Jim Green Vellies

[TLW '90]

I finally bit the bullet on a pair of Jim Green Vellie " Chukka " boots in Khaki rough out.

Everything I hear about the company made me want to show them a little support, but I was a little hesitant because I've been worried about fit.

I mostly wanted them as a summer beater and workshop boot so I figured for that role and at this low price I probably didn't need to worry much about having a perfect fit.

 

[TLW '90]

Anybody else here have a pair of Jim green Vellies ?

 

[navetsea]

looks cool, probably in such color and texture it will quickly pick up "characters" is there any dependable yet affordable suede and roughout care product and conditioner? I know there is one saphir suede conditioner thing but that is dress shoes grade price wise and also generally sold at smaller pot at relatively high price, not something you would use to maintain a beater boots, I clean my suede boots with baking soda and white vinegar to form foam and absorb the dirt that come off with old tshirt rag, but I don't know how to condition them.

 

[TLW '90]

looks cool, probably in such color and texture it will quickly pick up "characters" is there any dependable yet affordable suede and roughout care product and conditioner? I know there is one saphir suede conditioner thing but that is dress shoes grade price wise and also generally sold at smaller pot at relatively high price, not something you would use to maintain a beater boots, I clean my suede boots with baking soda and white vinegar to form foam and absorb the dirt that come off with old tshirt rag, but I don't know how to condition them.

I don't know, but for a workshop boot and summer beater I don't really care how they end up looking.
I specifically chose the Khaki rough out because of it's abrasion resistance., they have other darker colors in rough out as well as smooth out leathers.

 

[TLW '90]

They're supposed to be here today, but while they're in my state now they're not exactly in the area so I wouldn't be surprised if they don't show up till tomorrow.

I have really been unhappy with UPS lately, they used to be better for me than FedEx but now their tracking situation sucks .

 

[TLW '90]

I just got them and I'm not sure how I feel yet.

The F&F is good, they look great, and I love the toe room, but they don't really lock my heels in.
There's no hot spots or anything, but they don't tighten up around the ankle like I'm used to and don't fit like a pair of low top sneakers either.

Maybe I just need to get used to them, or hope they eventually conform to the shape of my foot a bit.
I replaced the thin factory laces with some paracord which has helped a bit.

 

[TLW '90]

I realized that part of my problem was the poorly fitting socks I was wearing.
With the rough out counter cover proving grip I shouldn't have been getting that much heel slip, and figured out that it was a sock issue.
It's much better with the socks I'm wearing today.

I also decided to go with some snap on end pulls and cord locks to make them faster to put on and easy to adjust on the fly.

I had these from a pair of lock laces with worn out shock cord, but it's all standard hardware you can order online.

 

[TLW '90]

I'm noticing that these haven't really fealt like a stiff new pair if boots that needs to be broken in.
Maybe it's because of the generous fit ?

They don't feel too big, and based on my footprint in the insole I'd say they're right where I like them.
The last seems to fit where they should while being roomy in the areas that tend to rub and be problematic.

The insoles are interesting too, a leather topped felted material with a soft plastic arch support structure at the back.

 

[navetsea]

their youtube channel shows evolution of their products with wear.

 

[TLW '90]

Well I had a bit of a happy accident with the Jim Green Vellies.

One night on the pret boot dryer ( just a gentle warm air that naturally rises up through the tubes into the boots) caused an issue with the glue used on the insoles and made them squeek.
I decided to make some new insoles out of 8oz veg tann, and not only do I have an insole that doesn't squeak my heel seats Into the boot better and I don't have the issue I did before.
They are also no less comfortable than they were before, because the orinsoles weren't exactly soft and squishy.
An early assumption was that the insoles were a bit too thick at the heel, but for some reason I didn't want to change them.


I'm really starting to think that the rough out Jim Green Vellies just may be the ultimate rugged everyday beater shoe.
I'll go back to my Thorogood 4364's in the winter and wear my Footskins when my feet need a break, but these vellies are good for so much especially in the summer.

 

[TLW '90]

It's only been two weeks, but I've worn them every single day ( except for my work boots ) out exploring on my minibike working in my shop and grocery shopping among other things.
Really just general wear without care or worry, and they're still looking great.

Any smooth out leather would already look pretty beat up, not that it's necessarily a bad thing but looking presentable as long as possible is definitely a good thing.


I am very surprised nobody on the forum is talking about the Jim Green Vellies.

 

[TLW '90]

They got pretty wet yesterday so this morning I decided to bite the bullet and give them a healthy dose of obenaufs LP.
Being a tool first and foremost they really needed the protection , but I thought they looked good before and was worried that might change.

