Boot makers with the best leather selection and clicking?

[philli]

I have a budget of about $800-$1200 and looking for either a MTM or off the shelf boot in horsebutt leather. I already have a boondocker style boot on the way from Briselblack but I’m looking for either a Jodhpur or engineer with a narrow last.

Some makers I have my eyes on are Quan shoemaker, motor, Zerrows, Argo shoes, attractions, rolling dub trio, addict boots, Johnny works, XBXS, and Aganal Wong. I do plan on going to Japan soon and trying a couple of Japanese makers.

One of the worries I have with these boots are the potential for loose grain. I’ve seen some nightmare-ish pictures of some big name makers with horrendous loose grain creasing. Some say it’s a leather lottery but I honestly think the supply of leather each individual maker gets from the same tannery has variation and from what I’ve seen, there is certainly a process in choosing leather that doesnt have loose grain. It seems to be mostly a hand feel process, and then there is the process of matching panels or clicking.

While I understand that all makers can sometimes dish out boots that are less than what they are fully capable of, I’m curious if anyone on this forum know of makers in this price range with a high level of consistency in regards to the things I mentioned when it comes to boot making. I don’t really trust the videos and pictures of content creators with a decent size following as they probably go the extra mile for these guys to make sure everything is perfect.

 

[El Marro]

This would be a perfect question for @dudewuttheheck but I haven’t seen him around here in awhile now. High end engineer boots are right up his alley and I’m sure he would have some good tips to offer you.

 

[Pandemic]

Any reason Roleclub and Unsung aren’t on your list? They aren’t cheap, but if you are a perfectionist they might be your best option

 

[cbez]

Any reason Roleclub and Unsung aren’t on your list? They aren’t cheap, but if you are a perfectionist they might be your best option

way above his budget??

 

[philli]

Any reason Roleclub and Unsung aren’t on your list? They aren’t cheap, but if you are a perfectionist they might be your best option

Those are out of my price range and the wait time is ridiculously long. I guess I should also add that this will be my first engineer boot purchase.

I wouldn’t exactly say I’m a perfectionist but just trying to see if anyone has consistently good experiences with a particular maker. Or know enough people (influencers dont count) who have had good experiences with a maker to minimize the risk for some of the issues I mentioned in my post.

 

[Pandemic]

Unsung aren’t cheap, but it might be a case of buying once without regret, rather than having a few attempts. I’ve been very impressed with all my Brisellblack boots. I know a lot show up in the used marketplace here, but I think that’s mostly sizing and not quality issues. You could also try for a more sleek make-up with Nick’s - their customer service is second to none.

 

[cbez]

few thoughts

1) loose grain (which is usually just looser creasing that is structurally fine) is less frequent with horsebutt.

2) why not buy used so you can get a better deal and see how the leather creased? so many pairs are in some guys collection and barely worn

3) if you really are set on making a big purchase for a 'grail' boot I'd try some on. I resold like 3-4 engineers because they just weren't really what I imagined. if you go to japan you should be able to try a lot of those brands.

 

[ABCD]

Some makers I have my eyes on are Quan shoemaker, motor, Zerrows, Argo shoes, attractions, rolling dub trio, addict boots, Johnny works, XBXS, and Aganal Wong. I do plan on going to Japan soon and trying a couple of Japanese makers.

It's important to know that not all Japanese brands carry stock. For instance, you can visit 'the boots shop' in Tokyo and try on a pair of rolling dub griffin engineers but if you want to buy them you need to put in an order though one of their stockist.

Also, not all stores offer tax free shopping.

My best bet would be Addict Boots as they have all their models in all sizes available for purchase in-store, well within your budget.

 

[philli]

few thoughts

1) loose grain (which is usually just looser creasing that is structurally fine) is less frequent with horsebutt.

2) why not buy used so you can get a better deal and see how the leather creased? so many pairs are in some guys collection and barely worn

3) if you really are set on making a big purchase for a 'grail' boot I'd try some on. I resold like 3-4 engineers because they just weren't really what I imagined. if you go to japan you should be able to try a lot of those brands.

I wonder if there’s a good way to determine whether there’s loose grain before the damage is actually done. I’ve seen some pretty bad creasing with some pairs. Check out the pair of fortis horsebutt boots I saw

I’m willing to buy used, haven’t had any luck finding a listing for my exact size and leather choice though. Been on and off searching for like 6 ish months. I almost got a pair of attractions lot 444 for $550 but they got sold right before I wanted to make the purchase

 

[philli]

It's important to know that not all Japanese brands carry stock. For instance, you can visit 'the boots shop' in Tokyo and try on a pair of rolling dub griffin engineers but if you want to buy them you need to put in an order though one of their stockist.

Also, not all stores offer tax free shopping.

My best bet would be Addict Boots as they have all their models in all sizes available for purchase in-store, well within your budget.

Addict boots is 100% on my radar. I actually emailed them about restock on the horsebutt engineers in the CL last but they likely won’t restock in my size until summer of next year. My Japan trip is in March…unfortunately. Maybe I’ll have better luck with attractions, we’ll see

 

[ABCD]

Maybe I’ll have better luck with attractions, we’ll see

I visited their Tokyo store last week, their store was filled to the brim.

Two years ago I visited them in May and their store was practically empty.

I guess you need to be lucky to some extent but it does help to do your research upfront.

Black Sign main lodge in Nagoya might also be a viable option. Their engineers are really nice and their pricing reasonable. Last week I bought a pair of Clinch x Black sign laceup boots for about €1.1k which is great value for Brass Tokyo made boots.

