Footwear to go with our jackets

[Bfd70]

Third pair of Benzein have landed and I am thrilled. My first two pairs came to me from my friend, @Jin431, so these were my first MTO from Adi. Ordering process was thorough and detailed as expected and you definitely get the sense that Adi wants to make sure fit is perfect and every detail is nailed down. Construction on these is fantastic as I’ve come to expect from the brand and the thickness of the Shinki Oiled Cognac Horsebutt was surprisingly thick and substantial. The shaft is higher than those of the many Chelsea’s that I own but the boots are very comfortable and I haven’t noticed the difference at all in the first couple days of wearing. If you’ve been on the fence as to whether to go MTO with any Indonesian boot maker or have wondered about Benzein I can unequivocally recommend many of the makers but especially Adi and his crew.

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Close the thread we have a winner.

 

[JCSD]

Close the thread we have a winner.

Haha thanks, man!

 

[crispyfresh]

I’d advise against trying to make an “outfit.”
Good boots and good jackets stand on their own.
Otherwise, they’d go fine together. I think my g1 goes best with my roughout IR. M43s are cool too.

I'm not trying to make a outfit. That's great advice. I'm trying to find the most versatile boot that will look good with a G1 AND look good with jeans, dress trousers or khakis, etc. I'm gonna look up your recommendations. Thanks for the response.

 

[Monitor]

Third pair of Benzein have landed and I am thrilled. My first two pairs came to me from my friend, @Jin431, so these were my first MTO from Adi. Ordering process was thorough and detailed as expected and you definitely get the sense that Adi wants to make sure fit is perfect and every detail is nailed down. Construction on these is fantastic as I’ve come to expect from the brand and the thickness of the Shinki Oiled Cognac Horsebutt was surprisingly thick and substantial. The shaft is higher than those of the many Chelsea’s that I own but the boots are very comfortable and I haven’t noticed the difference at all in the first couple days of wearing. If you’ve been on the fence as to whether to go MTO with any Indonesian boot maker or have wondered about Benzein I can unequivocally recommend many of the makers but especially Adi and his crew.

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Very nice. I love these.

 

[Psant25]

My custom rio boots not to spec. Pretty disappointed waited 8 months. they fit perfect size 10D. Heels are great. Leather is great. They measure 15 in around the top I am pretty sure that is stock. I specified 14. We spoke and I sent pics and all confirmed it would be done. Certainly not gonna wait another 8 months not sure what they will say I just emailed them. If anyone wants them let me know. I paid just over 900 usd for them I would want that back shipped conus.

 

[MrProper]

I'm trying to find the most versatile boot that will look good with a G1 AND look good with jeans, dress trousers or khakis, etc.

When it comes to versatility, I am absolutely thrilled with my Red Wing Moc Toe 875. They go with all my jackets and all my pants. Really ingenious. Only to dress trousers it might look a little weird. But since I only wear jeans and chinos in different colors anyway, that's not a problem. And of course it’s a matter of taste.

 

[Edward]

I'm not trying to make a outfit. That's great advice. I'm trying to find the most versatile boot that will look good with a G1 AND look good with jeans, dress trousers or khakis, etc. I'm gonna look up your recommendations. Thanks for the response.

I've given this a lot of thought over the last few years. Context: I'm a recovering hoarder trying to work my way down from about eighty pairs of shoes and boots to a more sensible 36 or so. (The wife has at any one time maybe three pairs of shoes; she'd happily go barefoot or have only one pair of shoes at a time, I'm a total Imelda Marcos. We're basically a living contradiction of the gender role stereotype on this one.) Left to my own devices, I'd have every shoe I like in every colour....

A boot that would be as versatile as possible I think would be the US Army WW2ish service shoe - the low-quarter boot, with the shiny outer. Until their replacement with the roughouts, these were worn for both dress uniform and combat / field use. That flexibility is there. They take a shine, look great. I'd love a pair in oxblood, for me the most flexible of all colours as it goes with black and greys as well as earthtones.

A close-runner up - which I relegate to second place only because the army boot can be had so much more affordably - would be the Alden Indy (403?) - I can't find any photos of what Indy has on his feet in the classroom scenes (it looks like in Venice he may have worn shoes?), BUT he could as well have worn his Aldens with both equally well, whereas I fear that Mutt's engineer boots worn under his suit trousers as his dad's best man in Crystal Skull rather stuck out, and Mater and Pater really should have insisted he at least sport a nice penny loafer in the church...


Another option to sit alongside these two is the classic brogue boot, such as this Grenson Fred, with a commando sole:

None of these is what I'd choose to wear to anything that required something more formal than a lounge suit, but in a pinch all three options - well, really two: the work/combat boot and the Brogue Boot - are the most flexible form of footwear of which I can think. The Commando soles give them just that tiny touch more casualness that makes them work 'better' with denim imo.