Thankfully I can still say that look good and before they were an excellent beater shoe, now I think they'll be the ultimate beater shoe that can also look presentable if need be.

 

[Fifty150]

Everything I hear about the company

You know people who talk about a shoe from South Africa?

I see their social media marketing presence. A collection of youtube videos on their own channel, plus reviews. Reviews which also have a "click to buy" link, which means the reviewer gets a commission on those sales. Essentially, the "reviews" on youtube are paid infomercials. But that is the way with most of those youtube videos. The only problem is that most people can't figure out that they are watching a paid product endorsement.

I love the toe room

According to Jim Green, their shoe lasts are all wide width.

Anybody else here have a pair of Jim green Vellies ?

I am very surprised nobody on the forum is talking about the Jim Green Vellies.

My Jim Green is the Razorback Steel Toe model. I like the 1 piece of leather construction for the vamp/upper. I like the leather lining. I like how the shoes are "double lasted" construction, and the double row of thread stitching the uppers to the midsole.

I bought the steel toe, because steel toe caps do not collapse like synthetic toe counters. The steel toe cap will hold up the toe shape forever.

My preference is for full grain leather. I prefer it over suede and nubuck. But that is a personal preference. I'm able to oil it and apply carnauba paste wax, to treat and weatherproof the leather. It's a routine which I am familiar with.

All of that foam padding in the tongue and around the ankle is not for me. It surely serves a purpose for some people. But I could do without it. No big deal because it really doesn't bother me. Different opinions about the Jim Green footbed insert. I think that they are not very good. No big deal. You can replace it with any footbed insert that you want. Some people have to use orthotics.

What I don't like are the synthetic lasting boards. As much as I like that the shoe is double lasted - both lasts are synthetics. But I suppose that would increase the cost of materials, and raise the final retail price by $50. I would gladly pay an extra $50 for a leather insole and leather midsole.

The sole is a proprietary part. Not a major name brand like Goodyear, Vibram, Dianite, et cetera. To me, they are fine. I haven't slipped, so they must work. Different people have different preferences for durability, traction, comfort, et cetera. When it's time to resole, I think I will install a Vibram Christy wedge sole. Just a personal preference.

 

[Fifty150]

And yes, I'm using the green laces. Buying new laces would cost more money.

 

[TLW '90]

I see their social media marketing presence. A collection of youtube videos on their own channel, plus reviews. Reviews which also have a "click to buy" link, which means the reviewer gets a commission on those sales. Essentially, the "reviews" on youtube are paid infomercials. But that is the way with most of those youtube videos. The only problem is that most people can't figure out that they are watching a paid product endorsement

There are YouTube channels I watch and trust which I know are being honest even though they include a link to buy them, because they genuinely believe in the value of them.
They are trusted to give honest opinions and their viewers will call them out if they don't.

I'm not watching somebody say it's the best thing ever because they were payed.
one channel is just presenting good options for one to consider, the other cuts footwear apart and there's nowhere / nothing to hide.

I watched them being made, watched them being cut apart, and I know the ins / outs of footwear materials.
I knew exactly what I was getting, especially for the money.

My assessment is that the Jim Green Vellies are the perfect summer beater shoe.
When the time comes for a resole I will replace the lasting board ( their felted lasting board is better than paper / cardboard) with Veg tanned leather and if I can buy them I'll use wedge soles from Trenton and Heath who now has the same neoprene wedge soles Thorogood uses.

Btw Jim Green may call this Suede, but it's a rough out full grain leather.

 

[Fifty150]

the other cuts footwear apart

That guy, like every youtuber, gets paid by youtube based on an algorithm of likes, subscribes, and comments. Like these comments from a more recent video.

The guy from that channel also "collaborates" with the shoe companies. He works with them to design a shoe to certain specifications. This is common in the fashion industry. Many times, different companies will put together their combined efforts to bring a product to market.

The channel also has links for you to click on, so that you can buy the item. This is also common. A lot of channels have this feature, so that the person creating content gets a paid a commission on the sales.

Controversy arises when a product does not pay or compensate, and subsequently gets a bad review. Wesco, Allen Edmonds, Alden, Wolverine.......

Shoe companies that do pay get good reviews. Thursday Boots, Jim Green, Palladium, HuckBerry, Rock Rooster, Golden Fox......


Caveat Emptor

When one shoe is called bad, or "sold their souls", for a synthetic part or lower grade leather; another shoe is praised for the comfort and wearability of the same synthetic part or lower grade leather. A recent video praised the sanded down and painted leather of the uppers. Past videos called sanding down and painting leather a sleazy way of selling a cheap product. Several shoes were put on a belt sander, as part of the testing process. Other shoes were submerged into a fish tank full of water. In real life, I have never stuck my foot onto a belt sander, nor stood in a fish tank. A cigarette lighter is held to the leather to burn it. In real life, even firefighters are not standing in the fire.

