30's~40's Work Boots

[Doublegun]

My new Baker (Whites) Travelers arrived this afternoon. WOW! They feel terrific and look pretty damn snappy, as well. Brown, cap-toe, antique brass eyelets, vibram sole. Oh, so very nice and well worth the 4-week wait. Unfortunately, every shoe and boot will be compared to these and fount wanting.

 

[mike]

My new Baker (Whites) Travelers arrived this afternoon. WOW! They feel terrific and look pretty damn snappy, as well. Brown, cap-toe, antique brass eyelets, vibram sole. Oh, so very nice and well worth the 4-week wait. Unfortunately, every shoe and boot will be compared to these and fount wanting.

Sounds terrific! Let's see some pictures! How is the fit?

 

[Doublegun]

I'll get some pictures up later this week but the fit is perfect. Great arch support - very comfortable. They feel like they were made for my feet.

 

[blethook]

Got my White's Semi Dress today....

So...after a long wait (over 1 month) I finally got my White's Semi-Dress (smooth brown leather, with brass eyelets & Vibram 700 outersoles).

I haven't tried them outside of the house...but I have to say they feel VERY comfortable & smooth on the feet... They're not as narrow as the Red Wing GT, or the Iron Rangers, and the leather feels softer (& not as thick and stiff, it would appear)

I need to give them the real-life tests, like driving & walking around on concrete, etc. to see if they are really comfortable. I'll be sure to wear them next time I go to London (usually spend hours walking each day, whenever I go to London).

My only "complaint" so far is that the laces provided don't seem to be as sturdy as the boots.

I wonder if this is because they consider these to be "dress" boots...[huh]

Here are some initial (brand spanking new) pictures:

 

[Doublegun]

I have the same laces on my new Travelers and I agree - they just don't seem right for the boot, but I am not sure what alternatives there would be.

Your description of the boots is spot on. I have spent most of the past 3-days wearing my Travelers on concerete, asphault, frozen ground and while driving and I find them as comfortable as any shoe I have ever owned. No real "break-in" like there was with my RW IR's.

 

[Creeping Past]

So...after a long wait (over 1 month) I finally got my White's Semi-Dress (smooth brown leather, with brass eyelets & Vibram 700 outersoles).

They look great. May I ask, did you get stung for customs? And may I also ask where you got them from?

I'm that close to getting a pair.

I finally gave up on Red Wings after trying on a pair of Iron Rangers and inspecting a pair of engineer boots: far too narrow for (my) human feet. I guess we just don't get the range of widths the US does.

 

[blethook]

I have the same laces on my new Travelers and I agree - they just don't seem right for the boot, but I am not sure what alternatives there would be.QUOTE]


I'm now using NOS WWII boot laces. They're flat like the ones that came with the boots but wider & thicker - better suited for the large eyelets on the boots. Plus they're not as long, so even better!

The only thing is the laces are in light brown colour, in contrast with the dark brown boots...

 

[blethook]

They look great. May I ask, did you get stung for customs? And may I also ask where you got them from?

I'm that close to getting a pair.

I finally gave up on Red Wings after trying on a pair of Iron Rangers and inspecting a pair of engineer boots: far too narrow for (my) human feet. I guess we just don't get the range of widths the US does.

Hi,
I tried sending you PM but you're set up not to receive PM.

To be brief: Got it from linegear.com. I didn't get hit by customs because a friend in NV actually sent them to me (declared as gift, etc.) My estimate on the customs would've been £60-£70.

Also check out *bay for seller: whitesriver. They regularly auction White's boots and are willing to work with you re customs fee, etc.

 

[Creeping Past]

Hi,
I tried sending you PM but you're set up not to receive PM.

To be brief: Got it from linegear.com. I didn't get hit by customs because a friend in NV actually sent them to me (declared as gift, etc.) My estimate on the customs would've been £60-£70.

Also check out *bay for seller: whitesriver. They regularly auction White's boots and are willing to work with you re customs fee, etc.

Thanks very much. More than keen now.

I've taken myself off PMs for a while, as I'm busy and trying to avoid all unnecessary distractions...

