Chippewa Boots

[joshmick]

Perfect, thank you so much!

 

[VentureCompound]

Great article Very informative like a history lesson. Thanks for the advice

 

[-JR-]

Beside the sole, is there any other difference between the 20080 and the 20065 models? The 20065 is significantly cheaper, so I'm wondering.

 

[mixProtocol]

I think the only difference is the sole -- lugged on the 80 and semi-smooth on the 65.

 

[metitmatt]

Hey MixProtocal, I just ordered a pair of the 6" Chocolate Chipp's yesterday and I'm inspired to replicate your polish job. I really like the fashionable look of the Wolverine 1000's, Red Wing Iron Ranger etc. and was worried the Chipp's wouldn't be as stylish. After seeing the polish job you did I got excited because they really look clean from the pictures. How have your boots held up since your initial polish, has the color lasted? Would you recommend others try this? Did you hit them with a waterproof eventually?

 

[mixProtocol]

@metitmatt ... the color has held up very well. They are definitely more of a satin/matte than a high gloss, (though, with the rubber sole lending a rugged look, I'm not sure I'd want a high shine). The leather has developed some significant creases between the toe box and the last set of lace eyelets, but I guess this is to be expected.

I put Obenauf's LP on the side panels, which temporarily darkened them a bit. As it made the boots harder to shine (due to some residual tackiness), I didn't apply it to the toes. With winter coming, I'll probably cover the entire boot in Obenauf's soon. I sometimes apply a bit of polish (kiwi cordovan paste) to the toe and heel, which definitely gives them a good glow. Were I to do it again, I'd likely choose Meltonian's lighter cordovan color (“Cordovan 78”) instead of “Dark Cordovan Burgundy (164)” – or maybe use the darker cream but on Chippewa's lighter “Rodeo Tan” boots. After seeing the pics in the Heritage Boot Line thread, I'm looking to replace the thin round laces with some flat ones.

 

[metitmatt]

Nice, thanks for the feedback. I ended up going with your technique but I changed the color up. I actually put a thin coat of Obenauf's on when I got them and wore them for a day. After that I decided to try the polish. I went with Meltonian's Red Mahogany #12. Here's how they look. I've only worn them a couple times but looking forward to cooler weather. I'm stoked! They've got a great color and medium shine and look close to the finishes on other higher end boots.

 

[mixProtocol]

Damn, those look awesome with the mahogany! You've got some good contrast between the lighter/darker patches which really gives the boots a patina-like depth. Enjoy!

 

[metitmatt]

Thanks man! cheers!

 

[mixProtocol]

While unwaxed, these AllenEdmunds 39" flat laces seem to be the a good length for the GQ, provided you don't want to lace through the top set of eyelets. $1.50ea w/ free shipping. On clearance, act fast.

 

[jhwendland]

I was seriously contemplating the Wolverine Montomery @ $270 and the L.L.Bean Katahdin Iron Works Engineer @ $190 but ended up going with the Chippewa 20065 (Chocolate Apache). The best part was the price on Amazon -- $107, minus a 20% discount for signing up for the Shoe Deals mail list*, brought the final price to $86!

The boots should be here on Tueday -- I plan on giving them a few coats of polish with Meltonian #164 "Dark Cordovan Burgundy" creme, followed perhaps by a coat of Obenauf's LP later on. I'll post before/after picks of the polishing, in case I'm not the only one interested in the results...

Also, if anyone's interested, follow the directions in the following link to get your own 20% Amazon shoes coupon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/promotions/details/popup/A3D440IIIKD2XG

/mP

Thank you.

 

[jhwendland]

While unwaxed, these AllenEdmunds 39" flat laces seem to be the a good length for the GQ, provided you don't want to lace through the top set of eyelets. $1.50ea w/ free shipping. On clearance, act fast.

I ordered a pair of Wolverine 1000 mile laces off therightlace for my Chippewa Apaches but they're too short. Anyone have any recommendations? Might try the Wolverine Austen or Rowan laces next.

 

[mixProtocol]

Here's an update on my Chippewa 20065 boots after about nine months of wear (averaging 4-5 days/week). To recap, I bought them back in March and immediately applied Meltonian creme (Dark Cordovan Burgundy #164) to the entire boot, followed later by Obenauf's LP. I've since been conditioning them with Lexol/Obenaufs, applying a bit of neutral polish to the tip of the toe box and brushing them with a cheap horsehair brush. I'll occasionally clean them with saddle soap.

The pics below were all taken, within a few days of each other, following a recent cleaning, conditioning and polishing. The color of the Meltonian has lasted well, I've never felt the need to reapply it. Sunlight really brings out their eggplant color; indoors they look a little more brown.

For considerably less than what I've paid for other boots, these things have been great. I'm now contemplating grabbing a pair of their 8" boots with the lugged sole (20085) using amazon's cyber Monday 30% off code and doing the same to make a kick-ass pair of slush-kickers.

​

 

[jhwendland]

What other boots have you tried out? And by tried out I mean purchased.

 

[mixProtocol]

In the past, I mainly had non-resoleable boots; in most cases the sole gave out long before the leather: Timberlands, Doc Martins (back when grunge was a thing), Red Wing (not from the Heritage line), Dunhams, a military/work book from LandsEnd, some others that I'm probably forgetting... I wish I still had the DrMartins, as they were likely repairable (but I was young and stupid then and didn't know to care for shoes).

For casual boots right now, I'm rotating between the Chips and my Allen Edmonds Cascades, with a pair of Frye's James (full grain) on order. I'm lacking a good winter boot with enough tread for the snow, but still shoe-like enough to be worn indoors: I have a pair of Sorels (nylon/rubber/thinsulate) and a good pair of hiking boots (Asolos), but nothing that I could wear through the day (that's where those lugged 8-inchers might come in).