Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[fushaw]

Here are the boots after a scrubbing, conditioning, and brushing.

I have noticed that after ~16 months of ownership, the "brass" hooks seem to be silver now and it looks like they were just brass plated? IDK if anyone else has noticed that but they really are a different color now than the eyelets which are still brass with a little of the green oxidization on them.

If someone really wants I can post up the elk pics assuming a little blood doesn't get me booted since this is a clothing forum and not a hunting forum...

 

[Legal Eagles]

It's amazing what some saphir renovateur and a brush can do to some really scuffed HH leather.

Who could have imagined that Saphir products would work so well for horsehide?

 

[klank74]

I’m planning my next build and have a question about heel height. I’ve been having issues with the bottom of the balls of my feet feeling bruised after walking around on concrete all day at work. I think it’s due to me walking and standing with to much of my weight forward. I was thinking about going with a lowered heel to try and get more of my weight back in my heels, but I’m afraid it would diminish what little arch support the 38 last has (what fits my foot the best). Would this be the case?

 

[PACostag]

Excellent boot-building video from Nick's is available on their new Moc

Spoiler: Non-White's content

World's Toughest Moc Toe Boots - How It's Made - Nicks Handmade Boots - YouTube

 

[Luscombe]

Anyone out there interested in a Stevens makeup in a custom Horween Nut Brown Dublin leather?

Horween Dublin Leather | The Tannery Row | Leather Distributor

More rustic than Horween's base Essex line, Dublin is a veg tan infused with a rich blend of natural waxes and then hot plated. It has all the supple characteristics of Essex with a darker surface color that showcases the natural grain.

www.thetanneryrow.com

Whites does not provide a discount if you provide the leather. So the boot cost would be their normal price plus the leather cost. The boots run from $600 to $620 with a cap toe. A side of leather would run $285-$300and would be enough to do two pairs. This would put the price around $750+ depending on details.

I am considering this and spoke with Kyle about it. He can get Whites to make it and said a single side would be enough for two boots.

Let me know if there is any interest. I have seen some photos of Non-Whites in this leather and they are stunning and will patina nicely.

 

[andy b.]

Here are the boots after a scrubbing, conditioning, and brushing.

I have noticed that after ~16 months of ownership, the "brass" hooks seem to be silver now and it looks like they were just brass plated? IDK if anyone else has noticed that but they really are a different color now than the eyelets which are still brass with a little of the green oxidization on them.

My experience is about the same regarding the hooks. I do not think they are plated, I just think that your pants rubbing on them more or less polish them to a high shine.

 

[Alaskaking]

I’m planning my next build and have a question about heel height. I’ve been having issues with the bottom of the balls of my feet feeling bruised after walking around on concrete all day at work. I think it’s due to me walking and standing with to much of my weight forward. I was thinking about going with a lowered heel to try and get more of my weight back in my heels, but I’m afraid it would diminish what little arch support the 38 last has (what fits my foot the best). Would this be the case?

The easiest way to tell, take a piece of 1/4" wood- or any flat, hard material, and place it under your forefoot (not heel), and just see how it shifts your weight.

I suspect most of the academic research is based on high heeled women's shoes, but the principle should be the same- Without other variables, as the heel lifts, the foots arch should increase, (by the foot's mechanics- this will happen in normal gait as well)- this also should shorten the foot a little- is this why you have to size down for White's????

In practice, I also think that the added lift in the heel, ( on a 38 swing on my feet)- puts the front edge of the heel in a place that also forces a little more arch in the foot- It does shift my weight to the balls of my feet, undoubtedly. Having worn the reduced heel (-1/4"), I did not feel like it took the arch away- but it did certainly shift my weight back a little. I don't know if reducing the heel will eliminate your problem, but I don't think you'll regret the lost arch support. It will change the way you stand, though, for better or worse.

 

[klank74]

The easiest way to tell, take a piece of 1/4" wood- or any flat, hard material, and place it under your forefoot (not heel), and just see how it shifts your weight.

I suspect most of the academic research is based on high heeled women's shoes, but the principle should be the same- Without other variables, as the heel lifts, the foots arch should increase, (by the foot's mechanics- this will happen in normal gait as well)- this also should shorten the foot a little- is this why you have to size down for White's????

In practice, I also think that the added lift in the heel, ( on a 38 swing on my feet)- puts the front edge of the heel in a place that also forces a little more arch in the foot- It does shift my weight to the balls of my feet, undoubtedly. Having worn the reduced heel (-1/4"), I did not feel like it took the arch away- but it did certainly shift my weight back a little. I don't know if reducing the heel will eliminate your problem, but I don't think you'll regret the lost arch support. It will change the way you stand, though, for better or worse.

I’d hate to lose any of the arch support though. The 38 last just barely has enough for me as it is. Still, it might be worth a shot. My feet get so bad now that they even hurt in my sneakers. I have to stay off my feet for a whole weekend before they remotely feel better.

 

[iamntbatman]

Anyone out there interested in a Stevens makeup in a custom Horween Nut Brown Dublin leather?

Horween Dublin Leather | The Tannery Row | Leather Distributor

More rustic than Horween's base Essex line, Dublin is a veg tan infused with a rich blend of natural waxes and then hot plated. It has all the supple characteristics of Essex with a darker surface color that showcases the natural grain.

www.thetanneryrow.com

Whites does not provide a discount if you provide the leather. So the boot cost would be their normal price plus the leather cost. The boots run from $600 to $620 with a cap toe. A side of leather would run $285-$300and would be enough to do two pairs. This would put the price around $750+ depending on details.

I am considering this and spoke with Kyle about it. He can get Whites to make it and said a single side would be enough for two boots.

Let me know if there is any interest. I have seen some photos of Non-Whites in this leather and they are stunning and will patina nicely.
View attachment 1700167

I'll have to pass on this one but just stopped in to say that that leather is beautiful. I don't own any boots made of it, but do have some other items in it (like a camera strap) and it's wonderful stuff. Picks up a great patina for sure.

 

[wordfool]

I’m planning my next build and have a question about heel height. I’ve been having issues with the bottom of the balls of my feet feeling bruised after walking around on concrete all day at work. I think it’s due to me walking and standing with to much of my weight forward. I was thinking about going with a lowered heel to try and get more of my weight back in my heels, but I’m afraid it would diminish what little arch support the 38 last has (what fits my foot the best). Would this be the case?

The arch support doesn't go away with a lower heel. It's still physically there, the same size as ever, just putting pressure on a slightly different part of your arch based on how your weight is distributed so it feels a bit different. I have 55-last boots with both standard height and lowered heels and TBH I hardly notice any difference between them. What I do notice, however, after spending days in sneakers or relatively flat boots like my Blunnies, is that my knees really feel the height of my standard-heeled White's when I strap them on. It takes a half hour for my legs to adjust (My White's have the tallest heel of all my shoes/boots) and I'm a runner/biker so have pretty strong legs and knees although, granted, they are starting to get a bit old!

 

[klank74]

The arch support doesn't go away with a lower heel. It's still physically there, the same size as ever, just putting pressure on a slightly different part of your arch based on how your weight is distributed so it feels a bit different. I have 55-last boots with both standard height and lowered heels and TBH I hardly notice any difference between them. What I do notice, however, after spending days in sneakers or relatively flat boots like my Blunnies, is that my knees really feel the height of my standard-heeled White's when I strap them on. It takes a half hour for my legs to adjust (My White's have the tallest heel of all my shoes/boots) and I'm a runner/biker so have pretty strong legs and knees although, granted, they are starting to get a bit old!

This was sort of what I was thinking, but then I’ve heard from others who got a heel lift and felt it added a little more arch support. I suppose it was probably like your saying, it was just putting pressure on a slightly different part of the arch. In my head, I’m thinking the shape of the arch support is made into the last that the boot is shaped around. The heel stack is added near the end of the build and regardless of the height of it, that won’t change the shape or height of arch support made into the boot. My next build might get double leather soles and therefore, will probably not get as much wear as my other Whites, so I might give the lowered heel a try.

I turned 40 in June, have worked on concrete for the last 23 years. It’s taken it’s toll on my body. If I don’t have the proper arch support, or my heels are a little to worn, I can feel it in my knees and lower back. The standard heel height of the 38 last has worked great for me. Hopefully a lowered heel won’t throw everything else out of wack.

 

[klank74]

Does anyone here have a pair of the Whites Perry moc toe? Does anyone know how the fit would compare to the 38 last? I’m considering getting a pair in Red Dog for casual use. All my Whites are on the 38 last (13C with an instep adjustment) and they fit perfect. I’ve owned several pairs of thorogood moc toes over the years in a 13D and with a thicker insole in place of the one that comes in them, they fit me great. Only issue with them is the sides of the vamp wind up only about a finger width apart once laced tight. I emailed Whites with them same questions 2 days ago and have heard nothing from them.

