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Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.


cmboland

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Yeah, I like my 875s.  Soles are junk, but they make a nice casual boot and I like moc-toes.  If I was at the beginning of my dog's hunting career rather than closing in on the end, I'd consider getting a pair of 10877s and getting them resoled with a more aggressive tread.  

What I've always found amusing is guys dropping $500 to $1200 on a pair of boots so they can look like a tough brute man while they're sitting at their desk at work.  They're not working construction, welding, or running a factory press. They don't farm, they don't log, they don't hunt, they don't ride a motorcycle, they may not even have a yard to take care of, but they have an expensive pair of custom boots that they hope makes them look like they do.   

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@setterman I would find it similar stupid though to buy 500-1200$ boots just to wreck them in a couple of months :D

My most expensive boots are my Truman boots which may be work boots but I find their aesthetic a little more dressy so that I wear them around as my good boots. But then I mostly wear Vans and Cons.

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Before I got my first pair of Vibergs I was unsure too if there was any sense paying double for them than for a pair of Red Wings. But once I got I had no doubts anymore. The quality and thickness of the leather compared to my Beckmans was so obvious. The leather on my Beckmans got wrinkles in the toe box after just a couple of wears even though the sizing is spot on. There is no wrinkling on Vibergs even though I've worn them probably ten times more. And don't get me started on the craftmanship, the great lasts that are very different from each other. I know many don't like the 2030 last but boots in that last fit my feet like socks. And of course there is a kind of satisfaction that you probably won't see anyone else sporting them. I know it's probably elitistic, but there it is.

Edited by mrman
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I have a pair of vibergs and I love them, but for day to day wear they are too "nice" for what I put them through. I use them for going out in the evening or weekends. I do have to say they look just as good as when I got them 2.5 years ago, although they do not get anywhere near as much wear as my normal boots.

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25 minutes ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

@setterman I would find it similar stupid though to buy 500-1200$ boots just to wreck them in a couple of months :D

 

Oh, I don't think they'd be wrecked in a couple months.  If you're doing the kind of work that for example requires a boot like Wesco, they're probably a good investment.  But, odds are if you're hanging around here you're probably not doing the type of work that requires a boot like that, and you're just playing dress up in some expensive footwear.  And if you like them, or their style or how they fit, that's fine.  I'm just tired of this idea that stuff has to cost an astronomical amount or it's not worth a damn.   

 

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1 hour ago, setterman said:

What I've always found amusing is guys dropping $500 to $1200 on a pair of boots so they can look like a tough brute man while they're sitting at their desk at work.  They're not working construction, welding, or running a factory press. They don't farm, they don't log, they don't hunt, they don't ride a motorcycle, they may not even have a yard to take care of, but they have an expensive pair of custom boots that they hope makes them look like they do.   

I do this. And why not? It amuses me. 

 

It's like any other hobby, why does this guy need 50 different knives, or why does that guy insist on driving a specific model of vintage car? 

No logical reason is required. It's a hobby. What's $1k for a hobby, or $10k for that matter, if one could afford it? Very affordable compared with other hobbies like watch collecting, etc. 

Edited by mikecch
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4 hours ago, setterman said:

Yeah, I like my 875s.  Soles are junk, but they make a nice casual boot and I like moc-toes.  If I was at the beginning of my dog's hunting career rather than closing in on the end, I'd consider getting a pair of 10877s and getting them resoled with a more aggressive tread.  

What I've always found amusing is guys dropping $500 to $1200 on a pair of boots so they can look like a tough brute man while they're sitting at their desk at work.  They're not working construction, welding, or running a factory press. They don't farm, they don't log, they don't hunt, they don't ride a motorcycle, they may not even have a yard to take care of, but they have an expensive pair of custom boots that they hope makes them look like they do.   

I have one of those types of jobs you mentioned and I just wear Thorogoods because 1) I have to wear steel toes and 2) They're only going to last 1-1.5yrs anyways due to the nature of the work. I wouldn't feel comfortable beating up a pair of boots that I spent $500+ on but I'm not sure there are many out there that also have steel toes. 

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10 hours ago, setterman said:

Yeah, I like my 875s.  Soles are junk, but they make a nice casual boot and I like moc-toes.  If I was at the beginning of my dog's hunting career rather than closing in on the end, I'd consider getting a pair of 10877s and getting them resoled with a more aggressive tread.  

What I've always found amusing is guys dropping $500 to $1200 on a pair of boots so they can look like a tough brute man while they're sitting at their desk at work.  They're not working construction, welding, or running a factory press. They don't farm, they don't log, they don't hunt, they don't ride a motorcycle, they may not even have a yard to take care of, but they have an expensive pair of custom boots that they hope makes them look like they do.   

