/fa/ - Fashion

Leather quality: this is where these boots fall short. there are what appear to be stretch marks on the right cap toe, and overall the shoe is creasing in the expected places. In this instance you really get what you pay for. I wasn't expecting no loose grain at all for a ~$300 pair of shoes. This is my first experience with chromexcel leather and I really enjoy it. it's buttery soft compared to any other leathers I've ever handled.

Comfort: these are surprisingly comfortable out of the box. the lambskin footbed makes them feel almost like a pair of sneakers in terms of overall comfort. The vibram eton lug sole isn't too bad either, though I'd be interested to see what a shoe with leather sole is like for comfort comparison.

Final verdict: These are a decent pair of slim profile leather boots, as long as you fully understand what you're getting when you pay for them. Unfortunately, the shipping cost kind of makes them not really worth it. They're definitely worth the $220 or so they're listed at, but when you slap on a $70 shipping cost they're definitely less attractive. That being said, they're my first foray into higher quality footwear and they're still the best pair of shoes that I own.

Got nothin on muh guidis

>>8814198
Those look nice. Pic related: my redwings.

thanks op i was actually looking into purchasing the chromexcel wingtips where are you located btw? is it 70$ for ship to the u.s ?

are the shoes returnable that you know of

>>8814335
unless you're dead set on the natural chromexcel color, i say go with sagara which is another indonesian bookmaker with similar boot shapes but they offer free shipping. I live in the USA so its $70 to ship to the USA.

I guess they would be returnable but I doubt they'd cover the shipping cost. i dunno.

is there a cheaper alternative to non chunky boots like daytons? talking around <300 here

>>8814346
i like the shoes i see on sagara but it doesn't look like they can be ordered yet , thanks for the bookmark though

i'm actually looking for some black or dark red non glossy oxfords with wedge sole if you have any more recs i'd appreciate it

>>8814394
yes they can. their website just sucks. send them and e-mail and ask for a MTO order form.
>>8814362
sagara

>>8814346
Heh kinda funny hearing about them here. They've got a strong following with the locals, but they are currently swamped with local orders and have been lagging behind production for various reason, i would advise against ordering something from them until the hype has cooled down. I do intend to order one of their boots for myself though someday. Also sagara is stocked by NoKipple for you guys up at the states.

I would also suggest Jalan Sriwijaya shoes, theyre also an Indonesian brand but send stock almost strickly to the Japanese market. Theres a few floating around rakuten and got to handle a few myself when i went to Japan this year.

>>8815125
I should clarify, swamped with MTO orders. Not sure if they have any ready to wear items left over

>>8814362
not really
hence why everyone wet themselves over chevalier a few months ago on leddit

you could score some 2nds wolverine 1k's from sierra and jump on the toes a bit to crush them

i dunno


>>8814198
i was wondering why this wording was familiar
you gyweltfegget

>>8815651
>hence why
This shit needs to stop.

Should I Crush the toebox on my Katahdins?
I feel like they need a lower profile, but I've never seen a crushed toebox on a shoe that looked tasteful and not like the boots were just beat to shit and awful

Just bought these yesterday. I'm most likely going to be wearing them in the snow. What sort of leather products should I use to protect them? They've got a premium leather upper.

>>8815764
autism

>>8815823

Saddle soap to clean. Obenauf's to protect. Use two coats of Obenauf's for superior protection from water.

>>8815836
I've read somewhere that saddle soap is actually not the best cleaning product for leather.. Know any alternatives?

>>8815849

I've used Saddle soap, Meltonian brand, for a decade now on all of my leather shoes and boots. It does the job just fine, it won't ruin your shoes. Stop over thinking it.

>>8815849

Saddle soap is said to dry out leather blah blah blah, that's what it's supposed to do. Think of washing your own hands with soap. Yes they dry out, but some lotion or natural oils fix that. Leather is no different. Just be sure to always follow up with a protectant and you'll be golden.

>>8815849

I just brush to clean, or use warm water if they're muddy

After that I condition them (Dr Martens Miracle Balm is fantastic) and brush again

You really don't need to worry though, Beckmans are tough as shit (pic related are my pair, 3 years old) and you don't need to look after them like you do with formal shoes

>>8815651
;) shhh

>>8815823
please don't Obenauf's your redwings. just wipe them down after they come in contact with salt and condition them with saphir's or lexol every month or so and they should be fine. obenauf's is super overkill.

>>8815937
>obenauf's is super overkill.
In what way?

