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Show us your SHOES !!!

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast

The shoe that nobody likes talking about. The shoe that shoe collectors look down on as overpriced, cheap trash.


Okay, I know about the laminated leather, PVC welt that's melted onto the sole, the synthetic lasting boards, and the foam filling in the gaps. That is why these are not $300 - $500 boots. I buy them on sale, for under $100. This pair was in the $70 range.


There is just no other boot that feels the same under my foot. The AirWair soles offer a light, bouncy step.








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Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
What was the experience like, with Brian Truong? Did you e-mail and send photos of your boots to get a quote? Did you speak to him on the phone? What was the turnaround time from when you first sent your boots, to when you got them back in the mail? Or did you go to the shop in person?
 

andyone

Practically Family
Messages
514
Location
Switzerland
What was the experience like, with Brian Truong? Did you e-mail and send photos of your boots to get a quote? Did you speak to him on the phone? What was the turnaround time from when you first sent your boots, to when you got them back in the mail? Or did you go to the shop in person?
The work wasn't done by Brian - I just bought the soles from him.
It was Masa who rebuilt the boots, a former Brass employee who now lives in Berlin.
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
I have always heard about how hard it is to break in Red Wing shoes. Yes, they are hard and stiff when new. But on my feet, I experienced no discomfort. My experience is only limited to my feet, and the Red Wing boots I own. My feet never hurt. I never got blisters. Maybe I just lucked out to have been born with the feet that their shoe lasts are designed for.

For the most part, I have been very lucky with my feet and breaking in shoes.

This pair of 8" moc toes from Red Wing is new, and was comfortable right out of the box.







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Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
I love the way cowboy boots looks. Loved them since I was a kid, watching Ronald Reagan movies. These were not shoes that I got lucky with breaking in. They were just painful to play badminton in. I figured that if a cowboy could rope calves, then I should be fine wearing them for swing dancing.



Decades later. The boot is broken in. I can wear it. It's not my favorite. My feet would rather be in other shoes when I walk the streets at night.

I'm actually thinking about sending all of my cowboy boots to Goodwill. I'm not buying another pair of cowboy boots ever again. They serve no function for me. I'm not riding bulls. I can't wear them for my dishwashing job at Panda Express. I never wear them except for when I want to look cool in cowboy boots.





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SundayDuffer

New in Town
Messages
34
I love the way cowboy boots looks. Loved them since I was a kid, watching Ronald Reagan movies. These were not shoes that I got lucky with breaking in. They were just painful to play badminton in. I figured that if a cowboy could rope calves, then I should be fine wearing them for swing dancing.



Decades later. The boot is broken in. I can wear it. It's not my favorite. My feet would rather be in other shoes when I walk the streets at night.

I'm actually thinking about sending all of my cowboy boots to Goodwill. I'm not buying another pair of cowboy boots ever again. They serve no function for me. I'm not riding bulls. I can't wear them for my dishwashing job at Panda Express. I never wear them except for when I want to look cool in cowboy boots.





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I still love cowboy boots. Lol
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
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2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
In the days before online shopping, people would go to outlet malls, factory sales, and clearance centers. Sometimes driving for hours, to get a big discount. Items could be perfectly good from last season, factory overruns, factory seconds, samples, overstock, customer returns, etc. That was how I found this pair of boots. I had a girl who loved driving an hour or more, to factory outlets in the middle of nowhere. I liked taking road trips and didn't mind driving.


No country of origin. No branding. A Wellington style pull on boot. No fancy stitches, exaggerated heel, or extra pointy toe like a cowboy boot. Fully leather lined. Cushioned leather footbed. Vamp and uppers appear to be good quality, full grain leather. Goodyear "v-bar" style tread soles. These became the shoes that I wore with my dinner jacket. Tonight, I wore them to The Bar.


From the late 80's or early 90's. I paid a little under $100. $100 was a lot of money back then, and I seriously thought it over before buying. I remember that the tag said that the boots normally sold for around $200. Adjusted for inflation, that's around $500 today. Just about what Allen Edmonds prices their boots at. The factory production stamps look a little like the factory production stamps in my Allen Edmonds. The cushioned leather footbed is almost identical to Allen Edmonds. But they are unbranded. Which is fine with me. I know that I have an equivalent quality boot.


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Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
Red Wing Iron Rangers



Would I buy them again? Yes. I did buy them again. I own 2 pairs. This shoe strikes a balance between price and quality. It's not the best. But good enough. In around the same price range as Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots and Allen Edmonds. But not priced at over $500, or upwards of $700. Still too expensive to step in excrement. I wouldn't step into a trench with them A solid shoe to see a movie in

It's a shame that Thursday killed them.





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andyone

Practically Family
Messages
514
Location
Switzerland
The Iron Ranger was my introduction to better boots 20 years ago. In the meantime, I've owned other brands and realized what I was missing: a midsole. That's why I had a midsole made for this new Iron Ranger. This drastically improves the walking experience.
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
From the dishwashing station looking out over City Hall. It's a festival weekend. One of these days, they'll let me wash dishes at City Hall. Until then. I can dream.

The leather insole and midsole are just hard. Hard to walk on and stand on. People say that quality shoes have leather insoles and midsoles. Quality does not feel the best on a double shift. On my feet, I would rather have comfort.






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大馬伕

Familiar Face
Messages
74
The Iron Ranger was my introduction to better boots 20 years ago. In the meantime, I've owned other brands and realized what I was missing: a midsole. That's why I had a midsole made for this new Iron Ranger. This drastically improves the walking experience.




The Iron Ranger Leather insole, Vibram mini lug and heel are stiff. That's why they came out with the traction tread version. For comfort. The poron foot bed and wedge sole provides a cushioned step.
 

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