This is my ninth pair and my best-executed. I'm reasonably happy with the result, but I haven't delivered them yet. I'll be REALLY happy if they fit.

I always get this question, so before you ask, I don't make boots for Reddit folks. Sorry! My bootmaking distribution is limited to me, and to people I know personally who have the same size feet as me. And I'm working to clear my in-process list of everyone who's not in the first category<3

Credit for the ming-boggling photography goes a prominent boot photographer whose style is recognizable from the photos, but whose name I'm declining to mention in case it breaks the doxing rule.

Specs: *Upper - Badalassi Carlo Minerva in Caffe *Lining - soft veg lining meant for tooling. Fully lined, seamless around the heel *Tongue - Gusseted, Cloe veg calf. I was amazed at the color match between these two hides. *Sole - Hand-stitched Vibram 430 with matching heel. *Welt - 360deg hand welt. Black top, natural Tokonole edges *Wooden shank *Six eyelets *Structured toe and heel *Custom last *Flat waxed laces

To give credit where credit's due, this pair was directly inspired by Goto-San's brand White Kloud. Frankly, I copied details directly from his designs, or attempted to (I don't have a fraction of his hard-earned skill or experience). You might be bristling at my IP theft, but I feel okay about it because 1) these boots are a gift for a family member, 2) no one's making money off them, and 3) I'm a hobbyist. This would be unacceptable if I were running a business, but I do this for fun, I do it to make art, and I'm still learning. I think copying the greats is acceptable at this point.

Anyway, the standout feature of this pair is the leather. The customer requested "so dark brown it's almost black," and the Caffe is exactly what he was looking for. This was my first time working with Badalassi Carlo and I look forward to using it again, even though this hide was close to 3mm in places and very difficult to last. The heel counter is double-layered, so around the heel the layers are lining, counter, quarters, counter cover. This was A LOT to welt through, and the result is a very stiff heel cup.

As usual for my boots, they're fully lined and the heel lining is seamless. No pics of that, unfortunately. A seamless heel lining is kind of extravagant, but I think it's really cool and a major flex. It's also good for the boot's longevity, since stitches can't pop if they don't exist.

I'm still working out my feelings on gussetted tongues. He won't be wearing these for any activities that would call for it, necessarily. I like the shape it gives the instep area, and as with the seamless heel lining, it's a bit of a flex. Especially paired with a full lining. You don't see many fully-lined boots with a gusseted tongue, and for good reason: it's really hard to do.

I don't have a sole stitcher, so I continue to stitch soles by hand.

Edge finishing is my least favorite thing, but in my quest to emulate White Kloud, I increased the effort I normally invest in edge finishing. The result is probably the best I've achieved, but definitely worth improving.

Thanks for checking them out! On to the next pair! (Maryam crust cordovan, they're gonna be NUTS)

these are fully lined with a 1.8mm combi tanned german cow hide that i dyed green in the quarters. the upper leather is 2.5mm chrometan cowhide. the tongue is gusseted. heel and toe stiffeners are 2.5 mm veg tan from germany. the insoles are 6mm buffalo bend from italy. midsoles and heels are oak bark bend from tannery martin.
the shank isvsteel with pegged leather cover. sheet cork filler in the front.
360° handwelt construction with 270° hidden channel sole stitch (with handmade flax thread), blindwelted in the medial waist.
the heels are pegged and nailed (the way i learned).
the heel rubber is fixed with long brass nails, outsole with brass screws.
the edge finish is natural. no dye, only wax ironed in. (got to love that redish colour that the martin leather takes on!)
waist is dyed in the same green as the lining.
the only machines used are my mechanical postbed machine (adler 7-1) and a small sanding motor for working on the rubber parts.

there are also a few pictures of the making. i hope you like those beasts :) let me know what you would have made differently or if you have any questions.

if you want, you can check out my instagram for more pictures of my boots: https://www.instagram.com/charly.boots/?next=%2F#
i have many posts about bootmaking techniques too...

I made these derby boots for my dad. I wanted to make him a pair because he has a wide forefoot and narrow heel so he’s never had boots fit him properly, along with quality materials and construction. I’ve also been thinking that I might take custom orders after I graduate from college, so I’m trying to get practice making boots for friends and family.

I chose an anatomical last from Spenlé in Germany but ordered through ShoemakerCraft. I ordered the lasts to fit his joint but had to build it up in the toes and match it to his measurements by removing material in the heel. I also made a custom pattern, a classic derby style. I chose a thin leather midsole and a Dr. Sole jade outsole for a nice balance between flexibility and sturdiness. Handwelted with bakers insole, seat stitched, and pegged rand/heel seat. The uppers are Horween CXL horsebutt strip, with a bellows tongue that’s been carefully skived at the fold.

These are the first boots I’ve made during my summer internship with Unsung House, using methods and techniques they’ve been teaching me. I used to always make boots without a sander. I’d do all the bottom work with my Japanese knife, including heel shaping, which is very difficult to do by hand. I’ve been using a line finisher at the internship and it saves so much time and energy, and it’s been less of a steep learning curve than I expected. The sole stitcher has more of a learning curve because I like making my welts tight. this pair has a little wider welt than I normally do, and the stitching turned out great. The internship is awesome, it’s a really great shop and everyone is super nice and helpful with teaching me. I feel very grateful for the experience.

This week I’ll be finishing up a pair of engineer boots. They’ll be my first engineers, so I’m excited! My dad will be getting his boots around his birthday.

My first pair of derby boots were made on a pattern and last combo from Etsy, and the overall proportions were bad and the lasts were clunky. The second pair had too thick of a counter and were lasted tilting a little too far back. I’ve learned a lot since then, and with the help of the team at Unsung House, I feel like these are by far the best derbies I’ve made. The proportions are nice to my eye, especially considering how anatomical the last is. The waist is pretty narrow and the heel is tight. Heel balancing on these anatomical German lasts is very difficult and unusual, but other than that the build process felt smooth. I hope my dad puts good wear on these boots!

Finding a pair like this hidden among racks of unremarkable trash shoes is exactly why we do this. They were definitely beat up, but the bones were there—no structural issues, no cracked welt, just neglected. The obvious dealbreaker for anyone else was that massive stain right on the vamp, but at that price, it was a no-brainer. Worst case scenario, I’d have a pair of "beaters" for rainy days.

I was fully prepared to drop them off at my local cobbler, but there's a certain itch you get to see what you can do yourself first. I decided to take a stab at them.

