Shoes that look better with age...

[garden gnomes in space]

looks ok, but its very similar to the Wolverine 1000 and i hate that boot so I am inclined to not like this either.  

[mpukas]

Really? You don't like the 1K boot? I thought I was the only one, LOL! I think it misses the mark on so many levels. Not a fan at all. 

[garden gnomes in space]

i cant fucking stand it.  I'm actually surprised at how much I loathe an inanimate object such as the Wolverine 1K.  

[rayw44]

Love the leather choice (I have had Essex on another pair of boots before, and it ages so nicely), but the waist shape is all messed up as well. The spot between the toe at the sole and the heel at the sole is just not an appealing shape at all.

[garden gnomes in space]

new cop.  i was flip flopping between these and a pair of Trickers but eventually I chickened out because I couldnt try on the Trickers.  

 

Alden 40501H.  Construction is sound, but sloppy in places.  Very comfortable.  

 

[rodeo bill]

Deadstock 70s(?) LL Bean Maine-made indoor slippers, fake fur lined. They originally had very thin single leather soles and a very low heel, but I had Vibram soles put onto them, and now they're perfect for dealing with icy pavements and a slushy garden. Really comfy for driving in too, especially before the car warms up!

 

 

[onehundy]

Where'd you Find those?

[rodeo bill]

eBay. I was looking for some older ones with real sheepskin lining, but I really like the shape of these ones.

[shredwin_206]

I'm still pretty new to the boot world. I only own a pair of Danner x Tanner Lownsdale boots. 

I've been really into the Oak Street Trench Boot and also the Viberg Service Boot. Can someone please give me a brief explanation as to why the huge price diff. between the two boots?? Is one really worth that much more? Are both brands over hyped??

Thanks

-Edwin

[pudaspriest]

Red Wing 8173   New Pic and then after 6 months of hard wear. 

 

Edited March 1, 2015 by pudaspriest

[onehundy]

Viberg is better

[rayw44]

Both Viberg and Oak Street are overhyped and overpriced. The construction on Viberg is better, but that increase in quality isn't worth $600+. Oak Street isn't really worth $400+ either.

If I were looking to pay $400 or more for a pair of lace up boots, I'd probably get a pair of Whites or Wesco, since Viberg should retail around that price and Oak Street shpuld retail closer to $200 or $250 if they were each prices just based on the construction and quality.

[Broark]

Since seeing more Wecos pop up I've been very interested in getting a pair.

And the fact that they still do custom is great.

I kind of doubt it, but I wonder if they would not put that embossed logo on the upper of the boot if requested.

[Megatron1505]

I own a pair of White's, Viberg and Wesco, Alden too (I've owned many pairs of White's), and I believe that there is next to nothing to choose between the first three in terms of quality and construction. White's seem to make a few more quality slips from what I've seen, Viberg are ridiculously over priced and Wesco have my favourite leather (Domain) but White;s have my favourite boot (the SD).

 

I know I'll buy more White's, and I know I'll buy more Wesco. Viberg.....probably not unless I pick up a good deal.

[garden gnomes in space]

Oak street boot makers are quite possibly the most over priced footwear I have encountered.  based on all the shit I have found out about my trail oxfords (if anyone cares to know, I will re-tell the tale), I wouldnt pay more than $150 for them.  I cant speak on the trench boots

[karanimal]

Viberg Chicago tan latigo 2030 service boots. 

About 15 wears on these. Loving them so far, will update this thread as they start to age even more 

 

[goodrain]

Oak street boot makers are quite possibly the most over priced footwear I have encountered.  based on all the shit I have found out about my trail oxfords (if anyone cares to know, I will re-tell the tale), I wouldnt pay more than $150 for them.  I cant speak on the trench boots

 

I am interested. Was considering picking up the trail oxford with crepe sole.

[mpukas]

...if anyone cares to know, I will re-tell the tale...

do tell

[garden gnomes in space]

I bitched about them before in this thread a while back, but the welt is fucking glued on. Its a fake welt, fake stitching and everything.  And when this fake welt came unglued and I sent them in asking about the welt ( I thought it was actually damaged at the time) they ignored the issue and did a shitty job gluing it back down.   Now, technically they dont mention the trail oxfords as being welted, so I guess it should be no surprise, but still.  

[rayw44]

That's not even close to acceptable, even if they made no claims that the shoe was welted.

