Show us your boots
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Those are in amazing shape for two decades of wear @Aetas . Are you especially careful about maintenance? Do they get other use besides hiking?
I've wondered about trying out hiking boots for motorcycle use…I like the rubberized leather that Viberg is using on its hiking boots and I'm assuming it would be reasonably waterproof on the road. Additionally, the metal loops and laces may do a good job of absorbing the friction/abuse of the shift lever and may not scar the leather as much as it does in plain toe boots.
My old pair of hiking boots, Vasque, have given out and I'm thinking about replacing those with something that I can get double duty from. I don't hike as much as I used to.
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Done cleaning them up for another six months.
Brushed down first to get the loose dust, wiped with a damp cloth; finger-smeared White's Heavy Duty Leather Preservative on them , let it sit in sun and shade for 24 hours, and gave it a final brushing. I don't like shiny so I try to get them to the point where the leather looks lubricated and smooth. They appear quite darker than before but they usually lighten up in a couple weeks.
I don't use the leather protector over the gusseted tongue and I can see the spots where the inside of the grommets scars the tongue, but it seems very minor.
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^My kinda boot collection
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If @chap and @bluegrass put their boot collections together, it would be a sight to see!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Here are my 3-year old Farmer-Rancher's from White's. They mostly serve out as ranch boots but double up as motorcycle footwear also. This pic show them right after an 11-day, 2100 mile bike trip. They saw no rain or mud, mostly dry mountain air and dust. They were super comfortable.
The wear caused by shifting is beginning to show although much less tahn I expected. Distressed smooth is extremely hardy yet supple, exactly what Kyle at Baker's said it would be.
Also still using the original laces! Totally happy with these boots. I'll try to post a pic after I clean them up.
Thanks for the pics & the write-up. The unstructured toe looks amazingly flat; surely that can’t be the 4811 last, is it?
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Hey @Crit_Obs …yes they are on the 4811 last. Your question made me doubt my memory and I just checked the specs Baker's sent me when I placed my order in early 2016. They are built on the Smokejumper standard last, which is the 4811.
I found two pics I took when I received them and I think the toe looked higher/taller back then. What do you think?
I don't use shoe trees in them, so that may also explain why the toes have flattened out over time and abuse.
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What do you think?
I think they look phenomenal, in their new/abused states alike! Thanks a lot for the build details, I think you hit it out off the park going unstructured for the toe as that has allowed the boot to age naturally & evenly, without the celastic bump sticking out. The distressed leather is demonstrating its nick-absorbing qualities as well as I don’t think I can spot any shift-lever damage to the vamp of the left boot.
Having dabbled in other lasts a bit I think it’s time for me to admit the 4811 is what suits me the best. The bulpous toe is the only thing keeping it from being very suitable for a slightly more ”refined” build but going unstructured could help alleviate some of that…
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Thanks for your comments Crit_obs.
They are my only pair of Whites, so I can't compare the 4811 to any other of their lasts. I find the arch support in these 'supremely comfortable'. They are the first boots I own to offer that kind of comfort and I've lately started considering a second pair.
I'd like to next try a last with even some more arch support…something like the 690 (Packers). Packers should look right at home around cattle so that should work well for me. Bakers Build-a-Boot doesn't seem to allow custom orders for Packers though. I'll probably need to email or call to inquire about that possibility.
At any rate, I will always prefer unstructured toes. I don't like the 'line' that appears at the end of the celastic (or steel) toe. I don't use them for smart occasions so I don't mind the collapsed toe look.
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I'd like to next try a last with even some more arch support…something like the 690 (Packers). Packers should look right at home around cattle so that should work well for me. Bakers Build-a-Boot doesn't seem to allow custom orders for Packers though. I'll probably need to email or call to inquire about that possibility.
If you are in the States and don't mind "standard" 690-last Packers, these guys have them in black and brown for $335 a pop:
http://nicholascustomleather.3dcartstores.com/
I have tried contacting them through the "Contact us" feature on the site, to inquire about international shipping (which should be possible as per their faq), but they don't reply. Anyway, this is the cheapest entry into the White's packer -world that I have found, Baker's exclusive "vintage packer" not withstanding.
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@Crit_Obs : I'm thinking about getting a pair of Packers in horsehide, so that will rule out most standard builds I suppose. Don't have any footwear on horsehide yet and I really want to try it out.
Thanks for spotting the nicholas custom leather option for me…it really is a great price. And yes, I'm not in the US so I prefer to get a custom build where the chances of ill-fit are less, and avoid troublesome returns. I sent my measurements in to Baker's a few years ago and they nailed the fit for me (10C). As I commented earlier, those White's boots ordered through Bakers are my best fitting and most comfortable boot I've ever owned/tried. I assume the extreme comfort has mostly to do with the Arch-support system, but it must also owe some to the correct sizing. They are my first (and only so far) footwear in 10C size. I guess I've spent 40 plus years wearing boots which were too wide for me. You learn...just hope it hadn't taken soooo long.
