30's~40's Work Boots

tonyper · Nov 1, 2009

Boots

I didn't see it mentioned, LL Bean has the Katahdin in the latest catalog. Seem like nice old style boots to me.

I had a pair of Red Wings in the mid 80's, I used them for work, wish I still had em now. Low boots, 5 or 6 inch I guess, 3 eyelets and 3 hooks, cool they were.

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/st...egoryId=49464&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1

Tony

Griemersma · Nov 1, 2009

Boots

The Katahdins are my everyday boots. I know a lot of other people here have them as well.

Pros: They are a pretty good boot for the money, especially when they go on sale at Sportsmans Guide. Extremely comfortable, even without an insert-- I'm on my feet a lot all day at work in them, and they feel better than some of my regular shoes. Pretty good for hiking in the woods and trekking around in cities as well.

Cons: You can't tell from the pictures on the LL Bean website very well, but the piece just below the heel is actually made of plastic, unlike the rest of the welt, which is leather. This really annoys me, because as the leather of the welt has gotten darker with age/Pecards/etc. these peices have not. They just look like, well, leather-colored plastic. I suppose it makes them more durable, and it isn't that obvious unless you look closely, but it still bothers me. Also, the leather of the body of the boot is oil-tanned rather than smooth-finished, which some people like and some do not. They will take a shine, but it takes a pretty enormous amount of time and effort, and isn't that durable.

I am currently currently wanting some type II service shoes, to have a slightly different color boot. I'm leaning toward these from At The Front, because they seem to be a slightly lighter color than the ones from the other producers:

http://www.atthefront.com/us_boot_serv_shoe_main.jpg

I asked in another thread already, but does anyone have any sizing advice about them? My Katahdins are a 10 1/2 and fit perfectly. With the At the Front boots, I would probably want to add an insole, so I really don't know what size to order...

tonyper · Nov 1, 2009

Boots

Yes it's hard to get boots that are all leather today, they will always sneak a piece of plastic in there if they can. I believe the service shoes are of a darker color than you imagine, at least the ones I have seen are.. The thread on service shoes shows the more realistic color I think. Then again when they are new and depending on where you buy them that might differ I guess? Still nice shoes to be sure.

Tony

Doublegun · Nov 1, 2009

For me, it came down to the Beans and the RW Iron Rangers and I bought the RW's and wear them almost daily. No regrets.

Atterbury Dodd · Nov 3, 2009

While the talk of nice vintage style workboots is strong: If anyone's interested, I'm selling a pair of size 9 1/2D Gentlemen Travelers that were too big for me on Ebay, take a look: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270479481020&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

BellyTank · Nov 3, 2009

Griemersma said:
Agreed. Those are spectacular. Where on earth did you find those to begin with?

Sorry, I missed this...

Where on earth did I find those to begin with?

Denmark. They're Danish Army boots.
Copenhagen, to be precise.

B
T

Doublegun · Nov 7, 2009

Well, a man can only take so much before he breaks. I pulled the trigger this afternoon and ordered a pair of Baker (Whites) Travelers. Brown dress leather with toe cap, single leather sole and antique brass eyelets. Three weeks and counting. I'll post pictures upon receipt.

mike · Nov 7, 2009

Doublegun said:
Well, a man can only take so much before he breaks. I pulled the trigger this afternoon and ordered a pair of Baker (Whites) Travelers. Brown dress leather with toe cap, single leather sole and antique brass eyelets. Three weeks and counting. I'll post pictures upon receipt.

Very exciting! Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Doublegun · Nov 8, 2009

I am having second thoughts about just a single sole and may call Monday to add to my order. I would not add a second layer of leather (would make the boots too stiff) but I am thinking that I should have ordered the vibram sole for walking in rain/snow here in Michigan. I will wear these for work (I am a lawyer) when the weather goes to hell here in Michigan and I don't want them to look too casual. That being said, my entire justification for getting these boots was multi season versatility.

I suppose I could take them to a local cobbler and have some rupper soles glued on when the weather gets bad and then take them off in the spring.

Thoughts?

Creeping Past · Nov 8, 2009

Double leather soles will be stiff, but not inflexible. I've got two pairs of boots with soles of the same double-thickness: one in leather, the other with a rubber sole. I've had them nearly two years and the rubber soled pair is less flexible — less 'give' — and harder on the feet, whereas the leather pair has moulded to my feet more.

I'm not sure about gluing rubber soles to leather and removing them later. Why not get galoshes? Less bother.

Just a thought.

tonypaj · Nov 8, 2009

Doublegun said:
I am having second thoughts about just a single sole and may call Monday to add to my order. I would not add a second layer of leather (would make the boots too stiff) but I am thinking that I should have ordered the vibram sole for walking in rain/snow here in Michigan. I will wear these for work (I am a lawyer) when the weather goes to hell here in Michigan and I don't want them to look too casual. That being said, my entire justification for getting these boots was multi season versatility.

I suppose I could take them to a local cobbler and have some rupper soles glued on when the weather gets bad and then take them off in the spring.

Thoughts?

Do they salt the roads a lot? Do you have to walk in the salty slush? When I lived in snowy climates, I'd wear galoshes, as the previous poster suggested. It is in fact a pain, but saves shoes. These days I live where it rains more than somewhat. I'd take rubber soles here, especially as I live in the countryside.

