Shoes that look better with age...

[Crat]

OK, fuggit.

I'm going to order the white's outdoorsman.

Can anyone help me with the sizing? Probably a 9, but D or EE?

my sizes:

Timberlands (sorry ) 9

Alden modified 8.5 (B/D)

CJ 8.5E UK

Nike (Air Max/Free) 10.5 US

Edited December 19, 2012 by Crat

[Crat]

-double-

Edited December 19, 2012 by Crat

[denimjunky]

@denimjunky: What size to get in White's SD? I wear size US10.5 in Alden Indy boots and Wolverine 1000 mile boots.

Help appreciated!

I dont know about the boots you are mentioning since I have no experience in those.

I wear size 43EU in most footwear and white's 9D->E is perfect for me. D is on the narrower side.

Hope this helps you out.

[SwedeAlex]

I dont know about the boots you are mentioning since I have no experience in those.

I wear size 43EU in most footwear and white's 9D->E is perfect for me. D is on the narrower side.

Hope this helps you out.

Thanks! I do wear size US11 in Nike and UK10 in Crockett & Jones.

But I figure that SD fits a half size big...

[Double 0 Soul]

Hahaha, I like this discussion and get both sides of it. Here in the Netherlands the classic timberland is a style icon, like it or not.

Here in the UK Timberlands are the lowest common denominator whos target market appears to be tracksuit clad (velour for the ladies) lowlifes who consider a day at the shopping center a recreational activity.

They are retailed at high street "sports shops" along side other (whats the opposite of aspirational?) brands like Crocs, Bench, SuperDry, Mckenzie, Ab and Fitch and the like. Even there classic boat shoe is retailed this way.

Outdoor/hiking shops recoil in horror at the thought of stocking Tims,

Edited December 19, 2012 by Double 0 Soul

[SwedeAlex]

So here´s my makeup of my new pair of White's SD.

2012 White's Horse Hide Semi Dress

Toe Cap Leather Color Brown Horse Hide, Sole Vibram 269, Size - Length 10.5, Hardware Brass Eyes & Hooks, Edge Natural, Upper (Shaft) Leather Brown Horse Hide, Midsole Single, Pull Loops No Thanks, Last Standard, Sole Trim Close Trim, Toe Vamp Leather Brown Horse Hide, Heel Base Standard, Heel Lifts 1/4" Lower, Size - Width D (medium), Toe Cap Medallion Toe Cap, Celastic Toe Box Single Celastic Toe, Leather Liner Black

Now...the wait!

[Crat]

Here in the UK Timberlands are the lowest common denominator whos target market appears to be tracksuit clad (velour for the ladies) lowlifes who consider a day at the shopping center a recreational activity.

They are retailed at high street "sports shops" along side other (whats the opposite of aspirational?) brands like Crocs, Bench, Mckenzie and the like. Even there classic boat shoe is retailed this way.

Outdoor/hiking shops recoil in horror at the thought of stocking Tims,

The market for them is quite broad and target groups differ worldwide. I believe that in the US they are quite popular with 'Ganstahs' form the 'Hood' (yo). In my environment they are popular with preppy (fraternity/sorority) students who dress similar similar to the pic. below.

Oh, I just e-mailed the proxy thing for the white's. Waiting for a reply now : )

Those boots are very different to anything I have owned, kinda exited.

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[big truck]

bakershoe will accept scanned tracings so long as it comes out the same size at the other end!

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Double 0 Soul]

bakershoe will accept scanned tracings so long as it comes out the same size at the other end!

Yes you can draw around a credit card 2 1/8" x 3 3/8" to make sure that it is printed out to size there end.

Rancourt have the right idea. http://www.rancourta...Fit_Guide-2.pdf

Edited December 19, 2012 by Double 0 Soul

[big truck]

There is a shortage of worn Whites on here. Just saying....

The only thing that prevents me from getting a pair is my flattish feet and a weird bit of muscle on the sole of my left foot not likely to work with the arch ease system. Has anyone gone for a quarter inch lowered heel and seen a difference?

[Crat]

Can I mail the seller (who won't ship to europe) for advice and tell him I'll be ordering via a proxy service or will that cause some sort of hassle?