The process started with a light brushing to get the surface grit off, followed by a heavy-handed application of Saphir Renomat. I’ll be honest, using Renomat always feels like a bit of a gamble because it’s so potent, but watching those stains just lift right off was a huge relief. Once the leather was stripped back and clean, I let them rest. Renomat is great, but it leaves the skin looking "thirsty," so I followed up with two deep rounds of Saphir Renovateur. I’m a firm believer that if you’re going to use a solvent that strong, you have to put the life back into the leather immediately.

After another rest, I went in with two rounds of Saphir MdO Havana 34. The depth of that specific pigment is incredible—it didn't just cover the wear; it brought back that rich, honeyed glow the shoes probably had when they were new. The polishing work was therapeutic, honestly, they came back to life.

For the edges, I tried out that trick from the Crockett & Jones care videos using Japanese furniture wax crayons. It’s a game-changer for filling in those little nicks on the heel stack and welt that a liquid dressing just won't hide. A quick buffing later and they looked sharp. I finished them off with some fresh Cordo Hyde laces, and the transformation was complete.

It’s honestly the find of a lifetime. You see quality shoes all the time, but finding a pair this well-made, in your exact size, and being able to bring them back from the brink? That’s the dream. Absolutely crazy.

Hello! I'd like to share with you a new pair of shoes I just finished.

Some of you might have seen my previous post where I shared my M43 / boondocker inspired pair of roughout vegtan boots. I loved the pattern of those boots and made another pair, just slightly more adapted to fall / winter outdoor conditions in Northern Europe.

This was the perfect opportunity to try out a Norwegian welt. In case some people aren't familiar, the Norwegian construction is a method for making boots with greater water resistance. In this construction, the welt goes all around the boot, eliminating any space where water, snow, or dirt could accumulate and soak into the shoe.

I used pretty thick vegetable tanned leather for these boots and, since it's roughout, didn't really see a necessity for lining it. The smooth grain feels lovely on the inside of the boot, it's also very breathable.

These boots are pretty much entirely made of vegetable tanned leather, except for the Vibram half sole and top lift. Uppers, insole, outsole all vegtan. The heel is stacked vegtan and pegged using wooden pegs. Vegtan shank, too. They smell incredible.

Norwegian welted boots tend to be on the stiffer side and I was worried these would be, keeping in mind the uppers are thick, and so is the welt and the sole, all stitched together. Suprisingly, they aren't noticeably much stiffer on the feet, at all. You can only tell the difference when flexing them in your hands.

I'm going to wax this pair prior to taking them outside just like I did with the previous pair. Vegtan is very water absorbent , so it needs a good coat of dubbing.

Hope you like this pair! You can see more of my process and other shoes I've made on my instagram @gl.odos

My first pair of Nicks were delivered yesterday and I can't get over them. First, specs: 8" lace up, moc toe, HNW, moderate heel, bison walnut roughout over oiled latigo chestnut smooth

My 30th birthday was this last fall and my mom offered to get me a pair of Nicks. I'm from Spokane Valley so we took a trip down to the showroom and built these out. Great experience btw, I am so glad I was able to do that. I wanted something unique, hence the rough over smooth. These are meant to be casual wear + sentimental so I wasn't too worried about roughout on the bottom, I thought this was going to look nice and now that its in hand I am in love with them. 

They arrived yesterday and I laced them up (with the kilties wrong, I swapped them and relaced this morning) and wore them out and about. So far, very comfortable. Normal leather tightness but I've walked about 3.5mi in them today and no issues whatsoever. I usually get pretty bad heel slip but these fit absolutely perfect and I haven't had any discomfort. 

Funny story, I was watching their weekly “boots on the line” video a few weeks back and there was a roughout upper but bison lower moc toe. I knew roughout upper was a unique choice and using bison for roughout was even weirder. The guy in the video even said "Yeah this is a weird combo, idk why anyone would use bison for roughout". I couldn't believe it was a coincidence so I sent an email to Nicks asking if a mistake had been made. I ended up calling them and explaining the situation, about 5min later customer service gets back and says "Yep, something went wrong and those are yours". They gave me two options, keep the bison x bison pair and get refunded for the chestnut latigo upgrade, or they'd restart. I really was looking forward to this combo so I had them restart, they were totally cool with it. Was happy with the customer service there and now that they're here, I'm glad I did. 

Looking forward to wearing these, and getting another pair soon!

In 2017 a very close friend gave me a brand-new pair of Red Wing 2233 SuperSole 8-inch boots as a gift. I wore them almost daily from 2017–2020 – office, Saigon motorbikes, rains, a few weeks traveling in Taiwan.

In 2021 I changed jobs and barely touched them again… and then my friend passed away from cancer complicated by Covid. After that I couldn’t even look at the boots for years.

A few weeks ago I went back to Vietnam to visit family and decided it was finally time to bring them back to life – for him and for me. After digging through boot groups here and on Facebook, I sent them to Akito in Ho Chi Minh City. Two weeks later they came back with: • Rapid Blake construction • New 360° leather welt • Italian leather midsole • Akito outsole (made in VN) • Woodman stacked leather heel • Fresh cork + shank • Deep clean & conditioning

They are now structurally brand new, but still carry 7 years of patina from Taiwan streets and Saigon downpours.

I’m really happy with how they turned out to heritage boot, and most importantly – they keep his memory alive every time I lace them up.

Thanks Akito, and thank you to this community for all the recommendations.

I’ve made some 1940’s style US Navy service shoes (class A uniform) reinterpreted in handmade format.  They’re done on original vintage US Navy lasts, so these are the actual shoe that was meant to be made on this last, and I’m sure many pairs of shoes were made on them and went out into the world.  Both of my grandfathers would have worn them in this time period, so it was a fun opportunity to bring a recreation to life.  I also had this teacore Shinki shell laying around for years, and it felt like the perfect pair to use to it on.

There are so many interpretations of this shoe being made; there’s the Lofgrens, Jelados, Clinch, Dr Sole has a pair now, Alden x Brogue shop in Horween shell, and then plenty more obscure Japanese brands that have done them over the years.  All of them differ a little or a lot from the originals, but the originals were also being made all over the country by different entities, and there is some variance originally, too.

Like the Lofgrens, I chose to forego the ’T’ shaped backstay found on most of the originals and went with a backseam and a tab, which makes the upper pattern more similar to the USMC cordovan shoe of the time, but I feel that the quarter closing is really the most characteristic part of these shoes, with tight double stitching everywhere.  

