White's Semi-dress Boots..

[mike]

I wear mine every day, only problem is I can't afford another pair right now and I don't want to wear anything else. Mine are single leather with a vibram 430 mini lug sole. I had to order them and they took a while. I will be buying my next pair from linegear. Sienna water buffalo with a 705 half-sole, oh yeah!

How do you know the specifics of what soles you have? I know mine are leather single soled. They have Quabaug rubber heels, I was hoping they'd have Cat's Paw heels like I've seen on some japanese sites, but no luck. So I'm looking around for eventual replacement Cat's Paw heels. How open are White's to reworking their boots? I mean if one day I want to replace the sole or something? Maybe they even have the cuban Cat's Paw heels in stock [huh]

 

[vitanola]

Back in the mid to late 80's I sold shoes at a JC Pennys in the Montebello Town Center. In the video I watched they said that in shoes if the customer came in with upturned toe sections it was usually because they did not know they had a wide foot and bought medium width shoes that were too large (long in lenght) to accomodate their foot. Since the front section was longer than their foot and their toes did not re-enfoce the sole, the shoe turned up from use. I was able to use that fact to get several people to let me measure their feet and then get them properly fitted.

The "Opera Last" which was so very popular in the late '90's and early 'oughts had a considerable curvature, ending in an upturned toe. This shape was retained by some shoe manufacturers until the 1950's for the series of shoes known to the trade as "old man's comforts". This last is a particular comfort fot those with high arches.

Stacy Adams once again uses this last of their Madison series of oxfords and shoes. They are extremely comfortable, but are rather delicate, as they are now made of supple and fragile kid, rather than an appropriately long-wearing shoe leather. I still favor this shoe, though, as I have found no other to be quite as comfortable when worn for long periods.

 

[mike]

My White's Semi Dress after approx. 2.5 months wear

 

[Erik]

Thanks for the photos. I've had a pair of those on "my list" for some time now. One of these days...

 

[IndigoFanatic]

They look really nice. Can you tell me how they feel new vs. broken in a couple of months? I've been looking around for boots like this (though it may take a while to save up for these) and am curious how comfortable boots like this usually are when new. Do they have good support? Much cushion in the bed? Most of the boots that I've tried on in a style like this feel almost like walking with wood strapped to your feet, so I'm curious if that's normal and they become more comfortable as they break in, or if I'm just trying bad boots.

 

[Inusuit]

White's boots.

I can't speak for the Semi-dress White's that are the topic of this thread. However, I have a pair of Packers that have been rebuilt by White's twice and a pair of Thoroughbreds, a dressier version of the Packer. They are the most comfortable boots I own. They have a firm leather insole, no cushion at all and none needed because of the excellent support and appropriate footbed contours. The Packers are over 25 years old and still going strong. The Thoroughbreds were ordered while I was at the store in Spokane and made to measure for my feet. With most of their boots, you can specify custom features, including sole and heel material, etc.

 

[Creeping Past]

I've been wondering why the closure over the tongue on US boots is wider than on British boots.

Can anyone shed any light?

 

[edmond]

my 2 pairs of whites came in from fukurokuju

resoled with double leather midsole and vibram 705 half soles

 

[mike]

CAN ANYONE GUESS THE TYPES OF LEATHERS AND/OR SOLES INVOLVED IN ANY OF THESE BOOTS?!

I hope the links remain, they're from Japanese E-Bay.

 

[mike]

 

[mike]

 

[Erik]

Best guesstimate:

French calf
French calf
Standard leather
Bullhide (small grain)
Bullhide (large grain)
Standard leather
French calf
Standard leather (2-tone)
Rough out (2-tone)
Standard leather (upper left)
Standard leather (lower left)
Bullhide upper/standard leather lower (upper right)
Roughout upper/bullhide lower (lower right)
Standard leather
Standard leather
Standard leather

"Standard" being White's premium oiled leather

But I may be mistaken on a guess or two... [huh]

---

I see two guys every week wearing Whites. Both pairs have apparently been resoled multiple times. Both pairs look well broken in but other wise in better shape than most people's footwear after a couple of seasons.

 

[mike]

Best guesstimate:

French calf
French calf
Standard leather
Bullhide (small grain)
Bullhide (large grain)
Standard leather
French calf
Standard leather (2-tone)
Rough out (2-tone)
Standard leather (upper left)
Standard leather (lower left)
Bullhide upper/standard leather lower (upper right)
Roughout upper/bullhide lower (lower right)
Standard leather
Standard leather
Standard leather

"Standard" being White's premium oiled leather

But I may be mistaken on a guess or two... [huh]

---

I see two guys every week wearing Whites. Both pairs have apparently been resoled multiple times. Both pairs look well broken in but other wise in better shape than most people's footwear after a couple of seasons.

thanks for the guesses! I bet there's some water buffalo in there somewhere too though :eusa_doh:

I just got off the phone with White's and there going to send me a catalog. Hopefully that will shed some more light on (some) of the many options! I'm definitely thinking of selling my GT's and picking up a pair of White's in -possibly- black water buffalo with antique hooks and have them sent out for cats paw soles.

 

[Charlie]

Hello

I'm also thinking of buying a pair the next month. I was wondering about the durability of the leather, expecially the "exotics" ones, like buffalo, or bull.
I have many boots such as redwing...but theses have something special (except the hight price ).

The french calf (as I'm French) is quite a thin an fragile leather, made for dress shoes, in my opinion not for this kind of boots.

Regards

 

[Golden Earache]

Vibram Sole options

700

705

430

269

 

[Golden Earache]

How do you know the specifics of what soles you have? I know mine are leather single soled. They have Quabaug rubber heels, I was hoping they'd have Cat's Paw heels like I've seen on some japanese sites, but no luck. So I'm looking around for eventual replacement Cat's Paw heels. How open are White's to reworking their boots? I mean if one day I want to replace the sole or something? Maybe they even have the cuban Cat's Paw heels in stock [huh]

I think if you send them back to the factory for resoling they are open to any options, as long as you give them exact details on what you want and you have the bank to back up your choices!

 

[CodeRed]

Do whites run true to size? Also, what is the consensus on single vs double sole?

 

[Inusuit]

Not in my experience....

Do whites run true to size? Also, what is the consensus on single vs double sole?

I have two pair of White's boots, Packers and Thoroughbreds. In other boots, I wear a 8.5 or 9 D. My Whites are 7.5 EE. I ordered the Packers by mail after requesting measuring instructions from Whites. I was measured for the Thoroughbreds at the White's store in Spokane. The single sole is of course lighter in weight than the double. Unless you like the look of the double sole or plan to wear the boots for serious heavy duty outdoor work, the single will last forever.

 

[mike]

I'm a 9D in a regular shoe. In White's I'm a 8.5E, but can just fit their D too.

I don't prefer the double sole personally. I am planning of having my single leather soled White's rubber soled with Cat's Paws, but was putting it off. I wear these almost every day and don't want to send them away! lol

 

[Doublegun]

I have been looking for a nice pair of brown capped toed "boots" to wear with cords and tweed pants in the fall and winter and these could fill the bill nicely (if I can get them with capped toes). I looked at the Aldens but they have a moc toe and they do nothing for me.

Earlier this summer I bought a pair of RW Iron Rangers that I really like so I was thinking about the Beckman/Gentleman Traveler. Besides the White's and the B/GT are there other's I should consider?

Thanks.