Shoes that look better with age...

[beautiful_FrEaK]

On 12/10/2023 at 6:23 PM, mlwdp said:

Not a fan of Rose Anvil.  Very biased.

So IIRC it stems from this video.

 

 

I can't find the Reddit discussion about anymore though.

[AlientoyWorkmachine]

Tender Sidings boots - which is what I usually go for if I’m not going to wear sneakers or birks. 

[yung_flynn]

My Rancourt Byron boots in Black Essex from their summer pre-saw finally arrived. Despite the wait I’m happy with them and the value at the pre-sale price feels reasonable. Feels like they will pair well with my TCB 50s and WW2 chinos

[HGS]

I love Alden and my Alden shoes, but with the latest price increase (approaching $700 for non-shell and over $900 for most shell models), the value question gets trickier.  All of my first-quality Aldens purchased over the past few years have had issues -- some minor/cosmetic, but others more serious (vamp stitching coming undone requiring factory repair, serious puckering on another that boggles the mind how it made it through QC).  In fact, I purchased a pair of shell tassel loafers seconds with fewer serious issues than pairs I paid full price for, so that might be the way to go unless you can purchase a pair in person and really look them over.

That said, the lasts, designs, and overall elegance of Alden shoes are all still incredible and unique and they're still my go-to when I have the shoe itch.

[quaranteneuf]

I'm on the Alden train as well. I've only ever had a small issue with one of the 6 pairs I've owned and that was some loose stitching on the vamp of a pair of boots. I'm more than set on footwear for the next decade +, but the price increases have really made my 'grail' pair of shell Indy boots more unlikely.

Rose Anvil is just a dude on the internet with an opinion. I've always gotten the impression that he was looking for 'the best' and has found that to be PNW work boots. If that's what he needs in a boot, great for him, but we don't all need the same things. I haven't seen anyone ragging on Nick's for their lack of shell loafers or wingtips...

[Cold Summer]

John Lofgren Wabash engineer boots, Shinki Horsebutt edition. Day one.

For me, this is the ultimate black engineer boot. The construction is immaculate. The materials sublime. The silhouette, iconic.

I had been wearing a pair of black Wesco Mister Lous, after enjoying Wesco's cinnamon-colored 7500 engineers the last 4+ years. However, I'm switching from the Mister Lous to these for a couple reasons. One, my preference for black engineer boots is different from brown, I've realized. I like the all-black look on these, and the more classic profile. I feel the Wescos are more slim and modern looking, intended to be worn with slimmer fitting jeans for a sleeker, edgier look, and between the brown midsole edges and white stitchdown contrast, it makes the boot look too visually busy for me. I will say that although not quite as cool as the Shinki horsebutt, the Maryam horsehide of the Wescos does compare quite favorably. The Lofgren profile has a bit more visual presence and I prefer it over some, such as Clinch, which I feel are too flat-looking in the toe. The stuff you get on the (even more) expensive engineers like Clinch and Role Club, such as hand-stitched welting, is past the point of diminishing returns for me. IMO, the best reason to go with boots like that, are if you really need them bespoke lasted for your feet. It'd be nice to have, but these are good enough for me.

Interestingly, these Lofgrens are noticeably lighter than the Wescos. This is actually a good thing for me, as the weight of the Wescos was quite fatiguing. I suspect this is because Lofgren uses a cork footbed, and Wesco, oak bark tanned leather. While technically the latter is a "superior" construction technique, it probably makes little difference if you're not a logger or firefighter, certainly not for my casual wearing of the boots.

The 110 last is the same as my Lofgren Steadfast boots, so I took 10.5, same as in those.  There's a slight narrowness in the outer toes of the right foot (my right foot being slightly larger than the left), but with the Steadfast boot, that settled in as I wore the boots and is no longer really noticeable, so I think the same will be the case here. As usual, my low profile, low instep feet demand that I tighten the instep strap as tight as freaking possible, but I like the look, and it feels snug enough around the ankle now.

Some examples of these boots have ridiculously hexagoned leather grain, which is a bit much for me; but I lucked out on my pair, which have, to my eyes, just the right amount of grain, and should form some nice rolls with wear.

Wonderful boots which are sure to be my most worn pair for the foreseeable future.

