Footwear to go with our jackets

[torfjord]

I’m in talks with Benzein about ordering a pair of olive boots to match my olive Thedi jacket. I’m considering their olive badalassi as well as their Java olive pull-up. Anyone has experience with any of these leathers? Pics would be super helpful as well. I seem to remember @Jin431 owning a pair of olive badalassi from them, is that correct?

 

[Edward]

Really liking this new trickers boot View attachment 369494

Trickers are hard to beat, especially if you want something that straddles the line between being a bit 'respectable' and still having that ruggedness. I'd choose them over Churches or most anything else in their price band, though that's all a matter pf personal taste. Grenson's high end stuff is also lovely.

For no reason whatsoever, evo on my Sendras after a month worth of wear. I walk a lot so these are holding up considerably well. Sendra makes a good boot.

These are very Dylan circa Blonde on Blonde, imo! I like them. Does the zip make a big difference for ease of on/ off as compared to pull-ons?

Stuffing the boots that I won't wear that day with paper is something I have been doing as a matter of fact but now I'm reading it's a travesty as well. I was using the same paper that came in the boot, figured it can't do no harm.

To be honest, I not only not mind but actually much prefer the creases & toe spring, the entire worn in look of boots so that's really no problem for me - but - I certainly don't want the leather to start cracking so if shoe trees actually prevent that. . .

But then again, I never had this happen on any of the boots I've owned so far and up until very recently, I never took care of my footwear. Now I'm brushing the shoes I wore every other day, I think.

I've only ever had one pair of boots crack over the toe - a pair of DMs from just at the tail end of the original Made in England era, back when they started to gradually cut the quality in order to keep to a set price point (like everything else). To be fair, I was just at the start of my university years, and I wore nothing else on my feet for eighteen months. I've always heard people in the shoe trade say that two pairs worn alternately will last longer than three pairs each worn to destruction one after the other.

Thanks, it must have been so hot wearing leather under stage lights. It reminds me of an interview I read about with Joey Ramone where Joey, in the full heat of a New York summer, still kept his Schott on.

Joey never took the jacket off on stage either, even when the other bruddahs whipped theirs off two numbers into the set. Maybe being as skinny as he was he just didn't feel the heat the same as the rest of us!

Awful, foul weather early this morning (and really dangerous on the highway). Winter gear is on:
Custom William Lennon Boots combined with my new Pike Brothers Deck parka in waxed jungle cloth.
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Great outfit! Those Lennons are beautiful. If Lennon do the style you're after, it's hard to look past them. I have a pair of their B5s in black leather with a triple sole, and I've yet to handle a better equivalent boot at any price.

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Lucchese Sunset Roper

Nice. I know roper boots were by design for guys on their feet rather than in the saddle, but they always put me in mind of a cowboy boot reinterpreted in an "English" style, English riding (both horse and motorcycle) boots always having tended to a lower heel than their American counterparts.

Flame Panda horsebutt
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Oh, my. A style and a colour I am very keen to add to my collection in due course. I love the look of a lace to toe. Like a little corset for the foot!

I mentioned these Triumph motorcycle boots a few weeks back, but only posted a stock photo. Here's some pictures I've taken myself today, although only phone camera so poor quality.

I'm still trying to get them supple enough to actually wear in anger.

They're a dark oxblood colour, but it's been sunlight dependent and hard to catch in a photo.

Triumph's boots always look nice, real sense of heritage that really suits their mc aesthetic too.

John Lofgren M-43

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No glove?

Been on a hot streak lately. Stole these little used Vibergs for $150 recently. Simple and black, they should go well with most of my jackets.

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Love the grained leather. I don't know if it's just coincidence or what, but in the well over a hundred pairs of shoes I've owned in my lifetime, grained leather has always worn better than smooth, with nary a sign of anything close to a crack.

That's a bummer . To be fair that really
undermines the value of the brand . This pair of Onderhoud costs me 700usd. Cheaper than say John Lofgren and attractions but not that much cheaper . More premium boot makers from the boots I have handled ( Julian , Attractions and john Lofgren ) will be reluctant to use these parts of the grain for the vamp. Therefore there will be a lot more leather wastage which justifies their price premium given the leather and workmanship are the most expensive part of the boot .