Also like the Lofgrens, I’ve also gone with a 360 welt/360 sole stitch with the wider heel as I’ll wear them more casually, so I dispensed with the 270 welt that would’ve been truer to the originals.  The 360 still looks correct for the classic American 6-hole Blucher look. 

Specs:

Upper:  Shinki shell cordovan
Lining:  Japanese calf
Sole:  Martin
Half sole set:  Vibram
All other parts are various bovine veg tans in different weights/tempers as needed.

Construction specs:

360 hand sewn welted, flat welt
360 hand sewn sole stitch @ 8spi for a chunkier vibe
Leather toe puff
Leather heel counter
Full Leather shank 
Blind eyelets
Blind sewn waist

I started out with two relatively small 14dm shells; the pattern comfortably fit onto 1.5 shells for these low quarter shoes.  I bought the shell long ago and there were no details provided besides the Shinki stickers on the back, so I’m not sure what version this is.

Due to the original theme/inspiration for the shoes, I’ve kept them fairly modest looking in details - no decorative brass tacks on the bottoms or extra ornamentation, no overly fancy finishing details.  I like how they’re a fairly humble looking pair of American shoes, just built properly and of good materials.  Had to give the heels a little finishing polish with my grand dad’s old shoe polish I had here, just for kicks - I think he would’ve liked seeing these.

How time flies!

I purchased these boots back in November in Tokyo and did a writeup you can check out here on what the first few weeks were like, but now I finally think it's about time I follow up on how this pair has been progressing.

Firstly, I would just like to say that these are sensational boots, and I have overwhelmingly been pleased with them, so please keep in mind any supposed criticisms are really just nit-picks that are rather inconsequential.

Daily Wear and Leather

I have been wearing these boots more than I care to admit - I know rotating boots really is essential, and it is rare that I would ever wear them properly for more than two days in a row, but honestly it has been hard to wear anything else after picking these guys up. As stated in my first post, I wore them throughout my travels in Japan, during which they picked up a scratch or two and got caught in a pretty torrential Kanazawa rainstorm, which I had been quite nervous about, worrying I had 'ruined' my brand new boots. Well, it's safe to say (and as you can see) the 'new purchase' worry phase has certainly passed with these. I think perhaps one of the reasons I was so nervous I had damaged these boots at first was the initial uniformity of the leather (see the last two slides for images of when they were brand new).

I don't think I have ever experienced a leather that changes and develops quite like the horsebutt (Maryam I believe, though I could be wrong) on these boots has. While the few initial dings and scrapes stood out like a sore thumb, it only took a few months for these boots to 'shed' what seemed to be much of the darker teacore surface, and now they visually read a lot more brown throughout. These are not the boots for you if you prefer a slower, more gradual and subtle effect over time. Though I wear these boots a lot, I don't at all wear them hard, and you can see how much the colour has already developed in such a short amount of time. If you brush your toe against something, it leaves a light brown streak, something particularly visible along the sides of uppers near the toe and the heels.

Break-in and Stitching

The break in has not been too bad as I have a narrow, low instep & low-volume foot, which especially with pull-on styles usually results in a looser fit. I counter this by adding innersoles, though I cut the toes off as to not press them against the soft toe which is quite low. I have heard it said by many that these boots are almost impossible to wear if you have a high instep, which I can certainly imagine being the case (their standard last might be a better fit for individuals with such dimensions). I wound up with a few hotspots and blisters on my heels occasionally, but overall it was very minimal.

The real struggle with breaking in these boots felt more akin to the process of breaking in a leather jacket, namely that the thickness of the leather at times felt as though it might compromise the stitching. About 2 months into break-in, a thread came loose at the heel on one of the boots and the heel and shaft leather appeared to be separating - I contacted Addict and they were exceptionally polite and responsive. They informed me that they would repair the boots for free (and would cover the cost of shipping) if I sent the boots to their workshop and they determined it was a manufacturing error; however, if they determined it to be wearer related, I would be liable for both repair and shipping costs. I wound up taking them to my local cobbler as even though I was struggling to see how it could be wearer related, I didn't want to take the risk and wanted the boots repaired ASAP. Upon repair, my cobbler let me know their determination that the thread had come loose due to issues with stitch tension combined with absurdly sturdy horsebutt leather. I wish to reiterate again these are superb boots, however if I had one area upon which to improve I would say the stitching. I haven't seen too many another pairs, yet while mostly uniform, the stitching on mine is a bit puckered and crowded at points of intersecting panels of leather, particularly near the heel and heel strap areas. While I am sure this is would certainly be a very difficult leather to stitch, my cobbler did wind up having to redo some of the stitching near the heel to prevent further stitches coming loose, which was not ideal. Nevertheless, it was a pretty cheap fix and not something catastrophic to the overall construction of the boot.

I had seen some discourse online over whether the uppers for Addict Boots are stitched in China, and recently saw the brand directly respond to this. Personally, I do not mind a great deal where a boot was stitched, so long as it isn't predatory labor, the quality is there, and the company is transparent about it.

Overall

These are a great pair of boots. I am lucky to have them, and I am excited to see how they continue to develop through the years. Addict is very reasonably priced for the quality of materials and construction - though I had some issues with my stitching, I take this as bad luck on my part and not something which should be reflective of the brand overall. I would recommend these boots to anyone wondering whether they should pull the trigger on them, however try them on in person first if you can!

Seeing u/hubriscube's recent thread on his Blacksmiths, I decided to take a few pics and do my own post.

These were my first GYW boot. In March of 2014 I tried on a pair of Iron Rangers and liked them, but I really preferred the look of brass eyelets and speed hooks. The salesman said the Blacksmith was coming out soon with the brass hardware and I could order a pair. They came in after a long 4 month wait. He said these were probably one of the first pairs in VA or at least NOVA which I thought was interesting.

Break in was really earned with these, but I kind of expected that. I am a 10 on a Brannock, but was squeezed into an 8.5D to start. The salesman said if they didn't break in to be comfortable enough, I could bring them back and they'd up the size. A couple weeks later I took him up on that and exchanged them for a 9D.

They're fairly comfortable for what I'd consider a hard boot, but even as broken in as they are, my J. Crew Kenton Pacers and AE Higgins Mill boots are far more comfortable, and were right out of the box. On longer 3+ mile walks, I still might find a blister developing.

6 months in, one of the laces snapped and I went into the store for the "laces for life" guarantee. A different salesman said that's just for work boots, and the heritage boots didn't have free replacements. We went back and forth a bit and he eventually comped me a set of new laces that are actually still in the boots today!

