Calling all LLBean Katahdin Iron Works Boots owners - Page 69

I took the opportunity with the 10% off coupon being offered to order a pair of these (though they're back ordered until the 25th in my size).

Thanks to everyone in this thread for providing pictures and advice about these boots!

Want to trade? haha. those look sweet.

Glad I found this thread..I bought a pair of Katadin's 6 inch yesterday at LL Bean Flagship store in Freeport. I wore them on a short walk and noticed the right arch was higher then the left one and wouldn't lay down after 2 miles. The fit has been the best I've found in trying on many name brand boots. My right foot is just about 3/8 inch or less longer and my big toe will hit the front wall of most brands but not the Katadins. The felt great.I got 13's. But there is more toe room then most boots I've tried to date. I can't get 13.5's due to no demand for them. Can't find 14's to try in the stores. 

  I cleaned them good and Bean took them back. I ordered a new pair and are looking forward to them getting here and having the arches even.

I'm tired of the non Goodyear welts pulling away in short order so I'm hoping with Vibram Soles (other soles have cracked in NH's -30 temps) and Goodyear welting I'll be good to go for a while. Workmanship isn't like it was 70 years ago with shoes so you have to be careful I've found.I saw a pair of LL's Cresta Hikers today brand new with one being wider then the other. The soles matched but the upper was defiantly widers. Weird feeling wearing them. I had a leather shop in Ptown for a while and still use leather for my current business uses. 

Just curious, those of you who ordered the newer Iron boots with the darker leather, has it lightened up over time?

obenauf's + lexol + saphir

very nice teger. how do you clean yours? mine are due for a cleaning/re-oiling, not sure how exactly i should go about cleaning them.

Damn teger, nice work. I really, really want to try to replicate that if I get a pair but I'm worried it won't come off nearly as well.

you using renovateur? what's the point of using three separate products that all do the same thing?

this is a fresh pair, I lost half a shoe size so had to rebuy

I wore them for 3 works to soften the leather. Did a coat of lexol just to get some moisture back into the leather - they had become very dry. I then did a coat of Obenauf's (for the color and waterproofing), and put them in my oven for 10 mins at 150 degrees to hasten the absorption. This dried them out a little so I did a thin coat of Renovateur to bring them back to a really soft/state.

They'll lighten and texture up after some wear.

mikey: Saddle soap or just a damp cloth.

Would it still work out without throwing them in the oven?

sure, but you might have to do more than one coat of obenauf's and leave them out to dry.

if you put ANY leather conditioner on them, they will darken like that. once they dry out the leather will lighten up again.

they'll lighten up, but never to the mottled brown that they originally come in.

I've never owned any good shoes and I'm currently looking to buy the Katahdin Iron Works, however I'm European which means it's a little more difficult to do the whole return for proper size thus I'm trying to nail it in first try.

 

How much of a difference in Medium D and Wide EE? In my green running shoes from Nike I'm 10.5 US size and my normal wear shoes, black ECCO shoes, (please don't judge!) I'm 10-10.5 it says.

Also if someone is interesting in selling a good pair and ship to Denmark hook me up. I just need to determine my size. I've heard it's true size and others say it's 0.5 bigger? So I'm not sure if I should go for the 10.5 or 11 as there is no inbetween for them. Like 44.5 in Europe.

 

Appreciate the feedback and this is a really cool forum, glad I've found it!

I usually buy size 13 us in shoes. But my right foot is about 1/2 size larger so usually my right big toe hits the front on most shoes when walking aggressive like hikeing. I probably should try size 14 more but it's hard to find. These LLBean Katadin boots I bought are size 13 M and I don't hit the front of the shoe.Even hiked a few miles in the Forest and they were excellant.

   I tried numerous boots and my right big toe hit the front on all except the LL's. They fit nicely around the rest of the foot too. I was surprised as the other brands seemed sloppy. These are very heavy stiff boots if that's what your looking for. Probably rugged for sure but beware as they are like I said.