I had the exact same experience with another maker. I reached out to the vendor who then reached out to the maker. The makers reply “I wouldn’t pay $1,000 for those, send them back.” While it won’t effect durability there is no way my OCD could handle that. At the price point the maker needs to exchange imo.

TBH, I rather like them. Reminds me of my first leather jacket, on which the lapels wore and grained very differently. Seemed odd at first, but I grew to love it. It has an 'organic' feel to it that says to me "these are made from a natural material, not processed". Of course I also totally understand why if it's not your aesthetic preference, the retail price is a bit on the steep side to just shrug it off. Sort of thing that makes buying in person ideal where possible, though obvs that's difficult especially with custom stuff...

IMO this justifies their upcharge. Just standing by their product and ensures their brand only carries top quality stuff.

People say they are too expensive for a pair of common cxl. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for. Just better clicking and more selective with the hide.

Chasing exotic horsebutts seems overrated to me. A dense and properly made boots with CXL leather is hard to beat.

Role club and clinch seems to be on another level though. Maybe one day...

Manufacture is very definitely as big a part of the picture as quality materials. Reminds me of some years back when Taylor, a US-based maker of very nice (and expensive) acoustic guitars, built a guitar out of palette wood to prove that while anyone can buy quality woods and materials, the manufacturing process is a huge part of the finished article. Only pity was they did them as a very limited series and they were no cheaper despite the low-cost materials, but all the same it proved their point about the manufacturing.

 

[Robbie79]

Benzein Chelsea in black badalassi (mink oil applied to make it darker and polished to have some gloss)

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@Jin431 Your black Badalassi Benzein Chelsea boots do look lovely! Beautiful grain! As you also have Maryam horsebutt boots if I remember correctly, how would you compare both leathers in terms of thickness/heaviness, grain, softness, smell (I love the Badalassi leather smell) and overall leather quality? Benzein, Prof Barnets, etc. do all charge the same for Badalassi and Maryam horsebutt as far as I know.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Bfd70]

IMO this justifies their upcharge. Just standing by their product and ensures their brand only carries top quality stuff.

People say they are too expensive for a pair of common cxl. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for. Just better clicking and more selective with the hide.

Chasing exotic horsebutts seems overrated to me. A dense and properly made boots with CXL leather is hard to beat.

Role club and clinch seems to be on another level though. Maybe one day...

I agree. Overall happy with the Lofgren experience and the vendor Standard and Strange.

 

[Jin431]

I’m in talks with Benzein about ordering a pair of olive boots to match my olive Thedi jacket. I’m considering their olive badalassi as well as their Java olive pull-up. Anyone has experience with any of these leathers? Pics would be super helpful as well. I seem to remember @Jin431 owning a pair of olive badalassi from them, is that correct?

what's up brother, if you do order from them then what boots will it be? I don't know much about the local pull up leather they offer but personally I'd rather get the olive Horween waxed flesh or olive shinki horse **** (regular/oiled/shrunken) and olive Badalassi. I do have the olive Badalassi with black over-dye from Sagara, it became a dark green shade and I quite like them. The leather used for this pair has smoother grain but much thicker than the black badalassi, it was really stiff and hard to wear at first (even gave me a blister) and it still hasn't fully breaked in yet but it's getting better with each wear. The leather is hardy and boots are made very well so I feel it can withstand a lot of wear and tear and abuse.

@Jin431 Your black Badalassi Benzein Chelsea boots do look lovely! Beautiful grain! As you also have Maryam horsebutt boots if I remember correctly, how would you compare both leathers in terms of thickness/heaviness, grain, softness, smell (I love the Badalassi leather smell) and overall leather quality? Benzein, Prof Barnets, etc. do all charge the same for Badalassi and Maryam horsebutt as far as I know.
Thanks in advance!

thanks brother, it is very grainy indeed and looks similar to the black Thedi cowhide jacket I recently got so they pair very well. yes sir I do have a black Maryam horse **** in an engineer/service boot so it's something I really do like. I prefer smooth grained leather and horse **** in general so I'll be biased lol the Maryam horse **** feels much heavier/thicker but it's very easy to wear even on the first wear, it's really smooth and supple and has a better smell, it also wears better on my feet as well and creates some nice creases/rolls that's more appreciated in the shaft of the boots but should develop on the toe box with plenty of wear.