 

[AEH]

Thorogood for Epaulet

Does anybody have any experience with these boots?

http://www.epauletshop.com/servlet/the-343/Thorogood-for-Epaulet-Horsehide/Detail

I kind of like the idea of horsehide boots to go with my Aeroleather horsehide jackets , but I am not sure about the wedge sole. I suppose it is comfortable, but does it look right? [huh]

These boots are unlined (e-mail from Epaulet). It makes me think that you will need thick socks to avoid abrasion (or something like that, I don't have a better English word, but I suppose you see my point. And why don't you all speak Norwegian? ). Any opinions of lined vs unlined working boots?

 

[Creeping Past]

Does anybody have any experience with these boots?

http://www.epauletshop.com/servlet/the-343/Thorogood-for-Epaulet-Horsehide/Detail

I kind of like the idea of horsehide boots to go with my Aeroleather horsehide jackets , but I am not sure about the wedge sole. I suppose it is comfortable, but does it look right? [huh]

These boots are unlined (e-mail from Epaulet). It makes me think that you will need thick socks to avoid abrasion (or something like that, I don't have a better English word, but I suppose you see my point. And why don't you all speak Norwegian? ). Any opinions of lined vs unlined working boots?

Abrasion is a very good word! Unlined? I'd wear two pairs of socks, one thick and one thin, to prevent rubbing.

I don't like that sort of sole. The soles on many of the Red Wing boots currently being sold in the UK are like this. It's a fashion trend.

 

[mike]

VERY nice!!! So how do you guys feel about the full Vibram sole versus the half sole? I find that the full sole creates a slightly higher stacked heel which I don't find as comfortable as the lower height heel. I was thinking of having them altered to half Vibram soles by White's.... Any o'pinions?

 

[Lexybeast]

]

Mmm. You've got me wanting more White's. :rage:

 

[blethook]

VERY nice!!! So how do you guys feel about the full Vibram sole versus the half sole? I find that the full sole creates a slightly higher stacked heel which I don't find as comfortable as the lower height heel. I was thinking of having them altered to half Vibram soles by White's.... Any o'pinions?

Hi, thanks.

I think half-sole would be nice, as well. It would be like the RW GT.

If you think about it, the area of outer soles near the heels hardly ever comes into contact with anything when you're walking, etc. So, in a sense having full outer soles is somewhat pointless for these boots.

The semi-dress shaft height is 5" (vs. GT's 5.5") but when the two are put side by side, they have the same total height thanks to the taller heels on the semi-dress.

 

[blethook]

I have the same laces on my new Travelers and I agree - they just don't seem right for the boot, but I am not sure what alternatives there would be.

Doublegun, here's what I use now on my semi-dress (NOS WWII boot laces)...

Notice how the (rusty & very brittle) original metal aglets have now been replaced by (electrical) shrink tubes lol

 

[Doublegun]

Three weeks in my Baker Travelers and they have become my favorite shoes/boots. Extremely comfortable, virtually no break in required, had a shine last week and they look like new again.

I really like my IR's but anyone considering Red Wings, my advice is to save your money. The Bakers are worth every penny.

 

[South]

Doublegun, here's what I use now on my semi-dress (NOS WWII boot laces)...

Notice how the (rusty & very brittle) original metal aglets have now been replaced by (electrical) shrink tubes

Where can those NOS WWII laces be found? Are they available in the US?

The electrical shrink tubing is a smart idea.

Thanks.

 

[FinalVestige79]

At The Front has 'em, Hayes Outoupalik sells them in bulk...Hayes has some amazing stuff by the way.

 

[blethook]

Where can those NOS WWII laces be found? Are they available in the US?

The electrical shrink tubing is a smart idea.

Thanks.

Hi, there are some being sold on ebay at the moment. Use "WWII shoe laces" as keyword when searching.

 

[blethook]

Three weeks in my Baker Travelers and they have become my favorite shoes/boots. Extremely comfortable, virtually no break in required, had a shine last week and they look like new again.

I really like my IR's but anyone considering Red Wings, my advice is to save your money. The Bakers are worth every penny.

I have to agree they're very comfortable...but it wasn't pain-free for me, unfortunately. Nothing serious. No blister, or anything like that. In fact in terms of breaking in boots, my semi-dress requires minimum effort so far. The experience of wearing high(er) heeled boots is new to me, and I must say I like it. The rather thick soles and heels seem to dampen the impacts during walking a lot better.

I like my Iron Rangers, too. I think they're different boots to start with, so not sure if the two should be compared with each other.