Edited January 4 by Cold Summer

[81FXR]

Got my 8196 resoled after 5 years wear so treated them to a Japanese style Saphir scrub up.

Pictures don’t really do it justice and I’m sure the shine will last approx 10 minutes but I don’t hate it.

 

[mlwdp]

I’m interested in how exactly you did your Saphir scrub.  I’ve used both Collionil and Saphir and found that Collionil was better IMO.

[81FXR]

I’ve only used Saphir but I gave them a healthy amount of their Medaille d’Or Renovateur (macadamia oil) and then a brown Pate De Luxe.

The colour match wasn’t perfect on the wax but I’ve got gear-shift stains on the top from motorcycle riding so as in the photo the toes are much darker than the rest of the boot.

Buffing brought the shine out, I probably could’ve gone a bit further with it but I didn’t want a mirror gloss.

 

 

Edited January 5 by 81FXR

[tooth]

@Cold Summer love those boots and actually ordered the same this past fall, but returned due to construction / QC issues. Unfortunately you could see nails in the heel counter and the sole stitching was broken in places. I was pretty bummed to have received them with those defects, but luckily Freenote (where I ordered them from) has a great return policy (ie: money back vs store credit or some other form of ‘return’ allowance). I’m waiting to see if Lofgren does another Shinki engineer, or in a leather outside of CXL, but also debating on a pair of Attractions which I’ve tried on and are very nice, IMO.

In any case, looking forward to seeing how your pair comes along; great pair of boots!

[Cold Summer]

@toothSorry you had some issues with yours. I looked over mine pretty closely and I'm happy to say I can't find anything wrong with them, but I suppose even a top end brand like JL makes mistakes sometimes.

I looked at a similar pair by Attractions and thought they looked really nice. I slightly preferred the profile of the Lofgren boots, and the fact that I knew exactly which size would work for me in their boots.

 

[Talan]

15 hours ago, 81FXR said:

Got my 8196 resoled after 5 years wear so treated them to a Japanese style Saphir scrub up.

Pictures don’t really do it justice and I’m sure the shine will last approx 10 minutes but I don’t hate it.

I've used Saphir a couple of times recently (mainly due to other people's opinions) and was generally not happy with the results. I used to use a German made Renapur for years, for different leathers, and was always happy with it. At some point, I learnt that Goto-san (White Kloud) uses Renapour. That basically closed the topic for me. Renapur rules.

[81FXR]

3 hours ago, Talan said:

I've used Saphir a couple of times recently (mainly due to other people's opinions) and was generally not happy with the results. I used to use a German made Renapur for years, for different leathers, and was always happy with it. At some point, I learnt that Goto-san (White Kloud) uses Renapour. That basically closed the topic for me. Renapur rules.

Interesting, which Renapour product would you recommend?

I must admit I don’t have much of a benchmark to judge the Saphir against as I typically just used shoe-brand treatments before.

[Cold Summer]

Wesco 7500. Worn since mid-2019. 

Great pair of boots. Excellent construction quality, and great patina on the cinnamon colored uppers. They call it “British Tan Domane,” not sure where it’s from, but it has more character than CXL and is more reactive, though it’s not vegetable tanned; probably some kind of combination process.

Also very comfortable to wear and walk in. What’s amazing is how these have so much life left in the outsoles despite how much I’ve worn them. Someday when they need a resole I’ll probably have some Dr. Sole Supergrip half soles put on. 

[Duke Mantee]

21 minutes ago, Cold Summer said:

They call it “British Tan Domane,” not sure where it’s from, but it has more character than CXL and is more reactive, though it’s not vegetable tanned; probably some kind of combination process.

Seidel 

[Duke Mantee]

8 hours ago, Talan said:

I've used Saphir a couple of times recently (mainly due to other people's opinions) and was generally not happy with the results. I used to use a German made Renapur for years, for different leathers, and was always happy with it. At some point, I learnt that Goto-san (White Kloud) uses Renapour. That basically closed the topic for me. Renapur rules.

What was the issue you had mate? I’ve used Saphir on a lot of different leathers and never had a problem of any kind.

[mlwdp]

Invested in a shoe shine glove to accommodate shoe care. Used it for the first time today and already can tell the difference.  It’s the small things.

Edit: it’s that time of the year and was inspired by the posts on polishing so I gave mine a shine as well with Collonil 1909.