[Maynard Friedman]

Here in the UK Timberlands are the lowest common denominator whos target market appears to be tracksuit clad (velour for the ladies) lowlifes who consider a day at the shopping center a recreational activity.

They are retailed at high street "sports shops" along side other (whats the opposite of aspirational?) brands like Crocs, Bench, SuperDry, Mckenzie and the like.

I think that's a fair comment. I have a black pair I bought in about 1998 that I used to wear and were then relegated to the snow and other inclement weather, however they rarely see the light of day now.

I think downwardly mobile is the phrase you're looking for!

[BrownMetallic]

So here´s my makeup of my new pair of White's SD.

2012 White's Horse Hide Semi Dress

Toe Cap Leather Color Brown Horse Hide, Sole Vibram 269, Size - Length 10.5, Hardware Brass Eyes & Hooks, Edge Natural, Upper (Shaft) Leather Brown Horse Hide, Midsole Single, Pull Loops No Thanks, Last Standard, Sole Trim Close Trim, Toe Vamp Leather Brown Horse Hide, Heel Base Standard, Heel Lifts 1/4" Lower, Size - Width D (medium), Toe Cap Medallion Toe Cap, Celastic Toe Box Single Celastic Toe, Leather Liner Black

Now...the wait!

Fab built. congrats!

Sizing is spot on: Alden Indy = White's SD

[baldy]

some of you need to get off your high horses... mall companies are there to make money from the general public, not high fashion/quality. i'm not gonna shit on my friends if they ever bought timberlands cause they were affordable boots and last a long time for city trekking

[Double 0 Soul]

Can I mail the seller (who won't ship to europe) for advice and tell him I'll be ordering via a proxy service or will that cause some sort of hassle?

The seller does not need not to know you are in Europe, Your giving him a sale anyhow. Get as much info as you can from him your the customer. When you have what you need fwd it to the proxy, The proxy i sent you can do this on your behalf if you are more comfortable with that. They are very helpfull and work hard for there 8%

[Maynard Friedman]

some of you need to get off your high horses... mall companies are there to make money from the general public, not high fashion/quality. i'm not gonna shit on my friends if they ever bought timberlands cause they were affordable boots and last a long time for city trekking

But....how can you even associate with such people?

[denimjunky]

^Its just that the whole cheapy mall thing products constitutes anti handicraft quality and just adds to the consume and throw away society we live in. Why buy a pair of boots that can last 10yrs when you can buy a new pair every year to keep up with fashion?

Buy N Large. Buy more crap.

Happy rubbish tips!

[Double 0 Soul]

some of you need to get off your high horses... mall companies are there to make money from the general public, not high fashion/quality. i'm not gonna shit on my friends if they ever bought timberlands cause they were affordable boots and last a long time for city trekking

I am not saying i sneer at my friends for not buying fashion/quality but Timberlands are not that cheap in the UK. If cost was an issue and you needed a "city trekking" boot for the same price as Tims you could buy Brasher, or Scarpa they would last just as long without the vulgar design statement attached.

Fashion/quality is subjective and peoples perception of what fashion is, is what is driving the market in Timberlands forward.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Double 0 Soul

[baldy]

I understand what you're saying but I just think it was harsh for you to be criticizing people that just needed a pair of cheap affordable boots and honestly don't care about being fashionable at all.

[Double 0 Soul]

I understand what you're saying but I just think it was harsh for you to be criticizing people that just needed a pair of cheap affordable boots and honestly don't care about being fashionable at all.

The people who buy the boots i posted earlier are not buying them because they are the cheapest option available (there not) and that they are all they can afford.

I belive they do actually care about the garb they are wearing. I am criticizing appalling choise in footware, bad taste and peoples warped perception of what fashion/style is.

If the people i am describing wore Trickers i am sure they would be suitably berated by there tracksuit wearing freinds.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Double 0 Soul

[denimjunky]

Common perception nowadays is that a pair of boots should cost no more than roundabout 100-200$.

You tell other people you buy boots for 400$-and above and they just shrug.

People are used to that price idea and the idea that they wont last more than 1 season to be thrown away.

Things were very different if you go back no further than the 40s.

You bought a pair of boots that might have costed half a years salary as an important investment and those had to last for long. It was important that repair/rebuild would be standardized (think goodyear welt) and cobblers common practice.

