Quality of Saint Laurent Wyatt Harness boots?

[Lorinz]

Hi, I was looking at and considering getting a pair of these wyatt harness boots in smooth leather from Saint Laurent , but had a few questions and wondered if anyone with experience with these shoes would know. Are these shoes of high quality? Obviously I figure they are going to be overpriced to some degree due to the brand name and all, but I would hope they are at least a decent quality, and not something too cheap. I saw a youtube video with people claiming that these boots have a cheap plastic heel and a lot of negative comments, which made me wonder.
In addition, I've also seen some people claiming the shoe is glued onto the sole, not sewn on; and the stitching is just for show. Does anyone know if this is true also? I figure maybe someone here would know more about this brand boot and if it is at least of good enough quality.

Another question I have is about the sizing and fit. I wear a size 9.5. I called YSl and was told by their customer service rep that those boots run a little small and I should size up half a size(or a full size for wider feet). I've looked around online and seen differing posts on this, some say the same thing, while others say they are true to size or to size down. Does anyone know for sure about these boots?

 

[The Shooman]

Can't say for sure, but from experience those types of designer boots are cheaply made with cheap leather (likely a cheap rand, cheap uppers, cheap insoles); and like the video says, probably cheap plastic heels. Not sure about the construction, but maybe a blake construction if you are lucky, and definitely a fake outsole stitch (fake stitched rand to the outsole).

Better to buy a boot made with good materials with a good construction. That boot you linked does not cut the mustard.

 

[Edward]

No knowledge of the specific boot mentioned. I'd balk at paying over a grand for a pair of this very Sixties style, though, when there are so many companies making them at present. The Jeffrey West Jailbreak https://www.jeffery-west.co.uk/jeff...em=rebel-jailbreak-harness-zip-boot-3120-2478 , for instance, will be very good indeed, at half the price of those in the OP.

 

[Angel]

I think @Monitor owns a pair. Reach out for him, he will be able to answer your questions!

 

[Monitor]

Hi, I was looking at and considering getting a pair of these wyatt harness boots in smooth leather from Saint Laurent , but had a few questions and wondered if anyone with experience with these shoes would know. Are these shoes of high quality? Obviously I figure they are going to be overpriced to some degree due to the brand name and all, but I would hope they are at least a decent quality, and not something too cheap. I saw a youtube video with people claiming that these boots have a cheap plastic heel and a lot of negative comments, which made me wonder.
In addition, I've also seen some people claiming the shoe is glued onto the sole, not sewn on; and the stitching is just for show. Does anyone know if this is true also? I figure maybe someone here would know more about this brand boot and if it is at least of good enough quality.

Another question I have is about the sizing and fit. I wear a size 9.5. I called YSl and was told by their customer service rep that those boots run a little small and I should size up half a size(or a full size for wider feet). I've looked around online and seen differing posts on this, some say the same thing, while others say they are true to size or to size down. Does anyone know for sure about these boots?

Thanks for the heads up, @Angel.

Ignore the hate; I have a pair and I have tried on several pairs and while Saint Laurent has been releasing a slightly different iteration each year for over a decade now, the Wyatt has consistently been what I personally would describe as a perfect pair of boots.

I've personally handled the 2023 version you've linked to just a few weeks ago in Australia and it is every bit as good as it is supposed to be - They've ditched the plastic heel for the full stacked leather one in the several last iterations so you've no worries there - and regardless of what you'll hear from people who have never actually handled a pair, the Wyatt has always been a good, tough, sturdy & beautiful piece of footwear and its place as SLP's flagship boot is well warranted in any possible regard you can imagine.

But to answer your questions; Wyatt boots are & have been Blake stitched since the 2013 & they've been installing a full leather heel on 'em since at least 2016. Nothing on these boots is there just for the show.

Quality wise... I will just say that I spend hours in mine, days at a time & am still annoyed how new they look. They're of tremendously high quality but you have to understand that quality doesn't always equal thickness and weight. The calfskin they're made is as thick as calfskin can be & it certainly is a heard wearing leather that still retains softness & flexibility you'd want out of shoes you intend to wear throughout the entire day.

Speaking of which... I've near given up on "rugged" boots since each and every pair of artisan engineers or service boots that I've tried, I found near unwearable, how uncomfortable they all were. Having fully switched to high-end fashion footwear has completely changed my life in that regard and Wyatt's are probably the most comfortable pair of footwear I've ever had on my feet & that includes sneakers.

