Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[b-ewing]

Nice man! You along the coast now? Headed to seattle too?

 

[Luscombe]

That tightness across the metatarsal is normal for a new pair of Whites. They are made that way. I've got three pairs and all of them have been tight across the top of the arch. If the arch is in the right spot and you have an inch or so toe room and the heel is snug I'd say you found your size. Unless they are just way to tight from a width standpoint. Even once they are broken in they will be snug over the arch of your foot. I found out on my third pair that taking out the false tongue until they are partially broken in helps with the tightness but while breaking them in your supposed to lace them up as tight as you can stand so they "form fit" to your foot.

I have a pair of SJ's and they have much more "volume" in the toe area. They are intended to be worn with thicker socks as most Whites are. I don't own any dress leather but from what I have read it is real good stuff and you can expect it to be pretty stiff for the first 200 hours of actual wear. That's actual walking around not sitting at a desk.

I've got a pair of Classic Work Boots in oil finish brown (brown smooth) that took about a year and a half to get worn in and they are still getting more and more comfortable as time goes on.but oil finish is about the thickest toughest leather they have and I had mine lined which made them even stiffer. My SJ's are about a year and a half old and they are still getting more comfy as time goes on.

It takes a while depending on how much you actually walk around in them but I suppose when you consider how long they last with proper care it is to be expected. My Classic Work Boots were just about a part time job for the first 6 or 8 months and it was real painful for about the first 6 as well but now they are getting to be like thick, leather slippers. The same for the SJ's hut they were pretty comfy after about a month.

Trvlr,
Thanks for the follow up. I am going to keep the SD in 10C and wear them for a month or so before getting a custom pair made. They are very snug across the top of my arch. I have plenty of space between the eyelets so I can tighten at will.

Kyle suggested a 10 B width and sent me a pair of SJ's but they are painful in the metatarsal, more than just tight..I had a pair of Kangaroo shoes that Russell made for me that were too narrow. I tried to wear them and stretch them out but they were too painful. I ended up trading them in on a different pair.

After 10 hours in the boots today, medium wt socks, they felt as good as they did in the morning. I will try them tomorrow with dress socks. The dress brown leather is beginning to grow on me, it does look good.

I think I am going to ask Kyle to send me a pair of SJ's in a 10C so I can compare them to the SD's. I'd rather invest a little for shipping than roll the dice on a $500 pair that may not fit.

I'll post my experience.

 

[petersim]

Hey gregornz, is that your smooth/roughout BH from back on 2/26? Can i ask you the specs? That may be exactly the build i am looking for. And can i ask you how the RO holds up to dirt, salt and stains? Does the 'roughness' get worn off easily so that it becomes burnished looking? I am afraid it will look crappy after a few months, but yours looks great even tho the rest of the boot looks well worn. Thanks for any info!

 

[linafelt]



Nice man! You along the coast now? Headed to seattle too?

No, I am back home in the east now. My wife and daughter and I spent a couple of days in Portland and a of couple days on the coast. As it happens, one of the places I saw White's on the shelf was in the Danner store!

 

[petersim]

Hey gregornz,
is that your smooth/roughout BH from back on 2/26? Can i ask you the specs? That may be exactly the build i am looking for. And can i ask you how the RO holds up to dirt, salt and stains? Does the 'roughness' get worn off easily so that it becomes burnished looking? I am afraid it will look crappy after a few months, but yours looks great even tho the rest of the boot looks well worn. Thanks for any info!

this is the one i was referring to. [was on my tablet last nite and GUI stinks so couldn't attach pic]

 

[pbrmhl]



Wore my BHs on a trip to Oregon recenlty. First to Portland, where I saw two different stores that stocked White's (first time I've ever seen them on the shelf in a store). Then two days on the coast, where the boots got some rock-climbing action:

Where in Portland did you find the White's boots? I'm planning a trip...

 

[linafelt]

^ They had several models in stock at both the Danner store and Animal Traffic (both downtown). Each had a couple of different versions of the SD, as well as the Hathorn Traveler (which I tried on and it felt pretty narrow...), and the Danner store had some Smokejumpers too as I recall.

If you take a drive to the coast, Cannon Beach with big old Haystack Rock is famous and pretty cool, but Indian Beach up north just a bit is less touristy and pretty amazing.

 

[spurs61]

Wore my BHs on a trip to Oregon recenlty. First to Portland, where I saw two different stores that stocked White's (first time I've ever seen them on the shelf in a store). Then two days on the coast, where the boots got some rock-climbing action:

 

[linafelt]

Black CXL, cap toe, 269 sole, lowered heel (sanded down by Baker's), EE width. Just over a year old, recently cleaned, VSC'd, and cream polished.

This pic should be lighter:

 

[spurs61]

Black CXL, cap toe, 269 sole, lowered heel (sanded down by Baker's), EE width. Just over a year old, recently cleaned, VSC'd, and cream polished.

This pic should be lighter:

 

[linafelt]

Yes indeed, Meltonian cream polish. I posted some before and after pictures a month or so ago. There was some grey showing through in several places, looking pretty cool actually and I could easily have waited to polish them. But I am looking for these to last for many years, so I figure a yearly polish is in order. It made the leather look pretty close to brand new, I have to say.

 

[climbinglife]

Wasn't to lucky in my searching for pics of Black SD's in HH so if anyone has any pics, tit would be helpful as I'm leaning towards this leather for my next build. I have no black boots and i'm starting a new job where having them would be a useful.
I have two pairs of high end boots in CXL, id like to try something different and I really like the Brown HH pics I see but black seems to more elusive.

 

[spurs61]

Yes indeed, Meltonian cream polish. I posted some before and after pictures a month or so ago. There was some grey showing through in several places, looking pretty cool actually and I could easily have waited to polish them. But I am looking for these to last for many years, so I figure a yearly polish is in order. It made the leather look pretty close to brand new, I have to say.

 

[spurs61]

Wasn't to lucky in my searching for pics of Black SD's in HH so if anyone has any pics, tit would be helpful as I'm leaning towards this leather for my next build. I have no black boots and i'm starting a new job where having them would be a useful.
I have two pairs of high end boots in CXL, id like to try something different and I really like the Brown HH pics I see but black seems to more elusive.

 

[linafelt]

Wasn't to lucky in my searching for pics of Black SD's in HH so if anyone has any pics, tit would be helpful as I'm leaning towards this leather for my next build. I have no black boots and i'm starting a new job where having them would be a useful.
I have two pairs of high end boots in CXL, id like to try something different and I really like the Brown HH pics I see but black seems to more elusive.

Here are a few pics, both with new leather. But what you really want are some pics with worn leather, which is indeed hard to find. I seem to remember a pair posted by a guy here about a year and a few months ago (though now I can't find them), and the wear really did not look great. Very crease-y in a sort amount of time. It convinced me not to order a pair in HH: