Viberg Boots

[jon z]

Papa M - Thanks, that's the first post from some one who has hands-on experience (even though once removed) to vouch for the claims made for the high quality of these boots by the makers. Surely your friend would have saved money over the high prices charged by the Japanese by buying his boots from a Canadian or US outlet?

The Japanese sure do make superb repro footwear though as I'm sure you've found with your Cushman's. I too have recently bought Japanese, a pair of Toys McCoy's Beck Engineer Boots & they are awesome. Although they cost twice what your Cushman's cost I have no regrets & would do the same again without a moments hesitation. Worth every hard earned penny.

GriffDeLaGriff - Just because JanSolo claims something is good does not necessarily make it so & you would be naive to presume so. If he has first-hand knowledge of these boots then let's hear it. If not then his claim is meaningless. This thread is older than the Engineer Boots thread in which he made the claim re. Viberg's quality. If he was aware of them prior to this thread why did he not post in it? My guess is he only became aware of them because of this thread.

 

[Papa M]

Surely your friend would have saved money over the high prices charged by the Japanese by buying his boots from a Canadian or US outlet?

He's a major importer of primo Japanese brands and I guess that he gets preferable prices on certain labels.

 

[jon z]

As a major importer I guess he is a re-seller? If so any chance of his contact details as I'm sure there is/will be stuff he can sell to me?

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

GriffDeLaGriff - Just because JanSolo claims something is good does not necessarily make it so & you would be naive to presume so. If he has first-hand knowledge of these boots then let's hear it. If not then his claim is meaningless. This thread is older than the Engineer Boots thread in which he made the claim re. Viberg's quality. If he was aware of them prior to this thread why did he not post in it? My guess is he only became aware of them because of this thread.

Yeah.

But where I live there is really not alot of boots.
I live in a major city and went through all the shoeshops in the inner
city and some in the outer city and only came across 2 engineerboots.

There isnt alot of anything here but mostly what sells the most - wich is often shait.

I have learned to trust my senses of what is good value for money.
For the most part I can see good craftmanship on picture - but not always.
Even if I read about someone owning a boot and saying how great it is
also doesnt make it true. Often people will like what they already spent money on.
Someone in the engineerboot thread said redwings werent comfortable
that is firsthand knowladge, well guess what, mine are now broken
in and They are so comfortable so Im laughing when walking.

I got me a pair of Redwing Engineer boots for half the price they
are where I live and although they are made for fashion,
they are also well made. But I would gues the Viberg boot is even better.
How can I suspect it?
I cant explain it, I just add up picture, website and so on.

What adds to the reliabillity of what a person says about a product
is what they already have. If someone who owns one or more Aero
jackets tells me that another maker makes a superb leather jacket
that will tell me more then someone that hasnt got an Aero
or Lost worlds or the likes.

You are right that I do not know if he has seen the boots firsthand, and the
information is not 100% but as I know what kinda boots he owns and what
other superb garments he owns and has experience with first hand,
I suspect he also - like me, can judge a great deal from a picture.

I could be wrong, and that is all taken into account and a part
of buying things online.

If this is naive, then I might aswell stop buying things. lol

 

[jon z]

Yeah.

But where I live there is really not alot of boots.
I live in a major city and went through all the shoeshops in the inner
city and some in the outer city and only came across 2 engineerboots.

There isnt alot of anything here but mostly what sells the most - wich is often shait.

The same as where I live which is why I buy my boots from the the US & Japan.

Someone in the engineerboot thread said redwings werent comfortable
that is firsthand knowladge, well guess what, mine are now broken
in and They are so comfortable so Im laughing when walking.

I got me a pair of Redwing Engineer boots for half the price they
are where I live and although they are made for fashion,
they are also well made.

A Redwing boot (like any other) is a generic item whereas everybody's feet are different & the owners opinion of what feels right on those feet are different also so it is not surprising that what you find comfortable others find uncomfortable.

But I would gues the Viberg boot is even better.
How can I suspect it?
I cant explain it, I just add up picture, website and so on.

To make that conclusion you would have to own a pair of both side-by-side (or at least know someone that does). Yeah their website paints a good picture of their boots but at the end of the day they are trying to sell them. They are not gonna say anything other.

What adds to the reliabillity of what a person says about a product
is what they already have. If someone who owns one or more Aero
jackets tells me that another maker makes a superb leather jacket
that will tell me more then someone that hasnt got an Aero
or Lost worlds or the likes.

You are right that I do not know if he has seen the boots firsthand, and the
information is not 100% but as I know what kinda boots he owns and what
other superb garments he owns and has experience with first hand,
I suspect he also - like me, can judge a great deal from a picture.

Just because JanSolo owns several Aero jackets doesn't make him an expert on judging Engineer Boots from the makers website. I'm sure he doesn't own a pair or else we would would have had some pictures of him posted posing in them long before now with a lengthy review. Admittedly I don't have an Aero & would be the first to agree JanSolo is far more qualified to comment on their quality. What I do know is I've refused to let the mass hype on here blind me to fact that in the many posted pics of owners wearing them they do not fit well. I do however own a LostWorlds J23 so feel more than able to review it if your interested. My guess is if it was to be judged impartially against an Aero for fit & quality it would win hands down.