The black badalassi used on my Chelsea feels thinner/lighter than my olive badalassi pair but it's also easier to wear, it's very grainy and supple but it was rather matte looking before I oiled and polished it. It also didn't have the fragrant smell as my black Badalassi Aero or the horse **** boots. I would rather get horse ****, it's thicker, it feels of better quality and easier to wear especially if they are priced similarly. I'll actually have a black shinki horse **** monkey boots soon so I'm excited for that.

 

[torfjord]

what's up brother, if you do order from them then what boots will it be? I don't know much about the local pull up leather they offer but personally I'd rather get the olive Horween waxed flesh or olive shinki horse **** (regular/oiled/shrunken) and olive Badalassi. I do have the olive Badalassi with black over-dye from Sagara, it became a dark green shade and I quite like them. The leather used for this pair has smoother grain but much thicker than the black badalassi, it was really stiff and hard to wear at first (even gave me a blister) and it still hasn't fully breaked in yet but it's getting better with each wear. The leather is hardy and boots are made very well so I feel it can withstand a lot of wear and tear and abuse.

View attachment 375640




thanks brother, it is very grainy indeed and looks similar to the black Thedi cowhide jacket I recently got so they pair very well. yes sir I do have a black Maryam horse **** in an engineer/service boot so it's something I really do like. I prefer smooth grained leather and horse **** in general so I'll be biased lol the Maryam horse **** feels much heavier/thicker but it's very easy to wear even on the first wear, it's really smooth and supple and has a better smell, it also wears better on my feet as well and creates some nice creases/rolls that's more appreciated in the shaft of the boots but should develop on the toe box with plenty of wear.

The black badalassi used on my Chelsea feels thinner/lighter than my olive badalassi pair but it's also easier to wear, it's very grainy and supple but it was rather matte looking before I oiled and polished it. It also didn't have the fragrant smell as my black Badalassi Aero or the horse **** boots. I would rather get horse ****, it's thicker, it feels of better quality and easier to wear especially if they are priced similarly. I'll actually have a black shinki horse **** monkey boots soon so I'm excited for that.

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Thanks man, those do look really good! At first, I was inquiring about the olive shinki but they told me they didn't have it in stock and didn't know when they might be in stock again. The waxed flesh for Horween is a rough out leather, right?
I'm looking at this model:

 

[Robbie79]

what's up brother, if you do order from them then what boots will it be? I don't know much about the local pull up leather they offer but personally I'd rather get the olive Horween waxed flesh or olive shinki horse **** (regular/oiled/shrunken) and olive Badalassi. I do have the olive Badalassi with black over-dye from Sagara, it became a dark green shade and I quite like them. The leather used for this pair has smoother grain but much thicker than the black badalassi, it was really stiff and hard to wear at first (even gave me a blister) and it still hasn't fully breaked in yet but it's getting better with each wear. The leather is hardy and boots are made very well so I feel it can withstand a lot of wear and tear and abuse.

View attachment 375640




thanks brother, it is very grainy indeed and looks similar to the black Thedi cowhide jacket I recently got so they pair very well. yes sir I do have a black Maryam horse **** in an engineer/service boot so it's something I really do like. I prefer smooth grained leather and horse **** in general so I'll be biased lol the Maryam horse **** feels much heavier/thicker but it's very easy to wear even on the first wear, it's really smooth and supple and has a better smell, it also wears better on my feet as well and creates some nice creases/rolls that's more appreciated in the shaft of the boots but should develop on the toe box with plenty of wear.

The black badalassi used on my Chelsea feels thinner/lighter than my olive badalassi pair but it's also easier to wear, it's very grainy and supple but it was rather matte looking before I oiled and polished it. It also didn't have the fragrant smell as my black Badalassi Aero or the horse **** boots. I would rather get horse ****, it's thicker, it feels of better quality and easier to wear especially if they are priced similarly. I'll actually have a black shinki horse **** monkey boots soon so I'm excited for that.

