Proper leather shoes

Want. :)

Yeah, but annoyingly because each shoe for the full ‘pony hair’ is unique (and the toe section for the brown ones I like) I really want to go somewhere that have a few pairs in stock so I could pick the best matched ones… can’t afford to order three pairs and return two so I can do the exercise in the comfort of my own home… currently can’t afford the first pair so sales thread to raise funds is this mornings activity!

Also found this collab that are kind of cool

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@kboy - the fake welt comment was at me all weekend…. would you still say so from these pics?

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Really sorry man, had a feeling it would 😬

Looking at that I might have to revise my statement, that looks like proper thread to me. Others here knows their shoes better than me though. They might have better manners though!

That welt aside, as long as you like your boots, who cares?

It’s not you it me ;-)

As much as having the comfort and shape of the boot, it means nothing to me if I can’t get them serviced and have them for decades. So I’ll pop in to local Cobbler and get their opinion.

Appreciate the comments though….

I've got a deadline to hit tomorrow so I'm procrastinating and this is a good distraction - I'm going to stick with these (no pun intended!) being cemented soles with the lower part of the sole maybe stitched (and glued) to the more rigid upper part of the sole (though the stitching from the top looks like it has been formed as part of the rubber cast). I don't think there is a way that folk can make a welted shoe and sell it for £150ish anymore... they could be Blake stitched - 'Blake stitching is the closest relative to the Goodyear welted construction. The soles are still stitched on, but instead of attaching them to a leather welt, the stitching goes directly through the footbed to the insole, the resulting pair is much more difficult to resole and lacks the waterproofing qualities of the Goodyear welt.'

Product literature makes no mention of a welt (p.22) - https://cdn.asp.events/CLIENT_Ascentia_4E961A52_5056_B739_54289B84DF34E888/sites/MODA-2021/media/libraries/catalogues--lookbooks/13276-GANT%20MAIN%20AW21%20CATALOGUE.pdf

EDIT: more research - A good cobbler will probably be able to rebuild these (not as often as goodyear though)

I'd be keen to hear what the local Cobbler has to say - I'm only going on instinct, really wish I'd become a Cordwainer... and still I mean no offence by any of this - I'd be very happy to be told I'm wrong!

Loake do this one,

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I don't think there is a way that folk can make a welted shoe and sell it for £150ish

Largely true for almost all westworld made boots, which is why I still shake my head over the fact that I can buy locally made (Winnipeg) boots that are GYW for such a low price. A black workboot with a Christy sole cost me about £160 on sale and another tan with a mini lug sole was about £200 full price.

Speaking of which, CW make a chelsea/romeo boot too, pretty tough to find across the water there though.
https://www.canadawestboots.com/romeo

wth is this kind of hook good for?

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Destroying laces. Need to buy again. Captive market.

Keeps the shoes more water resistant?
The lace stays external, less ingress of water?

I meant why not use a normal speed hook? Or a d-ring like the rest of the boot?

@mattyc - WOW! Thanks for the deep dive....hope you nail that deadline!

I'll get to the cobbler this week at some point and keep everyone posted.

Wonder if they do the same job as these on my Hanwag Tashi's

The lace glides really easily here which makes for a more even and adaptive pressure over the foot

The rest of the boot has regular hooks that fixates the lace

I was a bit puzzled about this at first, but it works incredibly well. It means I can have a slightly loser lacing over my foot and then lock the laces down at the next hook to make sure I get good heel grip, then I can adjust again individually on the top 3 lace points

I've got a bit thing against speedhooks, it's simply the loop of the opposite boot's lase getting hooked in them, annoying at walking pase total fuckup if running - combine with unstable ground or being at height and I'll start to sound like your grandmother to a five year old

Well, the ones I posted are closed hooks so no catching laces there. Maybe that was the reason for them to choose closed hooks?

Maybe. They do glide nicely, but they are on the top. Current version of the boot model has regular speed hooks.
The boots I have appear to be for the japanese market only so it could be a regional preference.

Looks like these could go cheap, starting bid at £120

Yuketen Eric boots, US9E

https://www.tradera.com/item/570896156

Let me know if anyone is interested and I can post over to the uk

I'm sure many in this thread have seen this guys YouTube before. I missed this one so sorry if repost. Doesn't reflect well on Alden I'd like to see the same breakdown of the Northampton / UK makers.

https://youtu.be/P11e6SW_1T8

You need to look a few pages back, entertainment will ensue.
Bottom line, Alden uses some mid tier materials and techniques to make one of the most loved boots ever. Apparently it’s comfort is unmatched.

These are my Dehner tank boots https://dehner.com/product/dehner-tank-boot-strap/ The straps are all cracked. I sanded one down to reveal the undyed leather. I quite like it. Might do all 4 straps that way. I'm going to treat the cracks with stabiliser gloop to make them last a bit longer.

Those are pretty awesome!

They're also very comfy! Got them second hand on ebay UK. If I bought new ones and shipped them from the US they'd probably be £900 or something.

Do you have a tank?