Boots

[fmbp]

What twit decided leather would be an appropriate boot material sole on such an expensive pair as Wolverine 1000miles?
The amount of rock embedded in my soles makes it sound like I'm constantly walking down a gravel walkway.
I love the boots otherwise, but damn there's no way these soles will last very long.

That's exactly why I purchased the Wolverine Evans model shown above in post #332. Vibram soles in the forefoot and on the heel. I live in Minnesota. There's no way I was going to wear leather soled boots in the winter here.

[seanile]

dammit. i didn't know about those. is it possible to have that added on?

[Chad]

dammit. i didn't know about those. is it possible to have that added on?

I believe you can have whatever sole you like installed on a pair of boots. Just like resoling dress shoes. I don't know if they could add it to an existing sole.

[dashDustin]

yeah, i don't understand leather as a sole on boots. that was a big turn off for a lot of boots when i was looking.

[72gmc]

dammit. i didn't know about those. is it possible to have that added on?

Find a cobbler! I like having shoes and boots improved. Look for the "he/she's such a grump" comments on Yelp.

[Mr B]

Just getting back into wearing my newly-resoled RedWing 3141 chukkas.
The uppers are six years old, oiled often and have broken in nicely.

[DeeDub76]

I've been wearing these for just over a month now and love 'em. They are Thorogood 6" moc tops. Made in Wisconsin. Comparable to Red Wings, but much cheaper in price. I have yet to give them a good coat of mink oil.

THOROGOOD.jpg

[xjoex]

I hope that every time you put them on, you hear in your head a George Thorogood song!

[DeeDub76]

Great....thanks for planting the seed.

[cash]

Dress down day at the office and my old Italian made Vasque Sundowners seemed like just the retro ticket:

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[xjoex]

I have been wearing my Merrell Wilderness boots as my go to casual boot. But they are starting to look a bit too beat up for the office. I stumbled upon these Sundowners for a song. They are much more refined (less bulky) than the Wilderness. On the plus side now I get to walk the dog in the Merrells.




-Joe

[AngryScientist]

NYC is a SLOPfest today. Bean hunting boots got the call-up for the walk to the office. Every office job I've ever had, I keep a pair of dress shoes in the bottom drawer. This is the kind of street conditions that will kill a good pair of leather soled dress shoes in a week. Bean boots are heard to beat.

[Brandon White]

NYC is a SLOPfest today. Bean hunting boots got the call-up for the walk to the office. Every office job I've ever had, I keep a pair of dress shoes in the bottom drawer. This is the kind of street conditions that will kill a good pair of leather soled dress shoes in a week. Bean boots are heard to beat.

That reminds of 'cross Worlds in Kentucky. Wife and I stayed at an old friend's house - they were out of town. I wore my Red Wing lace up field boots to the event. Aside from being 6 inches deep in mud, my feet were numb and frozen. I returned to the house, hosed myself off out back and stepped into their mud room. There was a pair of gore text/thinsulate bean boots in my size sitting right at the door all along. Should I ever attend another outdoor event, I'm getting a pair for myself.

[jdp211]

I've got a pair of those Bean boots, albeit in a slightly lesser ankle height, and they're nothing short of excellent. I opted for the non-flannel or shearling lined version as my feet tend to run hot. They are by far and away the warmest bit of footwear I've owned and wearing them in temps higher than low the 20's is totally overkill. That said, having a tall-ish (8") waterproof boot is invaluable for NYC winters and CX races alike.

[christian]

I got new hiking boots!

These are Jörn boots, made in Jörn, Västerbotten, northern Sweden by a two- or three-person factory that supplies the Norwegian and Swedish military and outdoor enthusiasts. They are constructed with a 3.5mm closed-cell rubber last, Vibram Izalco soles, and a single layer full-grain leather shaft, similar to US "pac boots," though the bottoms are much more structured than rubber pac boots. The construction makes them exceptionally light and quick to dry, as all insulation (insole, liner sock, thick sock) are removable if they get wet. The facility to dry more quickly is critical in a wet, soggy, cold country like Sweden.

Most importantly for me, they have a narrow heel, hugely wide toe box, and a high instep. I basically never want to take them off.

[ericpmoss]

Very cool. In what kind of climate and terrain do you expect to use these the most? There is always talk over on the John Muir Trail forum about shoes vs boots and waterproof vs quick-drying and light vs protective.

I got new hiking boots!

These are Jörn boots, made in Jörn, Västerbotten, northern Sweden by a two- or three-person factory that supplies the Norwegian and Swedish military and outdoor enthusiasts. They are constructed with a 3.5mm closed-cell rubber last, Vibram Izalco soles, and a single layer full-grain leather shaft, similar to US "pac boots," though the bottoms are much more structured than rubber pac boots. The construction makes them exceptionally light and quick to dry, as all insulation (insole, liner sock, thick sock) are removable if they get wet. The facility to dry more quickly is critical in a wet, soggy, cold country like Sweden.

Most importantly for me, they have a narrow heel, hugely wide toe box, and a high instep. I basically never want to take them off.

[christian]

I'm a pretty dedicated UL hiker, with a summer base weight around 8 lbs, so during the warmer months I wear mostly Saucony Kinvara TR running shoes. These are super-light for boots (I will weigh them this weekend out of interest) but they'll be used for shoulder season and winter backpacking, especially if I am going with my kids. For those trips, I end up carrying a Hilleberg tent, crampons, snowshoes, shovel, gasoline stove, etc so the base weight goes up. Jörn make a dedicated winter boot with a wool felt liner intended for arctic conditions, but these will be sufficient for conditions of -10F with double wool insoles and insulated VBL socks. I specifically didn't get the winter boots because I didn't think they'd be useful in the continental U.S.

[xjoex]

Those Jorn's look super comfy. I have been using these for my winter mountaineering and hiking boots; Scarpa Mont Blanc GTX Pro.


-Joe

[xjoex]

FYI - There are a bunch of Red Wings seconds on Sierra Trading Post and free shipping with a coupon EMY16 .

I have never purchased a factory second from STP that did not look absolutely perfect. So I have some beckman's on the way.

-Joe

[Fabriciom]

This winter I would like to get a pair of these.
panska-nepromokava-obuv-forclaz-900-warm-na-turistiku-seda.jpg