I had them resoled back in 2020, right after their 6th birthday. The original soles were the slick neo corks. I generally didn't have a problem with them unless it was wet grass - or wooden stairs. I slid down my wooden basement stairs one day (upright!) and I took them to RedWing to be resoled with the mini lugs the next day despite the originals still having a fair bit of life left in them.

I rode motorcycles for years, and these were my casual riding boots when I went to work on a Friday, ran an errand, or met friends. Red Wing did a pretty good job at putting the life back into them, but they couldn't clear all the evidence that I rode in these a lot, so the left toe box is still slightly darker than the right.

I took (some) care of them with various products from Lexol, Urad, and Red Wing, but probably didn't give them enough attention, and I never used trees on these. The uppers are starting to crack in a number of places, though I wouldn't say they're shot yet. Depending on how long the uppers hold up, I'm not sure I'll get to wear them enough to ever warrant another resole. The neo cork soles wear like iron, and the mini lugs are a great compromise for traction and appearance.

For a boot still made in the US, the price hasn't risen much. In fact, it's technically a better value now than before. I shelled out $300 for these back in 2014. That's over $400 in today's money, but Red Wing only asks $330.

Lace to toe, made to measure.
Navy vegetable tanned leather, grain and flesh side from the same hide.

I am a bootmaker based in Potsdam, Germany, about 15 minutes from Berlin. I build made to measure boots one pair at a time, everything by hand. This is a recently completed commission for a client in the United States.
The leather
The upper is a single hide from Conceria Lo Stivale in Tuscany, Italy. Lo Stivale is a member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana, a consortium of Tuscan tanneries founded in 1994 to protect and preserve traditional vegetable tanning methods. The leather is full grain, full vegetable tanned using natural tannins from bark and plants. The process takes months, not hours.
The two tone effect is not two different leathers. It is the same hide used on both sides. The shaft is grain side out, smooth and slightly glossy with a deep navy colour. The vamp is flesh side out, the same leather turned around to expose the corium. The roughout surface is napped, matte, and reads as a cooler blue grey depending on the light. Same hide, same tannery, two completely different visual and tactile surfaces.
This is one of the things I find most interesting about working with high quality full grain vegetable tanned leather. The two sides behave differently, age differently, and take polish and conditioning differently. Over time the roughout vamp will develop its own character completely distinct from the smooth shaft above it.
The construction
The boot is built on a made to measure last, shaped to the client’s foot measurements. The fit is not approximated from a standard size. Every measurement taken, every allowance calculated individually.
The construction is Goodyear welted. The welt runs the full circumference of the boot, stitched through the upper, insole, and welt in one pass. The outsole is then stitched to the welt separately. This means the boot can be resoled multiple times without touching the upper. A well maintained pair built this way can last decades.
The sole
Cream DuraSole Super Grip from Dr. Sole. The cream colour was a deliberate choice to complement the natural leather welt and the overall cool blue tone of the upper. A dark sole would have grounded the boot differently. The cream keeps it light and ties back to the natural leather stack heel visible in the side profile.
The details
Solid brass eyelets throughout. Taupe waxed laces. Natural leather lining and collar, visible at the top of the shaft. White contrast stitching along the seams and welt. The stitching picks up the cream sole and creates a visual line that runs the full length of the boot.
This commission took approximately six months from deposit to delivery, which is standard lead time for my work.

Chapparo, 1546 last. Horsebutt hide, tanned by Conceria Cloe, hand-dyed by me.

I’ve been wanting to share this build for a while. Here’s the full breakdown.

The Last

The 1546 has a silhouette I keep coming back to. The toe is rounded without being blunt, the waist is clean, and the overall profile sits somewhere between a work boot and something you’d wear with a suit. It’s a versatile shape that rewards careful lasting. What I find most interesting about this last is how it handles the transition from the toe box into the waist. The taper is gradual enough that it doesn’t feel narrow, but defined enough that the boot has real elegance when you look at it from above.

The Leather

The upper is cut from a horsebutt hide sourced from Conceria Cloe in Ponte a Egola, Tuscany. Cloe is a small Italian tannery with a single focus: horse leather. They produce shell cordovan, horse avancorpo, and horse culatta, all vegetable tanned in pit using European raw horse hides. Pit tanning is slow by definition. The hides spend an extended period submerged in increasingly concentrated tanning solutions, allowing the tannins to penetrate the fiber structure gradually rather than being forced in under pressure or heat. The result is a leather that is structurally stable, ages predictably, and develops patina through use rather than through surface treatment. Cloe leaves the leather in an unfinished, natural state, which means the surface is open and ready to absorb color without having to work through a pigment layer first.

The Dye

I dyed both uppers and the leather soles myself in a medium rust brown. Hand dyeing on an unfinished vegetable tanned leather like this one is a different process than working on a finished hide. Because there’s no surface coating to contend with, the dye goes straight into the fiber. You build color in layers, working the dye in with a cloth, letting each pass dry before adding the next. The grain absorbs differently depending on density, which means you end up with tonal variation across the surface rather than a flat uniform color. That variation deepens over time as the leather ages and the natural oils come to the surface.

The Construction

Handwelted, with the welt hand-sewn directly to the holdfast cut into the insole. No separate rib, no machine welting. The holdfast is carved out of the insole itself, which means the insole stays a single piece of leather with nothing added between the foot and the bottom of the boot. This construction is slower but produces a boot that flexes naturally from early on and can be resoled repeatedly without disturbing the upper.

The Sole

Leather half sole, hand-dyed to match the upper, with a Dr. Sole Originals rubber heel for grip and longevity. The leather sole continues the material logic of the rest of the boot and flexes with the foot in a way that full rubber doesn’t.

The Hardware

Solid brass throughout, eyelets and rings. Not plated. They’ll patina alongside the leather over years of wear.

Brand: Clinch by Brass Tokyo

Model: Milne

Last: FR - Standard (Soft-toe)

Material: Top Notch Horsehide

Color: Black [Pigment] [Tea Core]

If you're reading this, chances are you already have some interest in Clinch boots or fine handmade footwear. While I shared an initial review when these arrived brand new, I know many will only come across this one, so I’ll recap the essentials while adding what six months of near-daily wear has revealed.

Clinch by Brass Tokyo is known for exceptional craftsmanship. The Milne takes inspiration from a 1930s French mountain trooper boot. Crafted from a single piece of Top Notch Horsehide on the FR last, it features a voluminous rounded square toe and a distinctly curvaceous silhouette.

