Engineer Boots, Harness Boots...

[bretron]

Welcome to the club! Nice review bro. Another great modestly priced option...

And just think how fantastic these would look with a woodsman heel.

 

[1911 Man]

Ok, for those that ride motorcycles, I have to ask: Would a half sole like those pictured here provide enough traction for day to day riding on a heavy bike (Harley Road King)? I would love some boots like these, but wonder if I need the full Vibram treaded sole or if this is just as good.

 

[1911 Man]

Sorry for the double post, it didn't copy the pic I wanted. These are the half soles I was referring to.

Ok, here are some pics of the new White's Nomads! It only took me three pairs to get to the classic black color. These are pretty much built to my "signature" specs - round toe (no option on White's anyhow), double midsoles, and Vibram Composition Half soles. Since White's uses a thinner Quabaug heel, I took a leap of faith this time and ordered the boots with an extra heel lift. This added an entire 1/4 inch to the height of the heel. I would probably have been happier with 1/8" extra, but I'm going to give it a chance. The heel did end up being the same height as the heel on the standard Nomads with Vibram 100 lug soles, so it should be manageable. Otherwise, they are just what I expected. The standard black smooth leather is very nice, and the build quality is superb as always.

I think the pics describe them better than I can, so here you go! I included some heel height comparison pics for reference.

 

[jimmer_5]

Ok, for those that ride motorcycles, I have to ask: Would a half sole like those pictured here provide enough traction for day to day riding on a heavy bike (Harley Road King)? I would love some boots like these, but wonder if I need the full Vibram treaded sole or if this is just as good.

It depends - do you have pegs or floorboards on your Road King? I imagine pegs would be a little hard on the exposed leather, but floorboards would be fine.

The larger issue is grip - I prefer a bit more tread for safety's sake, but lots of people like a smoother sole and seem to do fine with it. The composition half soles wear smooth faster than other Vibram soles. A mini-lug sole might be a good compromise.

In some kind of perverse irony, I have one or two old pairs of boots that I wear when riding my motorcycle. My nice engineer boots are mainly for walking and wearing to work on a daily basis - they never get worn on the motorcyles anymore.

 

[jimmer_5]

I'd like to ask your opinion on some boots I'm considering.

I want to order some White's Nomads in black CXL, soft toe, brown edge treatment, double midsole and Vibram 700 1/2 half soles with a 1/4" heel lift. The Mister Freedom Road Champ is my inspiration.

A couple questions - my thought is to go after a more 30/40s style with the soft toe. I suppose it would be more accurate to just have leather soles but I want the functionality of rubber outsoles. Any "authenticity" problems here? Also, I'm very indecisive about whether to bother with Cat's Paws. I think they are really cool, but who the heck ever sees the bottom of your boots? It could also be a pain down the road when it comes time to resole. I'm buying the boots to wear, so a big part of me thinks to go with modern Vibram.

Thanks in advance.

It just occurred to me that your proposed build will look almost exactly like mine - except for the brown edges and the soft toe. See the pictures in the quote above ^^^^^^

Mine are black with double midsoles, Vibram half soles/Quabaug heel, one added lift (1/4"). I would pass on the 1/4" lift next time - I don't hate it, but it was a bit taller than I like. It is more vintage authentic in height however, and the full leather heel looks AWESOME.

I also wonder if you could ask for what White's calls a "close trim" - they cut the welt closer to the boot to make the sole profile narrower. This is an option on Semi-Dress, but I have nver heard of it being done to Smoke Jumpers or Nomads. It might lend a bit more vintage character to the build.

 

[jimmer_5]

I'm a pretty standard 10.5 D and wear size 10 in Wolverine 1000 and RW Beckman. I bought these in size 10 and they fit fine. I put a thin Dr. Scholl's insole pad - the cheapie type to take up a little extra room. I wore them yesterday for the first time for about 7-8 hours. They were comfortable, but started to rub a bit on the inside of my heels by the end of the day. I don't think it will be an issue as they aren't even broken in yet. Not sure how I feel about the top of the boot. I may punch another hole to allow me to tighten them up a bit. I've never worn engineers, but have worn cowboy boots and these are similar. The top seems loose, but the foot fits well, so they don't feel loose. I'm not sure if most people actually loosen the top buckle, put them on, them tighten that top buckle - or just slide them on. I guess I would like a smaller diameter shaft, but I'm not sure if that would keep me from putting them on easily. The leather seems thick and very nice - easily as nice as my Wolverine 1000's, although I can't imagine it compares to Wescos from a thickness standpoint. As a matter of fact, they remind quite a bit of the Wolverine 1000's. They are a little beefier, but not much. I'm not an Engineer, a biker, or a lumberjack - so I didn't need some diesel 4-wheel drive boot. I intend to wear them quite a bit, but I'm pretty easy on my shoes/boots. After a bit of wear, I'll decide if I want to upgrade to something much nicer. My overall impression is that they are pretty damn nice, but I wish the shaft was a little slimmer.