[Planetarium]

I bought a pair of Oak Streets and the Chromexcel was so thin that they stretched to being impossible to fit in a matter of five days. Total bandwagon company; stick to Yuketen or Quoddy.

 

Oh and the tongue on the Oak Streets wasn't gusseted and slipped around the back of my calves. 

Edited March 2, 2015 by Planetarium

[onehundy]

stop jumping on the oak streets hate bandwagon. They are not that bad..just over priced they use the same chromexcel as alden. 

[Broark]

For that price they should at least be actually welted...I would be pissed too.

[Planetarium]

No bandwagon for me, it happened and I posted about it two years ago. Alden's chromexcel does have problems too, but the lining reduces the stretch somewhat. I'll admit to not liking chromexcel in general unless it's very thick, such as on Yuketen's offerings.

 

I'll add that I have no experience with the Oak Street Trench Boots which supposedly have much thicker cuts of leather and are fairly nice.

Edited March 3, 2015 by Planetarium

[kss447]

The trail oxfords weren't welted because they don't have welts. They're full moccasin construction, not goodyear or any other type or welt. Any moccasins you buy with a wedge sole will be glued/cemented. Of course, there's well done glued construction and shitty glued construction.

[nerkg]

Hating on oakstreets people when you have no clue what your saying.. Moc construction uses no welt. And trench boots and the trench Oxford are amazing.

Also I'm baffled no one really mentions nicks. I've owned oakstreet, viberg, nicks, whites, alden, road champs, Santa rosa by zip, red wings, guidi, M.A+,

I put viberg as most overhyped and overpriced.. While the edge finish is nice and I like stitch down construction, I don't feel any thing sets them apart. And nicks I put at the top. The finish could be a bit cleaner but is made up for by the most robust and solidly built boot I've ever handled. Words won't do them justice. And for the price of around 450, 550 for horse plus extras , the value is relatively off the charts.

[fre-co]

Well I for one hope that someone hasn't ruined oak street bootmakers business for not putting a Goodyear welt on a moccasin.

[rayw44]

The trail oxfords weren't welted because they don't have welts. They're full moccasin construction, not goodyear or any other type or welt. Any moccasins you buy with a wedge sole will be glued/cemented. Of course, there's well done glued construction and shitty glued construction.

 

 

Hating on oakstreets people when you have no clue what your saying.. Moc construction uses no welt. And trench boots and the trench Oxford are amazing.

 

 

Yes, the uppers are moccasin construction, but the sole is made to look as if it is a welt or a midsole is attached to the uppers with a wedge sole glued to the midsole/welt. Here is a pic of them so you can see. The brown line is, at the very least, made to look like it is a welt or a midsole. The welt/midsole should be stitched to the uppers and then the sole can be stitched or glued to the welt/midsole.

 

 

A shoe that is made with true moccasin construction but that also has something other than a traditional leather moccasin sole still needs to have a midsole/welt attached to it to permit the wedge or other sole to be attached. This pic is taken directly from Russell Moccasin (someone who does this exact type of shoe the correct way), and it shows how the addition of any other type of sole does in fact require a welt/midsole, unlike what both of you have just said.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68131428@N04/16095550963/'>

 

You can see in the leftmost pic that the stitching should go through the moccasin constructed uppers into the midsole/welt, and then the midsole can be either stitched or glued to the sole itself.

 

As I understand garden gnomes' problem with his pair, the midsole/welt was never stitched to the uppers and was instead glued to the uppers and the sole. That is not done properly for a moccasin constructed shoe with a non-traditional sole. The excuse that the shoes were moccasin construction doesn't fly. This is just shoddy construction.

Edited March 4, 2015 by rayw44

[Planetarium]

I've owned two pairs of Russells with the above construction and Oak Street's moccasins lack that stitching. When Russell, Quoddy, and Yuketen use a sole that doesn't require a midsole, they stitch directly through it (as in the case of boat shoe soles or Russells standard clays chukka) instead of glueing it on.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Planetarium

[garden gnomes in space]

Im not the only one who was complaining.  I believe others had serious issues with QC at OakStreet, in particular the trench boot and some really poor welting done, and the Style Forum official thread straight up disappeared.  For the record, I like my OSB's.  They are really comfortable, but based on my current knowledge on how they are built I would not purchase a pair again.