>>8815937

>Obenauf's
>Super overkill
>On boots designed for working/utility
>Properly protecting your boots
>Overkill

>>8815954


http://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/1vdcw8/on_obenaufs_heavy_duty_leather_preservative/

>inb4 hurr durr le reddit

>>8815971
>implying obenaufs is the only way to properly protect your boots

>>8815830
>degenerate

>>8815977
>LP darkens and flattens leather colour significantly, and, for the most part, irreversibly
True. It can look good or bad, depending on the leather. I try to only use LP on my black shoes.
>Your boots will never be waterproof
Maybe not, but two coats of LP will make them a lot more water resistant.
>Your boots are already quite water resistant
See above. I don't think you should use LP in the first place unless you're going to be putting your boots through wet/snowy weather.
>Using LP reduces breathability of a boot
Might be technically true, but I've never noticed this. My LP'd boots breath just fine.
>LP is not recommended throughout the shoe/boot community
Except it is? Plenty of manufacturers and end-users have recommended it.
>Wax treatments trap and attract dust that can damage leather
This is why you clean your boots before conditioning them. Duh.
>LP diminishes success of other treatments
Again, this is not something I've ever noticed.

LP is probably overkill for a hot/dry-weather shoe, since that sort of environment doesn't need waterproofing anyway. Use different conditioners for different purposes.

>>8815794
The toe will probably become less prominent with age. Don't crush, you won't be able to undo it

>>8814362
looking for boots like these for under $200. So far I have looked at the Eastland High Fidelity's but I want something that is of a bit higher quality

>>8816226
>high quality
>cheap

pick one. you just can't get high quality slim profiled boots for cheap unless you get someone's old beat up boots on sale. it just doesn't happen.

>>8816009
it's just that obenauf's was designed for ridiculously rough conditions by a firefighter to help protect his firefighting boots. unless you're doing construction work or something equally strenuous in your boots i just feel like it's unnecessary.

>>8816455
this exactly this.

you dont need obenaufs to protect your red wings that will at most be used to walk through 4' of water of a foot of snow for 10 minutes.
most of us on here are using them in suburban/urban settings where snow removal is a thing, you arent trudging through a forest or something. a bit of water/snow wont fuck up your boots lads

>>8816534
I'm not worried about fucking up my boots, I'm worried about keeping my feet dry in sub-zero conditions. LP serves the dual purpose of conditioning and waterproofing leather, which is why I use it.

>>8814346
how much does a sagara boot cost usually? I sent my email but just for curiosity

>>8816445
what about the ll bean hawthornes?

>>8817662
They seem to be great quality for the price. The only downside is that the lining leather is apparently not very good. Then again, most $200-300 shoes don't have a leather lining in the first place.

>>8817915
so that will just be a comfort issue? I'm used to clark boots, so it probably won't be too bad

>>8816874
http://nokipple.com/products/imperial-vi-boot

>>8815764
filthy scum

>>8814362
try the chippewa heritage line; service boots. I just copped pic related, should arrive tomorrow, pretty excited. $266 plus taxes.

>>8818532
>chippewa heritage line; service boots
ooooo, looks good man! w2c?`

>>8816635
LP is decent but, if you really need to keep your feet warm and dry I would get something on a Norwegian welt or even goretex if you really need dry feet.

>>8818532
these aren't much talked about on the net
they're not bad
probably the cheapest, okay looking boot that's not made in china

they run narrow ime tho

>>8818386
they don't run nearly as much straight from sagara
tops 300USD.
Cheaper than cheval, depending on the leather

What exactly is Berkshire leather and Is it any good? How should you care for it?

what does /fa/ think of these chippewa service boots for $260?

and which color 2 cop?

>>8821014
anyone?

>>8821014
dope w2c?

>>8822571
hurr
>>8821014
I think right looks best, but it just depends on what color you want down the road. Right will probably dark over time to be like the left, but the left won't be as huge of a change and won't change as much on the right (I bet)
Sorry, does that make sense?

>>8822601
thanks brah I wish i could find the homestead boots in sunripe riptide, but no body sells them anymore.

>>8822694

I know being poor is not /fa/ but what is a cheap ~150 dollar pair that is like the Iron Rangers?

>>8822744
iron rangers seconds go on sale for around that on sierra trading post every month

>>8822750
thank you friend

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/red-wing-heritage-8165-6%E2%80%9D-round-toe-boots-factory-2nds-for-men~p~6764x/?filterString=clearance~1%2Fshoes~d~4%2Fred-wing-heritage~b~4167%2F&colorFamily=01

Opinions on these? I wear between an 11.5 and a 12. Am I safe to get an 11.5 in these?

>>8822744
LL bean Katahdins.
I have a pair. I bought them instead of IRs because I wanted something with a durable sole

>>8822800
Fuck. I'm this close to pulling the trigger on these. Is there some reason that these can't be my general use boots for the season? What color jeans can I wear with a straight black boot like this?

>>8822827

Bumping. Anything wrong with these? Does the white sole kill it?

>>8822827
Final bump before I buy. Please stop me from making a mistake. I have no idea what I'm doing.

>>8822827
>>8823120
>>8823291
Don't buy boots before trying them on. you won't get the right size first go especially on red wings where sizing is drastically different for each boot.

>>8823291
They're good boots. Black isn't as versatile as brown, however.

>>8823320
this so much

seriously

>>8822827
I dont like them because of the toe cap. You can get it removed by people, ask around. If you like them go for it though, if that doesnt bother you, other than rhat i like em