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Footwear to go with our jackets

Ayeteael

A-List Customer
Messages
333
Location
Atlanta
That looks so good. The double row stitchdown looks so neatly done. How did the sizing go? Congrats!

* that ostrich boot looks so textured, it's like a skinned pineapple
Thanks, it was a long 8 months! Sizing seems pretty good. I've got some heel slip but I hope it goes away as the boots break-in and flex. I sent Peng my foot tracings and I think he did a good job. The only critique I have is that I wish the shaft was a little narrower - the shaft width seems to be the one thing the Indo and Chinese makers haven't perfected yet. Otherwise, I love everything about these tanks.
 

Psant25

One Too Many
Messages
1,607
New stock mr lou pretty tempting. Anyone have this leather? Wondering if for the bike and wet weather I should get standard black oil tan or cxl. I think this is veg tan. Or $200 more get some Lofgren engineer boots in black cxl.
5F86232F-1D9D-4EAC-B281-D56E9757E7A2.png
 

Jin431

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,912
Location
Bay Area CA
New stock mr lou pretty tempting. Anyone have this leather? Wondering if for the bike and wet weather I should get standard black oil tan or cxl. I think this is veg tan. Or $200 more get some Lofgren engineer boots in black cxl.
View attachment 336402

I have it, it's my favorite black leather. @Ayeteael just got one too. This horse butt leather is pretty robust and can take a beating (took the service boots on hikes and they are pretty comfy and no real break in reqd), it doesn't rain much where i live so not sure how it will fair but I feel it can handle the abuse
 

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Psant25

One Too Many
Messages
1,607
I have it, it's my favorite black leather. @Ayeteael just got one too. This horse butt leather is pretty robust and can take a beating (took the service boots on hikes and they are pretty comfy and no real break in reqd), it doesn't rain much where i live so not sure how it will fair but I feel it can handle the abuse
Ok thanks man
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,403
@andyone you won the Tobacco badalassi grain lottery, that looks fantastic


@dudewuttheheck what is your take on how the Japanese boot maker ol shanks boot regarding their engineers?
The boots are made by Brass so the quality should be good. I don't know if they do everything exactly the same way as with their own boots, however. Personally, I don't love the design. If it were me, I would just buy the classic narrow last engineers from Clinch which I think look vastly superior.
 

Pandemic

One Too Many
Messages
1,503
Location
In The Flat Field
Looking for a little advice, folks:

I got these Wesco's last year. They are comfortable and look pretty cool on. Even the cat approves. I'm aware that normal people see them looking straight down and see pretty much this:

But there are a couple of small complaints I have that keep nagging me from the back of my head - usually only really noticeable from ant's eye view. Firstly, the packer/woodsman heel curve is fairly slight - I think it would look nicer with a stronger curve Not full-on Cuban, but it about a half inch of heel removed from the back base would do it. Secondly, I ordered a Boss toe on advice from Baker's because I have wide feet (EEE). They said the MP and Morrison can't be made in that width. What I received are the old style 'bump toes'. Pretty bulbous when see from the passed-out drunk perspective of ground-level. Comfortable with the extra wiggle room though. I have thought about seeing if they could remove the celastic in the toe and make these natural.

CE6F53CD-EB06-4D04-8D03-2D0C5519081A.jpeg
10A79CD3-0EFB-42F2-AB4D-71E5869730A3.jpeg


So ... am I over thinking details and just need to stop seeing thinks from the ground perspective? I'm sure I could get a local cobbler to re-do the heel angle, but removing the toe celastic sounds like something I should get Bakers or Wesco to do, right?

With my wide-feet, I know I will never get the sleekness of Clinch or Loffgren boots.

What would you do?
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,403
You're not overthinking it. I agree that the woodsman heel there is not curved enough. My favorite woodsman heels all have more curve than that.

In addition, I would think the toe would look better if it was lower so I would get the classic removed if I were in your position. It's up to you of course.

A quick correction though- a packer heel is straight angled in like a cuban heel, so saying woodsman/packer heel is inaccurate. I believe you are thinking of the term logger heel- woodsman and logger while cuban, packer, and cuban heels are similar to each other (though not identical. ) Sorry to be pedant, but these terms are a sticking point for me:)
 

Pandemic

One Too Many
Messages
1,503
Location
In The Flat Field
You're not overthinking it. I agree that the woodsman heel there is not curved enough. My favorite woodsman heels all have more curve than that.

In addition, I would think the toe would look better if it was lower so I would get the classic removed if I were in your position. It's up to you of course.

