Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[chicagoan2016]

Absolutely, you're not imagining it. I used to suffer from regular back spasms brought on by a combination of lots of driving for work, poor posture, and a slight congenital anomaly with the vertebrae up near my shoulder blades. Since taking footwear a bit more seriously, my posture is a lot better (I won't lie, I still hunch and slouch too much) and back spasms are far less common. It's a definite benefit of well made, properly fitting boots.



Um...yeah. That's poor, and the topic of White's QC comes up again.

I think you can look at this in one of two ways:

The first way you can rationalise this is by remembering that you've owned these boots for over a month, and have just noticed the issue now .

The other way you could look at this is to think, "I've just paid $600 for these boots, and they couldn't even sew the shafts on straight". And now you've noticed it, of course, you won't unsee it.

I know White's QC takes a whipping from time-to-time, but with good reason. Just like with your other pair that arrived with a tear in them, there are certain things that are just table stakes, even in cheaper boots. Just like no boot should turn up with a rip in the leather, boots shouldn't be built crooked, regardless of price. Full stop.

If you bought a factory-seconds pair of Thorogoods, or Red Wings, or Wolverines, or Thursdays, and saw that, you'd immediately think, "ah, I think I've found why these were seconds". If a factory-firsts pair from any of those cheaper brands came looking like that, you could get them replaced under warranty. It's knucklehead stuff at any price point, let alone what White's charge.

That PNW boots aren't going to be the most neatly finished is well known, and it's par for the course. But making symmetrical boots where everything is at least sewn together in the right place is something so fundamental, no-one has a reason not to get it right.

Those are my thoughts. You didn't noticed it for a month, so there's that. But you've noticed it now, and those facings are off by about 3/4" and none of the eyelets line up as a result. That'd be poor on a boot at a far cheaper price point.

The point about once seeing it and now can't unsee it is spot on. Once I get the other pair (British tan) in a few weeks, I will probably get this repaired.
I don't want to be without a arch support footwear now lol.
I love White's and I wish QC was better but working in a completely different field (Software development) I know it's like pulling teeth to find true professionals, almost everyone who applies for employment claims to be a skilled professional.
I am going to sell some AE boots ( actually 10 + pairs) and invest in some "dressier" White's.

 

[PACostag]

lol "dressier" Whites

 

[chicagoan2016]

lol "dressier" Whites

You gotta realize after wearing these and upcoming British tan, any boots with single midsole and dress leather would be dressier for me. Something like the boots @Chrikelnel owns.

 

[Jimk4003]

The point about once seeing it and now can't unsee it is spot on. Once I get the other pair (British tan) in a few weeks, I will probably get this repaired.
I don't want to be without a arch support footwear now lol.
I love White's and I wish QC was better but working in a completely different field (Software development) I know it's like pulling teeth to find true professionals, almost everyone who applies for employment claims to be a skilled professional.
I am going to sell some AE boots ( actually 10 + pairs) and invest in some "dressier" White's.

Another thing to consider.

We've been talking a lot about gait and break-in over the last few posts.

Another aspect of our gait is that it's not symmetrical; we usually have a dominant foot. This tends to be the foot you'd naturally try to kick a ball with. If you look at the soles of a well worn pair of shoes, you'll see that the soles don't always wear evenly. That's just because our gaits aren't symmetrical.

Usually this is all perfectly natural, and we're never conscious of our gait when we walk. But if we have, say, a blister on one foot, what do we do? We naturally begin to favour the other leg. Our bodies naturally adjust our gait.

You've just bought some new boots, and that always puts a little bit of extra strain on the joints and feet whilst they're being broken in. Doubly so in your case, because you've got a lot of additional weight and extra midsoles over what White's usually offer. And now you've noticed the left boot isn't straight. It's entirely possible that this has caused your body to slightly favour the other leg, which means it's taking more of the load during what is already proving to be a tough break-in process.

And where have you been getting pain again? The right knee.

I've had something similar happen before with a mis-lasted pair of boots. Like I say, just something to consider.

 

[DG123]

And absolutely none of them do as well as my walking shoes

Which brands/models are your walking shoes ?

 

[johng70]

Walking shoes are sketchers. Jogging shoes are Asics. Don't know specific models

 

[chicagoan2016]

Another thing to consider.

We've been talking a lot about gait and break-in over the last few posts.

