Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[jrosenthal]



James, I agree that for dress, I would go with all eyes and close trim (and dress leathers)--  while I kept the standard edge stitching on my two 6-inch Bounty Hunters (British tan and Dress brown), I did add the medallion cap and all eyelets so that I could wear them with the wool gabardines that I prefer over jeans.

Thanks for the detailed summary, made my brain hurt a little but it will soak in.

I too am a wool gaberdine/worsted/flannel guy. The people at work think I'm nuts for wearing anything other than jeans on the jobsite but little do they realize that while they are pulling that hot sweaty denim out of their ass cracks and feeling the chaff on their inner thighs, I am feeling the breezes down there through my drapey summer weight wool...like wearing pajamas. Y'all can keep all the denim in the world (I own 2 pair or jeans and that's 1 too many)....I'll stick with the most breathable and comfortable fabric on earth...man I sound like a commerical. Oh, and all of my socks are wool including summer weight. I can't wear cotton on my feet, they feel like soggy towels.

James

 

[linafelt]

Returning here from an unsuccessful internet image hunt - can anyone point me to photos, new or broken in, of the #38 Swing Last - without celastic? I'm curious if this would reduce the 'clown shoe effect' over time.

Will be placing my order Friday when paycheck clears. Spoke with Kyle & based on my tracings, measurements, Brannock size, & little-toe-crushing experiences in other boots (RW Gentleman Travelers, old Chippeaw moc toes, etc) he, surprisingly, strongly recommended that I go with a 12 D Swing Last. Other option, which he did not heartily endorse, would be a 12 E Semi-Dress last. I spend all day on my feet & these shoes will see some seriously miles in all 4 seasons, lotsa crouching, lifting, shoving.

Distressed Smooth throughout (will be Obenaufing), 6" Bounty Hunters with no logo, cut top, no pull loop, antique eyelets with hooks, standard height Cuban heel, Vibram 700 sole, standard trim (per Kyle's rec, given the use to which I'll subject them), single midsole with either White's Brown edge dressing or left raw for Baker's to apply the lighter medium brown shown here here.

Also debating, if I go with the swing last, whether to cap or not to cap - I feel no cap has greater 'dress' potential, but perhaps it's true that a cap mitigates the swing last's width. If capped it would be plain toe, without the perforated edge effect.

I'll order the leather laces but probably switch to a waxed cloth pair. Will order the tongue protectors but trim back the fringe like someone else here recently did.


Any recommendations on this build in general?

(...and hey anyone know a good source for brown waxed laces in whatever length a 6" height would require? Thanks!)

There are some pics of ojaw's swing last SDs back on April 1st, with cap toe on brown dress, which I've always thought were a great looking pair of boots. They actually look much more like a Munson last than the swing usually does. I wonder if they have an unstructered toe, though it doesn't really seem like it...

With regard to this build, my own preferences would be plain cap toe, and to use Baker's edge dressing, which I think looks a little better than White's (it is on my black BHs posted above).

 

[jrosenthal]

Swing last dressed up:

Think they can hang with business attire, not a suit of course but Ivy League look works great.
James

 

[gregornz]



- can anyone point me to photos, new or broken in, of the #38 Swing Last - without celastic?
)

 

[jrosenthal]



Wow, that takes on a completely different character without the celastic and in that casual leather, almost looks like a moccasin. I could see that build being the most comfy shoes on earth in a rough-out with Christie sole.

James

 

[jrosenthal]

So done with my first work day in my first pair of White's. I logged 5.5 miles and 13 hours in them and I must say they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. The boots started to loosen up a bit during the course of the day and my heel only slipped on uphill inclines (not little slip-much slip) but the mid-soles are still stiff as hell and will take some time to break in. My calves and Achilles heels are sore from working them all day in fact (feel like I was working muscles I haven't in years). I did feel some discomfort on my left ankle at the top lace-not pain, just pressure all day which became a little annoying, but was getting better by days end. My toes have never been this ache free at the end of a day, the swing last really does let them spread out. I keep thinking the heel is too low on this boot, it feels good but when I stood on a slight downward incline a few times it felt better. The comment about the commando sole and 1/4 lowering earlier got me thinking about how these do seem too low in comparison to other pics I have seen with lowered heels on boots with other soles. I wonder it they could easily put the 1/4" stack back into the heel without too much trouble. They are heavier than I am used to so that will take some time to get used to. In all I am very pleased and am already eager to order my next pair so I can rotate.
Some pics after the first day with no treatment or polish other than hitting them with a brush when I got home.

