Engineer Boots, Harness Boots...

Blackadder said:

Just picked these up from the shop. Viberg Natural CXL engineer.

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Outstanding!!!! Congrats!

Looking great!!

Alex Neves said:

Outstanding!!!! Congrats!

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Thanks. Probably awhile before I can wear these given the hot weather.

Alex Neves said:

OMG!!! This is indeed a nice collection!!!! Congrats!

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WOW!

John_Z said:

Cheers buddy

My current line up, longest owned at the left through to most recent at the right of picture. Yes I do have the matching left hand boot for each shewn & no I haven't only got one foot

Xelement / Beck (Toys McCoy) / Lone Wolf (Sugar Cane) / WESCO / Unbranded (USA made) / Carolina / Lone Wolf (Sugar Cane) / ELMC (John Lofgren) / RRL (Justin Boots) / ELMC (John Lofgren)

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I suppose the RRL are from Julian?

John_Z said:

Some of you may remember I picked up a pair of Justin studded RRL's some 4 weeks or so ago. Been doing some work on them & here are some before & afters to see what you guys think.

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RRL by Julian? Nice.

John_Z said:

Some of you may remember I picked up a pair of Justin studded RRL's some 4 weeks or so ago. Been doing some work on them & here are some before & afters to see what you guys think.

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Quite the collection. RRL boots made by Julian?

Blackadder said:

I suppose the RRL are from Julian?

RRL by Julian? Nice.

Quite the collection. RRL boots made by Julian?

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Thank you and yes, the RRL's are by Julian. My favourite pair from those I own or have owned. I mistakenly attributed them to Justin Boots in my earlier posts.

John_Z said:

Thank you and yes, the RRL's are by Julian. My favourite pair from those I own or have owned. I mistakenly attributed them to Justin Boots in my earlier posts.

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Great score. Those are the best of the RRL engineers. They just close the local RRL store here.

Blackadder said:

Great score. Those are the best of the RRL engineers. They just close the local RRL store here.

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The locality of stores doesn't figure in my buying decisions as I shop online from whoever & wherever. Also I'm as happy buying pre-owned as I am buying new as long as it's what I'm looking for.

John_Z said:

The locality of stores doesn't figure in my buying decisions as I shop online from whoever & wherever. Also I'm as happy buying pre-owned as I am buying new as long as it's what I'm looking for.

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I also shop online mostly but still good to be able to try them on first.

John_Z said:

Thank you and yes, the RRL's are by Julian. My favourite pair from those I own or have owned. I mistakenly attributed them to Justin Boots in my earlier posts.

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What can you say about the RRL compared to Japan brands, and Wesco as well?
Im on the market for another pair of engineers but I didnt decide yet.

Thanks

Cheers

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Blackadder said:

Just picked these up from the shop. Viberg Natural CXL engineer.

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Very nice. I hope you get many years of enjoyment wearing them.

Blackadder said:

Thanks. Probably awhile before I can wear these given the hot weather.

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I wear mine hot or cold. I have other kinds of footwear but tend not to wear it nowadays.

RJR said:

WOW!

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Thank you.

Blackadder said:

I also shop online mostly but still good to be able to try them on first.

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That's very true my friend but I have no hope of finding most apparel I buy in a store local to me.

Alex Neves said:

What can you say about the RRL compared to Japan brands, and Wesco as well?
Im on the market for another pair of engineers but I didnt decide yet.

Thanks

Cheers

Enviado de meu E2363 usando Tapatalk

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Hi Alex

I'm no expert. I just know what I like. For expert advice I'd ask John who has the Vintage Engineer Boots blog online.

As for Japanese boots I find the Lone Wolf's the most comfortable to wear and they are nicely styled into the bargain as well as not being as expensive as some. The Becks are very solidly built and for me are a struggle to get on and off due to the narrow, parallel shafts. I have high arches. Once on they fit well but are about as giving as a couple of house bricks strapped to my feet making walking feel like clumping. The John Lofgren's speak for themselves. They are beautiful and meticulously built. They are of better quality than the Lone Wolf's but not as nice feeling when worn. Of course there are many highly regarded Japanese brands I can't comment on because I've never owned them.

The Wesco's are very sturdily built but once broken in are nice to wear. They are a good, honest American work boot built to last rather than a product produced as an item of a particular style to satisfy the demand of a niche market. The pair I have are not the nicest of profiles when looked down on from above IMO.

Easily my favourites are the Julian RRL's, for several reasons. They are made in the US, the home of Engineer Boots. They are fairly exclusive as they were I believe made for a short while 5/6 years ago. Adding to that exclusivity is the fact mine are the rarer studded model. I'm a bit fan of that which is borne out by several studded and jewelled belts I have. They are well made, though not with the best attention to detail, although this doesn't detract from them in any way for me. Of the boots I have the leather these are made from appeals to me the most as well as being unusually thick. They fit well are are easy to walk in. Above all though is the shape. To me when viewed from any aspect the just look 'right', my idea of how a pair of Engineer Boots should look. Pretty much perfect, although very closely followed by the John Logren's in this respect.

If I were you I'd also consider the Whites Nomads which are available in a range of options from Baker's Boots. These very much appeal to me and one day I know I'm just going to have to own a pair. I think I'd go for these over WESCO's right now.

