Footwear to go with our jackets

[Pandemic]

Thanks all. I’ll get my local cobbler to do the heel while I consider the toe.

 

[Jin431]

New to me from @JCSD Alden brown shell chukka

 

[yellowfever]

@JustinW FWIW my opinion is to leave them be. IMO they are awesome boots and look great from all angles, why mess with them? Trying to turn them into something they weren’t designed to be will not be that cheap and could very well end badly.

If you want a different toe profile and heel, keep these awesome boots as they are and a buy second pair with a different profile and look. Or if you really don’t like these boots, sell them and start again using what you’ve learned from this first purchase to dial in your perfect boot design and fit and order that instead.

But honestly these boots are great. Sure, I’d put their look at the more rugged end of things. But then they aren’t meant to be dress shoes - engineers are meant to be tough rugged work boots. Sure there is a fashion for sleeker dressier engineer boots and nothing wrong with that. If you like that style buy some instead/as well. But don’t butcher these fine boots. I’ve personally get a bump toe, tall shaft wesco boss engineers in the super heavy oil tan leather and another pair of Wesco’s engineers with the lower, sleeker MP last in lighter domain leather (essentially the Wesco mr Lou spec that I got made before the Mr Lou design even existed…). I love them both and they give me two contrasting options… no question the bump toe box is more comfortable/practical though and personally I love the look too.

The bump toe is the boss toe. You got what you ordered. I also think the straight heel is fine. A little tall for my taste, but still better for walking in than heels more designed for riding horses, climbing trees or poles - I presume you’re not planning on using the boots for those activities? And the boss toe is super comfortable and practical, you got good advice of getting boots that fit well and are comfortable. That’s a big win right there. Pull on boots fit is notoriously tricky to get right.

So my advice is to wear these fine boots and enjoy them and order another sleeker pair too if you want/can afford it.

Just my opinion! If you’re bored I did a mega long multiple post on my two wesco engineer orders (see link below), which may be of interest. Though personally I think you already nailed it with these rugged handsome boots!

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/engineer-boots-harness-boots.43530/page-241

 

[AeroFan_07]

I've had these John Lofgren boots about 7 years. Yes!! they need a polish

These look great! Just like they should - well loved!

 

[Pandemic]

There are a few here that I hadn't heard of (and I used to spend a lot of time in Indonesia):

https://www.stitchdown.com/buying-guides-and-reviews/indonesian-bootmakers-comprehensive-guide/

Does anyone here have experience with Midas?

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Yeah they're not all equal of course. I'd put onderhoud and Winson (Midas) at the top and then sagara. Some of them are pretty iffy on qc at times, but their whole industry has made major improvements over the past few years which is a great sign. My onderhouds are fantastic and winson/midas looks like he matches almost anyone but white kloud for neatness in construction which I love.

The biggest thing I think most Indonesian brands need to work on is their designs and lasts. They don't have anyone like Lofgren or brass that just knocks all their designs and lasts out of the park and some brands from Indonesia have some pretty tragic looking designs and lasts even when the quality is pretty good.

Midas is the new brand name for Winson shoemaker's casual/work style boots. He is mainly a dress shoe maker. He's actually making my wedding shoes. I can give more info on the quality when I get them.

 

[Pandemic]

Yeah they're not all equal of course. I'd put onderhoud and Winson (Midas) at the top and then sagara. Some of them are pretty iffy on qc at times, but their whole industry has made major improvements over the past few years which is a great sign. My onderhouds are fantastic and winson/midas looks like he matches almost anyone but white kloud for neatness in construction which I love.

The biggest thing I think most Indonesian brands need to work on is their designs and lasts. They don't have anyone like Lofgren or brass that just knocks all their designs and lasts out of the park and some brands from Indonesia have some pretty tragic looking designs and lasts even when the quality is pretty good.

Midas is the new brand name for Winson shoemaker's casual/work style boots. He is mainly a dress shoe maker. He's actually making my wedding shoes. I can give more info on the quality when I get them.

Great info, thanks! I am considering a pair of Midas engineers in Badalassi now. The instep looks a little high, but the rest of the proportions look a lot better than some of the Indo boots I’ve seen.

EDIT: Midas don’t do wide sizes

And congratulations on the upcoming wedding, too!

 

[Jin431]

Benzein Chelsea in Cigar Horse Butt. I'm fairly new with my boots fascination and so far I like horse butt leather the best.

 

[navetsea]

Is that alcohol sanitizer fade. Cant a shoe cream hides that to be less visible?

 

[Jin431]

Is that alcohol sanitizer fade. Cant a shoe cream hides that to be less visible?

Yes it is. I'm waiting delivery for a medium brown shoe cream. I hope it works, it has been bothering me too.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Great info, thanks! I am considering a pair of Midas engineers in Badalassi now. The instep looks a little high, but the rest of the proportions look a lot better than some of the Indo boots I’ve seen.

EDIT: Midas don’t do wide sizes

And congratulations on the upcoming wedding, too!

Thanks! Yeah wide engineers are not the easiest to find. I'm sure Role Club would accommodate you, but his wait list is extremely long now.

 

[MoFo]

Wunderteam Wien

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Bold, but I kinda like it. Orange and light blue look so good together. Makes me think of the Gulf racing colors. Though that may be because I just watched Mclaren race the colors at Monaco last weekend

 

[MoFo]

Check out their Webshop, they have Gulf racing colors too

 

[Monitor]

I really dig this and it's on a discount, too.