Boot manufacturing since then has changed a lot along with todays production crazed up society. Now its on a whole other scale and to satisfy production/consumption rates, things shouldnt last too long. Let alone be repaired, god forbid.

Edited December 19, 2012 by denimjunky

[Crat]

Also now there are 'designer' boots at the same price as the 'quality' boots (or even more) which might confuse those setting their first steps into proper shoe/boot world.

"Wow, I got these $500 Dsquared boots; should last me a decade"

A year later

"I'm never buying expensive boots again !!! :'("

[rayw44]

Common perception nowadays is that a pair of boots should cost no more than roundabout 100-200$.

You tell other people you buy boots for 400$-and above and they just shrug.

People are used to that price idea and the idea that they wont last more than 1 season to be thrown away.

Things were very different if you go back no further than the 40s.

You bought a pair of boots that might have costed half a years salary as an important investment and those had to last for long. It was important that repair/rebuild would be standardized (think goodyear welt) and cobblers common practice.

Boot manufacturing since then has changed a lot along with todays production crazed up society. Now its on a whole other scale and to satisfy production/consumption rates, things shouldnt last too long. Let alone be repaired, god forbid.

I think this may be a bit off. Average salaries in the US in 1940 were over $1,000, and boots from Chippewa, Red Wing, etc., all of which fit the category of quality you are referring to from that era (i.e. brands that were incredibly well made, so much so that pairs from that era are still in wearable shape today) only cost $20 for even the most expensive pairs. Many were as little as $15 even into the 1950s.

In other words, good point, but the relative price for quality footwear may have actually gone down relative to income from that period to today. For instance, $20 from a $1,000 salary is 2% of a person's yearly salary. Compare that to a pair of White's for $500 (if you got some extra details), from the average salary of $47,000 today, and that is only 1% of a person's salary.

When I looked into this I fully expected the numbers to support the idea that quality boots are now proportionately more expensivem but that doesn't seem to be the case. Kind of cherry picking the numbers, but still interesting to think about.

[denimjunky]

I think this may be a bit off.

In other words, good point, but the relative price for quality footwear may have actually gone down relative to income from that period to today. For instance, $20 from a $1,000 salary is 2% of a person's yearly salary. Compare that to a pair of White's for $500 (if you got some extra details), from the average salary of $47,000 today, and that is only 1% of a person's salary.

When I looked into this I fully expected the numbers to support the idea that quality boots are now proportionately more expensivem but that doesn't seem to be the case. Kind of cherry picking the numbers, but still interesting to think about.

Exactly, thats what I was aiming at too. That back in the days quality boots were even more expensive than today. More of an investment. (Of course maybe not half a years salary, I was shooting from the waist). Thanks for a more accurate point and I agree this is an interesting perspective.

And they certainly wouldnt buy 6 pairs of them like we do

A very good sum up of how the world economy has evolved since the industrial revolution on a lot more broader note than just boot production:

Edited December 20, 2012 by denimjunky

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Cold Summer]

I've never liked Timberland and don't get the whole "work boot" thing in general. That guy wearing Timberlands with a dressy outfit looks freaking retarded.

I kind of recoiled in dread when I realized that lots of people lump in Red Wing moc toe boots in there, too. I got my Red Wings because I associated them with Japanese motorcycle style.

[PeterParker]

I'm also considering a full switch to White's, so I have a pair of Bounty Hunters on the way to see how the White's arch works for me.

Can anybody who owns an Alden boot and the White's semi dress speak to the relative shaft height? Is it about the same?

I posted this picture a while back of my BH and Alden's. I think it's safe to say that the Semidress are pretty much the same height as your standard Alden boots - 5 inches. The BH are about an inch taller.

On the topic of BH and SD, I find the 6" BH quite effective as a general purpose work boot. Not sure if the SD come with false tongues, but the BH do and these help to prevent premature wear on the actual tongue due to friction from the laces. The gaited tongue (not sure if this is the term, but the tongue on the BH is stitched all the way up the uppers) prevents debris from getting into the boots, while providing more cushioning when folded over. While only 1" higher, the extra shaft height does provide more protection and support around the ankles.

Lately I've been employing the BH for field work and I'm glad I opted for these over the SD. Other than comfort and more robust materials and construction, I don't imagine that the SD offer much more functionality than Aldens as workboots.