View attachment 375647

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@Jin431 Thanks very much for your detailed feedback - I do highly appreciate that you share your experience with us which helps a lot. Your boot collection is fabulous! I've been chatting a lot recently with Prof Barnets and Sagara Bootmaker regarding Shinki horsebutt, Tochigi cowhide and Badalassi cowhide and haven't taken Maryam horsebutt into account so far. Both companies have offerered excellent customer service so far and quality of boots seem to be quite similar. I guess the same applies for Benzein @torfjord BTW. Great choice your rough out + waxed Service boots you hopefully gonna get soon.
I've tried many times to get in touch with Peng from FlamePanda China but he seems too busy. Anyway, I guess I can't go wrong with any of above mentioned brands as long as you order quality hide (not sure about their domestic hide which is mainly offered by txture)

 

[Jin431]

Thanks man, those do look really good! At first, I was inquiring about the olive shinki but they told me they didn't have it in stock and didn't know when they might be in stock again. The waxed flesh for Horween is a rough out leather, right?
I'm looking at this model:

funny you say that, that pair was made for me. it's the catcher service boots in Maryam toscanellow horse ****, I think it's best to go one full size smaller (half a size can also work if your worried it will be too small) when using this last. I'm normally an 8D and the one I ordered felt like a 9D so I had to double sock it. Yes the waxed flesh is a rough out, it will look like an avocado with the darker brown skin that will eventually have the green flesh show with wear/scuff. Check with Sagara if they stock olive shinki, the shinki horsebutt is worth the wait and to pay the extra fee.

@Jin431 Thanks very much for your detailed feedback - I do highly appreciate that you share your experience with us which helps a lot. Your boot collection is fabulous! I've been chatting a lot recently with Prof Barnets and Sagara Bootmaker regarding Shinki horsebutt, Tochigi cowhide and Badalassi cowhide and haven't taken Maryam horsebutt into account so far. Both companies have offerered excellent customer service so far and quality of boots seem to be quite similar. I guess the same applies for Benzein @torfjord BTW. Great choice your rough out + waxed Service boots you hopefully gonna get soon.
I've tried many times to get in touch with Peng from FlamePanda China but he seems too busy. Anyway, I guess I can't go wrong with any of above mentioned brands as long as you order quality hide (not sure about their domestic hide which is mainly offered by txture)

thank you and no problem at all, glad that it can help but results may vary so hopefully yours will be a pleasant one as well. I think the Indonesian boot makers are very similar but like jacket makers they all seem to have their own forte in terms of making a specific boot. They also pretty much use the same leather so that's an equalizer as well, I believe they also get the leather from the same suppliers so there's really no difference in imported leather quality whichever company you pick. Benzein is good, not perfect but their goods are well made and with desirable leather offerings for a price that's reasonable and fair (for me anyways). I'm not familiar with Barnets but the Sagara I own is comfy, I really like the added cushioning to the heel and arch. Those little touches go along way with me for the added comfort.

I'm sure, my FP order is now on its 10th month and I still don't have it lol I hope to get it before the year ends.

 

[Monitor]

I wrote about these boots before so I skip the details but what I can tell you is that that now that I've spent a good few months wearing 'em, in all seriousness, the Viberg Engineers for instance, feel like were made by children for a school project in comparison while most other low to mid-tier boots that I had a chance to wear, could barely be called functional footwear.

I've yet to wear a pair of sneakers that are as comfortable as these and at the same time, when it comes to sturdiness, they easily out-class anything I tried on so far. The sole alone is crazy tought and the upper is made out of leather that's thicker than the $700+ CXL Wolverines I tried on in Canada.

What I'm tryna say is, don't disregard fashion brands. These guys know how to make a shoe. Like, they really know.

I walk 10-20 miles every day. I don't drive, ride, nothing; Everywhere I need to go, everything I need to do, I'll walk so I believe it's safe to say these boots see use and look at them.

 

[Jin431]

I wrote about these boots before so I skip the details but what I can tell you is that that now that I've spent a good few months wearing 'em, in all seriousness, the Viberg Engineers for instance, feel like were made by children for a school project in comparison while most other low to mid-tier boots that I had a chance to wear, could barely be called functional footwear.

I've yet to wear a pair of sneakers that are as comfortable as these and at the same time, when it comes to sturdiness, they easily out-class anything I tried on so far. The sole alone is crazy tought and the upper is made out of leather that's thicker than the $700+ CXL Wolverines I tried on in Canada.