Honourable mention:

That said, I often break my own 'rule' of engineer boots with non-denim trousers with a pair of these:

Mine are in oxblood, and after a year or two of regular wear are now just shiny enough that (unlike the appearance of those in the photo), they and their surprisingly sleeker toe-profile (they really are so much nicer than these promo images!) have often been worn to the office under a pair of Dickies 871s. Depending on what else I'll be wearing (which I'll not get to choose, of course), when they feed my boxed body into the flames, these could be the boots I'd want to be wearing. In that sense, I suppose they are something akin to a Chelsea boot. I don't care for chelseas myself (it's the elasticated sides; if they had a zip, I'd be much more appreciative), but they would be a viable option for a versatile boot certainly. The lack of the engineer buckle (though it's not visible under my trousers when stood up) would help on the more formal end of things.


Colourwise, though, oxblood for the win. If I was going travelling and wanted a single pair of shoes for all situations short of black tie, it would be an ox-blood boot in one of these styles.

 

[Edward]

When it comes to versatility, I am absolutely thrilled with my Red Wing Moc Toe 875. They go with all my jackets and all my pants. Really ingenious. Only to dress trousers it might look a little weird. But since I only wear jeans and chinos in different colors anyway, that's not a problem. And of course it’s a matter of taste.

My Iron Rangers have been worn to the office a *lot* with a sort of "business casual" look in recent years (blazer, dickies 871s, collar and tie, sometimes a sweater vest). The one thing that limits their versatility imo is the waxy finish - if they had a more 'normal' leather that could take a shine - ideally grained leather with a heel and toe cap that could take a high-gloss shine - I'd wear them "dressed up" a lot more.

 

[Edward]

My custom rio boots not to spec. Pretty disappointed waited 8 months. they fit perfect size 10D. Heels are great. Leather is great. They measure 15 in around the top I am pretty sure that is stock. I specified 14. We spoke and I sent pics and all confirmed it would be done. Certainly not gonna wait another 8 months not sure what they will say I just emailed them. If anyone wants them let me know. I paid just over 900 usd for them I would want that back shipped conus.
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Be a shame if the sizing hasn't worked out, though they look very nice otherwise. Nicely understated, very "wearable" day to day.

 

[Psant25]

Be a shame if the sizing hasn't worked out, though they look very nice otherwise. Nicely understated, very "wearable" day to day.

Yes for sure. They sent me a return label so they are going to take care of it. I may go with a different maker so that it is not 8 months unless they can correct the shaft issue on a new pair and fast track them. My jeans I get tapered to a 14 inch - 14.5 inch opening so these with a small scallop and 15 inches at the top around I have to scrunch the top all up to get my jeans over them I do not want that.

 

[Ayeteael]

Third pair of Benzein have landed and I am thrilled. My first two pairs came to me from my friend, @Jin431, so these were my first MTO from Adi. Ordering process was thorough and detailed as expected and you definitely get the sense that Adi wants to make sure fit is perfect and every detail is nailed down. Construction on these is fantastic as I’ve come to expect from the brand and the thickness of the Shinki Oiled Cognac Horsebutt was surprisingly thick and substantial. The shaft is higher than those of the many Chelsea’s that I own but the boots are very comfortable and I haven’t noticed the difference at all in the first couple days of wearing. If you’ve been on the fence as to whether to go MTO with any Indonesian boot maker or have wondered about Benzein I can unequivocally recommend many of the makers but especially Adi and his crew.

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Benzein's chelsea and side-zip last is killer. I always used to recommend RM Williams craftsman or turnout for those wanting to get into chelseas, but dare I saw Benzein may be my go-to recommendation now. I love my black shinki pair and need to add a oiled HB pair to the rotation.

 

[andyone]

They finally arrived - Role Club Engineer, 1940 last.

 

[Turnip]

Cap Toes today...

 

[Jules Myers]

Lofgren deerskin

 

[Psant25]

What to do? Those rios boots were not to spec as i mentioned. If they cannot move to the front of the line a remake and gonna be another 8 months I may ask about refund and walk away. Reasonable? Planet cowboy i think is trying to get me to try a different and quicker TX based maker they use. I was just set on those rios and now have that bad taste and do not know if I wanna try another new maker and wait another few months or longer. Plenty of other boots on my mind. Any thoughts?

 

[Harris HTM]

What to do? Those rios boots were not to spec as i mentioned. If they cannot move to the front of the line a remake and gonna be another 8 months I may ask about refund and walk away. Reasonable? Planet cowboy i think is trying to get me to try a different and quicker TX based maker they use. I was just set on those rios and now have that bad taste and do not know if I wanna try another new maker and wait another few months or longer. Plenty of other boots on my mind. Any thoughts?

If you really like the Rios, then I'd recommend to bite the bullet and wait 8 months. Whenever I compromised on something I liked, and went for a cheaper/faster option, I've always regretted it and most of the times ended up buying the original option in mind as well.

 

[Canuck Panda]

What Harris HTM said. The only loss would be the potential 8 month wait. But that's nothing compared to the something you really want. Boot shafts circumference is a tricky thing, best to get it spot on.

 

[Jin431]

Onderhoud Maryam horse butt

 

[Psant25]

Got my whites rebuild back brown roughout 8 in 55 last low block heel vibram 700 sole. Were 375mv farmer rancher cuban heel smooth brown all around

 

[Blackadder]

There is a new player from China. Tea core flat toe using oiled leather with a waxy finish. Base on vintage 40s shoe last. Posted more photos in the Engineer boots thread next door.