White's semi dress will be my next choice, with rubber sole, I just have to figure out the color combination and a "strategic" time to order.

mattfink · Nov 9, 2009

Griemersma said:
The Katahdins are my everyday boots. I know a lot of other people here have them as well.

Pros: They are a pretty good boot for the money, especially when they go on sale at Sportsmans Guide. Extremely comfortable, even without an insert-- I'm on my feet a lot all day at work in them, and they feel better than some of my regular shoes. Pretty good for hiking in the woods and trekking around in cities as well.

Cons: You can't tell from the pictures on the LL Bean website very well, but the piece just below the heel is actually made of plastic, unlike the rest of the welt, which is leather. This really annoys me, because as the leather of the welt has gotten darker with age/Pecards/etc. these peices have not. They just look like, well, leather-colored plastic. I suppose it makes them more durable, and it isn't that obvious unless you look closely, but it still bothers me. Also, the leather of the body of the boot is oil-tanned rather than smooth-finished, which some people like and some do not. They will take a shine, but it takes a pretty enormous amount of time and effort, and isn't that durable.

I am currently currently wanting some type II service shoes, to have a slightly different color boot. I'm leaning toward these from At The Front, because they seem to be a slightly lighter color than the ones from the other producers:

http://www.atthefront.com/us_boot_serv_shoe_main.jpg

I asked in another thread already, but does anyone have any sizing advice about them? My Katahdins are a 10 1/2 and fit perfectly. With the At the Front boots, I would probably want to add an insole, so I really don't know what size to order...

The ATF boots are all an E width, so you may want to size down 1/2 size. I wear a 12 and I bought a 12. They fit a little loose, but I overcame this with an insole. Hope this helps.

cookie · Nov 15, 2009

Red Wing GTs - good Price

A guy over at Style Forum posted this info:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0018E0QLU//ref=nosim/thestyleforum-20

The boots qualify for $20 off when you spend $100 or more. Plus you get the free super saver shipping. So they ended up being $195 shipped. I'm hoping that sizing down 1/2 (like most people have said) works out.

Some of these shipping quotes will be USA I suspect

djgo-cat-go · Nov 15, 2009

New shoes: Red Wing Beckman - 9012

I'm happy with my RW-iron rangers, they're just so comfortable.. so I thought hey, can't go wrong with these.. I don't know if these are considered 40's, 50's or timeperiod-inspired, but I like 'm a lot. Got a good deal on e-bay.. they're not as stiff as I thought they would be..

blethook · Nov 15, 2009

Agree about RW GT

They are good quality boots...The soles are pretty stiff but you shouldn't suffer from blisters while breaking them in.

I normally wear 8.5-9 US, but with GT I have to go down to 8 US (7UK/41 EUR). The sizing is tricky on this one.

I replaced the standard laces with leather laces (matching colour) and they look a lot better I think...

In the UK you can get them as low as £144 incl. (free within the UK) post, for certain GT models...

tonypaj · Nov 15, 2009

blethook said:
In the UK you can get them as low as £144 incl. (free within the UK) post, for certain GT models...

Where? If you don't wish to post the link, kindly send me a pm.

Edit: Never mind, you are correct, did some googleing...

blethook · Nov 15, 2009

I sent you a PM. It's actually £134, but only on 9010, 9011, & 9015 models.

Interestingly mine shipped from France...

Don't know why they're charging postage for customers out of UK.

tonypaj said:
Where? If you don't wish to post the link, kindly send me a pm.

Edit: Never mind, you are correct, did some googleing...

mike · Nov 15, 2009

Doublegun said:
I am having second thoughts about just a single sole and may call Monday to add to my order. I would not add a second layer of leather (would make the boots too stiff) but I am thinking that I should have ordered the vibram sole for walking in rain/snow here in Michigan. I will wear these for work (I am a lawyer) when the weather goes to hell here in Michigan and I don't want them to look too casual. That being said, my entire justification for getting these boots was multi season versatility.

I suppose I could take them to a local cobbler and have some rupper soles glued on when the weather gets bad and then take them off in the spring.

Thoughts?

Well, I started with a single leather sole which I worn through surprisingly fast. It took under a year to wind up with a hole being worn near the ball of my foot! So I sent them to Eddie's Shoe Repair near Los Angeles who put Cat's Paw soles and heels on them. So it's kind of a win-win situation

I would definitely be interested in seeing what the double leather soles look like. As a personal preference, a lot of the White's built for a Japanese market look too tall to me [huh]

mothfighter · Nov 23, 2009

go german

15 years in the cupboard, recently brought back to life,
(lotsa Kiwi) these German? "Ravensbergers".
The more speedhooks the better!

Mysterious Mose · Nov 23, 2009

Nice, and German. Gotta love Kiwi's. Like a dog's **** in the moonshine.
From Wikipedia entry for the German town of Versmold:
"In the late 1940s a local entrepreneur Gustav Baumhoefer founded a shoe factory producing under the brand name Ravensberger Schuhe."

30's~40's Work Boots

Familiar Face

One of the Regulars

Familiar Face

Practically Family

One Too Many

I'll Lock Up

Practically Family

Call Me a Cab

Practically Family

One Too Many

Practically Family

Practically Family

I'll Lock Up

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Call Me a Cab

New in Town

Practically Family

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