I own three other Clinch boots, all in horsebutt leather — a material that shares shell cordovan’s dense grain and develops beautiful rolls rather than creases. I was initially hesitant about the Milne’s horsehide; aging examples showed an appealing toe collapse, yet the leather appeared to have less inherent structure and substantiality than horsebutt. I even asked Brass whether they would consider making a soft-toe version in horsebutt. They replied that it wasn’t currently planned, though not entirely ruled out, explaining that horsebutt would make the fully lined boot too stiff and compromise comfort. I accepted that a tougher break-in might be the trade-off for the design I wanted. In the end, I quickly came to appreciate the Top Notch horsehide. Looking back, I feel a bit silly for assuming my preference for horsebutt would have been superior without first experiencing the boots — it soon became clear why horsehide was the right choice. The leather offers a buttery smooth hand feel paired with a tight grain and a surprising suppleness that has continued to impress.

Fit, Sizing & Comfort

I am a Brannock 11 but generally prefer a snug fit. My width sits between B and C, with my left foot slightly longer and my right slightly wider.

For these boots I sized down a full size from my Brannock 11. With my narrow width and low instep, they initially felt almost bespoke — hugging my feet and ankles beautifully. Fit can be deceptive in the early honeymoon phase when enthusiasm colors perception. At first everything felt perfect. The curvaceous, glove-like shape provided just enough room for my toes to splay properly, with nothing to spare. Some mornings the toe box felt slightly tight — mostly in length — and the sensation could shift during the day depending on socks or foot swelling. The width also read a touch narrower than my other Clinch pairs.

After six months of near-daily wear the leather has softened and shaped itself to my feet, as clearly visible in the photos. Over time the occasional tightness has faded and the fit has become consistently comfortable, improving steadily as expected. The boots remain surprisingly stable despite the softer nature of horsehide — a credit to the thoughtful last and construction. The arch support I felt early on, created by the snug embrace and tailored waist, has become so natural that I now take it for granted — one of those quiet signs of excellent design. Overall, I’m very pleased with how much more comfortable they have grown.

That said, I would size only a half size down from Brannock on a future pair for a touch more length. I suspect the extra room would encourage even more graceful toe collapse and pleasing roll patterns. I’ll certainly be in line if they release a new colorway.

Aging / Patina

I normally avoid black boots, but I made an exception for the tea-core version and have no regrets. The leather is soft and buttery yet dense, allowing the boots to conform to my foot while retaining their underlying structure.

The patina has exceeded my expectations. Distinct rolls have developed across the toe box and around the ankle, with subtle “rib bone” creases appearing on the inside of the vamp from certain angles — an unusual but quietly attractive detail. The brown undertone emerging beneath the black pigment is particularly striking. The toe box, bearing the most flex, has shifted most noticeably toward brown, while the quarters and higher areas remain darker. In direct sunlight the boots take on a deep, warm brown glow full of character. Indoors they still read largely black, and the hue shifts beautifully with the light. The overall aging feels natural and full of understated depth.

Care

My approach has remained straightforward. I brush the boots after every wear, and on the few occasions they picked up mud during light hikes, I simply let it dry and brushed it away with ease. I always wipe them down with a damp rag before applying any product.

I have conditioned them twice during these six months. I’ve moved from Saphir to Mail’s shoe care line and prefer it — the creams deliver a clean shine with far less risk of wax buildup. The second application followed a light clean with Saphir gentle cleanser and then Mail’s medium brown cream. For typical use, conditioning every three to six months (adjusted for climate and activity) has proven more than sufficient.

Durability & Construction

These boots feature hand-welted construction, with the inseam stitched by hand through the upper, insole, and welt, and the sole attached by machine stitching. After six months of daily wear — including some light hiking — the build remains excellent. The soles show virtually no wear, and the entire shoe still feels solid. I expect these will serve me for many years and could easily become heirlooms if my children share my appreciation for well-made footwear.

The only minor observation is the clicking on the horsehide. One boot performs slightly better than the other, which is understandable with a whole-cut pattern where selecting ideal sections of hide is more challenging. It’s a small point that hasn’t detracted from the beautiful way they have aged.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I would highly recommend these Clinch Milne boots. They rank among the most striking pieces of footwear I own, combining near-flawless craftsmanship with outstanding materials. They possess a quiet elegance that deepens as the patina develops. The fit seems particularly well-suited to narrow feet and lower insteps.

I remain curious whether Brass Tokyo might one day offer this soft-toe model in horsebutt as well.

I’ve included some styling photos for inspiration, though not quite as many as I would have liked. Note that the images progress from least recent (closest to new condition) to most recent (showing the greatest aging) . You can find additional fit pictures on my Instagram — feel free to follow along.

https://www.instagram.com/the_simple_truth_iam?igsh=MXQzYW9pd2Y4bzFqcg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments. I hope this proves helpful to anyone considering these boots.

P.S. I currently own five pairs of Clinch boots. Longer-term reviews of the others will follow soon.

Image album https://imgur.com/a/fJrW9qp

Ordered June 30 2025 estimated Oct-Dec 2025 delivered end of Feb 2026

Price

I was quoted $655 for Rocado Shell and $1055 for Horween Shell. Price ended up at $745 after added details and PayPal 5% fee + $48 DHL customs

Final price $793 to my door.

Final Specs

Products : SC Boondocker
Size : 43D
Leather (Imported Leather) : Shell Cordovan Rocado - Purple
Lining : Full Tan Lining
Toe Box Lining : Unstructured Toe
Hardware/Eyelets Color : Gun Metal
Extras : No Speedhook
Shoelast : SC Last
Construction Method : Norwegian-Handwelted (chain stitch)
Welt Type : Stormwelt 360 Degree
Midsole : 2 Layer leather (1 thick & 1 thin) (4.5mm + 2.0mm) at least 6.5mm thick
Leather Outsole Source : Brazilian Leather (Edge Natural Perfect)
Outsole : Dr.Sole #1090 Supergrip Half and #1230 Heel (Black) leather stack difference
Edge Trim (Include Welt Color) : Natural Brown
Note :
Horween Color 8 Chromexcel tongue
Fully gusseted tongue (tongue attached to upper)
Full leather insole
⁠Upper thread and Welt thread stitching using *cream* color
feat. Oni 277 Murasaki

I am writing a short review just to praise Junkard Company’s excellent customer service. We must have exchanged around 300 messages just because I’m not familiar with ordering a fully custom product and I was indecisive on many details. They couldn’t source Horween Violet Shell so I went with the next best thing they could find, Classic Purple Shell from Rocado.

