White's Semi-dress Boots..

[univibe88]

Thanks for the kind comments, gentlemen.

I think that as they break in I will become more comfortable with the double row. I bet they'll pick up some grime and patina and won't need polish to darken them.

I bought some round leather laces from: http://shoelacesexpress.com/leatherround.asp

 

[Whacky]

Received My Custom SD

So I Just came back from vacation, and had a large, white box with the words "White's Boots" waiting for me.

After all this anticipation, I finally received my custom boots.
Now, I was initially aiming to get a versatile boot (in color and style) that could be worn for a number of occasions. I think I managed to successfully create that boot. These boots are utterly amazing!

These were the specs I asked for:
-Brown Semi Dress leather
-Single Leather sole
-90 degree block heel w/ Brown edge coloring
-Heel lowered by 1/4"
-Standard Last
-Close trim w/ the single row stitching
-Antique eyes and hooks
-Black leather liner

So These are my initial impressions:

-Immediately comfortable - This caused me a lot of hesitation when I initially made the purchase. They cost a lot of money for normal people, and I did not want them to be painful to wear. However, they felt amazing from the first second I put them on. Totally stunned me, and I was pleasantly surprised. The arch ease system is absolutely great, and my feet feel wonderful wearing these boots.

-Sizing - I didn't want to take chances, so I traced my foot and sent it to White's. Historically, I have always been a standard 11D. Gym shoes, dress shoes, flip flops, you name it. These White's custom boots carry the stamp of ' 10.5D ' on the inside. So I assume my traditionally measured 11D foot was a 10.5D for White's. Either way, they fit absolutely perfectly!

-Excellent craftsmanship - I don't have much to compare these boots with, as I have never owned Alden, RW, or any other expensive boots. However, I went over the boots with a fine eye, and the details are great. The leather is fantastic. No blemishes, smooth and thick. The stitching is rugged and perfectly aligned. The seams are tight, and the lining is impeccable. Clearly a high end boot that will wear well for a very long time.

-Leather - The brown semi dress leather is a fairly standard choice for the semi dress model. It was soft right out of the box, and the color can easily compliment a wide variety of styles.

-I'm really happy with my custom choices - I'm glad I chose to lower the heel 1/4", and went with the block heel. The standard White's heel, the cuban heel, or whatever you call it was just a little too risky for my style. However, every picture I saw of the standard block heel seemed way too bulky. The lowered heel really makes this boot compatible with my traditional look, and keeps the boot from looking clunky without sacrificing comfort.

Also, I'm very glad I chose the close trim option with the single row of stitching. It doesn't seem to suffer any lack of strength, and keeps the boot looking somewhat dressy and less like a super hardcore work boot.

-The laces kinda suck - While they seemingly compliment the entire boot well, they also seem to be in a different league as far as the quality is concerned. They aren't terribly by any means, but compared to the rest of this boot.....

Now, some might debate my next move, but I went ahead and applied Sno-Seal to the boots (whilst brand new and AFTER I took the pictures below) as I live in the midwest and will wear these in a lot of both rain and snow. The Brown Semi Dress leather was great as the leather absorbed the Sno-Seal well, and had no noticeable color change. It was very simple and I'm glad I did it.


Here are the initial Pics
(The scuff on a few of the pics was done by me after I accidentally kicked my chair.)

 

[Chinaski]

Thanks for the write up and posting pics. I'm sure those will see you through many storms. They look great! The pics make the leather look black, but I guess they look brown in person? Again, congrats.

 

[univibe88]

Great boots, Whacky! You made good choices on your options and have yourself a very versatile boot that I'm sure you will enjoy.

I agree with your comments about break-in, or lack thereof. I was thinking about that exact point yesterday. My Chippewa and Doc Marten boots were murder to break in. In those boots, the leather on the back of my heel was very stiff and was quite painful until they broke in and softened up. It's completely not the case with my Whites. I walked about a mile in them yesterday and felt no discomfort at all.

You've got me thinking about Sno-Seal for my boots. How does it work with polish? Do you just apply regular shoe polish over it?

 

[Whacky]

From what I've read about Sno Seal, you can apply polish to the leather after it has been applied.

Ideally, when applying Sno Seal to the boots, a safe amount of heat is used to open up the pores on the leather. This allows the sno seal to be absorbed into the leather where it forms a natural barrier against water. That also where it should stay, and thus, should not obstruct a surface polish.

I actually used my kitchen oven on a very low heat, applied the Sno Seal all over the boots paying close attention to the seams and weld, and then literally baked my boots on 125 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

The leather, edge, and sole appeared to absorb a certain amount of the product, but it will not absorb it all. So, after 15 minutes or so, I simply had to wipe off the excess with a clean towel. I then buffed the leather back to its normal quality.

I'm not sure how other White's leather options will fare, but with my Brown Semi Dress leather, you could barely tell there was a difference to the feel or color of the leather after the application. The brown edges darkened ever so slightly, but only noticeable to those explicitly looking for a change.

I'm confident that when I go to apply polish in the future, that it will not be an issue.

 

[bl@ster]

Just got my custom White's semi-dress in the mail today and wow, these are some seriously well built boots. For sizing, instead of the tracing I just went with the same size I wear in Red Wing, Wolverine, Chippewa, Alden, etc. It worked out well and the fit is spot on.

