Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[chicagoan2016]

Good morning,

For anyone interested in the Darn Tough socks that have been discussed lately, they are 25% off for the next week at:

Darn Tough Socks | Free Shipping on orders $40+ at GoBros.com

Find your favorite Darn Tough socks at GoBros.com. Lifetime guarantee. Merino wool socks are made in Vermont, USA. ✔ Free Shipping on orders $40+ ✔ 60-Day Return Policy ✔ Price Match Guarantee ✔ Since 1939

www.gobros.com

I don't think you're going to find a better price on their boot socks than this (but I won't swear to it ).

Got a quick question about Darn Tough socks, I got two pairs from Darn Tough website, I am size 12 on Brannock, although my left foot is closer to 12.5. I ended up getting DT socks in Large which according to their website covers sizes 10-12. They fit fine but do they shrink over time?
should my next order be in XL?
Thanks gentlemen!

 

[hoppy_IPA]

Im a 12.5 Brannock & wear XL in Darn Tough. I think sizing up would be the way to go, esp. if youre going to run them through the dryer.

 

[Woodtroll]

(Before you go on a magical journey to the land of disappointment, that seller only ships to US addresses.)

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to tease. I forget about the broad international interest this thread has, and never thought to check for shipping outside the US.

 

[klank74]

Got a quick question about Darn Tough socks, I got two pairs from Darn Tough website, I am size 12 on Brannock, although my left foot is closer to 12.5. I ended up getting DT socks in Large which according to their website covers sizes 10-12. They fit fine but do they shrink over time?
should my next order be in XL?
Thanks gentlemen!

I would get the next size up since your bigger foot is a 12.5. Mine haven’t shrunk at all in the 4 or 5 years I’ve had them, but I always wash them in cold water and let them air dry. I never run them through the dryer.

 

[chicagoan2016]

Im a 12.5 Brannock & wear XL in Darn Tough. I think sizing up would be the way to go, esp. if youre going to run them through the dryer.

I would get the next size up since your bigger foot is a 12.5. Mine haven’t shrunk at all in the 4 or 5 years I’ve had them, but I always wash them in cold water and let them air dry. I never run them through the dryer.

Appreciate your help, I am going to return the pairs for XL size and will order the same in the future since I am a lazy bum and would dry them in the dryer.

 

[Woodtroll]

Got a quick question about Darn Tough socks, I got two pairs from Darn Tough website, I am size 12 on Brannock, although my left foot is closer to 12.5. I ended up getting DT socks in Large which according to their website covers sizes 10-12. They fit fine but do they shrink over time?
should my next order be in XL?
Thanks gentlemen!

I'm a 12 Brannock/11.5 Whites, and the large socks give me a good snug fit, but I wouldn't want them any tighter. It's a tough decision when you're right on that line, like I am, but you might want to try the XL. I wash and dry mine with the rest of my wash, and the socks shrink very little if at all (I expect due to the nylon content).

 

[chicagoan2016]

I'm a 12 Brannock/11.5 Whites, and the large socks give me a good snug fit, but I wouldn't want them any tighter. It's a tough decision when you're right on that line, like I am, but you might want to try the XL. I wash and dry mine with the rest of my wash, and the socks shrink very little if at all (I expect due to the nylon content).

The two pairs that I got in L, fit snug but comfortable, I will order another pair in XL and compare.

 

[Bigtophat]

Got a quick question about Darn Tough socks, I got two pairs from Darn Tough website, I am size 12 on Brannock, although my left foot is closer to 12.5. I ended up getting DT socks in Large which according to their website covers sizes 10-12. They fit fine but do they shrink over time?
should my next order be in XL?
Thanks gentlemen!

Get the XL. I’m 10.5 brannock and large is tight.

 

[f800gs]

Yep 12.5 here too XL for me.

 

[John Frum]

My experience with DT is a bit different. I'm 12.5 Brannock w/ misshapen wide toes & narrow heels. XL in everything but the tactical line, L there.

They swapped all the XL for L no questions asked, I paid shipping to.

An example is their T4088, which Go Bros carries.

 

[wordfool]

11.5 brannock here, 10.5 Whites, narrowish foot (C) and the Large size DT fit me perfectly -- not too snug, not too loose (the only exception are some vertex ultralights that I bought for running that are a higher nylon content and fit smaller). I've not had a pair shrink yet, but I also cold wash and hang dry all my merino stuff. Plan to pick up a couple pairs of the 1405 for winter.

 

[hoppy_IPA]

Here is a helpful post I copied from Horween (Tannery Row) today:

 

[Fear and Loathing]

So a little bit of a leather mystery with the Semi-Dress I bought off Amazon (sold and shipped by Amazon)... described as ”Americana Semi-Dress”. Black colorway.