The marketing strategy is to make the competing product look bad, so that you can endorse your product. Sort of like when Andrew Zimmern talked bad about Panda Express and P.F. Chang. As I recall, the food was horse shit and Phillip Chang is just a rich white kid in a Chinese body. Then Zimmern opened his own Chinese food chain. Lucky Cricket.

I really enjoy watching the channel. There's entertainment value. But this channel does not influence my buying. I own shoes which Weston Kay endorsed. I own shoes which Weston Kay did not like. I would not buy everything Weston Kay promotes. I will not let Weston Kay's negative review influence me to not buy a shoe.


Here are the Jim Green in my natural habitat. On concrete sidewalks.

 

[Fifty150]

When the time comes for a resole I will replace the lasting board ( their felted lasting board is better than paper / cardboard) with Veg tanned leather

if I can buy them I'll use wedge soles from Trenton and Heath who now has the same neoprene wedge soles Thorogood uses

I hope that you can find a competent cobbler who won't mess the shoes up. Pacific Northwest boot companies will often replace the vamp, and then relast the shoe. Local cobblers won't do that. They don't have the lasts, and most do not have the skill or machinery to pull a new piece of leather over the last, turn it back out, then stitch it down. Some cobblers will cut the stitches, remove the sole, then use it as a template to trace and carve a new leather sole. A better cobbler will hand stitch the uppers to the new sole, using the original holes in the uppers. Some cobblers will use a machine, which will punch a new set of holes and perforate the leather uppers. Then they add the outsole, and sand it. The sanding could take away more leather from the uppers, or run right into the stitches.


I recall a Trenton and Heath video where they said that they usually will not work on stitchdown shoes. With a few rare exceptions, like when they are filming a youtube video.

Pulling off and glueing on an outsole on a pair of Jim Green is not hard. Rebuilding the shoe with a new insole/midsole is a little more complicated.

 

[TLW '90]

The thing is that there can be no one size fits all assessment standard that people seem to be expecting or something.
You have to take into account the price, the purpose, and whether the marketing is honest or deceptive.
2 nearly identical boots can receive different opinions for various reasons and it can be a very honest non biased or God forbid payed opinion too.

Personally I think it's just a lot of people who couldn't handle how he trashed the Aldens or accept that other factors like price purpose and marketing can make a nearly identical boot better or worse than another in some way.
People who think if the Alden gets trashed every boot with substitute materials should automatically get trashed.

In the end that doesn't matter though because I know what I'm looking at, and just watch to see the insides of a boot and the materials I already know the ins & outs of.
I will say that I don't need to see any of the PNW boots cut in half though, because they all have their own channels and I can just watch them being made.

 

[TLW '90]

I hope that you can find a competent cobbler who won't mess the shoes up.

I will be doing the work myself.
It may be different with some boots but with these it will be fairly straightforward.
Cut the stitching to remove the outsole / midsole, trace it into some leather, hand sew the new leather midsole to the upper, then with the boot on my cobblers anvil I'll glue the outsole onto the prepped midsole / footbed and pound the hell out of it to get a good strong bond.
Finally I'll sand / finish the edges and Bob's your uncle.
I resoled a pair of boots last summer which I wore a lot exploring on my minibike and while the work I did wasn't pretty they have held up perfectly.

The reason why many cobblers won't work on stitchdown footwear is because they usually have to stitch by hand.

 

[Fifty150]

Right or wrong, these are the products I use on my leather. Shoes, jackets, motorcycle saddle, etc.

I clean with saddle soap. I don't know if there is a better alternative. I add oil. Leather absorbs the oil. Oil and water do not mix. Water cannot saturate and go through an oiled leather. Next is cream to supplement whatever conditioners that the oil does not provide. Then I apply wax. Wax adds a top coat to protect against moisture, elements in the environment, and beads off most of the things that you will spill like coffee.

For the most part, I don't care about spit shining the shoes or buffing them into a mirror shine. I'm satisfied that the final coat of polish is doing it's job when I can lightly brush it and remove whatever lint, dirt, and debris are on the shoe. When it starts looking dull, that's when I do the whole process all over again.

I have no brand preference for products. Some people insist that certain products work better. Better how? None of these manufacturers actually list all of their ingredients and percentages. I have yet to lose a pair of shoes because the conditioner or polish wasn't good enough. I just buy whatever I can get at a good price.