Shoes that look better with age...

[illumin8em]

Willie's quoted me $600 "to start" but wanted me send boot in to figure out, on a rubber to leather sole conversion/ E to D width resize. I thought it was ridiculous, and not what I expected.

[marti-mar]

$600 to resole boots? WTF? You could get new boots for that ... really good ones.

[rkusmant]

If that's the case might as well send them out to Japan, I was quoted 250$ before for full resole of engineer boots, but maybe after their custom shoes business take off, the price is adjusted as well.

[beeetus]

Yeah, I emailed Willies and they quoted me $220 for a double leather midsole and an additional $45 for rubber half soles. I think I'll keep looking. Those prices, with the price I paid for the boots, would put me in custom White's/Wesco territory.

[beeetus]

I had a couple pairs of boots done by Tulsa Shoe Rebuilders. They did a pair with leather soles and 1 pair with a rubber half sole. The quote I got from willie's was surprisingly high.

What were their prices like?

[coleslawyum]

You can try Zip Stevenson, but i'm sure he's not cheap either. The last time I spoke to him, he was charging $150, but thats probably not including the vintage rubber soles that he has. However, if you really want that deadstock sole, he has the most rare collection I've ever seen.

I'll always recommend Takeshi-san in Japan. He knows exactly how to do it right, even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Just in case there's any doubts about c&j, skye since 2008.

[marineabilly]

Recently picked up a pair of Chippewa 27911's that I love the leather and fit of, but hate the sole. I know coleslaw has a pair he sent to Japan to get resoled, and I want to do something similar, but without having to send them all the way to Japan. I don't think any of the cobblers in my area would be able to do a double leather midsole job, and I know sending them to Japan is going to yield the best results, but can anyone recommend a shop stateside I could mail my boots to? Marine, do you have any suggestions?

Recently picked up a pair of Chippewa 27911's that I love the leather and fit of, but hate the sole. I know coleslaw has a pair he sent to Japan to get resoled, and I want to do something similar, but without having to send them all the way to Japan. I don't think any of the cobblers in my area would be able to do a double leather midsole job, and I know sending them to Japan is going to yield the best results, but can anyone recommend a shop stateside I could mail my boots to? Marine, do you have any suggestions?

I have short list of shops that have been tested by a lot of my readers.

[beeetus]

Thanks MB. I check your site all the time, but for some reason have missed that link.

[beeetus]

Thanks coleslaw. Does Zip have a website you know of? Googling just yields his facebook page.

[spidereye]

Olds but still stunning ,my classic collection.

[rayw44]

Beetus, HTC does have a website, but it's probably easier to contact Zip by email. [email protected]

I believe Coleslaw is in the range of his price for a resole with Biltrite half soles, which are pretty nice looking in their own right. If you want a Cat's Paw or other rare sole it will definitely be more.

[mlwdp]

Well, Danner has decided to venture into the worker/dress boot section, with these pieces here. Can't post pic extensions here due to Google Chrome:

http://www.danner.co...sual-boots.html

http://www.danner.co...asual-boot.html

http://www.danner.co...sual-boots.html

http://www.shoebuy.com/danner-jack-5/545749/1140193

My fav of the new as of late from them:

http://www.danner.co...sual-boots.html

Here's the unfortunate side: They are all made in China (WTF?). I took a look at them selling on rakuten and they are asking ten times more on the shoes than what they are selling for here in the states, about $540 average. I don't even think they can be resoled. Grew up on Danner, so this has me divided at the moment.

Edited August 23, 2012 by mlwdp

[hollowsleather]

Hopefully Danner gets burned bad on those China-made uglies and learns their lesson. Such a dumb move.

[illumin8em]

Well, Danner has decided to venture into the worker/dress boot section, I don't even think they can be resoled. Grew up on Danner, so this has me divided at the moment.