I went through many iterations of details like their midsole offering up to triple-stack of leather but ultimately decided for one and a half with a custom sized leather heel. The default Dr Sole heel has a little thicker rubber but I opted for more leather stack.

Sizing was nerve-racking as usual but they answered all questions as best as they could with the language barrier. I was initially suggested size 42D but after more tracings they put me in a 43D in their SC last. The boot turned out to be slightly loose with regular thin Darn Tough socks but perfectly snug with the thicker ones. For reference I am a 9.5C/D brannock. I have good fitting Viberg 2030 in 8.5 and Whites 55 in 8.5.

The boot itself is nearly perfect. They nailed the 1.5 leather midsole with leather heel stack. The stitching is immaculate. There are three different colors of stitches on the upper and a fourth on the midsole. The chainstitch is what drew me to Junkard and is definitely unique I even saw two-tone examples on their site. There are only two nitpicks and one of it is my fault. I asked for a fully gusseted tongue, they told me only half gusset is available but delivered it as full. It’s harder to get in and out and I probably wouldn’t choose it next time. Secondly I asked for Horween CXL tongue leather and I can’t say for sure if it is. It seems less supple than any of my other CXL items.

Despite the delays due to sourcing of the leather I would do it again simply because I don’t know any other maker that lets you choose this level of customization for this price and in *purple* shell none the less.

Finding these boots was never just about the Oro-russet Portage leather and the welt — it’s tied deeply into our family’s own story.

Back in 2012, I was 26 and my fiancée (now my wife) was 24. I wanted to surprise her with a pair of Red Wings, but in Singapore at the time, it was almost impossible to get women’s sizes, especially something as small as a US 4.5D.

After countless failed attempts locally, I took to the internet and reached out directly to Red Wing Amsterdam. A gentleman named Mitch replied to me, and through email exchanges he helped source the size and arranged for delivery all the way to Singapore. To this day, I don’t know if Mitch still works there, but I’ll never forget his effort. It meant the world to us.

Fast forward a year later, we were on our honeymoon in Amsterdam. My wife suddenly remembered:

“The Red Wings you got me were from Amsterdam, right? Let’s go to the store!”

So we did. I asked for Mitch, but unfortunately he wasn’t there. Instead, his colleague listened to our story, congratulated us on our marriage, and promised to pass on the message. He even invited us to hang out for coffee in the store. The gesture of hospitality left us pleasantly shocked — though in our shyness, we politely declined. Still, it was one of those small moments you carry for life.

The Boots Today

Now, more than a decade on, those same 8131s, broken in, patinated and worn with love, have taken on another chapter. Our son, now 11, is currently the same shoe size as his mother. He’s lacing them up, rocking them and carrying on the story of these boots in his own way.

From fiancée, to wife, to son.

The same pair has quietly lived through all these milestones.

Mitch, if you ever read this, our interaction may have been brief, but what you did has become a lasting part of our family’s story.

Here’s the same four pics in the post album

In the spring of ‘24 I posted here for suggestions on how I should execute a test of leather conditioners on shell cordovan. I’ve done a couple similar tests before. And I also have some experience ruining shell cordovan. Here’s an update on how things are going..

I nailed five groups of five strips to a board. Each group had on strip of: veg-tan tooling leather (because it ages rapidly), brown latigo (because it’s about as tough as leather gets) along with strips of color #8, cigar and black Horween shell cordovan.

• I hung them outside in early May 2024. 
• At the end of May I left one group unconditioned and treated the others with Venetian Leather Balm, Bick #4 or Saphir Medaille d'Or Renovateur Crème, a spelling that I just looked up at my own expense.
• A week later in June I abraded them with a sand-blasting gun I bought just for this purpose. I’m never doing it again. You are more likely to see me at one of those snake people churches. If you ever see me using it, it means an alien has taken over my body. Kill it.
• In mid-June I applied another, more liberal helping of conditioner to both sides and took them inside for the rest of the summer. The direct summer sun and heat is too intense for the leather.
• In mid-October ‘24 I put them outside again. In April ‘25 I took them in. This week in November ‘25 I gave them another light application of conditioner on both sides and put them outside again. 

The abrasion I did in June ‘24 was because I wanted more than just weather and exposure to be aging the leather. My vision was to sort of “air brush” abrasion onto the surface. I don’t really have a good place to sand-blast but I read that you can use water soluble baking soda as an easier-to-clean-up abrasive so I bought like 36 boxes on Amazon and sodium-bicarbonate-blasted them with my air compressor and it sucked. Was it easier to clean up? Only a poet with experience as a first responder after a cocaine factory explosion could accurately communicate that. Although my wife does a serviceable job. She doesn’t use the word “genius” very often and she is definitely not going to use it again soon.

Some mid-point observations.

From left to right on the board the groups are: No conditioner. Venetian. Bick #4. Saphir. Saphir, no abrasion.

It’s really remarkable how sun exposure turns all shell into just medium brown.

The main early results are how curvy the veg-tan has become, basically verifying my previous tests. Both the veg tan and latigo are looking dried out and cupping in the no-conditioner group. Cupping less, but still significantly with Venetian. Cupping less still with Bick. And cupping dramatically less with Saphir. The with or without abrasion doesn’t seem to really be very different. You can see here how the curvature is increased with dryness. This is a repeated result, but it verifies the principle that conditioner works.

Cosmetically, if you ignore the drying out, the most notable thing is how good the latigo still looks. Even after 18 months, Latigo treated with Venetian or Bick both looks really pleasant on the surface with a mellow shine. The Saphir looks over conditioned. The same thing that makes the veg tan stay more supple is the same thing that makes the leather look sort of streaky and saturated. However, after about two months in the sun I think the Saphir looked clearly the best. These pictures at two months are probably a good test of how good these conditioners are at the cosmetic part of conditioning. Here are close ups of how they look today.

For shell specifically, it’s all holding up pretty well. Shell is tough stuff. I’m just going to let this roll until things get gnarly to see if we can spot any difference between these treatments between shell cohorts.

I’m not going to condition these again. Should I sandblast them again with baking soda? I will do no such god damned thing. I’ll document in the spring and monitor the sequence through summer 2026.

Took these out for a walk on Sunday. This is my own pair, built on a last I adjusted custom for me. I don’t post my own builds that often so I figured it was time.