Oh, and I won't do speed hooks again on a semi-dress's. I found the threads to my pants hem all wound up in the top hook and when I took my boots off it took the rest with it, off to the tailor they go.

James

 

[broken_oracle]

James - I've heard some people get their trousers hemmed with the stitching up ~4" from the actual bottom of the trouser leg specifically to avoid the boot-hook catching you describe, sometimes called a "military hem." Maybe something to keep in mind for the future?

 

[jrosenthal]



James - I've heard some people get their trousers hemmed with the stitching up ~4" from the actual bottom of the trouser leg specifically to avoid the boot-hook catching you describe, sometimes called a "military hem." Maybe something to keep in mind for the future?

Excellent advise! Never even thought of that. Alas too late for the trousers I currently own. Was planning on wearing my lovely White's again today but put the left boot on this morning and when I went to lace it my ankle said no way! Guess I am a little sorer than I thought. Gonna have to give a day or two to heal.

James

 

[gregornz]

9 inch Bounty Hunters; Black cherry with a dress brown vamp, double leather sole in brown.

 

[mogili222]

@gregornz Love the boots and the leather choice.. I changed the sole on my other pair of BHs from a Vibram 700 to a double leather after I saw your teaser picture. I am glad I made that change now after seeing more pictures..

 

[gregornz]

 

[gregornz]

I'm pretty pissed off with this orange stain on the side of the boot. It sticks out like dogs bollocks once you notice it.

I guess the orange is a glue... you can see some of it on the lining at the top here too.

Not very happy with this discolouration in the dress brown either.

 

[jrosenthal]



I'm pretty pissed off with this orange stain on the side of the boot. It sticks out like dogs bollocks once you notice it.

I guess the orange is a glue... you can see some of it on the lining at the top here too.

Not very happy with this discolouration in the dress brown either.

Yeah, those are unacceptable flaws. I can live with a little sloppy stitching along the welt on mine but a glue stain and discoloration like that on the vamp is a deal breaker. Plus, is it just the camera perspective or are the heels slightly different heights?
I understand White's is a small company and these are all made by hand and you can't compare one-off boots like these to mass consumer companies like AE or a Alden, but the flaws on these boots or on my boots for that matter (the puckered toe leather and welt ugliness) would never have left the factory at the aforementioned companies.
I have read this entire thread since the beginning and am new to the group but am a bit shocked that people are so willing to overlook sloppy QC from White's and not send their boots back at the companies expense. They aren't doing us a favor by making our boots, they are a business and we are consumers of a product paying a premium for their reputation. Quality is why we have all come to White's, this stuff is not acceptable.

That said, based on said reputation, I should expect them giving you no hassle in remaking these boots for you, waiting is the sucky part.
James

 

[gregornz]

^ Compouding the issue is that A) this pair is already a replacement for the last order that Bakers got wrong, B) They knew I was on a tight timeline to get these replacement pairs, but still put me to the back of the queue when they were made C) I asked and double asked that they do some quality control (hence the sneek peek photos) D) I already spent what most people spend on on shoes in the first place to send the erroneous pair back to Bakers, express all the way from China! E) I have no option but to use these as I NEED them - the only other option would be to go and buy a cheap pair in Wallmart to tide me over... ridiculous.

So, yes, I'm very pissed and looking forward to seeing how Bakers can make this right, as I am not prepared to send them back again!

And yes, the heels are different heights!!!!!

 

[jrosenthal]

Send them back. All of that together is ridiculous. As much as the flaws fall on White's, Baker's does have to accept some responsibility for not seeing the glue crap or vamp discoloration when you had specifically asked them to examine the boots prior to shipping. The heel height they wouldn't have caught unless they put them side by side.

I say choke down your pride of ownership and buy a pair of cheap boots to tide you over that you can throw away once this is all over. If you don't get those boots right you will never be happy and will end up not wearing them. And that heel height difference could cause some hip/back issue so that's a no-go.

Keep us posted on how it's handled.

James