 

[Harris HTM]

First day at the (empty) office today after many months.
Alden Indy boot, Wested Raider goatskin (it has become my go-to jacket, incredible quality for its' price) and a paperboy cap.

 

[edmond]

My 5 years old Attraction in tea core horsebutt. View attachment 329612 View attachment 329613 View attachment 329614 View attachment 329615

hey dude where these reheeled? cause the ones i have hurts a bit on the heel when i walk on them like the inner heel part nearest front of the sole is like the part of the heel thats strikes the pavement first

while wescos and rios the back part of the heel strikes the pavement first

do you guys get what im saying here?

 

[Edward]

Aeros today...

Gorgeous colour. I know they're not universally loved in these parts, but I'm really keen on a pair of the Jarrow boots in cordovan (I already have a pair of the Town boots in brown). There's something special to my eye about how their shape changes a little over time and they mould more to the foot.

Flame pandas landed. They are absolute tanks. Had to use the plastic bag method to get my left foot in. They’re gonna be a bear to break in.
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Very nice. Are they one of the new Korean or Thai brands? (Think I read this a few pages back). I'm wary of buying EBs by mail without trying on first (I find only penny loafers come close in terms of really needing to find the 'right' brand for your own fit), but these do look outstanding. My wife is keen for me to see Bangkok where she lived for the guts of a year before we met. If there was a boot maker of this standard there, I'd be sure to pay a visit one day! (Love to see Korea too, though a bit more expensive /complicated a trip).

Did a long term review of my Wesco x Standard and Strange Knuckle Draggers:

https://almostvintagestyle.com/2021/05/22/wesco-boots-long-term-review-after-3-5-years/

I also talked about how and why I dyed them.

I love the long straps on these. Gives it a great look (reminds me somehow of the Straps on old Lewis boots, too).

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.

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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?

Always going to come down to what you want to do. Subjective. I really like them as they are. I wouldn't start messing about with the toe - I suspect you'd be into a rebuild that could cost half the price of a new pair of boots there. If it's cheap to redux the heel, fair enough (though I don't think it looks bad by any means here) - the only question I'd consider there is whether you'll still be unhappy with the toe, cause if you're going to end up selling, would that affect your market - I don't know, but do boot hardcore guys that might be your market go for the combo of the shaped heel and the bump toe?

With the toe, might be worth living with it for a while; sometimes they things I've been a bit more meh about became the real favourites over time... could always save for another pair of boots with other features, then the variety might be nice? Course, if you get to the stage where they need resoled, that might be a more cost-effective time to have the toecap removed?

Yes it is. I'm waiting delivery for a medium brown shoe cream. I hope it works, it has been bothering me too.

In a weird way, I like it. The leather reminds me of a sleeve I got for my tablet. It's travelled internationally with me over the years; I occasionally wipe off surface dirt, but it has ink stains, couple of cup rings, looks fab. I think if these were mine if it was there when new it would bug me, but if I only noticed it after having them for years, it would just feel like 'part of my boots', you know what I mean? I suspect a bit of cream will tone it down, and the difference will face over time - or you'll notice it less. Still, very cool boots overall!

Wunderteam Wien
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Bold, but I kinda like it. Orange and light blue look so good together. Makes me think of the Gulf racing colors. Though that may be because I just watched Mclaren race the colors at Monaco last weekend

I know they're not what Uma Thurman wore in Kill Bill, but that's the visual reference that springs to mind for me. A real racing vibe for sure.

First day at the (empty) office today after many months.
Alden Indy boot, Wested Raider goatskin (it has become my go-to jacket, incredible quality for its' price) and a paperboy cap.
View attachment 337778 View attachment 337779

The Raiders looks great. Bought a second hand one some years ago just to have a beater jacket for travelling and places I might not take one of my much-loved Aeros. I'd also wanted an Indy for years but didn't want to put big money into it, though travel convenience - affordable to replace, plus the design for warm environments - was the main aim at that point in time. Worn it in Beijing, Mumbai, Puna, Dehli... turned out a real wearer. The pockets - big patch outer and the two inner made it a dream for carrying all the wallets and passport and plane tickets one needs when flying internationally, and it's just the right weight for wearing in the airport or on a plane if the aircon gets a bit much. (I once flew from London to Belfast on a really hot day in a T-shirt. Fine when I sat down, but they hyped the aircon up so hard, by the time we got to Belfast an hour later I was nipple-chafingly frozen.) The goat is a great hide for warmer weather I found. I was initially a bit wary of it being fragile (lighter than the Aero goat, which is one of my favourite leathers), but it's surprisingly tough - the lightness of lamb, but without the fragility. Course, inevitably I'm now tempted by a Temple model in one of the cow or horsehides...

 

[red devil]

Wunderteam Wien
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Tempted to get a pair, how confortable are they?

Edit: this one is on sale

Not on sale but cool colour scheme!

 

[Blackadder]

Great info, thanks! I am considering a pair of Midas engineers in Badalassi now. The instep looks a little high, but the rest of the proportions look a lot better than some of the Indo boots I’ve seen.

EDIT: Midas don’t do wide sizes

And congratulations on the upcoming wedding, too!

The Sagara monkey boots I tried on fit pretty wide and I wear EEE White's or more specifically F width as marked by White's.