What I'm tryna say is, don't disregard fashion brands. These guys know how to make a shoe. Like, they really know.

I walk 10-20 miles every day. I don't drive, ride, nothing; Everywhere I need to go, everything I need to do, I'll walk so I believe it's safe to say these boots see use and look at them.

big respect, man that's a lot of mileage in a year! heritage brands should send you pairs for review with all the walking that you do! what are they?

 

[Monitor]

These are very Dylan circa Blonde on Blonde, imo! I like them. Does the zip make a big difference for ease of on/ off as compared to pull-ons?

Pull-ons with the stretchy bit, you mean? It's different but equally simple. There's a... Well, let's call it an unwanted crease that'll form diagonally from the bottom of the zipper to the top of the boot, the first few times you try to put it on but it's no big deal. It's inevitable anyway, kinda like the jacket getting creases in the sleeves, I guess.

I'm glad you mentioned Dylan; Dude's a huge inspiration for my wardrobe as of recently. Lol, dyed half of my jeans black 'cause of him but better than buying new ones 'cause they fit me great but I hated the badly done, fake fades.

I've only ever had one pair of boots crack over the toe - a pair of DMs from just at the tail end of the original Made in England era, back when they started to gradually cut the quality in order to keep to a set price point (like everything else). To be fair, I was just at the start of my university years, and I wore nothing else on my feet for eighteen months. I've always heard people in the shoe trade say that two pairs worn alternately will last longer than three pairs each worn to destruction one after the other.

All my ex's black DM's had cracks all over the toes but it's 'cause of that shiny leather...ette or whatever the heck they're making that upper from. I don't think it's just neglect that did it as her brown Martens that were actually made of decent looking leather didn't exhibit the issue.

That shiny stuff is terrible. I kind of wanted to get Calvin Klein 205W39NYC Boots (basically cowboy zip-ups, see pic below) 'cause they got deadly shape (I think it's considered one of the most beautiful ankle boot ever made or something like that) but they're all exclusively made from that shiny junk and each one on Grailed that's actually seen some wear, is cracked all over.

 

[Monitor]

big respect, man that's a lot of mileage in a year! heritage brands should send you pairs for review with all the walking that you do! what are they?

I forgot to mention, these couldn't be any further from heritage - They're Prada! Which is why I'm saying, don't ignore fashion brands.

 

[Robbie79]

I wrote about these boots before so I skip the details but what I can tell you is that that now that I've spent a good few months wearing 'em, in all seriousness, the Viberg Engineers for instance, feel like were made by children for a school project in comparison while most other low to mid-tier boots that I had a chance to wear, could barely be called functional footwear.

I've yet to wear a pair of sneakers that are as comfortable as these and at the same time, when it comes to sturdiness, they easily out-class anything I tried on so far. The sole alone is crazy tought and the upper is made out of leather that's thicker than the $700+ CXL Wolverines I tried on in Canada.

What I'm tryna say is, don't disregard fashion brands. These guys know how to make a shoe. Like, they really know.

I walk 10-20 miles every day. I don't drive, ride, nothing; Everywhere I need to go, everything I need to do, I'll walk so I believe it's safe to say these boots see use and look at them.

Wow, these are beauties!! 10-20 miles a day is a lot - respect!!

 

[Robbie79]

I really dig these natural veg tanned cowhide txtre boots but not sure about the quality - at least they do look like high quality boots. $330 incl. shipping. Probably her'e someone who has experience with this Indonesian bootmaker.

 

[Jin431]

I forgot to mention, these couldn't be any further from heritage - They're Prada! Which is why I'm saying, don't ignore fashion brands.

I haven't seen any of their work but I can only imagine how high their standard and build quality is since they are an established high end maker. I haven't really looked into (high end) fashion brands because I relate their work with having exorbitant price tags but if it can be had for a reasonable price then I would probably try one out.

 

[Jin431]

I really dig these natural veg tanned cowhide txtre boots but not sure about the quality - at least they do look like high quality boots. $330 incl. shipping. Probably her'e someone who has experience with this Indonesian bootmaker.

should still be pretty similar with other boot makers. a Maryam/cloe/horween/shinki horse **** in natural finish would be 400-480 so maybe upgrade the leather.

