Treat Me to a New Pair of Wesco Boots

[Trouser Bark]

I've got too many boots already but can't get this one pair off of my mind. It's tall (like 16" of boot plus a 2" heel). Harness boots, thick leather, insulated, maybe a British Tan or similar w/ brass rings.

What I genuinely dislike is boot shafts that flop over when they're off and sag when they're on. How would a guy get around that? Maybe a CXL upper and a HH shaft?

I know several of you have this bug way worse than me. Your thoughts?

And how does a guy get around the lead time? Maybe buy from a Wesco vendor w/ allocations?

 

[AeroFan_07]

So my first question, have you ever owned any Wesco Engineers, or any other Engineers? If so which ones?

I own two pair of Wesco 7500 Engineers with the "smooth - V" Vibram soles. My Cordovan 12D pair are quite new - I picked them up off ebay as "tried on new". They fit well, if anything very slightly snug in the toe-box area, but they are breaking in nicely and are comfortable to wear most of the day at this point. They are quite stiff (upper leather that is) and I could not tell you if they are horse or steerhide - nor do I care. There is not "floppy-ness" to this pair.

My second and preferred Wesco 7500 Engineers are black 13D that are super-well broken in. I've written in this forum elsewhere that someone did all the hard work for me, then sold them at exactly the moment they were so well broken in that they resemble moccasins. They are unbelievably comfortable. Yet the same Vibram "smooth V" soles are still at around 50% tread life left. They do "squat" a bit when they are not on my feet, which i do not care about at all. However, on my feet I never notice any "squat" tendency. But I also tuck my boots under my pants anyway. So, no-one would ever even notice. Same deal, not sure if they are horse or steer and do not care, but they are a heavy leather that softened up very well.

I hope that clears up some of your concerns. I see no reason to worry about the upper "sagging" a little, quality leather boots such as these can do that. If they are a more structured upper design (such as a White's Smoke-Jumper, for instance, as a lace-up boot) then I would not expect any upper sag.

A couple questions for you:

-- Are you sure you want "insulated" boots of this type? -- I ask as I only have one pair of insulted boots, and I almost never wear them unless trudging through lot of snow (they are military Bellville Gore-tex boots). Generally, Engineers are not insulated boots, designed to be pretty low-profile, and honestly the leather alone keeps my feet just "warm enough" for most occasions.

-- 16" tall (!!!) - Have you ever had any boots this size? Both of mine are 10" shaft height, not counting the heel stack. That is plenty. Unless you are planning to hike through rattle-snake territory, I would give serious consideration to 12" or less upper height.

--Lead times - Fact of life but Wesco and Baker's Shoes of Eugene OR both have "stock" pairs available if you wanted a standard pair of boots. The wait time is for custom orders. Or try ebay - there are several "tried on new" pair on there presently, maybe that route is best if you want to also order your dream boot configuration. They are easy enough to re-sell.

Yes, I like boots too much. I did have a British tan pair of 12D 7500's as well that fit very well, I just didn't wear them as much. I prefer the black & cordovan options on these boots. Good luck in your search.

 

[AeroFan_07]

Decided some photos might also help. Here is my "soft" pair of 13D Wesco 7500's and the amount of "sag" they actually have, and my insulated Bellville 12.5D - Gore-text boots doing the same thing (but as Lace-ups that are nowhere near as comfortable):





Then the newer, stiffer Cordovan boots:

 

[AeroFan_07]

I've got too many boots already but can't get this one pair off of my mind. It's tall (like 16" of boot plus a 2" heel). Harness boots, thick leather, insulated, maybe a British Tan or similar w/ brass rings.

What I genuinely dislike is boot shafts that flop over when they're off and sag when they're on. How would a guy get around that? Maybe a CXL upper and a HH shaft?

I know several of you have this bug way worse than me. Your thoughts?

And how does a guy get around the lead time? Maybe buy from a Wesco vendor w/ allocations?

So I think you would have better input posting this question in this thread:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/engineer-boots-harness-boots.43530/

 

[Trouser Bark]

Oh my... I didn't get any notice that anyone had posted to this thread and assumed no one had. My apologies, Aero!

have you ever owned any Wesco Engineers, or any other Engineers? If so which ones?

I have one pair of Wesco's and they're Morrisons. I've got a pair of CXL Chippewa engineers that are 11" and two other pair of Chippewa harness boots that I think of as being in the same family as engineers. Those Chips are 11", too. I've also got a pair of RRL engineers that are curiously comfortable for being such a big boot.

Are you sure you want "insulated" boots of this type?

I think so. I'm in Alaska and just spent a month at -20*f. Insoles and thick socks are ok but I don't think I'd mind having a pair that were warmer right out of the box.

-- 16" tall (!!!) - Have you ever had any boots this size?

Haha! Yes Sir. This morning I pulled on a pair of RRL 16" engineers and still have 'em on this evening... now. Beautiful boots that I should wear more often.

I like your lead time suggestions and I'll try them for sure. That cordovan pair, too. Hard not to like those. I'm honestly not sure what nirvana I'm chasing as it seems like I lie to myself about how the next pair is going to help me narrow down the number of boots that point under my bed but truth be told I never sell any of them.

Like a dog that chases cars; it's a guilty pleasure I don't want to break.

I do have a few pair of hunting boots that are insulated. Maybe I should just stick w/ them in cooler temps. I do like that cordovan pair though. Definitely a sharp set. Thanks for the info and pics!