Wolverine 721LTD Shell Cordovan 1000 Mile Boot Review

[Crane's]

8 days after cleaning and conditioning the 721s. If I wanted to spend a few hours I could shine up the entire boot to match the toe boxes with nothing more than water and a brush. If I really wanted to go overboard I could bring the toe boxes up to a mirror shine with wax water cloth and brush. I'm not real sure I want to do this. Perhaps someone who isn't going to play in the mud could have a go at it. Stop kicking steps into mud and snow banks. If I keep saying this to myself maybe I'll quit doing it....

 

[MarioImpemba]

I've worn my boots 3 times, and after each wear they get blotchy in the vamp area before the tonue and after the toe (where creases would be). I wish I had a better camera, but I digress. It's like a raised rash looking condition - like eczema on my boot, lol. I presume this is some sort of moisture or something? Should I not worry about it? It's hard for me to stomach since I'm used to keeping my shoes at a polish. Rubbing and brushing it for 10 minutes straight alleviates it a bit, but the shoe is left dull and the blotchiness is still somewhat visible.

 

[thams]

I've worn my boots 3 times, and after each wear they get blotchy in the vamp area before the tonue and after the toe (where creases would be). I wish I had a better camera, but I digress. It's like a raised rash looking condition - like eczema on my boot, lol. I presume this is some sort of moisture or something? Should I not worry about it? It's hard for me to stomach since I'm used to keeping my shoes at a polish. Rubbing and brushing it for 10 minutes straight alleviates it a bit, but the shoe is left dull and the blotchiness is still somewhat visible.

Pictures would definitely help to determine whether its normal or not. It could be the waxy bloom that appears in the creases while wearing which can be wiped off and brushed out fairly easily. The dullness is probably the same thing I experienced with the boot while new. There's a waxy/cloudiness due to the abundance of natural oils and color treatment at the factory. I find that if you wipe down the boot well with a soft damp cloth followed up by a good brushing, the boots become a bit shinier and uniform looking. As others have said, the more you wear, wipe, and brush, the better your boots will become.

 

[seer]

8 days after cleaning and conditioning the 721s. If I wanted to spend a few hours I could shine up the entire boot to match the toe boxes with nothing more than water and a brush. If I really wanted to go overboard I could bring the toe boxes up to a mirror shine with wax water cloth and brush. I'm not real sure I want to do this. Perhaps someone who isn't going to play in the mud could have a go at it.

Stop kicking steps into mud and snow banks. If I keep saying this to myself maybe I'll quit doing it....

Man they look great!

 

[Crane's]



Man they look great!

You should see them now. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time water brushing them. The tow boxes are a deep wine color as are the heel counters. The rest of the boot are very dark black cherry with deep red highlights. Hopefully I'll have the right light to catch some of the color detail tomorrow. They look really good, now I'm not to sure I want to go play in the mud with them.

 

[dukerules]

Those boots look amazing. I love this thread.

 

[seer]

You should see them now. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time water brushing them. The tow boxes are a deep wine color as are the heel counters. The rest of the boot are very dark black cherry with deep red highlights. Hopefully I'll have the right light to catch some of the color detail tomorrow. They look really good, now I'm not to sure I want to go play in the mud with them.

I mean really Crane - would it kill you to have one pair of dress boots? ; )

 

[Dayman]

You should see them now. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time water brushing them. The tow boxes are a deep wine color as are the heel counters. The rest of the boot are very dark black cherry with deep red highlights. Hopefully I'll have the right light to catch some of the color detail tomorrow. They look really good, now I'm not to sure I want to go play in the mud with them.

I mean really Crane - would it kill you to have one pair of dress boots? ; )

Oh no, now he sees how pretty the boot is now! Now they are going to be locked up in a glass case and brushed occasionally.

 

[Crane's]



I mean really Crane - would it kill you to have one pair of dress boots? ;  )

No it wouldn't kill me. I pretty much ran these through the mill and now I suppose they could live out their life in leisure and luxury. I broke all the "rules" about shell cordovan. How to care for it, the conditions that it can really take with no harm and so on. It's all been documented, explained but more importantly it's been visually documented for anyone to see. Talk is cheap, I put my money where my mouth is and then did what I said I would in my OP. The bottom line is my assessment of these boots has proven to be true and I would not hesitate to buy them again.

Sidenotes:

I did treat the soles just like Wolverine says to do and my hunch was correct. On weathered concrete and asphalt they are much slicker than they were when left untreated. Def more pronounced when it's wet. It's not terrible but something I'm not used to.

Now I want to give some sort of perspective to all of this as well. My 721s have been worn right around 160 times now. Many times, including recently, that would mean 5 or 6 times in a week. (another rule violation, LOL) So let's do some math. It involves shoe rotation. If I rotated these and wore them once a week then what you see is what you can expect in 3 years. Twice a month would be six years and once a month would be twelve years. I mention this only because of the misconception of owning something versus using something to evaluate quality.

Pics in a while...

 

[Crane's]

The pics speak for themselves. From here on out it only gets better.

 

[seer]

The pics speak for themselves. From here on out it only gets better.

The leather is truly stunning!

 

[Crane's]

A timeline in pics from way back in October 2010 to now. Brand new just out of the box. Soon after getting them they get the dreaded SnoSeal treatment. Well over a year later next to my other 1Ks made with Chromexcel leather. Yeah shell holds up way better in comparison. Right after the boot oil treatment. Many thought they were done for when I did this. After the oil soaked in and settled down all they needed was a ton of brushing with water. The patina is awesome. How they look today, over a year and half later.

 

[MarioImpemba]

Love the pics. Thanks for sharing!

You've inspired me to look for a pair of Tan Addisons to kick-around and compliment my 721's, lol.

 

[Crane's]



Oh no, now he sees how pretty the boot is now! Now they are going to be locked up in a glass case and brushed occasionally. 

Oh hell no. Now I want to wear them all the time! LOL! What I am going to do though is keep them out of the real **** I get myself into on my wanderings. In otherwords I'll go easy on them. I must be getting soft in my old age....

 

[Crane's]



Love the pics. Thanks for sharing!

You've inspired me to look for a pair of Tan Addisons to kick-around and compliment my 721's, lol.

You'll love the Addisons. I'm very partial to light tan leather. If the LTDs were made in whiskey shell I would own two pairs. LOL. Give us a call when you decide to get them. We can get the entire line of 1Ks anytime.