Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[mr. burns]

What kinda Leather is that and what type of product were you using on the vamp? Theyre gonna look spectacular when they come back from Whites btw.

@spurs61 - i swear the older natty cxl is better than the newer stuff i keep seeing. lighter in color & without dark splotching. perhaps this a product of wear & aging but in any case those look great! totally agree about the soft toe - once you experience it everything else feels less comfortable.

@mr. burns & @Netvine - do y'all use your boots in very wet conditions such as rainy/brushy enviroments? i really like HDLP for leather soles/edges/welts but even on my works boots i steer clear of it on the uppers. for me it darkens the leather way too much & is simply overkill.
I was in ankle deep water wrapping a gas line last month and didn't get a drop of water on my socks:



in case anyone (isn't) wondering, that was a byproduct of the water company breaking one of their mains during an excavation:

They get wet daily. Not submerged or anything. I like how it darkened the leather actually. I've used it very lightly though. never like those guys on youtube that just cake it on. I'd just put a thin layer on with my finger tips, just enough for a layer for water to bead up on.

 

[Legal Eagles]

I'd just put a thin layer on with my finger tips, just enough for a layer for water to bead up on.

Less is more... more boots are ruined by over-treating than under-treating.

 

[spurs61]

This is my experience too. I VERY lightly apply HDLP on my boots once or twice a year (though a bit more frequently for my hiking boots). It does not seem to darken the leather that much at all.

They get wet daily. Not submerged or anything. I like how it darkened the leather actually. I've used it very lightly though. never like those guys on youtube that just cake it on. I'd just put a thin layer on with my finger tips, just enough for a layer for water to bead up on.

 

[TH3515]

^ same here. My Black and Brown Oiltan boots get HDLP once or twice a year. Applied sparingly with my fingers, then allowed to sit in a warm place for a few days. I typically do this in summer when I won't be needing my boots for a while. With some patience and brushing you even get a little shine on the leather.

 

[Frizzleburger]

New Boots came in today. Wanted to share a few quick long, drawn out & rambling thoughts & pics.

TL;DR: Ordered Veg Tan Horse Hide from Horween for a pair of White's Bounty Hunters. Kyle at Baker's is a god among boots & these boots are crazy burly. Chernobyl level patina to ensure. Expectations took mushrooms & the boots had me hallucinating when i opened the box.

Leather: Horween “Russet” Horsehide; a raw in every sense of the word Veg Tan beast. I purchased it from Tannery Row & had it shipped directly to Bakers. Kyle facilitated this & QA’d the strips prior to fwd’ing to Whites for the build. Took a leap of faith to pull the trigger w/o so much as a sample.
This stuff is THIKK. I’m guessing 7/8oz which is square in work leather territory. I doubt my brown oil or 2 pairs of Distressed is thicker. It’s also incredibly stiff. Even though the fit is spot on (11.5D) these are going to need some serious break in time. Of my 9 pairs of White’s, they are without question the stiffest. Color wise, they are completely natural & remind me of a Veg Tan belt I got last year. No pigment/dye in it at all. “Patina” shall be my watch word.

Sole: Double Oak with a rubber Topy applied by Bakers. I’ve never had a Topy on any boots before & I expected a flimsy piece of rubber to be rubber cemented onto my boots. I had to call Kyle immediately & learn more about this absurdly rugged sheath I found STITCHED to my boots! I was informed my perception was correct but Bakers takes things a bit more serious & likes to sew on these gnarly Vibram topies on to align with the ruggedness of White's boot. These totally caught me by surprise & greatly exceeded my expectations. Previously, Ive extolled my love for single Oak soles but after wearing my Double Oak SD's a ton lately I had a knee jerk reaction & called Kyle to change to double from single. The absurdly thick & rugged heavy Horsehide commands a double sole to balance the boot out.