I brush them off with a horse hair brush, then apply Collonil 1909 with my fingers.  Shine them with glove.

 

Edited January 7 by mlwdp

[mlwdp]

5 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

What was the issue you had mate? I’ve used Saphir on a lot of different leathers and never had a problem of any kind.

Rain spots was an issue for me when I used to use Saphir.  

[Talan]

10 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

What was the issue you had mate? I’ve used Saphir on a lot of different leathers and never had a problem of any kind.

Perhaps I was expecting miracles and they didn't happen? On the pairs of shoes I tried, I got white residue on the creases after some usage. Maybe I applied more than I should have. 

[Talan]

15 hours ago, 81FXR said:

Interesting, which Renapour product would you recommend?

I must admit I don’t have much of a benchmark to judge the Saphir against as I typically just used shoe-brand treatments before.

I am using Renapur Leather Balsam.

[Duke Mantee]

7 hours ago, mlwdp said:

Rain spots was an issue for me when I used to use Saphir.  

I have never heard of that being specific to a product

2 hours ago, Talan said:

Perhaps I was expecting miracles and they didn't happen? On the pairs of shoes I tried, I got white residue on the creases after some usage. Maybe I applied more than I should have. 

I think I’ve said before - when applying any conditioner, the amount you apply should be half (or less than) the smallest amount you could imagine practical.

4 medium and 1 very large bag, and about 15-16 belts worth of usage

[mlwdp]

41 minutes ago, Duke Mantee said:

I have never heard of that being specific to a product

 

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/saphir-renovateur-and-rain.440467/#post-11075841

[Duke Mantee]

13 minutes ago, mlwdp said:

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/saphir-renovateur-and-rain.440467/#post-11075841

These are guys applying/advocating large amounts of renovateur (renovator) and one recommended vinegar for cleaning? Wow

Edited January 7 by Duke Mantee

[vIGGiou riou]

On 1/5/2024 at 7:24 PM, 81FXR said:

Got my 8196 resoled after 5 years wear so treated them to a Japanese style Saphir scrub up.

Pictures don’t really do it justice and I’m sure the shine will last approx 10 minutes but I don’t hate it.

 

I had the same idea with my RW 2950 (Rover). I have them 6-7 years. I let them resole and give them basic maintenance.... 

Edited January 7 by vIGGiou riou

[Talan]

4 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

 

I think I’ve said before - when applying any conditioner, the amount you apply should be half (or less than) the smallest amount you could imagine practical.

As I mentioned above, I used Renapur before Saphir. Renapur is completely absorbing, no residue, no matter how much I apply, it seems impossible to cross the line. That's why I didn't spare Saphir either. Although, as I think, I applied a small amount anyway. Next time I will try to put even less.... 🙃

[Talan]

5 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

These are guys applying/advocating large amounts of renovateur (renovator) and one recommended vinegar for cleaning? Wow

I've heard people use vinegar to clean toilets. So if one walks on shit, or if the shoes are shitty, there's definitely a correlation.

[Duke Mantee]

2 hours ago, Talan said:

 no matter how much I apply

😔

Renapur is good though … I bought that from AA Crack when I was getting Saphir supplies - good to see what differences there were … which turned out to be not much really. Probably a bit less ‘intense’ with ingredients so perhaps why you feel it soaks in better.

Aside from the amounts used, I’m pretty sure the type of leather and its finish will account for much of the ‘problems’ folk might be experiencing with one product or the other

[Duke Mantee]

5 minutes ago, Talan said:

I've heard people use vinegar to clean toilets. So if one walks on shit, or if the shoes are shitty, there's definitely a correlation.

😂

[Talan]

2 hours ago, Duke Mantee said:

Aside from the amounts used, I’m pretty sure the type of leather and its finish will account for much of the ‘problems’ folk might be experiencing with one product or the other

Yes. That's what I'm guessing, with my experience and understanding of leathers being incomparably less than yours. 🙂

[AlientoyWorkmachine]

I use a fifteen year old tin of Clark’s Weatherproofing conditioner on all my nicest leather shoes. I think I got it for $4 from an outlet store off the interstate. I’m sure I’m missing something but it’s never left me sad. Comparison being the thief of joy and all that.