But to cut this short; Are they worth $1400? If you can afford a pair - Absolutely. Why not? Many people will immediately scoff at the mere mention of Saint Laurent while dropping thousands on whatever no-name, "artisan" engineer or service boots, thinking they've somehow hacked the system by getting their money's worth. They haven't and they aren't.

There's no debate that a huge chunk of that price tag is going into the golden Saint Laurent logo at the sole but there's also no debate that you'll get just about the finest, coolest, most versatile pair of boots available on the market.

 

[Monitor]

Oh, regarding the sizing, either go TTS or size up. I am between 46 and 47 and I need 47 in Wyatt.

That said, the Wyatt's became so immensely popular these last few years that there's no shortage of readily available copies but only three (technically two, though) are noteworthy & here they are, how I'd rate them.

1st place: https://www.storyetfall.com/hr/product/ready-to-wear
Same quality & arguably even sleeker silhouette. Would be on par with the originals if they could match the leather which isn't bad but nothing comes close to the leather SLP is using (still better than From the First (see below)!)

2nd place: https://pochly.com/collections/boots/products/elvis-presley-harness-boot
This website sells directly from the factory that makes boots for From the First (see below) so you will get the exact same boots FTF sells, only for less money.
Quality-wise, these are extremely tough and durable (I use them exclusively as beaters) and are worth every cent.

3rd place: https://fromthefirst.com/
Long proven, well established alternative to SLP but shit to deal with. God forbid you have to exchange a pair. . . Otherwise your safest bet.

Here's the thing; In terms of quality, either of these makers will deliver you a pair of boots that's equal to the original but it's the leather where they all fall short which is why I will always rather invest in an original than a repro.

But that's just me.

 

[Pio]

Thanks for the heads up, @Angel.

Ignore the hate; I have a pair and I have tried on several pairs and while Saint Laurent has been releasing a slightly different iteration each year for over a decade now, the Wyatt has consistently been what I personally would describe as a perfect pair of boots.

I've personally handled the 2023 version you've linked to just a few weeks ago in Australia and it is every bit as good as it is supposed to be - They've ditched the plastic heel for the full stacked leather one in the several last iterations so you've no worries there - and regardless of what you'll hear from people who have never actually handled a pair, the Wyatt has always been a good, tough, sturdy & beautiful piece of footwear and its place as SLP's flagship boot is well warranted in any possible regard you can imagine.

But to answer your questions; Wyatt boots are & have been Blake stitched since the 2013 & they've been installing a full leather heel on 'em since at least 2016. Nothing on these boots is there just for the show.

Quality wise... I will just say that I spend hours in mine, days at a time & am still annoyed how new they look. They're of tremendously high quality but you have to understand that quality doesn't always equal thickness and weight. The calfskin they're made is as thick as calfskin can be & it certainly is a heard wearing leather that still retains softness & flexibility you'd want out of shoes you intend to wear throughout the entire day.

Speaking of which... I've near given up on "rugged" boots since each and every pair of artisan engineers or service boots that I've tried, I found near unwearable, how uncomfortable they all were. Having fully switched to high-end fashion footwear has completely changed my life in that regard and Wyatt's are probably the most comfortable pair of footwear I've ever had on my feet & that includes sneakers.

But to cut this short; Are they worth $1400? If you can afford a pair - Absolutely. Why not? Many people will immediately scoff at the mere mention of Saint Laurent while dropping thousands on whatever no-name, "artisan" engineer or service boots, thinking they've somehow hacked the system by getting their money's worth. They haven't and they aren't.

There's no debate that a huge chunk of that price tag is going into the golden Saint Laurent logo at the sole but there's also no debate that you'll get just about the finest, coolest, most versatile pair of boots available on the market.

Agreed. I have several pairs and they are amazing.

 

[Pio]

I am really interested in these boots, but I have a question about the sizing and fit. I wear a size 9.5. I called YSl and was told by their customer service rep that those boots run a little small and I should size up half a size(or a full size for wider feet). I've looked around online and seen differing posts on this, some say the same thing, while others say they are true to size or to size down. Does anyone know for sure about these boots?

A Saint Laurent true to size boot will fit a bit snug (specially is its a harness model) . Half a size up will definitely be more comfortable.