Shoes that look better with age...

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 9, 2015 by hoggreaser

[edmond]

wesco = okuyama. experienced , no nonsense, reliable , has history

oakstreet =brian new , promising , eager to please . same price as an experienced cobbler

[Megatron1505]

Ah right, I thought you were referring to a difference in quality, which there is between OSB and Wesco but not so much between the 2 cobblers.

[rayw44]

@Ray - this was my first concern going into this project - Are these boots worth putting that much extra money into? I asked Brain, and he said the leather is f/ Wickett & Craig, and it's a "nice" leather, that has a lot of potential and will patina nicely.

 

I do not know anything about where Chippewa gets their leathers for which boot models, but I do find in my experience with other Chippewa boots I have and have owned, that this leather is a bit nicer. It's better than the leather on the 1901M29 Crazy Horse 6" Service Boot. I would say it's on par with leathers that Redwing uses on the Iron Rangers, Beckmans, etc. Is that comparably to Horween CXL, I don't know. It's certainly not shell. 

 

I trust Brian's opinion of this boot. He's got far more experience working on different brands and with different leathers than I every will. I do not think he mislead me just to get the job, as he's got plenty of re-build work as well as his own line. I also asked him about other boots, and he had a less favorable opinion of them. 

 

But what really convinced me to do this project, in addition to the leather being good, is they are made in USA (a LOT of Chip's are made in China) and I really like the toe profile of this boot. It's the lowers where boot manufacturer's are cutting corners - even with Goodyear welting (tho very solid and done flawlessly), it's got ply rib/gemming and cork filler, and originally had a full Vibram composite sole & heel, not stacked leather, which are cheap and probably pre-formed to some extent. The real value of the $300 for these boots new is in the uppers' leather and design.

 

Also, it seems they do limited runs of this model, as they are pretty scarce and hard to find right now. They have a lot of other engineer and motorcycle boots that you can find all over the 'net any day of the week. 

 

I completely get your reasoning behind it, and if the leather on the uppers really is something of better quality then they would be awesome if they fit you better. I wasn't trying to make you defend yourself, I just want to address the price and value of shoe repair in general. Your recent purchase just sparked the conversation.

 

Have you talked to Brian or anyone else about trying to make them a bit bigger so your investment doesn't go to waste?

[mpukas]

wesco = okuyama. experienced , no nonsense, reliable , has history

oakstreet =brian new , promising , eager to please . same price as an experienced cobbler

lame. I get the point you're trying to make, but it's not a valid comparison. 

[superfuzz]

As someone who has used Brian for a couple resoles I just wanted to chime in. I had a pair of shoes resoled and rewelted by Willie's in LA and I think it cost about $270. They did a fine job but they actually did not do what I asked for. So if Brian is charging closer to $300 for a hand-welted resole I don't think that is too much to ask. Brian was totally great to work with and answered all my questions, plus he sent me pictures of what he was going to do and made sure that it was what I wanted. I'd rather pay more and actually get what I want. I had a pair of boots resoled at Moulded shoe here in NYC and they totally fucked up the welt in the process. It was only $150 but I wound up having to have them resoled again within 6 months.

 

As far as I can tell there is no one else in the US doing what Brian is doing and to get a similar job done you have to ship your boots to Japan. Brian has to make a living so it makes sense that he would raise his prices as demand for his services increases. This is a really niche market and I'm just glad that someone is doing it. So I'm happy to support him instead of shipping my boots overseas, having to deal with language issues, etc.

[big truck]

My old Sargents. Look better for age? I think so.

 

 

Hurrah, this is what this thread is for.

[Sugar Mountain]

^Agreed. Those are beauties Hogg!

 

What model are they? Haven't the time to dig, so pardon the lazy question.

[coleslawyum]

My 2 cents as well…

 

Brain has become a very competent cobbler in a very short time (its great to be young…sigh). His first few repairs were a lot to be desired, but he practiced, started learning the machines and got better in just a few years. He is now outstanding and I've recommended him to a lot of people especially in the US. I would describe his style as coming from a western boot lineage, with his propensity to use a higher stacked heel and flatter toe-box.

 

I'm a little more biased with Okayama-san, because he was the first cobbler I used back in 2007. Also visiting his shop, watching him work, I've learned a lot about his methods as well as boots finishing. His background is from constructing dress shoes, and that is very evident in the way he finishes his soles on the buffer. From my experience, there is no one that can match his artistry and craftsmanship in the States. I've had about 12 boots customized / re-soled by him and each one is a work of art. Its difficult to see in pictures, and Okayama-san sometimes takes some crappy pictures, but you just have to hold the boots in your hands to fully appreciate it.