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Grayland, those look really nice! When Frye does it right, they do a very nice job. Yours look like an instance where they did a great job. I think you could have done much worse "dipping your toe" into the Engineer boot market.

By the way, how is the toe profile when seen from above - narrow, round, or in-between?

Just what I need - another pair to want....

 

[Grayland]

Grayland, those look really nice! When Frye does it right, they do a very nice job. Yours look like an instance where they did a great job. I think you could have done much worse "dipping your toe" into the Engineer boot market.

By the way, how is the toe profile when seen from above - narrow, round, or in-between?


Just what I need - another pair to want....

They are fairly streamlined from above - not real big and bulbous. I'll take a few shots and post tomorrow comparing the Fryes to Wolverine 1000s and Whites Semi-Dress.

 

[Grayland]

Here are a few pics to show the shape of the toe. The Frye is in the middle of both pics. The other boots are: Wolverine 1000 and White's Semi-Dress (easily identified by the double stitching)

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[Boyo]

Gray land, nice pick up, the Fryes are a good looking boot! and a nice change of pace from the lace-ups. Question..are the Whites the same size as the others? (10D)

 

[Grayland]

Gray land, nice pick up, the Fryes are a good looking boot! and a nice change of pace from the lace-ups. Question..are the Whites the same size of the others? (10D)

Thanks and yes, all of the boots are size 10.

 

[kyboots]

For the bike I prefer the full Vibram 100 sole. I also think that sole is the most comfortable to walk in. ( don't forget comfort for those all day boots). For most times my other boots hardly ever see rain. They are just for me to look pretty in!

 

[Sloan1874]

This popped up on my FB page. Look damn warm: http://instagram.com/p/k9FfGTrh7P/

 

[univibe88]

It just occurred to me that your proposed build will look almost exactly like mine - except for the brown edges and the soft toe. See the pictures in the quote above ^^^^^^

Mine are black with double midsoles, Vibram half soles/Quabaug heel, one added lift (1/4"). I would pass on the 1/4" lift next time - I don't hate it, but it was a bit taller than I like. It is more vintage authentic in height however, and the full leather heel looks AWESOME.

I also wonder if you could ask for what White's calls a "close trim" - they cut the welt closer to the boot to make the sole profile narrower. This is an option on Semi-Dress, but I have nver heard of it being done to Smoke Jumpers or Nomads. It might lend a bit more vintage character to the build.

Yes, your pics were HIGHLY influential

 

[BrianTheBootmaker]

Santa Rosa Engineer Boots Resole By Role Club

 

[Grayland]

Santa Rosa Engineer Boots Resole By Role Club

Damn!:eusa_clap

 

[handymike]

Anyone ever heard of Buttero?
I bought an old pair off of eBay yesterday, and was wondering if they might be any good? The buckle configuration is interesting...

 

[BrianTheBootmaker]

Chippewa 97863 converted to 40's Style By Role Club

 

[jimmer_5]

Brian - those look great! What is the best way to contact you? I would like to discuss some derails about getting a resole done.

 

[Maxwedge 413]

Santa Rosa Engineer Boots Resole By Role Club

These soles (beautiful job, by the way) look to be either 705's or cut-down 700's, but I've never seen either with a yellow plug. Is this a new, or an old version of the sole? Also, is it true (as the Big Black Boots webstore says) that the 700 sole is now only available in brown color? Thanks for any replies, newbie to the site.

 

[BrianTheBootmaker]

Brian - those look great! What is the best way to contact you? I would like to discuss some derails about getting a resole done.

I received your message but your email doesn't work when I try to reply. Do you have another email?

Durango Boots Resole with Dr. Sole Raw Cord Full Soles By Role Club