng the dealer must be right. They're not.Interestingly I advised Viberg of this (they know this boot fits small) and Superdenim have now revised their sizing advice. Unfortunately they have done it for a different last and kept the advice for the 2030 last as fits true to size, consequently getting sizing wrong on 2 lasts now. Not sure why I bothered to be honest, but if I was Viberg I'd be thinking seriously about the service I provide customers and where I want to be in 5 years time........  

[the_ming]

just ordered a pair of bounty hunters, this is the only online community that i am a part of who would care.

 

edit: should have listed the options: 6", single midsole, vibram comp half sole, chromexel upper, the rest brown rough-out, brass, hook/loop, lined.

 

got em:

 

 

[501XX4EVER]

OK I think I can help. Viberg don't officially subscribe to the UK sizing system but because the shoes  are based on old military/imdustrial lasts which assumed thick socks etc the effect is the same. If you are a US 12 you will take a Viberg 11 in I believe all lasts except the 2030. The 2030 is particularly shallow in the toe box so most  people will have to go up half a size in this last.I find it staggering that for a company and dealers who purport to be selling a premium handcrafted boot that there is not more effort put into clarifying sizing particularly given the variation and impact of different lasts. Viberg themselves have had a "coming soon" section on this on their website for months which is unforgivable. And I speak as someone who owns 6 pairs of their boots. Would have been 7 except the 2030 last pair I got from Superdenim.co.uk don't fit "true to  size" they're extremely shallow and narrow so I had to sell on ebay as I'd already worn them - first pair I bought thought I was wrng the dealer must be right. They're not.Interestingly I advised Viberg of this (they know this boot fits small) and Superdenim have now revised their sizing advice. Unfortunately they have done it for a different last and kept the advice for the 2030 last as fits true to size, consequently getting sizing wrong on 2 lasts now. Not sure why I bothered to be honest, but if I was Viberg I'd be thinking seriously about the service I provide customers and where I want to be in 5 years time........  

 

I think you have said what many people, including myself, have been thinking about Viberg for a while now. They have a very weird way of doing business, even by bespoke/artisan standards..

[Mr. Blue]

Love the new boots @the_ming!

[tmadd]

"even by bespoke/artisan standards"

 

that captures so much

[st199ml]

Without wanting to sound too gushing, Cultizm went out of their way to make sure I got the right fit (notwithstanding the US/UK sizing on the site). They have them measured against foot dimensions and advised to go on that rather than: "I'm a nine so I'm a US10..." 

 

Totally agree that Viberg and its retailers' ambivalence doesn't reflect well on them. If its that difficult perhaps they should still be offering individual custom orders? 

 

OK I think I can help. Viberg don't officially subscribe to the UK sizing system but because the shoes  are based on old military/imdustrial lasts which assumed thick socks etc the effect is the same. If you are a US 12 you will take a Viberg 11 in I believe all lasts except the 2030. The 2030 is particularly shallow in the toe box so most  people will have to go up half a size in this last.I find it staggering that for a company and dealers who purport to be selling a premium handcrafted boot that there is not more effort put into clarifying sizing particularly given the variation and impact of different lasts. Viberg themselves have had a "coming soon" section on this on their website for months which is unforgivable. And I speak as someone who owns 6 pairs of their boots. Would have been 7 except the 2030 last pair I got from Superdenim.co.uk don't fit "true to  size" they're extremely shallow and narrow so I had to sell on ebay as I'd already worn them - first pair I bought thought I was wrng the dealer must be right. They're not.Interestingly I advised Viberg of this (they know this boot fits small) and Superdenim have now revised their sizing advice. Unfortunately they have done it for a different last and kept the advice for the 2030 last as fits true to size, consequently getting sizing wrong on 2 lasts now. Not sure why I bothered to be honest, but if I was Viberg I'd be thinking seriously about the service I provide customers and where I want to be in 5 years time........  

 

I think you have said what many people, including myself, have been thinking about Viberg for a while now. They have a very weird way of doing business, even by bespoke/artisan standards..

[the_ming]

Love the new boots @the_ming!

 

thanks! i have been thinking about getting these for around 4 years now. i have a pair of smoke jumpers that just weren't seeing much wear because of the weight (steel toes, full vibram sole) and height (took way too long to lace up.) i took stock of what i liked and didn't like about the smoke jumpers and started thinking about a new boot.

 

i have a pair of alden indys in chromexel and they are great in the fall/spring, but not up to an NYC winter.

[LFC4ever]

Without wanting to sound too gushing, Cultizm went out of their way to make sure I got the right fit (notwithstanding the US/UK sizing on the site). They have them measured against foot dimensions and advised to go on that rather than: "I'm a nine so I'm a US10..." 

 

Totally agree that Viberg and its retailers' ambivalence doesn't reflect well on them. If its that difficult perhaps they should still be offering individual custom orders? 

I wish Viberg still did custom orders. I wonder what direction they are headed now, maybe wanting to be a quality fashion brand with bigger distribution and turnover rather than a bespoke "cult" boot provider. Still don't understand why they can't put a guide to  last types and the impact on sizing on their website, seems a pretty simple yet effective way to help people choose the right size and type of boot. I mean they have this information readily available don't they?!!!!!!!

[Aries]

Speaking of sizing chaps, does anyone own a pair of Toys Mccoys surveyor boots? What's the sizing like compared to other brands?

Edit: so they only go up to size 10? I'm a size 10 in Vibergs but I reckon for these I'd need bigger...

Edited August 12, 2014 by Aries

[theorocks]

Viberg x Iron Heart collab 

[bradl]

Those are so sweet theo.

[cameosis]

i recently bought a pair of boots from fleabay what were listed as "german mountain trooper boots" -- it turned out that there was a company name stamped onto the insole: "j. spencer & co. ltd." with the year "1943". size 7, i assume the company is british, perhaps?

would anyone here know anything about said company/factory?

google search turned up one semi-relevant hit about a patent for steel shafting ... thanks much in advance (pictures below):

[rayw44]

I think those are actually very early ski boots. They usually have that thick and bulbous square toe and that grooved lip on the heel to connect them to the skis.

Don't know much more than that, but unlike current ski boots they are readily wearable.

[garden gnomes in space]

I wish Viberg still did custom orders. I wonder what direction they are headed now, maybe wanting to be a quality fashion brand with bigger distribution and turnover rather than a bespoke "cult" boot provider. Still don't understand why they can't put a guide to  last types and the impact on sizing on their website, seems a pretty simple yet effective way to help people choose the right size and type of boot. I mean they have this information readily available don't they?!!!!!!!

I will not be able to provide a link, but I did read that Brett V wanted to make their boots more expensive and more "exclusive" or some shit like that.  I read it on the Iron Heart forum.  

[cameosis]

I think those are actually very early ski boots. They usually have that thick and bulbous square toe and that grooved lip on the heel to connect them to the skis.

Don't know much more than that, but unlike current ski boots they are readily wearable.

indeed, they are -- just like the cc41 utility boots that i posted on the previous page, i like the square toe look. the company is/was called john spencer & co. ltd., and was based in irthlingborough, britain.

 

http://www.rushdenheritage.co.uk/shoetrade/ShoeManufsAssocJubilee1958Adverts.html

 

thanks!

[Megatron1505]

 

 

 

I will be requiring a pair of these I think.

[NNNN]

I am in this wesco boat as well. I think the faux Flightmaster just replaced the black Bounty Hunter's in my boot queue.

[theorocks]

Those are nice! Flightmasters? how and were do you get those?

[garden gnomes in space]

beautiful toe profile