A quick correction though- a packer heel is straight angled in like a cuban heel, so saying woodsman/packer heel is inaccurate. I believe you are thinking of the term logger heel- woodsman and logger while cuban, packer, and cuban heels are similar to each other (though not identical. ) Sorry to be pedant, but these terms are a sticking point for me:)

That's helpful, thanks. So woodsman and logger have a sweeping curve, while the packer is like a western/Cuban straight angle?

Do you think just removing the celastic cup would be enough or would some leather also have to come off the vamp before it is re-attached?

I'm not sure if I should ask Wesco/Bakers to do this, a local cobbler or mail it to someone like Brian the Bootmaker.
 

Psant25

One Too Many
Messages
1,607
That's helpful, thanks. So woodsman and logger have a sweeping curve, while the packer is like a western/Cuban straight angle?

Do you think just removing the celastic cup would be enough or would some leather also have to come off the vamp before it is re-attached?

I'm not sure if I should ask Wesco/Bakers to do this, a local cobbler or mail it to someone like Brian the Bootmaker.
I take all my boots to my local guy he finishes the heels a little nicer. They are always either off a little one compared to other or too much heel ledge for me. Charges me like 10 bucks a pair.

They cannot just take out the celastic. At least whites would not. Have a pair of boots at whites right now. I would assume wesco would say the same. Not sure if a different cobbler would try it. I dont think I would trust my local guy with that. Maybe brian or leathersniffer/bakers. You can do a full rebuild for like 235 or something. Little pricey but you can change the whole bottom. Bump toe is 9109 i think. Could do standard boss toe 9165 that has room. Then do whatever you want with heel. You get whole new bottom just shaft remains

my whites mp w cap toe were just too tight at the toes. They are rebuilding to 55 last and no cap toe. Same low block heel and commando half sole.
 

dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,403
That's helpful, thanks. So woodsman and logger have a sweeping curve, while the packer is like a western/Cuban straight angle?

Do you think just removing the celastic cup would be enough or would some leather also have to come off the vamp before it is re-attached?

I'm not sure if I should ask Wesco/Bakers to do this, a local cobbler or mail it to someone like Brian the Bootmaker.
Yes, woodsman and logger have the sweeping curve while the packer is more of a straight angle like a cuban heel.

I would probably have them relasted. I don't know if you can just take out the classic. If someone can do that affordable, then I might try that first and see how it worked out and then relast later if I needed to.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,828
Location
China
Looking for a little advice, folks:

I got these Wesco's last year. They are comfortable and look pretty cool on. Even the cat approves. I'm aware that normal people see them looking straight down and see pretty much this:

But there are a couple of small complaints I have that keep nagging me from the back of my head - usually only really noticeable from ant's eye view. Firstly, the packer/woodsman heel curve is fairly slight - I think it would look nicer with a stronger curve Not full-on Cuban, but it about a half inch of heel removed from the back base would do it. Secondly, I ordered a Boss toe on advice from Baker's because I have wide feet (EEE). They said the MP and Morrison can't be made in that width. What I received are the old style 'bump toes'. Pretty bulbous when see from the passed-out drunk perspective of ground-level. Comfortable with the extra wiggle room though. I have thought about seeing if they could remove the celastic in the toe and make these natural.

View attachment 337179 View attachment 337180

So ... am I over thinking details and just need to stop seeing thinks from the ground perspective? I'm sure I could get a local cobbler to re-do the heel angle, but removing the toe celastic sounds like something I should get Bakers or Wesco to do, right?

With my wide-feet, I know I will never get the sleekness of Clinch or Loffgren boots.

What would you do?
Agree that Clinch and Lofgren probably won't work for you but you may try the Viberg 2005 last soft toe, it has pointier tip but still fits wide.
Taking out the celastic in your Wesco may not work. With pointy toe boots, your toes will not reach the tip so the tip will collapse over time. If your toes reach the tip of your Wesco as that is how bulbous toe boots like munson last fit, removing the celastic is not gonna flatten the tip of your boots much.
 
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Mich486

One Too Many
Messages
1,690
If I were in your position I’d try to sell them, recoup a little cash and just get a new pair in a sleeker last. I’m not a fan of bump toes.

I get that you need the width but do you also need the height? People also say that CXL stretches out a lot so maybe Lofgrens might work out?

As for the celastic toe imho is better to have it. Doesn’t have to be a bump toe. Without it you can end up with your big toes creating a small bump after break in which imho is unsightly. There are plenty of examples of that happening.
 

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