Another aspect of our gait is that it's not symmetrical; we usually have a dominant foot. This tends to be the foot you'd naturally try to kick a ball with. If you look at the soles of a well worn pair of shoes, you'll see that the soles don't always wear evenly. That's just because our gaits aren't symmetrical.

Usually this is all perfectly natural, and we're never conscious of our gait when we walk. But if we have, say, a blister on one foot, what do we do? We naturally begin to favour the other leg. Our bodies naturally adjust our gait.

You've just bought some new boots, and that always puts a little bit of extra strain on the joints and feet whilst they're being broken in. Doubly so in your case, because you've got a lot of additional weight and extra midsoles over what White's usually offer. And now you've noticed the left boot isn't straight. It's entirely possible that this has caused your body to slightly favour the other leg, which means it's taking more of the load during what is already proving to be a tough break-in process.

And where have you been getting pain again? The right knee.

I've had something similar happen before with a mis-lasted pair of boots. Like I say, just something to consider.

You make a good point, it probably doesn't apply in this particular case. I noticed this asymmetry today, the knee pain was at its extreme on Monday.

 

[Jimk4003]

You make a good point, it probably doesn't apply in this particular case. I noticed this asymmetry today, the knee pain was at its extreme on Monday.

Sure, you only noticed it today. But the boot's always been like that.

You won't always be conscious of your body adjusting your gait or your posture. That's often how people get bad backs, inflamed joints, etc. You don't notice that your body is naturally adjusting itself, but after time the stresses accumulate and something begins to hurt.

 

[Scooterputtputt]

Another thing to consider.

We've been talking a lot about gait and break-in over the last few posts.

Another aspect of our gait is that it's not symmetrical; we usually have a dominant foot. This tends to be the foot you'd naturally try to kick a ball with. If you look at the soles of a well worn pair of shoes, you'll see that the soles don't always wear evenly. That's just because our gaits aren't symmetrical.

Usually this is all perfectly natural, and we're never conscious of our gait when we walk. But if we have, say, a blister on one foot, what do we do? We naturally begin to favour the other leg. Our bodies naturally adjust our gait.

You've just bought some new boots, and that always puts a little bit of extra strain on the joints and feet whilst they're being broken in. Doubly so in your case, because you've got a lot of additional weight and extra midsoles over what White's usually offer. And now you've noticed the left boot isn't straight. It's entirely possible that this has caused your body to slightly favour the other leg, which means it's taking more of the load during what is already proving to be a tough break-in process.

And where have you been getting pain again? The right knee.

I've had something similar happen before with a mis-lasted pair of boots. Like I say, just something to consider.

Do you think walking on hard versus soft surfaces plays into it? Really curious. I’ve read everything up to date and don’t recall much on this.

 

[Mathazzz]

Got word back from Baker’s today, my BF Bounty Hunter order got sent back to White’s due to a separating heel stack.

 

[chicagoan2016]

Do you think walking on hard versus soft surfaces plays into it? Really curious. I’ve read everything up to date and don’t recall much on this.

I walk on hard surfaces even my evening walks are on paved surfaces.

 

[Jimk4003]

Do you think walking on hard versus soft surfaces plays into it? Really curious. I’ve read everything up to date and don’t recall much on this.

I wouldn't say the surfaces you're walking on should be a major focus, because changes to posture and gait tend to be cumulative.

I used to have real issues with my back; back spasms that would leave me hunched in the fetal position on the floor in the corner of a room because it was the only position that wasn't agonising. I literally couldn't lie down, or stand up, or sit. After one particularly bad night of it, my girlfriend insisted I went to see a specialist.

The first thing the specialist did when I went to see them was ask to borrow my phone, which they then used to take a photo of me sitting up from behind. He then proceeded to show me how I was slouching, my shoulders weren't level, and my head was slightly off to one side. I'd never even noticed any of it before.

He then asked me to get my wallet out, and as I reached into my back pocket he chastised me; "so, you sit on your wallet? You wouldn't wear a pair of shoes where one was an inch higher than the other, yet that's what you're doing to your back every time you sit on your wallet".

We then went through all the potential causes of the back spasms I was suffering from. Some of them I could do nothing about; I drive a lot for work, and I have a couple of fused vertebrae up near my shoulders that have apparently been like that since birth.