 

[cbez]

I wonder if there’s a good way to determine whether there’s loose grain before the damage is actually done. I’ve seen some pretty bad creasing with some pairs. Check out the pair of fortis horsebutt boots I saw

I’m willing to buy used, haven’t had any luck finding a listing for my exact size and leather choice though. Been on and off searching for like 6 ish months. I almost got a pair of attractions lot 444 for $550 but they got sold right before I wanted to make the purchase

Those are structurally ok. It is more of an aesthetic thing. I understand wanting the tight grain tho.

The indo makers are under a lot of cost pressure and I'm not surprised they use some sub optimal sections to maximize the hide they buy. I wouldn't be surprised if the jdm brands get the 'first pick' nicest ones too.

 

[philli]

Those are structurally ok. It is more of an aesthetic thing. I understand wanting the tight grain tho.

The indo makers are under a lot of cost pressure and I'm not surprised they use some sub optimal sections to maximize the hide they buy. I wouldn't be surprised if the jdm brands get the 'first pick' nicest ones too.

It’s definitely an aesthetic thing for me, and probably most people in this space.

I’m not aware of the pricing of other indo makers but at least for Briselblack, their pricing is more or less almost the same price as some of these Japanese brands even though cost of labor is probably significantly lower. So I don’t really see an excuse for them to use sub-optimal parts of the hide.

Same goes for the Chinese makers actually. But they charge the same price as Japanese makers (if you order from them directly and not an overseas retailer). But I would say their designs are more impressive. The pics of aganal Wong’s work on IG looks stunning and he charges like upwards of $1000 for his boots. But haven’t seen anybody review his stuff ‍

 

[philli]

I visited their Tokyo store last week, their store was filled to the brim.

Two years ago I visited them in May and their store was practically empty.

I guess you need to be lucky to some extent but it does help to do your research upfront.

Black Sign main lodge in Nagoya might also be a viable option. Their engineers are really nice and their pricing reasonable. Last week I bought a pair of Clinch x Black sign laceup boots for about €1.1k which is great value for Brass Tokyo made boots.

I’ll check out blacksign lodge for sure. thanks

 

[Tom71]

I have a budget of about $800-$1200 and looking for either a MTM or off the shelf boot in horsebutt leather. I already have a boondocker style boot on the way from Briselblack but I’m looking for either a Jodhpur or engineer with a narrow last.

Some makers I have my eyes on are Quan shoemaker, motor, Zerrows, Argo shoes, attractions, rolling dub trio, addict boots, Johnny works, XBXS, and Aganal Wong. I do plan on going to Japan soon and trying a couple of Japanese makers.

One of the worries I have with these boots are the potential for loose grain. I’ve seen some nightmare-ish pictures of some big name makers with horrendous loose grain creasing. Some say it’s a leather lottery but I honestly think the supply of leather each individual maker gets from the same tannery has variation and from what I’ve seen, there is certainly a process in choosing leather that doesnt have loose grain. It seems to be mostly a hand feel process, and then there is the process of matching panels or clicking.

While I understand that all makers can sometimes dish out boots that are less than what they are fully capable of, I’m curious if anyone on this forum know of makers in this price range with a high level of consistency in regards to the things I mentioned when it comes to boot making. I don’t really trust the videos and pictures of content creators with a decent size following as they probably go the extra mile for these guys to make sure everything is perfect.

The Wesco Mr.Lou seems to tick all your boxes.

They were my first pair of Engineer Boots and I havn´t found a boot that´s so comfortable to wear as them. The shaft is reasonably narrow, yet the instep is pretty generous.
Takes a bit of searching for the horsehide versions, but the price is right for sure. I wear the same size as with RedWing or Viberg.

 

[codex]

Out of those you listed, zerrows or xbxs. The others are not as nice or too hard to find. My main vote goes to Zerrows.

 

[Bfd70]

I recommend addict. They are in your price range, very well made, and in my personal experience and also via online images seem to have consistent leather.

 

[AeroFan_07]

If you have never tried Engineers before, you need to try several pairs on first, in order to get an idea of fit, heel slip and walking traits before you worry about the leather you want. Get the fit right first (and really know what your feet are both a Brannock device and in a few pairs of boots), then sort out the more appearance-based parts of the boots and their "living with it" realities. Engineers are unique in terms of fit to lace-up work boots or pull-on cowboy boots.

The Wesco 7400 Engineers I have on my feet right now are the third pair of Wesco's I have owned since a pair of Mr Lou's passed through my feet (a great fit but a challenging walk to them for me). This pair is pre-owned, I have no idea if they are horsehide or steerhide, but my feet absolutely do not care. They are very comfortable and easy to wear anytime. I would far rather have that than an "ideal" leather on a boot that is uncomfortable and that I do not want to wear. This pair was also $400 shipped.

You can see more of my Engineer Boot reviews and the challenges I have faced here:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/comparison-wesco-mr-lou-to-john-lofgren-engineer.102418/

And if you really want to do a deep dive into this style of boot, here's a longer read:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/engineer-boots-harness-boots.43530/

 

[Hoanglong]

I bought a pair of Grifin jodhpur horsebutt online from Rolling dub trio on their website. They only have selling this once in a while. Actually if I had the money I would definitely choose Clinch haha

 

[philli]

I bought a pair of Grifin jodhpur horsebutt online from Rolling dub trio on their website. They only have selling this once in a while. Actually if I had the money I would definitely choose Clinch haha

I do love a pair of jodhpurs