Specs: 7" Bounty Hunter on the 55 last. Soft/unstructed toe. 5 Brass eyelets/4 hooks. top garment = hook. Brogue toe cap. Pull loops yes. Cut Top. Natural Edge color/dressing. Calf skin liner YES in Red or Tan.... now this is where I suggest folks at times trust the Pro's (Kyle/White's staff)... they were built w/o liner without contacting me. Kyle told me afterwards this particular Horse Hide is simply too thick & burly to be lasted with a liner. That was definitely the right decision!

Thoughts: Custom ordering leather is something i've been wanting to do for a long time. There is a great deal of uncertainty to what you'll get & how White's will handle it. Even though my expectations were kept open, these surprised me when i opened the box. I had a dressy-casual look in mind and perhaps they will get there eventually but as is, they are destined for a long trip on the Patina Highway. I prepared myself to limit the duty of this pair for "Sunday Best" type wear but i'm going to just go ahead & treat them like boots and enjoy the ride. Mowing the lawn is about the only off-limits activity as Im just not ready for grass stains. During the wait, i had 2nd thoughts about Semi-Dress and wondered if i missed the mark. The SD's partially gusseted tongue & 5" height makes them all to convenient to reach for due to ease of putting on/lacing up/taking off. Again, Bounty Hunter in 7" was (I wanted 10" or at least 8" but was told HH strip can't accommodate that) the right move for balance. In hindsight, I would special request the cobbler check dies to see what is the tallest boots my special order strips could yield. After all, I bought & paid for this leather and was sort of hoping they'd put the trim in the box with my boots (which they did not so no telling how much extra they had). I texted Kyle to see if there are any scraps big enough for some coasters. My fault for not expressing this but it's something i would do differently next time. Initially I was reluctant to place extraneous details on the order which I'm equally OK with. So if you made it to the end this long winded, rambling, 7th grade level write up you deserve a beer

White’s Bounty Hunter in Horween Russet Horse Hide

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I’m sorry but I have to copy your build. These are gorgeous. I can’t wait to see these in a few years.

 

[discomute]

I've never met a pair of boots that could keep the moisture out.

I have a pair of green goretex boots that are ugly as sin that do a ripping job.

Here is a question for you guys... if I try to order a pair of boots based sketchings and guess work for size, what are the odds I will get a perfectly fitting pair? 50%? 75%?

 

[linafelt]

I have a pair of green goretex boots that are ugly as sin that do a ripping job.

Here is a question for you guys... if I try to order a pair of boots based sketchings and guess work for size, what are the odds I will get a perfectly fitting pair? 50%? 75%?

I'm gonna say 75%..

 

[Sledge42]

Mine were 100% spot on with asking lots of questions and clarifying tracings. Could be an effort = result situation?!

 

[American_Psycho11]

Anyone else own some boots made in one of White's oiled smooth leathers? I think they're super underrated

 

[linafelt]

Anyone else own some boots made in one of White's oiled smooth leathers? I think they're super underrated

Do you mean black or brown oil tan? I don't, but several years ago I ran into, for the only time, someone else wearing a pair of White's boots and they were black oil tan, about three years old, and they looked fantastic I have to say.

 

[hoppy_IPA]

I have a pair of Brown Oil tanned Farmer/Ranchers that I wear for work. I agree, it’s great stuff

 

[miggyramone]

I shipped off my White's Horsehide SD's to get relasted/rebuilt on the #38 Swing Last. I am really looking forward to getting them. White's 55 last was causing some big toe rub on my left foot, so the extra wiggle room will be welcomed!

Kyle said they'd be getting a rebuild, so I requested a few changes including a toe cap, speed hooks, and a Vibram half composition sole. This is the build I should have originally requested but you live and learn.

 

[TH3515]

^ #38 is the best fitting last on my feet. Are you going with the same size/width you had in the #55?

 

[Legal Eagles]

^ #38 is the best fitting last on my feet. Are you going with the same size/width you had in the #55?

Me too...

 

[miggyramone]

^ #38 is the best fitting last on my feet. Are you going with the same size/width you had in the #55?

Yup. Kyle recommended I stick with the same size and width. Fingers crossed everything works out fine.