Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[pbrmhl]

in case anyone wants to see the effects of Bick 4 on Distressed Smooth - basically turns it into Red Wing Copper. Nice look that should further lighten up over the coming week with use

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I like that look. I assume they’re both untreated in the first pic, only the left is treated in the second, and both are treated in the third.

I’m going to use my Bick 4 next time I treat my smooth distressed, which is far into the future...

 

[PACostag]

I like that look. I assume they’re both untreated in the first pic, only the left is treated in the second, and both are treated in the third.

I’m going to use my Bick 4 next time I treat my smooth distressed, which is far into the future...

You got it right. If I remember I’ll post a photo in a couple days after it had time to dry and be used again. My original idea was to use some Hubert’s shoe oil, maybe next time

 

[miggyramone]

in case anyone wants to see the effects of Bick 4 on Distressed Smooth - basically turns it into Red Wing Copper. Nice look that should further lighten up over the coming week with use

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Thank you for doing this! I really dislike red wing's leathers, so this was a nice heads up. I'll check that one off the list now.

 

[discomute]

Thanks to everyone for the boot care tips.

Last question in this regard are the shoe trees I got. They go in but feel very tight against the boot. I presume this is intended - constant pressure to help it keep its shape?

Also, how often do you insert them? If I am wearing them daily, do I need to put them in overnight? Or just for extended periods of non-use?

 

[Legal Eagles]

Thanks to everyone for the boot care tips.

Last question in this regard are the shoe trees I got. They go in but feel very tight against the boot. I presume this is intended - constant pressure to help it keep its shape?

Also, how often do you insert them? If I am wearing them daily, do I need to put them in overnight? Or just for extended periods of non-use?

Tight is fine, unless you can see the impression of the shoe tree in the toe, or it is actually stretching the heel. If there is any play left in the spring, you are fine.

Wearing the same pair of footwear daily is not recommended. A day off or even two is much better. Two or three pairs in rotation will last much longer than two or three pairs worn consecutively. If I had to wear the same pair daily, I would use shoe trees on the 16 hour "off" period, or get a boot dryer.

I insert the shoe trees in every pair of my boots and shoes at any time when my feet are not in them... and I leave them there until I wear them again...

 

[PACostag]

First decent dusting of snow, and 24 hours after applying Bick 4 to my Distressed Smooth.

 

[miggyramone]

Thanks to everyone for the boot care tips.

Last question in this regard are the shoe trees I got. They go in but feel very tight against the boot. I presume this is intended - constant pressure to help it keep its shape?

Also, how often do you insert them? If I am wearing them daily, do I need to put them in overnight? Or just for extended periods of non-use?

With my White's, I've found it best to get a week-week and half worth of wear before I use shoe trees. Otherwise, the shoe trees I own feel really tight inside the shoes. Just my two cents. After that, they got right in after ever wear.

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]

i want to mostly second the "day on day off" schedule on footwear. even just between two pairs, it helps longevity.

on the other hand though, some people wear the same boots every day for like a year and basically they end up looking amazing and have lots of life left, so like I guess keep it in mind, but i wouldn't worry about it too much with a quality boot.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Some people wear the same boots every day for like a year and basically they end up looking amazing and have lots of life left, so like I guess keep it in mind, but i wouldn't worry about it too much with a quality boot.

I think it depends on how long you want the boot to last. A quality handmade PNW boot may last a few years even with every day use and no care if the boots are not abused... to those who are accustomed to buying boots at MegaMart which last 6 months, this seems miraculous...

But with some care and basic knowledge... and a rotation, a pair of PNW boots can last literally a decade or more... this is where - at least for me - you start to see the return on investment for a $600 pair of boots!

 

[discomute]

Two or three pairs in rotation will last much longer than two or three pairs worn consecutively.

Mmm really?

There is a little bit of play left in the spring, but the spring is very tight. I would consider putting some lubricant in there except then my boots would smell like it.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Mmm really?

Yes really. I have personal experience with a pair of boots that lasted 2 years when worn daily... when I got smart and wore the same model boot but with an identical second pair on a regular rotation, the two pairs lasted a total of 6 years.

Given two pairs where one is worn every day until it wears out, then is replaced by the second pair which is also then worn every day until it too wears out, we can estimate that the two pairs worn consecutively would last a total of 4 years. (The math gets hard, but I calculate this by multiplying 2 pairs x 2 years per pair),

If then based on my personal experience, two pairs of that same boot working in rotation lasted 6 years... and drawing on the mathematical principal that 6 years is longer than 4 years, I can state that two or three pairs in rotation will last much longer than two or three pairs worn consecutively.

It is like the old quote: "May we together become greater than the sum of both of us..."

YMMV.

 

[Legal Eagles]

There is a little bit of play left in the spring, but the spring is very tight. I would consider putting some lubricant in there except then my boots would smell like it.

Your shoe tree is fine...you are overthinking this.

 

[discomute]

Your shoe tree is fine...you are overthinking this.

Wasn't this thread made for that?

Does the shoe tree heel go right at the base or at the top? It's hard to tell from YouTube as most videos are for dress shoes.

PS they also have me convinced there is an issue with my shoes trees. Let me put it this way - I doubt my wife would have the strength to compress the springs they are so tight.

 

[Legal Eagles]

Wasn't this thread made for that?

Does the shoe tree heel go right at the base or at the top? It's hard to tell from YouTube as most videos are for dress shoes.

PS they also have me convinced there is an issue with my shoes trees. Let me put it this way - I doubt my wife would have the strength to compress the springs they are so tight.

Right at the base, pushed as far down into the heel (counter) pocket as you can.

If you think the trees are too long, simply cut 1/2" off the heel and re-contour with a belt sander... they are made of cedar, an easy wood to work with...

Or buy smaller shoe trees...

 

[PACostag]

black waxed flesh bounty hunters arrived today

I do have to say that so far my experience with Whites has been good, but somewhat inconsistent. To state up front, no regrets in my purchases - still a Whites fan boy. My orders are at about a 57% success rate - two pairs weren't built to spec and one pair had a crooked toe cap. As a result, I sent two pairs back for re-work (which I have to say was promptly dealt with and with no fuss) and decided to keep one of the mis-specification pairs (this black WF pair, because construction is perfect, amazing for a handmade item). Out of the three issues, the crooked toe cap is probably the most acceptable since they're handmade, but the mis-spec errors are a different animal and shouldn’t be happening in my opinion. Has anyone else had an experience like that?

4 out of 7 have been great though, so there's that...