Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[Percivilla]

Update - White's will no longer offer soft toe LTT per rep Kenza. I ordered from White's during their BF sale via phone, as it was a customer order, and they said they would still do the soft toe LTT. I called and emailed requesting a receipt a couple times, and it came today. The receipt said "BOXTOE: SINGLE" and I called in to ask what it meant... It means celastic toe.

Kenza said the order was entered as a celastic toe (and I can assure that was done in err), and they won't do soft toe on LTT. Mandy said yes on 11/26, but Kenza says no now on 12/14. Wish they'd all be on the same page.

I asked them to cancel the order, and Kenza said she would. This ends my journey in search of a soft toe LTT on a 55 last.

Wild.

We'll see I guess, I ordered LTT with no celastic as well. I'm not too bothered either way.

 

[theofficialhung]

Update - White's will no longer offer soft toe LTT per rep Kenza. I ordered from White's during their BF sale via phone, as it was a customer order, and they said they would still do the soft toe LTT. I called and emailed requesting a receipt a couple times, and it came today. The receipt said "BOXTOE: SINGLE" and I called in to ask what it meant... It means celastic toe.

Kenza said the order was entered as a celastic toe (and I can assure that was done in err), and they won't do soft toe on LTT. Mandy said yes on 11/26, but Kenza says no now on 12/14. Wish they'd all be on the same page.

I asked them to cancel the order, and Kenza said she would. This ends my journey in search of a soft toe LTT on a 55 last.

You can order unstructured LTT direct from Whites. Bakers won't do this kind of build since they have issues with customers complaining about the toe ridge. Whites probably won't give you a refund if you don't like the way the toe ridge ends up looking.

 

[Alaskaking]

You can order unstructured LTT direct from Whites. Bakers won't do this kind of build since they have issues with customers complaining about the toe ridge. Whites probably won't give you a refund if you don't like the way the toe ridge ends up looking.

It’s still early in Alaska, forgive me if I’m reading this wrong, but it looks like @FutureComesToday ordered through White’s?
I was taken aback when that crease popped up on my boots, more like, was there when I opened the box-though, had it not, I would have never traveled down the whites rabbit hole and ended up with , well, more boots (and thanks to the 38 last- ones that are comfortable).

I came across this post from 2018 when trying to find more examples of it….



One of my friends had recommended white’s for years, one of the first google pics I came across was a LTT in brown dress (looked beautiful to me) read in about 15 places to call the Bakers to get sorted, so that’s where I started.
Research came after the purchase. (It’s Alaska King - not Alaska genius).-but it still me an awful long time to find the above post, as well as other boots that looked that way-(I kid you not- I still can’t figure out Reddit-there’s a reason I’m avoiding those NFTs ?.{{your explanation was plenty succinct-my wife handles our finances entirely-she does understand them a bit… as well as basic economics- my boot budget is soley based on her grace alone}}.

Nonetheless-suddenly that seam started appearing everywhere, especially in newer builds- but celastic toe box didn’t necessarily eliminate it. @PACostag had truly the most impressive one- but I think those were made with a celastic- it looks like the seam hardened into the cap while it was setting or something-not sure if that one was ever explained.

The ones I have are brown dress, so that teacore interior would come through really quickly- just along that line-special patina. I got used to it, these are the ones being rebuilt due to a heel split-I did request a relast- but kept everything else the same, (though sounds like there’s a possibility that they show up with that hard toe?? I’m not sure if they can salvage the original vamp and heel counter to resew the lining.)
this forum led me to a small white’s addiction- so I’m less concerned about the seam than I might be if this was my first pair and didn’t expect it.
Like a check box on the order sheet.
☑️ I recognize that if I order this style this way there may be a seam in the toe box.
Right next to a list of color combinations that should automatically be flagged. “Sir I know you ordered the size 14 FFF in a 38 swing last, but let’s take a look how a red vamp with a yellow upper will likely turn out before we build this thing.”

 

[FutureComesToday]

You can order unstructured LTT direct from Whites. Bakers won't do this kind of build since they have issues with customers complaining about the toe ridge. Whites probably won't give you a refund if you don't like the way the toe ridge ends up looking.

Hung, that's what I did, ordered direct. If you follow the posts back you'll see I have been pursuing this for a month, including call dates/times and names of the folks I've spoken with at White's and Baker's.

White's had said they would do soft toe LTT, so I made the order. Eventually sent me the receipt (took several requests) and it said something different than the order. They configured it as celastic toe, and flopped to say they would not make the boots as soft toe LTT.

I'm sure glad I kept asking for a receipt.

 

[theofficialhung]

Hung, that's what I did, ordered direct. If you follow the posts back you'll see I have been pursuing this for a month, including call dates/times and names of the folks I've spoken with at White's and Baker's.

White's had said they would do soft toe LTT, so I made the order. Eventually sent me the receipt (took several requests) and it said something different than the order. They configured it as celastic toe, and flopped to say they would not make the boots as soft toe LTT.

I'm sure glad I kept asking for a receipt.

Yeah I completely misread your post. Sorry to hear that, I think I saw your post and was holding out hope that I could get an unstructured LTT built by Whites. Good thing you had a receipt.

 

[FutureComesToday]

Yeah I completely misread your post. Sorry to hear that, I think I saw your post and was holding out hope that I could get an unstructured LTT built by Whites. Good thing you had a receipt.

We both held out hope.

I've asked Shuyler from Nicks, they currently don't offer their new LTT in soft toe. Maybe in the future things will change.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Right next to a list of color combinations that should automatically be flagged. “Sir I know you ordered the size 14 FFF in a 38 swing last, but let’s take a look how a red vamp with a yellow upper will likely turn out before we build this thing.”

Hey! Is that a not so subtle "Ronald McDonald" type jab at the 38 Swing Last?

If so, I resemble that comment!

 

[andy b.]

Steven's in Burgundy HH via Bakers, in the 2nd most harsh conditions they are going to ever see....the office carpet...the harshest being concrete pavements !!
View attachment 1720707 View attachment 1720708 View attachment 1720709 View attachment 1720710 View attachment 1720711 View attachment 1720712

I would take those over a pair of Indys any day!

 

[shahtirthak]

I would take those over a pair of Indys any day!

Haha, guess both have their place...I am at 5 pairs of Indys with 2 more on preorder but the strongest suit of 5050 Stevens (only pair of White's so far) is the arch support which I have never experienced before!

 

[wordfool]

Not clown boots, but I should get my rush-ordered replacement distressed-RO BHs on Monday. It'll be interesting to see if they pass QC muster (even with my beaten-down expectations) and also if an extra tweak I requested for the rebuild made it into the boots.

They were reordered by Baker's on 11/12 IIRC and shipped from Baker's last Friday, so that rush build took less than 4 weeks (assuming it takes a few days to get from White's to Baker's) -- a speed that is both impressive and also slightly apprehension-inducing. I'm curious if this indicates that White's is finally turning a corner with build times overall, or if I'm just lucky.

 

[ThatDudeOrion]

Is Bakers Boots using Horween Horsehide or Maryam Horsehide for all Horsehide orders now?

i think if you order black, brown, or burgundy horsehide it's Horween by default, if you order natural horsehide, they might offer both, or only Maryam, as I heard they ran out of Natty Horween Horse, or maybe neither if they've also run out of Maryam, i guess. but anyways, long story short, I've never seen them offer Black, Brown, or Burgundy Maryam horsehide if that makes it more clear.

 

[Legal Eagles]

i think if you order black, brown, or burgundy horsehide it's Horween by default, if you order natural horsehide, they might offer both, or only Maryam, as I heard they ran out of Natty Horween Horse, or maybe neither if they've also run out of Maryam, i guess. but anyways, long story short, I've never seen them offer Black, Brown, or Burgundy Maryam horsehide if that makes it more clear.

This brings up an interesting point... I am reading on this forum that 2021 White's horsehide is similar to and behaves like CXL. The HH I have purchased in the past (admittedly 3-4 years ago) (Black, Brown, Burgundy), do not behave like CXL, do not exhibit "pull up", and do not have any kind of oily or waxy surface...

For lack of a better comparison my HH behaves most like a brown or black dress leather - albeit denser and more abrasion resistant. My HH came with a hard shiny surface, tea core in the center, and they took a shine easily from day one. They developed micro creases or "rolls" where they bend, not at all like the CXL "break" some more recent pairs have displayed.

Is it possible that White's changed the characteristics of the standard HH they are using since I bought mine?

 

[ThatDudeOrion]

This brings up an interesting point... I am reading on this forum that 2021 White's horsehide is similar to and behaves like CXL. The HH I have purchased in the past (admittedly 3-4 years ago) (Black, Brown, Burgundy), do not behave like CXL, do not exhibit "pull up", and do not have any kind of oily or waxy surface...

For lack of a better comparison my HH behaves most like a brown or black dress leather - albeit denser and more abrasion resistant. My HH came with a hard shiny surface, tea core in the center, and they took a shine easily from day one. They developed micro creases or "rolls" where they bend, not at all like the CXL "break" some more recent pairs have displayed.

Is it possible that White's changed the characteristics of the standard HH they are using since I bought mine?

Well, this is certainly an interesting question. First off, I have to say i was unaware horsehide of any kind was even an option ~3-4 years ago without supplying your own hides. That being said we both know there is lots of variability from hide to hide, and tannery run to tannery run. I have some regular steer black CXL that is hard, dense, dry, and shiny like the dress leathers, I also have natural Horween horse, that while still new, is visually and tactilely? indistinguishable from the greasy, "loose-grainy", natural steer CXL that we all know and love/hate, AND to top it all off, my Mister Lou engineer boots in black Horween Horse, exhibit characteristics of both the loose and greasy, and the dry, shiny, teacore in different parts of the same boot. I intend to post pictures below to illustrate.

 

[Legal Eagles]

First off, I have to say i was unaware horsehide of any kind was even an option ~3-4 years ago without supplying your own hides.

I had to check that for myself... my first pair of HH in black arrived in April 2017... hard to believe it has been almost 5 years!

I did not provide the hide, IIRC it was a some kind of special limited offer from Bakers around Christmas of 2016... they are still one of my favorite pairs!

 

[ThatDudeOrion]

I had to check that for myself... my first pair of HH in black arrived in April 2017... hard to believe it has been almost 5 years!

I did not provide the hide, IIRC it was a some kind of special limited offer from Bakers around Christmas of 2016... they are still one of my favorite pairs!

very nice!

So here are some of the pics i had promised, trying to highlight the different flavors of everything horween; one thing i would like to point out that i didn't annotate on the pics is the bloom on the natty horsehide boots where the tongue meets the vamp. I know it's hard to believe, but these boots were built august of 2020, i've never worn them, and I have actually brushed them a few times in the ~year and half I've had them, and they're STILL blooming, I suspect this was a pretty oily/waxy batch of horween natty horse.