Shoes that look better with age...

[Denim+]

Nothing special - 2+ year old Red Wing 2218

[konadog]

trickers from norse resoled by eddie's shoe repair

Edited January 5, 2013 by konadog

[Crat]

This thread is really starting to make me appreciate American work boots. : )

[Double 0 Soul]

^Finally!

[ThinFinn]

4Horsemen x Viberg Service Boot

[Crat]

My first pair of engineers will be coming my way soon : )

Edited January 5, 2013 by Crat

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Crat]

Yep.

[riff]

Here ya go Slab.

Russell Toe-Lace Mountain Hunters. Triple vamp, 400g Thinsulate, Claw Air Bob sole, WeatherTuff^TM leather, lined with AquaTan waterproofed leather.

Higher rez shots on my Tumblr

[Megatron1505]

I'm mulling over the idea of running a footwear contest alongside the HWDC (HWBC?), thinking of well made heavy boots and shoes, any manufacturer, any leather, 2 years.

For me, leather is the only thing that evolves as well as, if not better than, denim. With denim people worry about soaks, washes, busted crotch stitching and fade patterns, with boots it's care products, polishes, type of leather and worn out soles.

Just looking for some feedback for now, if contest aren't your thing then more power to you, if they are then let me know your thoughts. Looking for feedback on a few questions...

- Is 2 years a correct amount of time?

- Would people be interested in a competition specific boot (not that you would have to wear it)?

- Are there any types of boots, or leathers that should not be allowed?

Let me know your thoughts guys.

[Crat]

Nice idea.

imo

- 2 years is too short. Someone on this thread said my 3yo Edward Greens looked 2 weeks old. For referance; the pair below is 12yo. In my experience the better the shoe the longer it takes for them to age. I wouldn't deliberately abuse my shoes for the contest's sake.

- a specific boot seems like a nice idea but in practise it might be difficult; every participant would have to buy that boot at approx. the same time.

- All leather ages differently but i see no reason to exclude a specific type.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Crat

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Megatron1505]

Thanks Crat and HG, food for thought. I guess the 2 years depends on how often you wear, what leather and what environment for any evolution of the leather, in which case work boots are probably the better option.

The competition specific boot would have to be done by pre-order, choice of two or three leathers, and despatched in time for the contest to start. I'm figuring the set up time for contest like this would be 12 weeks minimum.

I wouldn't want to limit too much what people could wear, the variation of boots and leathers, and construction styles, along with how each contestant wears their boots would lead to the variation that we all love to see.

[Double 0 Soul]

Your going to struggle to get people to fork out/agree on a comp specific boot while maintaining a happy equilibrium, There are so many desirable boots out there that i want to buy i would not want to spend money on something that i did not truly desire just for competitions sake.

A lot of people would think "what is the point in spending £200 on X boots when i could put that £200 towards the Y boots that i love"

I like the idea, just seems like a logistical nightmare,

[Crat]

^ exactly that.

Enter your fav. Shoe/boot purchased between 01-01-13 and 01-03-13 seems more doable.

HG, do you know anything about Sarget Engineer boots? Quality, etc? Because Idon't.

[Megatron1505]

Just like the IH MBB jeans in the HWDC competition, you wouldn't have to wear the competition boots, they would just be there as an option. I know that some people like to wear the competition item, and some do not, lets cater for both if possible.

[denimjunky]

4Horsemen x Viberg Service Boot

Great stuff, Rafa!

[Double 0 Soul]

^^ Agreed they do have to be the same boots, If not it does not differ from what are posted here everyday.

You will need the UN to get any kind of agreement on what they should be.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Double 0 Soul

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Crat]

Ok, thought you might as you spotted that they are by AS. Couldn't find any info online regarding any AS engineer boots. Found them on the bay, cheap. I'll keep you guys posted. Might even use them for the contest : )

Edited January 5, 2013 by Crat

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[fre-co]

There is already a horsehide boot 'contest' going on somewhere isn't there? I don't think i has been updated for sometime though.

I have some brand new boots arriving so would be interested but I don't think I could wait 12 weeks to wear them....

[aho]

I hear natural CXL ages pretty well...

courtesy of motostyle

[ranonranonarat]

There is already a horsehide boot 'contest' going on somewhere isn't there? I don't think i has been updated for sometime though.

I have some brand new boots arriving so would be interested but I don't think I could wait 12 weeks to wear them....

you can put tape at the bottom so nobody will know!

that aside, yes there was a horsehide boot contest thread which hasn't been updated for a very long time. the problem is that with boots the wear and aging patterns usually take a way longer time to show and it is quite subjective on how to judge a pair of boots that has aged well as compared to another boot. with boots it is a lot more subjective than denim. why not create a thread to see who would register their interest before going ahead?

[zendeen]

Santalum Custom Horsehide CXL

after a bit of flooding in central Jakarta.

after cleaning

[kansas]

Those look great. What kind of speed hooks are those? Almost looks like posts or studs instead of hooks. Sorry if my terminology is wrong.

[Megatron1505]

Thanks Ranon, I'll post a thread up after giving it a little more thought. I have contacted a few boot manufacturers, so we'll see what comes back in terms of involvement or endorsement.

I take your point about judging, and I have a few ideas about people who I would like to see involved.

On the thoughts of boot evo, there are many variables to this, leather type, environment, care products etc...but the most important is actual wear. If you were to enter a pair of boots that you only wear 4 or 5 times per month then it would be fairly pointless, if you were to wear them daily then it might be a different story.

More thoughts required.....

[Crat]

^ true, which is why I probably won't be entering even thought I like the thought of a contest. I usually dont wear the same pair of shoes/boots more than twice a week.

A contest limited to a certain type of leather would be fairer but a 'free for all' might give some more interesting results.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Crat

[Megatron1505]

I like to go the "interesting" route with this

[ThinFinn]

Red Wing 8105