Here's the custom config I used:

Retro Semi Dress Americana by White's Boots
Toe Cap Leather Color British Tan, Sole Vibram 269, Size - Length 11, Hardware Antique Eyes & Hooks, Edge Brown, Upper (Shaft) Leather British Tan, Midsole Single, Pull Loops No Thanks, Leather Liner Cream, Sole Trim Close Trim, Toe Vamp Leather British Tan, Size - Width D (medium), Toe Cap Leather Toe Cap (only available on plain toe style), Celastic Toe Box Single Celastic Toe, Heel Base 90 Degree Blocked off Heel (Traveler)


Here are some photos:

 

[Chinaski]

Bl@ster - righteous first post! Welcome to the Lounge! The boots look great and you made some really nice choices on the customization.

 

[univibe88]

I agree. The British Tan is beautiful!

 

[1911 Man]

Just got my custom White's semi-dress in the mail today and wow, these are some seriously well built boots. For sizing, instead of the tracing I just went with the same size I wear in Red Wing, Wolverine, Chippewa, Alden, etc. It worked out well and the fit is spot on.

Here's the custom config I used:

Retro Semi Dress Americana by White's Boots
Toe Cap Leather Color British Tan, Sole Vibram 269, Size - Length 11, Hardware Antique Eyes & Hooks, Edge Brown, Upper (Shaft) Leather British Tan, Midsole Single, Pull Loops No Thanks, Leather Liner Cream, Sole Trim Close Trim, Toe Vamp Leather British Tan, Size - Width D (medium), Toe Cap Leather Toe Cap (only available on plain toe style), Celastic Toe Box Single Celastic Toe, Heel Base 90 Degree Blocked off Heel (Traveler)


Here are some photos:

Those are stunning. Did you order direct from Whites, or did you go through a vendor like Baker? I ask because I didn't think Whites allowed general sizing, but Bakers does. Either way, they look great.

 

[bl@ster]

1911 Man: I ordered them through Baker's. Kyle over there has been really helpful so I've been trying to order all my boots through them.

Chinaski: Thanks for the welcome! I'm a long-time lurker and once I got these White's I finally had some photos to share!

 

[jonbuilder]

Those are stunning. Did you order direct from Whites, or did you go through a vendor like Baker? I ask because I didn't think Whites allowed general sizing, but Bakers does. Either way, they look great.

White's does make boots to general sizing about 99.9% would be my guess. The foot tracing is so they can size you properly into their standard sizes. A custom last is an upgrade. I would and have gone through Bakes best pricing, customer service, (they are into sales, White's are boot makers not sales people) and more options at Bakers again they sell boot so dot not have to worries about production issues. Back a few posts I have a pair of bounty hunters made on the smoke jumper last with lace to toe in the brown dress on order waiting to get into White's rotation. If you have time White’s sells their mistakes (Not necessary 2nds just not made per order) on ebay seller's name is whitesriver.

 

[jonbuilder]

White's Horween leather

Does anyone have experience with White’s Horween leather? I asked at Bakers and was told it is less thick than White’s standard oil cowhide also less flexible. It does not require lining and has les shine than White’s dress cowhide their standard semi-dress leather. The drow is a lot lighter in color than the lsmost black dress brown leather.

 

[univibe88]

Brown Chrome Excel, double leather midsoles, vibram half soles. Pretty basic.

These should be on their way to you by now. I can't wait to see some pictures. I am sure you are very excited.

 

[s_crumb]

They SHOULD be on their way. I still haven't heard from Bakers that they've shipped. I'm very excited to see them.

 

[univibe88]

They SHOULD be on their way. I still haven't heard from Bakers that they've shipped. I'm very excited to see them.

They sent me an email when they shipped mine. It was exactly 4 weeks from the day I ordered mine. Maybe you should drop them a note.

 

[1911 Man]

So I am planning to purchase a pair of these boots in a few months, and am still mulling over what specifics I want. I am curious if anyone has added a leather liner that feels it was not needed, or did not add a leather liner and wished you had. Your input is appreciated.

 

[illumin8em]

So I am planning to purchase a pair of these boots in a few months, and am still mulling over what specifics I want. I am curious if anyone has added a leather liner that feels it was not needed, or did not add a leather liner and wished you had. Your input is appreciated.

After I placed my order for Semi Dress, I regretted not adding a leather liner. Now months after the boots arrival, I have yet to find a reason to substantiate my regret in not ordering them with a liner. They are just perfect. I guess that is the opposite of what you are asking

 

[univibe88]

. Now months after the boots arrival

How about some pictures of those fine boots?

 

[1911 Man]

After I placed my order for Semi Dress, I regretted not adding a leather liner. Now months after the boots arrival, I have yet to find a reason to substantiate my regret in not ordering them with a liner. They are just perfect. I guess that is the opposite of what you are asking

Actually, that is just what I wanted to know. Thank you. I'm curious as to which leather you chose, and I also echo the request for pics. Please.

 

[illumin8em]

How about some pictures of those fine boots?

Actually, that is just what I wanted to know. Thank you. I'm curious as to which leather you chose, and I also echo the request for pics. Please.

Another thing that I questioned after I placed the order was, (should I have gone with another leather?) but I can say with confidence, Semi Dress leather is awesome. I have not done a thing to protect the boots, and have been wearing them every day finishing off the tail end of winter here. The Semi dress leather has a subtle shine that I did not put there, and only needs brushed/wiped off when they have gotten muddy or dusty from hiking to return it. It is also very supple where it needs to be, never leaving a blister or discomfort. I have been through many brands of boots e.g. Alden, Red Wing, Wolverine 1000 Mile, and these White's are the long standing champs

I will try to get some pictures. My laptop caught the flu a few weeks ago, so I have been limited to using the computer at school and it may be a few more days.