 

[Monitor]

I haven't seen any of their work but I can only imagine how high their standard and build quality is since they are an established high end maker. I haven't really looked into (high end) fashion brands because I relate their work with having exorbitant price tags but if it can be had for a reasonable price then I would probably try one out.

See, this is what I mean.

Okay, so while I have somewhat limited experience with heritage/repro/whatever brands - meaning I've yet to see any of the top-tier contenders - I did own a good few low to mid-tier options so I feel I'm allowed to draw at least some conclusion.

But the thing is, price point of the footwear I'm talking about here, fashion stuff, is actually at the mid-tier heritage market level.

I used to avoid fashion footwear for many reasons, one being what you've just mentioned; Price tag - but - turns out, when you compare any of these small-time makers, turns out they regularly ask as much as any of the high-street brands & often more.

For instance, the cheapest boots by Clinch are over $2K while you'd be hard pressed to find anything from a regular Celine or Saint Laurent line-up for half as much! Sure, the mega-rare Aligator skin ones but then again, you've got
Lucchese charging $13K for their Aligator boots. I'm not kidding, check it out.

https://lucchese.com/collections/men-cowboy-boots?sort=price-descending

$12,995! Believe me when I say that not even freaking Balenciaga EVER had the audacity to ask #13K for ANYTHING and they'd do it just for trolling.

Do a search for boots on Farfetch or MrPorter and compare it to SelfEdge & Standard and Strange and you'll see that the difference in price variation is negligible.

Heritage marketing is based almost entirely a premise of durability and quality vs. mass produced, flimsy fashion trash. That premise is sometimes true - Except when it isn't and when it isn't, it couldn't possibly be much further from the truth.

My MiuMiu's were 300 Euros. Or so.

 

[Jin431]

See, this is what I mean.

Okay, so while I have somewhat limited experience with heritage/repro/whatever brands - meaning I've yet to see any of the top-tier contenders - I did own a good few low to mid-tier options so I feel I'm allowed to draw at least some conclusion.

But the thing is, price point of the footwear I'm talking about here, fashion stuff, is actually at the mid-tier heritage market level.

I used to avoid fashion footwear for many reasons, one being what you've just mentioned; Price tag - but - turns out, when you compare any of these small-time makers, turns out they regularly ask as much as any of the high-street brands & often more.

For instance, the cheapest boots by Clinch are over $2K while you'd be hard pressed to find anything from a regular Celine or Saint Laurent line-up for half as much! Sure, the mega-rare Aligator skin ones but then again, you've got
Lucchese charging $13K for their Aligator boots. I'm not kidding, check it out.

https://lucchese.com/collections/men-cowboy-boots?sort=price-descending

$12,995! Believe me when I say that not even freaking Balenciaga EVER had the audacity to ask #13K for ANYTHING and they'd do it just for trolling.

Do a search for boots on Farfetch or MrPorter and compare it to SelfEdge & Standard and Strange and you'll see that the difference in price variation is negligible.

Heritage marketing is based almost entirely a premise of durability and quality vs. mass produced, flimsy fashion trash. That premise is sometimes true - Except when it isn't and when it isn't, it couldn't possibly be much further from the truth.

My MiuMiu's were 300 Euros. Or so.

that's good to know that it can be had and not break the bank. I don't knock on fashion brand boots its just most of the style I see them make is most of the time too formal looking for how I wear my clothes but I quite like that Prada that you shared (it's not too pointy lol). I also don't believe the notion that heritage brands is all about quality, since they are in the business after all and I'm sure they want to sell more of their stuff if they can lol

my fascination with boots is actually not the footwear itself but with the leather so I almost always gravitate to made to order brands. Although sometimes a pair is so well perfectly made that you don't really need to mess with anything about it like the clinch engineer or jodhpurs

 

[Robbie79]

should still be pretty similar with other boot makers. a Maryam/cloe/horween/shinki horse **** in natural finish would be 400-480 so maybe upgrade the leather.

I'm actually thinking about taking the risk and select this veg tanned leather as I hope that the quality is good, at least from the pictures it does look good as they mainly sell their local leather from what I seen on Instagram. But of course there is a risk left.

 

[ABCD]

My MiuMiu's were 300 Euros. Or so.

Lol, these are €800+ MRSP