 

I do agree with some points but $500-$1200 boots are sometimes to pretty and to exotic for that kind of labour anyway and we all here mostly for the same reasons, curiosity for the materials it used, built and aesthetic ofcourse. I just think some peoples do take it too mainstream and "annoyed" us in some view if that make any sense.

 

Edited by jigsaw
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@Cold Summer

Having left this forum for a few years and coming back, I can definitely see many of you guys having transformed senses of style. 

I think most of the old timers here have been through many of the 'archetypes', whether it's repro denim, repro military, biker, early century workwear/Western or whatever. Most of us seem to have ended up in a place similar to you Kyle in terms of wearing things that are interesting to us but also practical at the same time. I guess we are particular about the garments we wear, but most of us don't have a community in real life that encourages 'uniforms' or strict styles, unlike, say, some places in Japan.

My point had been that clothing, as a personal interest, isn't usually just tied to practicality. Some goods and some styles speak to us personally, and I don't think one necessarily needs to be a worker to wear 'workboots'. A conversation regarding gentrification of workwear would be interesting, but at least 10 years too late. 

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On 20/03/2017 at 9:49 PM, Cold Summer said:

Was ~2010 really peak raw denim?

I started wearing raw denim around then, and I was the only one I knew in the US. At all. Absolutely nobody else I ever ran into in Atlanta had even heard of it. I might've seen someone wearing Nudie at my college in my final semester around that time. Once. 

This board seemed to reach its peak activity between 2005-2009 or so, but since then the number of people actually familiar with raw denim in my area has absolutely exploded. I can count on one hand the number of guys who are real fanatics of the degree that they'd post on forums, but I now know lots of guys who have a mild/moderate interest in it, and there are tons and tons of stores (back in 2010 there was Self Edge, Blue In Green, and maybe one or two others like Context.) It's really hard for me to believe that 2010 or so was really the height of public awareness/trendiness.

Also, I completely zone out when the discussion goes to food/alcohol/etc. This is basically why I never read/post on threads like What Are Your Jeans Doing Today.

nudie was a 'gateway' for alot of people such as me. it was particularly huge in the hardcore (music) scene in the mid 00s where every second dude wore either thin finns or slim jims. i owned my first pair in 2007, and i only remember because at that time it was by far the most expensive piece of clothing i had ever bought. when i first visited japan in 2008 i knew what selvage was, although it wasn't until 2010 when i decided to try it out with a pair of momotaro which coincided with the then recent opening of right hand distribution in adelaide.

edit: prior to nudies, diesel zathans were the jean of choice. thanks wes hahaha.

edit 2: ironically the only compliment i ever received on my nudies was from a random older japanese dude in my hotel who said "nudies? beautiful, beautiful jeans". he was wearing a really wide repro cut, presumably canes but back then i would have no idea.

Edited by conqueror
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Speaking of the 'big' brands on ig, first it was RgT and 3sixteen, then Freenote, after that a short stint of Kato, now it's Shockoe and some have already moved on to Houseofoneculture. Personally I'm interested in the first two and Freenote isn't bad either. But the rest...

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One Culture? Wow, I haven't heard that name in forever. I remember them being one of the original small brands back from the MyNudies days in 2010 or so. Had no idea that brand was still around.

I got into raw denim through Nudie as well, actually thanks to Australian guys who I met while an exchange student in Japan. They introduced me to the concept of raw denim and I was immediately fascinated.

 

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15 hours ago, kevypf597 said:

I have one of those types of jobs you mentioned and I just wear Thorogoods because 1) I have to wear steel toes and 2) They're only going to last 1-1.5yrs anyways due to the nature of the work. I wouldn't feel comfortable beating up a pair of boots that I spent $500+ on but I'm not sure there are many out there that also have steel toes. 

Agreed. I have a pair of Thorogoods which I hardly wear, but should probably use them since I do have a part-time gig doing receiving in a warehouse. I sure as hell won't wear my Indy's though....those are strictly for casual wear.

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18 hours ago, mrman said:

I get what you mean but you could also argue that how many desk jockeys need a pair of >300$ jeans or should they settle for a pair of Uniqlo.

You could also add, how many guys need a $300 IH flannel? A lot of denim or clothing enthusiasts care about provenance and the quality of their clothes. Do I have to be a lumberjack to wear an IH flannel or must I wear a sh*tty Kohls flannel to get me through harsh midwest winters? If people can afford $1200 boots or whatever then who cares? I think the downside to this hobby is we spend way too much time criticizing what people wear rather than commending them on how they're wearing it, myself included.

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18 hours ago, mrman said:

I get what you mean but you could also argue that how many desk jockeys need a pair of >300$ jeans or should they settle for a pair of Uniqlo.

