I just called in the factory on the way back home to try on a traditional work boot with commando sole (for work) the 9 was a perfect fit for me, I ordered it in a darker brown Swiss? grain...I'll post pictures as and when..the factory it like stepping back in time and the staff were polite chattyu and very easy to work with.to be honesyt I can hardly wait.after these I intend to order a black Derby with a bit of brouging in a grain with a plain cap if possible?
I actually ordered a pair of the traditional work boots myself, in Dark Brown Latigo. Apparently they're in the mail. Jimmer, I was curious if you had any advice on care and maintenance. Your dark brown latigo derby boots look amazing after a few years of wear. Any info on treatments or what kind of wax you used would be super appreciated, if possible. Thanks!
Can't see the attraction but...different strokes for different folks...Originally Posted by jimmer_5
A few Comparison shots with my orginal Lennon Derby Boots:
Was looking at a pair of Red Wings, but now seriously considering these. Can anyone comment on the thin rubber heel wearing out? How often does it need replaced? Better to go for the Vibram sole? Love the look of these boots.
Johnny
"I PROMISE
TO WEAR MY
HAT-HEAD
PROUDLY"
To these particular work boots or work boots in general?
Stripped of the cunning artifices of the tailor, and standing forth in the garb of Eden - what a sorry set of round-shouldered, spindle-shanked, crane-necked varlets would civilized men appear. ~ Herman Melville
I had a pair of lennons made in a with 'zug' grain and a toecap also had Vibram commando soles, I've worn them loads and they were comfortable from day one...I can recommend their service and quality...I did post a thread on them somewhere but cant find it!
They're not for everybody. I love them, but if I only ever wore a suit, for the sake of argument, I'd maybe be looking for something else. Horses for courses.
Personally, I'd go for the rubber heel and toe on leather sole approach- by far my preferred option on this sort of thing. If I was getting a second pair I might be tempted by the vibram soles for those really wet days where I'll be outside a good portion of the day. No direct experience with William Lennon, but those bits look very similarly proportioned to what I am used to on a dress shoe, having had them fitted in Timpsons or wherever. What I tend to find is that if I were to wear the shoes with great regularity (thinking especially of a time when I only had one pair of dress shoes - unthinkable now! - and wore them at least two or three times a week year round), I'd get maybe two years out of the heels before they needed redone, and much, much longer out of the piece on the front of the sole. I'm fairly light on my feet, though, it seems - my little brother, when e were kids, used to go through two pairs of shoes to my one, so this might be something that varies with the individual.
If in doubt - overdress.
Vivienne Westwood
The ones to go for, in my opinion, are the commando-soled zug-grain hill boots. They are very strong, but comfortable (I find). Not much good for anything but hill-walking, though; however, the leather is definitely top-quality. Lennon's method of construction, incidentally, is Blake, rather than the usual Goodyear; Blake allows for a trimmer welt, and I believe is more waterproof. I bought mine 5-6 years ago and they appear to be indestructible.
Johnny -
If I could get a pair of Iron Rangers with the William Lennon style triple leather soles, I think I'd be in heaven...
As William Lennons go, the thin heel will wear out relatively quickly - there is also some variation in the thickness of the rubber half sole tht you can get on the Derby boot. If you have a large size like mine (13), you get the thin generic rubber sheet that the brown cap toe boots have in the picture above. For the tan boots (my second order), I went to a lot of trouble to source a half sole and heel that would be thicker, but would still be the proper thicknesses to not make the boot too tall in the front or back. I am much more pleased with this configuration, but I bought the parts myself and shipped them to William Lennon. All told, this probably cost me about $40 after shipping the parts. It was worth it, but it's definitely easier to use the stock components and have them repaced with better ones when the thin half sole and heel wear out.
Last edited by jimmer_5; 10-03-2012 at 02:13 PM.
Still debating what pair to buy
The cheepskate in me is leaning towards the 78TC Traditional Work Boot. But I don’t know how the sole will react to an Albertan winter. Dr. Martins are rubbish in winter here.
I really like the 178 Tan Waxy Leather Sole Boot. I like leather soles and I know they are not that bad in a Albertan winter. Not great but not bad.
The two thing wrong with the 78PTC derby is the toe is to fancy for me and the rubber covering the sole. I have a pair of Canadian parade boots (HH Browns) with rubber over the leather sole and they are rubbish in winter.
It’s a lot of money and I can’t decide.
Johnny.
"I PROMISE
TO WEAR MY
HAT-HEAD
PROUDLY"
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