But there was a lot of stuff I could do; staying hydrated reduces spasms, carrying things properly helps, as does working consciously to improve posture, not sitting on your wallet, etc. It was around this time I started taking what I wore on my feet day-to-day more seriously too.

My point is, a lot of the time our bodies just naturally adjust to the strains we put on them without us even being conscious of it, and most of the time it's not a problem. But when something does go wrong, there will usually be a causal chain behind it, and it's often the result of a whole bunch of seemingly minor things that your body was coping fine with, right up until the point it wasn't. And chances are, you never even noticed any issues until they manifested themselves in some way.

Like I said, I once struggled on with a pair of mis-lasted boots I didn't even notice were mis-lasted. It took someone else to point it out to me, and that explained a lot of the hip pain I'd been having. I then sent a picture of the boots to the manufacturer (it was White's, unfortunately), and they immediately offered to replace them.

So it does happen, and you don't have to necessarily be consciously aware of the stresses you're putting on your body for them to cause issues over time. Whether hard or soft surfaces make a difference? I think it's more cumulative than the surface you're walking on at a given time.

 

[chicagoan2016]

I wouldn't say the surfaces you're walking on should be a major focus, because changes to posture and gait tend to be cumulative.

I used to have real issues with my back; back spasms that would leave me hunched in the fetal position on the floor in the corner of a room because it was the only position that wasn't agonising. I literally couldn't lie down, or stand up, or sit. After one particularly bad night of it, my girlfriend insisted I went to see a specialist.

The first thing the specialist did when I went to see them was ask to borrow my phone, which they then used to take a photo of me sitting up from behind. He then proceeded to show me how I was slouching, my shoulders weren't level, and my head was slightly off to one side. I'd never even noticed any of it before.

He then asked me to get my wallet out, and as I reached into my back pocket he chastised me; "so, you sit on your wallet? You wouldn't wear a pair of shoes where one was an inch higher than the other, yet that's what you're doing to your back every time you sit on your wallet".

We then went through all the potential causes of the back spasms I was suffering from. Some of them I could do nothing about; I drive a lot for work, and I have a couple of fused vertebrae up near my shoulders that have apparently been like that since birth.

But there was a lot of stuff I could do; staying hydrated reduces spasms, carrying things properly helps, as does working consciously to improve posture, not sitting on your wallet, etc. It was around this time I started taking what I wore on my feet day-to-day more seriously too.

My point is, a lot of the time our bodies just naturally adjust to the strains we put on them without us even being conscious of it, and most of the time it's not a problem. But when something does go wrong, there will usually be a causal chain behind it, and it's often the result of a whole bunch of seemingly minor things that your body was coping fine with, right up until the point it wasn't. And chances are, you never even noticed any issues until they manifested themselves in some way.

Like I said, I once struggled on with a pair of mis-lasted boots I didn't even notice were mis-lasted. It took someone else to point it out to me, and that explained a lot of the hip pain I'd been having. I then sent a picture of the boots to the manufacturer (it was White's, unfortunately), and they immediately offered to replace them.

So it does happen, and you don't have to necessarily be consciously aware of the stresses you're putting on your body for them to cause issues over time. Whether hard or soft surfaces make a difference? I think it's more cumulative than the surface you're walking on at a given time.

@Jimk4003 if you don't mind me asking, are you from UK? and what do you do for a living?
I work in front of a computer all day long and I had to adjust my chair height, desk height, position of key board, monitor plus investing in some ergonomic keyboard and mouse to make sure I don't stress my body.

 

[Jimk4003]

@Jimk4003 if you don't mind me asking, are you from UK? and what do you do for a living?
I work in front of a computer all day long and I had to adjust my chair height, desk height, position of key board, monitor plus investing in some ergonomic keyboard and mouse to make sure I don't stress my body.

I am from the UK; what gave it away?

I'm an industrial automation and process control engineer. Lot's of sitting at desks, but also lots of going onto customer sites to look at various parts of their process to help improve them.

 

[chicagoan2016]

I am from the UK; what gave it away?

I think it was spelling of the word 'favour'! But what part of UK? I had spent part of my early life outside the US (long story) and I remember some elementary school books 'Radiant Reading' , 'Silver Bells' etc.

I'm an industrial automation and process control engineer. Lot's of sitting at desks, but also lots of going onto customer sites to look at various parts of their process to help improve them.

Pretty awesome! my undergrad was Electrical Engineering, now it has become my hobby!