 

Who spends $300 on jeans anymore?  Isn't most stuff below $240 now?   ;) 

I guess my point is there's boots for actually doing things, and then there's dress boots.  My Red Wings are my "do anything boot" where they fill multiple roles and I'm not worried about mud, dirt, water, and shit.  I'd think most Viberg owners are going to be a bit more careful (rightfully so) with their investment.  So whether you're the newbie guy in RW talking out your ass about them, or the guy with the high end customs that still look brand new after 2 years, to compare a $260 boot you're going to wear the heck out of vs a $700 one you're going to pamper isn't really fair or logical.  They're two different things. 

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Yesterday, I bumped into a guy at work who seemed very new to raw denim as he was explaining to me about the 3sixteen jeans he was wearing that he just hand washes and doesn't wash for a long time based on what he heard (his was still raw).   He did bring up Uniqlo too. I had to tell him about different brands from Japan and how to use Rakuten/Denimio etc, and it blew his mind.

I didn't get to tell him about Sufu, but hopefully he finds out about here soon or  at least begins using Rakuten to his advantage.

Each one teach one I guess.

Edited by mlwdp
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35 minutes ago, setterman said:

 

Who spends $300 on jeans anymore?  Isn't most stuff below $240 now?   ;) 

I guess my point is there's boots for actually doing things, and then there's dress boots.  My Red Wings are my "do anything boot" where they fill multiple roles and I'm not worried about mud, dirt, water, and shit.  I'd think most Viberg owners are going to be a bit more careful (rightfully so) with their investment.  So whether you're the newbie guy in RW talking out your ass about them, or the guy with the high end customs that still look brand new after 2 years, to compare a $260 boot you're going to wear the heck out of vs a $700 one you're going to pamper isn't really fair or logical.  They're two different things. 

Rightfully so? Why should you baby Vibergs? You seem to have a misconception that they're going to break if you subject them to the same kind of treatment than a pair of RWs. Well, my pairs are - not - dress boots. My aim is not to deliberately trash them like some but I'm not pampering them either, I just wear them hard and let them develop patina naturally. I've worn my pairs while hiking Mount Etna, shoveling snow, chopping wood at the cabin etc, they've been covered in volcanic ash and mud. If someone chooses to pamper their pair of Vibergs it's up to them, of course. But my point is, they can take a tremendous amount of punishment (I suspect more than RWs) without a problem and still look good because of the craftmanship and excellent quality of leather.

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Setterman might be talking about Viberg's dressier boots. At this point they range quite a bit from dressier ones (leather soles, kip lining, more eyelets, fancier leathers like calfskin, etc.) to the more rugged classic models like CXL or waxed flesh service boots.

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22 hours ago, setterman said:

What I've always found amusing is guys dropping $500 to $1200 on a pair of boots so they can look like a tough brute man while they're sitting at their desk at work.  They're not working construction, welding, or running a factory press. They don't farm, they don't log, they don't hunt, they don't ride a motorcycle, they may not even have a yard to take care of, but they have an expensive pair of custom boots that they hope makes them look like they do.   

^Maybe, just got a different impression from the quote above.

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23 hours ago, dudewuttheheck said:

I'm going to sound like a douche-tacular, snobbish prick when I say this, but I don't care because it's really how I feel: To me, Red Wing is just 'baby's first pair of boots.' I've seen too many dudes in Gustin jeans and Red Wing boots bragging about how amazing they are because they don't know any better. They're good enough to get the job done, but if you're paying full price, you may as well by Wescos or Whites. 

 

I generally associate people who espouse the greatness of Red Wings with the people who praise Gustin and N&F. They just haven't been enlightened yet. It actually pains me when I see a really good pair of jeans worn with them. It's not just the mediocre quality and played out nature of them, it's also the fact that they're just all plain ugly.

that's a fairly broad generalization you're painting there aren't you? I used to like Gustin and have 4 pairs of their jeans....same with N&F. They're a low cost alternative for people who aren't quite willing, or don't see the appeal in spending $220+ on a single pair of raw denim. Quality is subjective and while I do have expensive denim in my closet (like Strike Gold & 3sixteen) I no longer find it appealing to drop 3 bills on a pair of denim because of how slubby they are or which denim mill made the fabric. If the fit sucks then what's the point? Same goes for footwear. I don't own any RW boots but I wouldn't rule out buying a pair if it were on sale. I have a pair of Indy's that I never wear and kinda like Viberg and Truman, but their silhouettes are weird, so that saves me an easy $700.

I've seen pics of dudes wearing an IH flannel and IH jeans but a sh*tty pair of $80 boots. My first thought is, why would someone go through the expense of paying over $600 for a flannel shirt and jeans but skimp on footwear? At the end of the day jeans are jeans and I no longer care about these types of inconsistencies. They're made out of cotton and a pair of $350 IH's will fade the same as a pair of $80 Gustins or $150 N&F. Likewise, boots are boots and they will get worn out with time.

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