I don't see why they couldn't be resoled, "classic 270 stitching" don't know what that is, but you can see in the picture of the sole bottoms that they are sewn on. This doesn't make them any more attractive though. Still love my Danner Lite's

[stingray1381]

I wouldn't call them ugly, but it's a bummer when a brand like Danner decides to start selling Chinese made goods.

[beeetus]

Thanks Ray. Much obliged.

[Planetarium]

yeah, it's definitely a surprise to see them making shoes in china and a complete turn off for me (though my mountain lights will ever remain the best hiking boots I've ever worn). as for the styling, I think it's "too much of a good thing". they're combining elements of the semi-dress, the indy, and the gentleman traveler and the end result doesn't the unique contours and attractive minimalism of those designs.

[js0930]

Thought I would share some (cheaper) Danner alternatives that look better with age. Alico Tahoes with a few years and a few hundred miles.

[marineabilly]

Finally found time to complete my project. These were already looking better with age, but I can't wait to see how they'll age with my custom dye job.

[rayw44]

They look awesome John!

And nice job on the extra leather work. The longer top straps look perfectly re-stitched and the added D-pocket (well not exactly a D, but that's the best word I have for it) is really cool.

[mlwdp]

Nike has decided to enter the work boot category

Just wrong. So wrong. Copied Thorogood as well.

Edited August 25, 2012 by mlwdp

[marti-mar]

I think they look awful, but they have a swoosh, so I bet they sell just fine. hehe

[illumin8em]

Finally found time to complete my project.

You never responding to any of my questions doesn't change the fact that you have the best looking pair of engineer boots ever.

I am completely sold that the higher ankle strap would cure all of my heel slip/flop issue in my boots. Now how to afford the pair reserved for me that arriving in a couple weeks?

Edited August 25, 2012 by illumin8em

[marineabilly]

^what questions? Thanks, I'm really digging is pair over my Okuyama Road Champs right now and I didn't even have to pay anyone else a cent for this work.

[demonator]

well i have not seen okuyam resole a pair of road champs .. unless you can post the pcitures here

[smittybat]

Ed, you must have been banned when he posted it.

Thanks! BTW, my Road Champs have returned from Okuyama this week. They have a double leather sole and a leather halfsole.

[CrashTestBrummie]

Just in case there's any doubts about c&j, skye since 2008.

Very nice. C&J are releasing a 'Skye 2' model this Autumn in shell cordovan, with a studded Dainite sole. £595 is the catalogue price...

This is how my pair are looking right now:

[fre-co]

Since we're posting skye pictures....

(this was a while ago)

[CrashTestBrummie]

A full house of Skyes...what do we win?

We haven't had enough zug in the thread recently for my liking, so here's something for the veldt crowd: a pair of Barbour-branded high-leg veldtschoen boots

As to who made them, I'm none the wiser and the writing inside doesn't give me much to go on. However, the only shoemakers to have produced veldtschoen boots in recent years are Cheaney, Tricker's (up till around a decade or longer ago), Sargent and Crockett & Jones.

Judging from the way the leather has aged, my first thought was Cheaney. Then I put them next to a couple of non-brogued Tricker's boots and you can see the similarities below. However, Tricker's only started lining their boots relatively recently (I have more unlined pairs of Tricker's than lined) and I've already said that they haven't made veldts for some time.

With a Ripon-style boot and a veldt boot:

The boots don't actually say that they're made in England (or anywhere else, for that matter) although the sole is a classic Itshide commando, which was made here. I know that veldtschoen boots aren't that easy to make (as per the comments of a couple of people I've spoken to at C&J), so doubt that they would have been specially constructed by a maker who didn't make them regularly.

Whatever, I'm going to find out a little more about them before doing anything. I got burnt last week when I sold an unusual Barbour jacket for what I thought then was an ok price, and then received a response from Barbour (jn reply to an earlier email from me) asking if they could have the jacket for their Head Office in exchange for a catalogue item of my choice...ouch...

[Senori]

Epaulet x Thorogood boots, about a year old now. Haven't been getting much wear this summer, but the weather's taking a colder turn so I just treated them again.