I understand the conventional wisdom is that these are constructed of standard steerhide Horween Chromexcel, and indeed, the box itself is marked “BLKCHRMX”.

However, these do not feel nor look like standard steerhide Chromexcel... They feel and look like horsehide Chromexcel.

Comparing them to another pair of unworn White‘s Semi-Dress boots constructed of black steerhide CXL, these are far stiffer, and the hand is harder... When you rap the surface of the boots, you can literally hear the difference.

Additionally, when pressing on various areas on the two boots, the leather on the Amazon boots quickly displays the unique “crackle finish” new horsehide shoes display when the leather is deformed. While standard steerhide CXL certainly displays a version of crackling when deformed, it is not the same... Horsehide crackle is easily identifiable; it is far more pronounced while also being less uniform... Heavy crackling running in lines at the area where the leather is being bent or flexed, yet almost perfectly smooth where it is not. Those who own Horween horsehide CXL boots will know what I’m talking about... It‘s a very particular phenomena.

Finally, steerhide CXL and horsehide CLX boots usually differ on the interior rough-out side as well, with steerhide usually displaying a rougher, more fibrous finish with more fiber “hairs”, while horsehide tends to be a bit smoother. True to form, the Amazon Semi-Dress feature a smoother more refined rough-out side than the steerhide CXL boots.

I also compared the Amazon Semi-Dress boots to a pair of black Wesco Mr. Lou engineer boots, which are constructed of horsehide CXL, and the two leathers felt identical. Identical hard finish, identical crackle pattern when deformed, identical sound when knocking on the toe with a knuckle, identical smoother rough-out finish on the insides, etc. etc.

To be safe, I compared the other pair of Semi-Dress (the ones constructed of steerhide CXL) to a pair of John Lofgren Donkey Punchers, which are also made of steerhide CXL. It wasn’t a perfect comparison, as the Whites are in black while the Lofgrens are in natural. However the suppleness of the leather, the pattern in the finish when deformed, even the sound when knocking on the toe seemed identical. The Lofgrens only have a few areas inside that aren’t lined, small portions of the tongue, but from what I saw, that rough-out was identical to the rough-out in the steerhide CXL boots.

Last but not least, on the foot, the Amazon boots just feel like new horsehide CXL. Very stiff. Certainly heavy-ish boots, but oddly light for how much more substantial than steerhide CXL they present... After handling new horsehide CXL boots, I always expect them to walk heavier than they do. Again, I think many who own horsehide CXL probably know what I’m trying to articulate.

So it would appear to be a mystery. Are some of the Amazon Semi-Dress actually constructed of horsehide CXL rather than standard steerhide CXL? I could be wrong. Maybe some steerhide CXL just presents a lot like horsehide CXL. But I’ve owned or tried on multiple pairs in both materials, and to me, the differences appear pretty easily distinguishable.

If the Amazon boots are horsehide CXL, they are a pretty smoking deal... Price ranges by size, but most work out to be around $447 shipped.

EDIT: Upon further inspection under good light, the Amazon boots also present the very faint double dashed line impressions in the leather of the uppers, running parallel to the stitching. This is often present on horsehide CXL (the Wesco Mr. Lous have this as well)... steerhide CXL usually does not present these impressions, as the leather is supple enough for them to disappear.

I’m now like 99% these are horsehide CXL...

 

[iamntbatman]

I'm going to assume that the premium of horsehide CXL over steerhide is such that they'd never sell it without marking it as such since that'd cost them money for no reason. I wonder if somewhere along the line that pair got made and someone forgot to label them as HH, or if the seller accidentally sent out the wrong boots, or what. But if they're all horsehide...

 

[Fear and Loathing]

I'm going to assume that the premium of horsehide CXL over steerhide is such that they'd never sell it without marking it as such since that'd cost them money for no reason. I wonder if somewhere along the line that pair got made and someone forgot to label them as HH, or if the seller accidentally sent out the wrong boots, or what. But if they're all horsehide...

Excellent point. This occurred to me as well.

I searched this thread and found a several instances of Styleforum members who have handled the Amazon boots and they referred to them as steerhide CXL. A few of those guys seem to know their leathers... if they believe they were handling steerhide CXL, they probably were.

That, coupled with the fact that as hot an item as the Baker’s exclusive horsehide custom order is, you‘d expect people would be saying something if Amazon was selling a horsehide boot with free Prime delivery for more than $200 less.

Maybe I just got really lucky..?

In any event (and I have to say it)... I’m not looking a gift horsehide in the mouth. Oof. Cringe.