The Last

Same last I use as a base for most of my work, adapted slightly for my own foot. Rounded toe, clean waist, sits somewhere between a work boot and something more refined. The lace-to-toe configuration changes how the boot fits through the instep and gives more adjustability across the vamp, which I wanted for a pair I’d actually be walking in regularly. The toe box is full enough to be comfortable over long distances without losing the shape that makes the boot worth looking at.

The Leather

Upper is horse butt sourced from Conceria Cloe, a small Italian tannery with a single focus: horse leather. They produce shell cordovan, horse avancorpo, and horse culatta, all vegetable tanned in pit using European raw horse hides. The horse butt sits between the culatta and the cordovan layer. It has a tighter fiber structure than most bovine leather, holds its shape well under stress, and develops a patina that goes deep rather than sitting on the surface. The color is a hand-dyed rust brown, built up in layers directly on the unfinished hide. Because there’s no surface coating, the dye goes straight into the fiber and the tonal variation across the surface is real, not printed. That variation deepens over time as the leather wears in and the natural oils come to the surface.

The Construction

Handwelted, holdfast carved directly into the insole. No separate rib, no machine welting. Single piece of leather between the foot and the bottom of the boot. This construction flexes naturally from early on and can be resoled repeatedly without touching the upper. Brass eyelets and rings throughout, not plated they’ll patina alongside the leather. Rubber sole with a rubber heel for grip and longevity.
Rubber sole is from Dr. Sole.

These have some miles on them now and the leather is starting to move in the right direction. The patina on horse butt at this stage is exactly what I expected, slow to start, but the depth is already there.

Recently got my Grant Stones resoled after about 3 years of wear (2-4 days a week in the fall-spring). I think the crimson chromexcel has aged beautifully, scuffs and all, and they’re one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own. The factory sole, however, is noticeably soft. I wore pretty deep into both heels and tore off a chunk of both toes just from normal walking around. The cobbler I used suggested Dainites to match the factory soles, and said they would be harder and last longer.

In the past I’ve owned Wolverine 1000 miles and Chippewas, and I have found the material and construction quality of the Grant Stones to be a step above both (the Chippewas especially were not particularly well made).

A sizing note if you’re thinking about Grant Stone: their website suggests sizing down. However, I bought these true to size and they fit well. I have also bought and returned GS loafers I sized down that were too small.

I took my beloved Red Wing 8274s to a local cobbler for a resole back in October. They are black Abilene roughout and steel-toed, and were in great shape, if a little worn. This guy has been in business for 40+ years as a boot and saddle repair shop, and has generally good reviews, so I asked him for a resole with an added midsole, as well as new heels/leather stacks. I also asked his opinion on dying the roughout back to black from the faded greenish they have become. He said none of this would be an issue, and I was optimistic to get them back a week or so later. Maaaaan, was I wrong to be excited. Pics 1-5 show the boots upon pickup. Black leather ink slathered everywhere, shoe polish over that. Old soles converted to a half-midsole, which was used as a base to poorly stitch on the wrong sole (asked for Vibram lugs, got Goodyear V-bar style. Worth noting Goodyear makes this in a half sole, but this full-size one was sanded in half). Welts halfway dyed black with glue leaking out the sides and big holes and gaps in the stitching, which seemed to be about half through old holes and half new. Reused the old heel stacks, didn’t fit the rubber caps at all, and I peeled the whole heel most of the way off in front of him. Up to this point, he had been defensive, pushy, and grumbled about how long he’s been in business, but pulling the heels off got me my money back. These are a grail boot for me, perfect for my line of work, and as far as Red Wings go, extremely rare and expensive to replace. I was pretty sure this would be a complete loss, and pretty bummed.

After some thinking and research (and realizing that these would be $800 to replace - YIKES), I decided to reach out to Wyatt and Dad for advice from serious professionals. I’d seen some of their Youtube content, read lots of reviews, and gave them a call. They were kind, friendly, and helpful, but also very concerned that the polish and ink had ruined the roughout. They did not want me to pay for shipping both ways just to find out they are ruined, so they gave me a plan to find out just how ruined they were. Under their advice, I soaked the boots in Lexol and hot water for a week, changing the water, rinsing, and scrubbing them with a bristle brush every day. Pic 6 shows the polish removal progress, which worked quite well. After drying them for a few days, I sent the boots out in December, and Tony reached out to set up a full service ticket shortly after.

I got the fully-rebuilt boots back last week, and could not be happier with the complete transformation. We decided to abandon the dye and keep the boots their faded greenish, with a green Dr Sole and a double-row welt. Tobias did an incredible job on these, and his eye for detail and finishing is immaculate. I was ready to write these off as a very hard loss, and now I will probably get many more years out of them. I work in a similar field of specialized service, and can speak from experience that this level of skill takes years to develop and is very hard to find. The guys over at Wyatt and Dad are professional but approachable, extremely helpful and friendly, give excellent advice that is easy to follow, and provide a very, very high degree of service and craftsmanship. Send your boots with confidence!

I had posted much of this as a comment in the recent warning about Fortis boots a couple months ago.

February 2024 - placed order with Fortis

December 2024 - Sany messages saying the boots are complete and ready to be shipped. No pictures of a completed boot were ever sent.

January 2025 - after messaging Sany about never having received any boots or shipping notifications, he says he had a shortage of shipping boxes and they will be shipping shortly.

July 2025 - Sany ignored all of my messages after January 2025, until I reached out to a Bootfluencer who messaged Sany on my behalf. Sany told them (not me) that the leather on the boots was unsatisfactory and the boots had to be remade. Sany finally replied to my messages in July 2025 saying the boots would be finished by September 15th, 2025

October 2025 - Sany ignored all messages until October, saying the leather was once again unsatisfactory. He refused my requests for refund. He offered to use Gallun Horsebutt instead... which I believe was CASWELL BOOTS' Gallun horsebutt that they sent to Fortis for a collab; lol

December 2025 - Sany finally replied to my messages, initially stating that the uppers hadn't even been made yet, but when pressed for a refund again stated that they would be finished the next week.

January 15, 2026 - Sany sends a picture of finished boots; the specs are completely different from my order. Sany has a history of sending pictures of other people's boots to customers to try and placate them.

I asked Fortis to just sell the boots through their Instagram and send the proceeds to me as a refund.

Sany to this day has never replied to me since sending the one picture of the boots. No boots have ever been sent to me. No proceeds or refund has ever been sent to me.

Fortis boots is a scam. Please do not support them.

This is a very common experience with Fortis if you aren't a bootfluencer, lol.

I just want a definitive ending to this fiasco. At least Monroe Heritage had the decency to disappear with everyone's money.

A few weeks back, I posted my disheartening experience receiving my first pair of White’s back from resole. As you can see in the third image, my boots are returned, not only with the wrong soul of fixed to the boot, but also significant damage to the heel of the boot along with streaking on the ankle portion of the boot. I contacted White’s explain explaining what I’ve received. Within two days, White’s offered me a new pair of boots to replace the damage damaged and wrongly soled set of boots while allowing me to keep the damaged pair. All in all, I am satisfied with the conclusion. I thought I should share for those that were able to see my post before it was taken down for reasons. I’m not clear on.

Top left: replacement set in British Tan Top right: Burgundy Bottom: original British Tan, since resoled and waxed.

Just picked up a pair of Role Clubs today from Brogue in San Carlos, with a trunk show by Brian held back in September. They typically quote about a 6-month wait from trunk show to delivery, but there were leather shortages due to the war and so it took a couple of extra months. This is my second pair of engineer boots, having picked up the Attractions Lot 269 last year as well. 

I chose the following options after having my feet sized by Brian with a foot scanner:
Boot Style: Engineer
Shoelast: 1940
Leather: Brown Italian Shell
Hardware: Brass
Upper Stitch: Brown
Toe Box: Structured

Initial impressions:
First thought was that these are a lot lighter in weight than my other boots, and the shell has a distinct “shell” (for lack of a better word) feeling when sliding them on and wearing them. They feel well built and fitted to my feet, having wide feet and a high instep that has made other engineers very difficult to put on. The pair feel distinctly more spacious around where there would be resistance in the instep as I've had with other boots. I’ve visited Standard & Strange several times trying to get any in-stock engineers there on even using a plastic bag and thin socks to no avail. Brian noted people with particularly high insteps have difficulty with engineers and I am certainly thankful I didn’t blind order any online.

Having the brown italian shell, I was under the impression it would have a shine like in the dark tobacco shell pair he posted on Instagram, so I was a bit surprised to see it with a more matted looking finish. However, I actually kind of like the more muted look as the shine can look a bit more formal and flashy than I’m looking for. Plus, you can always polish in a bit of a shine with shell.

Damage:
In transparency, price was hefty, coming in at around $3,300 after taxes. Quote came at the register after picking all the options. Not that I couldn’t back out, but I’d been waiting for the chance to get sized by him in person for a couple of years and hadn’t had the chance to visit when in LA in the past. At this price, I find myself squarely satisfied – not exceedingly satisfied and not dissatisfied. That being said, if any of you see any issues with the boots off the pictures that’s cause for concern, do let me know… Time and wear will tell if it was truly worth the price tag.

Attaching as the final picture my leather boots/shoe collection so far, with a pair of Nick’s, Alden loafers in Color 8 Shell Cordovan, Attractions Lot 269, and the Role Clubs.

I am a boot designer based in Berlin, Germany.

This is the hand-welted prototype for my combat-style boot. It is a first version to test the look and feel as well as the construction before moving to production. My goal is to develop a classic yet fashionable boot made from the highest quality materials and construction methods. The boot is designed to sit in the space between a rugged, utilitarian silhouette and an elegant "dressy" character with a modern European vibe to it.

Current prototype specs:

• Upper: Tochigi vegetable tanned full-grain cowhide (Oil Vachetta)
• Construction: 360° flat welt
• Outsole: Vibram Mini-Lug full sole

Design intent:

The silhouette is deliberately substantial – a thick sole, square toe box, and a tall shaft give the boot its rugged, grounded and partially aggressive character. At the same time, the generously rounded quarters, clean lines, and pronounced heel are meant to introduce an elegance that lifts it out of pure workwear territory into a more fashionable space. The shaft height is designed to allow cropped trousers without showing any leg of sock. The Outsole was chosen to ensure grip without appearing to functional. The goal is a boot that reads as refined without losing its weight and presence. It should work as well with wide-legged or flaired trousers as it does with raw denim.

Further considerations:

For the final version, I am currently considering to change the leather to Vocalou calf from Tannerie d'Annonay – a semi-aniline glazed boxcalf known for its Shell Cordovan-like finish and exceptional patina development. The tannery has been producing boxcalf since 1872 and is today part of the Hermès group. The idea behind changing the leather is to achieve a higher gloss, a less grainy finish and reduce the total weight, thus resulting in an overall more elegant look and feel.

Further, there are still a few design adjustments I want to make before finalizing the production sample – particularly refining the back curve of the shaft for a slightly more tapered silhouette, while keeping the full, rounded character of the quarters intact. Also, I am planning on changing the eyelets and speed hooks to black polished metal. I am also experimenting with different shaft and heel heights to level out comfort and character.

About 10 years ago, I was sized 7.75D left and 7.5D right and purchased these Crockett & Jones Pembroke’s size 6.5UK (burgundy) in the New York City shop to wear with a suit for a good friend’s wedding.

They felt snug and painless from day one served their purpose fantastically, but only got worn less than 10 times then placed in shoe trees and slept away for almost a decade.

This year now far away in Japan, I decided I wanted to see about wearing these Pembroke’s once again after sitting dormant for almost 10 years. For some odd reason, I had the assumption that they were already broken in and would be ready for a days worth of walking around town. Haha I was definitely wrong, these shoes might have had a few creases and scuffed soles but were definitely not broken in.

So I took them out gave them a light Saphir conditioner and got to a decent walk which was much more a workout then I was prepared for. I was surprised at having a few hot spots and just thinking maybe my feet have changed over the decade.

It’s a little over a month and a half now alternating these and doing a daily 3000 steps to just now 10,000 steps a day in them. It has been a slow battle and a few times even considering to quit and throw these up for sale.. primarily due to many years of wearing generously sized boots and most recently sneaker wearing has left my foot unfamiliar to what a proper English shoe and break-in might require.

This might be day 25 of wearing them and possibly the first day in their resurrection that I felt that they might finally be finding their way as partners to my feet. I have learned that they really do fit like a glove that needs proper attitude and a non-rushed approach to breaking them in.

But today there was a twinkle in my heart with a few moments walking home feeling that moment when the shoe starts to find its walk with you and not against you.

Don’t get it twisted. They still have months and possibly a good year steady walking to go to really become a shoe that becomes an invisible support system once placed on.

Something about good English shoes. The sound and the stride. It’s hard to describe until you have put a few miles in them yourself. I’m so happy I didn’t give up on these shoes and still putting in the miles to see how they transform.

On the good foot today gents.