 

[ThatDudeOrion]

I am thinking of Nomads in brown or black oil tan leather but couldn't find any pictures.

These are unlined brown oil tan on top (i think…) , and brown cxl on the vamps. May not be exactly what you’re looking for but hopefully it helps. I will say that maybe they selected a thinner weight hide of brown oil tan to build these as it doesn’t feel quite as thick as other boots I’ve handled in brown, distressed smooth, or red dog, but after having it first hand, I’m happy about it. I think the shafts have collapsed really nicely, and they’re very comfortable against the skin if they happen to rub an area not covered by socks. I picked these up second hand, so I can’t say with 100% certainty exactly what they’re made of, but I can say they’re nice for sure.

However, I do feel compelled to say that IMO the heavier weight work leathers, plus the mandatory lining, is overkill on the vamp. With a lace less design, I find that the flexibility of the forefoot is paramount for good fit, and one of my early custom orders from bakers was a nomad in distressed smooth, with double mid soles and composition half soles. They looked amazing but had all the flexibility of a Dutch wooden clog, exacerbating the issues with heel slip that most people face with lace less boots. Additionally, I believe White’s has made some changes to the engineer last since my custom order and these examples were made, but I will say that the outgoing last (9165? Maybe) has more arch support than others like the Viberg 2005 but still not a lot, and it is a pretty blobby last, it’s not very contoured and definitely has a more rounded toe shape than the very popular MP toe on the Wescos. This is all just 1 dude’s opinion of course, so it’s worth about what you paid for it, but having been there, done that, I personally wouldn’t order a pair of nomads with the vamps in a heavy work leather, and now knowing more about the possibilities of combination lasts, I personally would look into getting an E forefoot with a D, or even a C width heel, if i were to custom order another pair of Nomads (brown dress, single leather sole with Topy not that you asked, lol)

 

[chicagoan2016]

These are unlined brown oil tan on top (i think…) , and brown cxl on the vamps. May not be exactly what you’re looking for but hopefully it helps. I will say that maybe they selected a thinner weight hide of brown oil tan to build these as it doesn’t feel quite as thick as other boots I’ve handled in brown, distressed smooth, or red dog, but after having it first hand, I’m happy about it. I think the shafts have collapsed really nicely, and they’re very comfortable against the skin if they happen to rub an area not covered by socks. I picked these up second hand, so I can’t say with 100% certainty exactly what they’re made of, but I can say they’re nice for sure.

However, I do feel compelled to say that IMO the heavier weight work leathers, plus the mandatory lining, is overkill on the vamp. With a lace less design, I find that the flexibility of the forefoot is paramount for good fit, and one of my early custom orders from bakers was a nomad in distressed smooth, with double mid soles and composition half soles. They looked amazing but had all the flexibility of a Dutch wooden clog, exacerbating the issues with heel slip that most people face with lace less boots. Additionally, I believe White’s has made some changes to the engineer last since my custom order and these examples were made, but I will say that the outgoing last (9165? Maybe) has more arch support than others like the Viberg 2005 but still not a lot, and it is a pretty blobby last, it’s not very contoured and definitely has a more rounded toe shape than the very popular MP toe on the Wescos. This is all just 1 dude’s opinion of course, so it’s worth about what you paid for it, but having been there, done that, I personally wouldn’t order a pair of nomads with the vamps in a heavy work leather, and now knowing more about the possibilities of combination lasts, I personally would look into getting an E forefoot with a D, or even a C width heel, if i were to custom order another pair of Nomads (brown dress, single leather sole with Topy not that you asked, lol)

Thank you for the kind reply. I love how the Engineer boots look. I used to own "lower end" Frye's Engineer boots but didn't like the way they fitted and ended up selling them on Ebay. You hit the nail on the head with lace-less design and different fit (than, say, bounty hunters).
I talked to Kyle about a week ago and he mentioned that the shaft on White's Nomads is more "loose" fitting than Wesco Engineer boots which is a bummer since Engineer boots look great as motorcycle boots. I will order black oil-tan packers or Bounty Hunters with lineman patch but still waiting on four pairs of White's lol.

Warm Regards

 

[theofficialhung]

From my own experience, both Viberg and Wesco are of a higher quality than White's, and whilst these brands can absolutely ship a dud product from time-to-time, they at least appear to be aiming for a higher level of quality than White's are.

I own or have owned all brands mentioned and 100% agree with this statement.