RRL switched supplier awhile ago. The current RRL Engineer are I think their third gen. The second gen is a close copy of the Julian. I think you can still order the 1st gen directly from Julian.

Personally, I think the Julian's boots are closer to Japanese brands than to Viberg, Wesco or White's in terms of workmanship. Viberg, Wesco or White's are built as work boots with irregular stitchings, unmatching heels etc which does not affect the comfort and in fact built to support and protect your feet despite those flaws. Julian boots are made more like dress boots which are neat and balanced in terms of look but also like dress boots lacks support and protection. The Japanese brands almost always have even stitching, perfectly matched heels but some have better support than others.

IMO Horween CXL is one of the most comfortable leather that is used on footwear besides french calf etc. Sharper looking leather like the shiniki horsehide or Latigo used on some of the Japanese brands look exceptional but are not easy to break in and not that comfortable to wear.

Blackadder said:

Julian boots are made more like dress boots which are neat and balanced in terms of look but also like dress boots lacks support and protection.

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I don't agree with this. Mine are every bit as tough as my WESCO's and able to give comparable support and protection. Not at all like dress boots. They do have a sleeker and more aesthetically pleasing shape though. As I posted earlier a particular feature of them is the super thick (and tough) leather. They are no lightweights.

When I say protection, I was thinking more of the inside cushion in Wesco, Chippewa the White's arch ease support etc and not steel toe and thick leather. The Julian boots and the Japanese brands have none of those. One thing a lot of the Asians complain about the Julian boots is this lack of support as a lot of Asians have flat feet.

Right I see where you're coming from now. None of my boots have cushioned footbeds apart from the cheap and cheerful Xelement's. My WESCO's are vintage so pre-date that step in their evolution. My feet aren't used to such cosseting so don't suffer because of the lack of it.

John_Z said:

Very nice. I hope you get many years of enjoyment wearing them.


I wear mine hot or cold. I have other kinds of footwear but tend not to wear it nowadays.


Thank you.


That's very true my friend but I have no hope of finding most apparel I buy in a store local to me.


Hi Alex

I'm no expert. I just know what I like. For expert advice I'd ask John who has the Vintage Engineer Boots blog online.

As for Japanese boots I find the Lone Wolf's the most comfortable to wear and they are nicely styled into the bargain as well as not being as expensive as some. The Becks are very solidly built and for me are a struggle to get on and off due to the narrow, parallel shafts. I have high arches. Once on they fit well but are about as giving as a couple of house bricks strapped to my feet making walking feel like clumping. The John Lofgren's speak for themselves. They are beautiful and meticulously built. They are of better quality than the Lone Wolf's but not as nice feeling when worn. Of course there are many highly regarded Japanese brands I can't comment on because I've never owned them.

The Wesco's are very sturdily built but once broken in are nice to wear. They are a good, honest American work boot built to last rather than a product produced as an item of a particular style to satisfy the demand of a niche market. The pair I have are not the nicest of profiles when looked down on from above IMO.

Easily my favourites are the Julian RRL's, for several reasons. They are made in the US, the home of Engineer Boots. They are fairly exclusive as they were I believe made for a short while 5/6 years ago. Adding to that exclusivity is the fact mine are the rarer studded model. I'm a bit fan of that which is borne out by several studded and jewelled belts I have. They are well made, though not with the best attention to detail, although this doesn't detract from them in any way for me. Of the boots I have the leather these are made from appeals to me the most as well as being unusually thick. They fit well are are easy to walk in. Above all though is the shape. To me when viewed from any aspect the just look 'right', my idea of how a pair of Engineer Boots should look. Pretty much perfect, although very closely followed by the John Logren's in this respect.

If I were you I'd also consider the Whites Nomads which are available in a range of options from Baker's Boots. These very much appeal to me and one day I know I'm just going to have to own a pair. I think I'd go for these over WESCO's right now.

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Hi John


I have been “collecting” work boots for 20+ years, basically buying (online) what I like, and I did some bad purchases for sure. Down here in Brazil I don’t know other people with the same interest, so my knowledge is very, very limited.

I really don’t know why I didn’t search for a place like this before. I’m amazed with the info that I found here, and also the nice people , like you, willing to help.


Yesterday I pulled the trigger on a pair of RRL’s on ebay, and I’m thinking about place an order for a pair of distressed brown White nomads.


I’m also really curious to try one of the Japanese brands, but I’m not so comfortable to pay 900+ US$, plus shipping and taxes, on a new pair of Lofgrens. I’ll keep looking for a pair of used ones.

About the weather, where I live there is only two seasons, summer and summer hot like heel, and I cant used aything else but boots.


Thank you very much!


Warmest regards!

A

Here's a used pair of clinch on Goodyear welt for slightly over $500

https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/4qxbt4/buyselltrade_070216/d4wn0jh

cellini said:

Here's a used pair of clinch on Goodyear welt for slightly over $500

https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/4qxbt4/buyselltrade_070216/d4wn0jh

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I wish it was my size.

Hey, those were Bretron's.

Peter Mackin said:

Hi..have a chance to pick up a pair of ironheart wesco IHWE 4 at the weekend..any thoughts on these boots would be helpful..peter

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No worries I've decided to buy a pair of John lofgren engineers instead.