 

I can say the same for BRASS. Their background is from bespoke dress shoes, and you can really tell from the lasts they use. They are elegant and artistic. The quality is impeccable as well, but the finishing is even cleaner. Their boots rival the best England has to offer, if not better. Even more amazing is that their boots are hand-welted and cheaper than a goodyear gemmed Edward Green.

 

So, in summary, after my long-winded explanation, in my opinion, Brian owns the US in terms of craftsmanship (sorry willie's and everyone else) but Japan is just a different place with a very unique philosophy in regards to craftsmanship.

[overdRAWn]

And here is my contribution to this thread. Finally managed to snatch some pics from my Sendra Engineer boots ... handmade in Spain, cracked leather and a Good Year welded rubber sole .... these look better with age, each day I wear them!!
Thorsten
 
Enjoy my crappy pic:

 

Edited January 15, 2015 by overdRAWn

[Cucoo]

Just use the little image symbol when composing a message, pop the link in there and it'll show up.

 

And hooray for another Sendra wearer  I like the Sendra engineers, might get a brown or cognac pair down the road. Quality, as far as I can judge that, is on par with Red Wing (or even better than, full leather stacked heels instead of plastic) and it's €100 less (or even more when on sale somewhere). I have my eye on these:

 

Edited January 15, 2015 by Cucoo

[overdRAWn]

... these would also show a nice patina after some good use ...

[autorotate]

Selling some boots on the 'bay.  I apologize if I am in violation of forum policy.  Thanks!

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321642916122?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321642943842?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

[Rain Dogs]

Took a quick shot of my new (to me) White's SD's in dress brown. I took a gamble on the size, and luckily it panned out well.

EDIT: In the spirit of the last page, here's my beat up MiE 1460's.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Rain Dogs

[integra]

My old Sargents. Look better for age? I think so.

 

Absolutely! They've aged very nicely. I guess some shoe trees couldn't hurt though.

 

Are those Dalhams?

Edited January 16, 2015 by integra

[pchoden]

I have SDs in brown dress - this might be my favorite of all the White's leathers. I think they will develop a great patina over time.

 

Took a quick shot of my new (to me) White's SD's in dress brown. I took a gamble on the size, and luckily it panned out well.


 

[SuperJackle]

So after much debate, I decided to pick up the for life docs, as opposed to the MIE. Hoggy's comparison of the last won me over. The leather seams decent and the sole a bit more sturdy. I'm just hoping that down the line dm doesn't end up screwing me out of this "guarantee".

Edited January 18, 2015 by SuperJackle

[JoeySullivan]

Hey,

 

I'm looking for black suede service boots. Viberg is out of budget at the time.

 

So :

 

Chippewa with Vibram soles

 

 

or Buzz x William Gibson :

 

 

?

 

Considering the fact that Chippewa's are half the price of Buzz's.

 

Thanks 

Edited January 18, 2015 by JoeySullivan

[Quoise1203]

Not only are they half the price, I think the chippewas look nicer too.

[mpukas]

+1

I too think the Chip service boot is good looking. One of the best bang for the buck around currently. 

[JoeySullivan]

Thanks, I finally went for Chippewas, seems a great deal for 150 bucks.

Edited January 19, 2015 by JoeySullivan

[mpukas]

WOW! great price. Where, if you don't mind me asking... 

[JoeySullivan]

WOW! great price. Where, if you don't mind me asking... 

 

Ebay

 

Were at $129 at Hickoree's (50% off) but I miss the deal...

[vgadjo]

Hello shoes experts,

 

 

bought a pair of RW877 in November. I've been rather pleased with them so far. But as I was cleaning them a bit I noticed the following on the right shoe (picture below). So I was wondering:

 

- I'd say this looks faulty, does it or could it be 'natural use'? (only one month of wear)

 

- should I stop wearing them right now?

 

- anybody's got some feedback about RW customer service in case I have to send them back? Bought them a local store in Montreal.

 

Edit: by looking at pictures like here (and zooming at the side pic) it seems usual. Is this due to construction methods? If yes, why would it be only on one of them?

 

Edited January 24, 2015 by vgadjo

[fre-co]

It is the join of the welt. 360 degree goodyear welts need a join, just not finished very well.

[vgadjo]

It is the join of the welt. 360 degree goodyear welts need a join, just not finished very well.

So that was a noob question. Found the joint on the other shoe and it's much cleaner indeed.

Thanks for your insight.

[yo_mj]

Finally got some Alden's "Indy" 403 in brown chrome excel. Wore them straight out the store. 

Edited January 26, 2015 by yo_mj

[fre-co]

yo_mj, your jeans are a bit long... nice boots though.

[tod]

^ Those CXL Indy boots will only get better with age!  Here are mine at four months, really starting to look the way I like them.

 

[youngofthesoonest]

2 months in with these lone wolfs. swapped out the original laces with heavier duty leather ones