If you want to rely on a third parties opinion on what Engineer Boots are good & which are not I suggest you try Marineabilly as he is the man.

If this is naive, then I might aswell stop buying things. lol

i didn't mean to cause you any offense & have no intention to discourage you. I have been buying online for many years & have made many mistakes. Those mistakes though are far outweighed by the fantastic jackets & boots I now own that would have not been possible without the internet.

 

[feltfan]

I have exchanged a couple of email messages with Viberg.
Next step is a phone call. One thing to keep in mind is that
they have boots made in Canada (e.g., Work boots such as
the Foreman) and boots which are "imported" (e.g., Stompers,
such as the Jobsite, which I assume are made in China, but don't know yet).

There appear to be two big differences between these lines.
One, obviously, is price, but I don't know what the difference is yet.
The other is that the boots made in Canada offer more customization.
For example, I want boots with no steel toe. All the "imported" boots
come steel toe only. I have no idea what, if any, difference there is
in quality, beyond that the "imported" boots do not offer Vibram soles.

 

[Papa M]

He's a major importer of primo Japanese brands and I guess that he gets preferable prices on certain labels.

Not sure that he sells at preferable rates. However at least the import duty and VAT has already been dealt with.

He has some great stuff! I hope you find something that you like.

http://www.superdenim.co.uk/index.asp

 

[feltfan]

Presumably the "Bob Cat" in suede

http://www.superdenim.co.uk/prodpage.asp?productid=252

is the same model as the Bobcat on their site, with suede and
lighter sole?

http://www.workboot.com/work_boots/36_Bobcat

Makes it less appealing to me. I very much like the standard
Bobcat work boot and the similar Foreman.

http://www.workboot.com/work_boots/55_Foreman/Black/6_Inch

 

[Papa M]

The two Bobcats look very different to me.

I prefer the look of the Japanese one which is clearly more of a leisure boot - much more lightweight by the look of it.

 

[GriffDeLaGriff]

He just makes this rather general statement without any background as to why.

This is what I was trying to answer.

1. I have never seen Jan say something that isnt true.
2. He owns superb garments and know what good quality is.
3. I looked up the brand, seen videos of it made, and they look well made.

I have nothing to gain to post in this thread, I was just trying to tell
you that you shouldnt brush off what he said. Pm him and ask.
If he just saw the pic and made a genereal statement then alright fine.

 

[feltfan]

No accounting for taste, Papa M. I am not a big suede shoe fan and I
am a big fan of Vibram soles. What I meant by the similarity is that it
appears the leather portions have the same cut. But yeah, the appearance
is different due to the different material.

Here is a bit more information for those who are interested:

http://www.selectism.com/news/2009/10/21/viberg-boots-for-japan/#more-26205

Selectism seems to be a site dedicated to shilling for fashion companies
posting new press releases. Disappointing lack of qualitative information.

 

[feltfan]

Okay, I took the plunge. Ordered a pair of Viberg 55 Foreman 6" work boots,
plain toe, Vibram 700 Tygum soles. $274 plus shipping. Although my size is
listed as stock, it is not in stock and it'll be a couple of weeks or so before
I see them.

Their Stompers line is, in fact, made in Vietnam. They are
only available at present in steel toe (except the "Soft Toe"
model, of course) although they are looking into doing them
w/out the steel. I was told 90% of their returns are due to
discomfort with a steel toe. They run just shy of $200 a pair.
I did not ask about the shoes made for the Japanese market.

Fingers crossed. I am hoping they are as good as they look
and that they fit! Will review when I have something to say
about them.

 

[Golden Earache]

Did you order directly through Viberg or a dealer?

 

[feltfan]

Did you order directly through Viberg or a dealer?

There is no dealer in my area. I called the 800 number on their site.

 

[Golden Earache]

That is a good deal. The only thing wrong I see with these boots is the heel base is not stacked leather, but that can be remedied on a resole. Other than that, not bad for 298 shipped (shipping was quoted to me as $24).

 

[feltfan]

That is a good deal. The only thing wrong I see with these boots is the heel base is not stacked leather, but that can be remedied on a resole. Other than that, not bad for 298 shipped (shipping was quoted to me as $24).

They seemed happy to make it with any heel/sole I wanted.
I went with the standard heel and sole in the picture- seemed
right for me.

I really hope this boot is as nice as it looks.

 

[Golden Earache]

Cool. Like to see them when you get them. I may go in for a pair in brown chromexcel, stacked leather heelbase and brown edge trim, but it would probably cost +$50-100 for those options and for that money I would probably just go with another pair of Whites Semi-dress. But, if you stay stock, it is a great price and they are very attractive boots and better than what you could get from RW or the like.

Here is what I was saying about the heelbase on the nail down boots (which the Foreman is) - minor gripe for some. See item #7.

 

[feltfan]

Hm, didn't notice that. No idea what sort of difference it would
make in durability or comfort. I guess I'll find out.

 

[Golden Earache]

It's just a small detail to save money. Alot of brands do this, Chippewa, Frye, RW, etc.

 

[BellyTank]

Some more pics of Viberg boots:

http://hypebeast.com/2009/08/viberg-2009-fallwinter-boot-collection/


B
T