Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[Neo1]

Glad it worked out for you! Sizing is the tough part, and sizing pull-on boots without being able to try them on is downright scary! You're right about Kyle - he knows what he is doing and has the patience of a saint.

You said it my friend! Kyle is fantastic for sure. Wanted to add a couple more things FWIW-

Based upon lots of experience, if you want to have the best chance at instep fit, you go for something totally Unlined & cxl. I will admit, I was hesitant When i read "oil tanned leather" but this has the texture & consistency of chromepak. Matte-finished but very flexible / rubbery. I like it.

I did comment On the reddit reviews Already. In particular There was some guy who did a video review Saying they felt huge. That review , plus another guy on a biker forum who said they ran 1.5 sizes large....holy **** were these reviews misleading. These should really be censored for misinformation / utter nonsense . The one really good, really solid review I read was from iamntbatman. You just have to understand as is the case many times, he is very Much on a different Part of the spectrum Than me. Spot on review, just not super applicable to my personal situation.

My most brutal break in was the Beckman, where I would say it took about 8 weeks of wearing them 5 days a week, 16 hours a day with lots of walking outdoors and indoors. Even though I compared the fit to the Beckman, the cykel definitely Has a much more premium Feel to it overall, and so far break in has been much easier. I think 3 full days wear will do it.

Finally, these definitely dont feel like the Alden Barrie last with which I'm very familiar . On the Barrie I'm comfortably At a 6.5D, but with the Cykel I could never wear lower than a 7D.

 

[Hellraysaz]

~20 weeks after ordering them, the mailman dropped them at my door. It kinda felt like Christmas.

They were finally home. The classic of classics. White's semi-dress' in brown dress leather.

Half-comp sole. Double-row sole stitching. Only slight customization: went with the brass hardware a soft toe and mismated sizes(E&EE).

Wining & dining downtown was already planned on Friday so I took the opportunity to wear them.

Early review: Love them. Wore them for 9 hours and walked a couple of miles total. Still a bit too early to tell, but out of the box they feel slightly better than my 5050 MPs originally felt. These could end up being my best fitted boot yet.
I'm really happy I went with the soft toe. Love the very dark brown dress leather. Exactly what everybody says about it.

I'm sharing a few pics, alongside my other pairs, to make them a bit different than what you've probably seen a 100 times.

Funny thing: When I first saw pictures of White's I disliked the look of dogger/cuban heels and kinda dismissed the brand at first. Three pairs in, oh how things have changed.

Cheers.

 

[js0930]

For anyone who’s a D width (both boots same size) and likes roughout, Huckberry is doing a pretty good sale on Whites. If they fit me I’d definitely be thinking about it.

 

[Properwawa]

Was asked for an update on the horses and thought I would share here as well. Apologies on not having brushed the blue pair before taking the pics

 

[adrs1157]

Me: bounty hunters in red dog smooth, 5050 last

Wife: Yankos in tan pebble grain calf

 

[climbinglife]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole.

 

[klank74]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole. View attachment 1777646 View attachment 1777647 View attachment 1777648 View attachment 1777649 View attachment 1777650 View attachment 1777651

I think they look great! I think the heel looking chunkier might just be an illusion created by the full 430 sole. I have a pair of SD’s with the commando sole and a pair of BH’s with the 430. Both have the standard heel and are on the 38 last. Looking at them separately, the heel of the BH’s looks taller, but sitting side by side, they are the same height.

 

[PACostag]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole. View attachment 1777646 View attachment 1777647 View attachment 1777648 View attachment 1777649 View attachment 1777650 View attachment 1777651

these look great to my eye too, love the block heel

 

[brandonboot]

Does anybody know if the whites.com website will run any “special release” make ups like the stitchdown horse hide boots they ran last year? I’m in the market for a new pair of whites.

 

[Phalanx]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole. View attachment 1777646 View attachment 1777647 View attachment 1777648 View attachment 1777649 View attachment 1777650 View attachment 1777651

Mate I think these look fantastic (though I'm avid fan of a full 430 sole), If they're comfortable and they're no longer squeaking i think you're winning! Also, the denim stains on the back are
🔥🔥🔥

 

[climbinglife]

Thanks guys, i'm not really unhappy. I think I was just used to having them one way and now they look different lol

 

[Legal Eagles]

The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots

Have you tried a tongue pad to reduce heel lift and at the same time give some protection from the laces? I know it sounds strange, but a tongue pad can help with heel slip...

Amazon.com

 

[andy b.]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole. View attachment 1777646 View attachment 1777649

I'm with the others, I think those look awesome!
Also, no one will notice the sole profile from the side except you when you hold them in front of your face. LOL

I don't own any SDs. Do they normally come with a false tongue/kiltie? I ask because one purpose of the kiltie is to provide extra padding in the tongue area. If the SDs don't normally come with a false tongue, then I can't offer any other insight.

 

[brandonboot]

So I got my RO SDs back from Bakers/Whites that were in for a warranty squeak repair. This was really fast (5 weeks turn around), but because of that there was an error in what was supposed to be done. it wasn't Bakers fault really just unfortunate as my boots now are taller and chunkier lol.

8 months of wear led to a squeak in one boot. Sent them in for warranty repair which they covered and the boots went to Whites for the work. I wanted to have the half commando sole replaced as I wasn't really a fan of how they were wearing in and also thought maybe they were the reason for the squeak. I wanted the mini 430 sole but done as a half sole. Bakers initially informed me that they didn't do this anymore so I just went for the full 430. Kyle called me a few days later and I asked again and he said yeah they can do it, i'll email them a note to have it done. Yay...nope. Apparently because Bakers put a rush on the warranty work, that by the time they looked at the note (a few days) they had already done the whole thing in the 430. Whites had the boots for like a week...talk about fast lol.

At that point I was torn of having them rip the sole off again or just leaving the 430 as is. I opted for the latter which I now regret a little. More on that later.
The boots went back to Bakers for a heel clamp and then to me. Because of that and the order of rotation of boots needing to be clamped, they stayed at Bakers for a while or I would have gotten them back from Whites in about 2 weeks.

So here they are with the new sole. My issue is honestly just that the heel is chunky in comparison to how the boots were with the half commando and quabug heel and also they are taller by i'm guessing 1/4 inch, maybe more over the old makeup which bugs me a little. Its like the silhouette of the boot is a little different. Not really from the top down but if you look at the shoes from the back, the heels are def more pronounced.

Also, the heel clamp did ZERO at making the heel narrower.

This was no ones fault, Kyle just didn't expect for Whites to get to them THAT fast and figured the note to change the sole would have made it in time. But at this point i've had the boots less time then Bakers and Whites has had them so i'm just going to keep them and wear them...I'm def a little bummed about it though. On the good side, the edging and stitching around the front of the boot is better than when i got them new so theres that.

Also I've gone through more lace combos then with all the other boots that i've owned and I think its because of the nature of the SDs tongue being thin...All the lacing I've tried has "dug in" to various parts of either the top of my foot or around my ankle. I've tried so many different ways of lacing but because the heel has slight lift in it when I walk, I need to tie them tighter, hence the hot spots. I actually like the red contrast to the rough out and untied they look messy lot but when they are tied and on, the flat Danner laces are the most comfortable so far and most of the laces save for the bottom 2 eyelets is covered by my jeans. First pic is how they were when I got them new and the rest are the resole. View attachment 1777646 View attachment 1777647 View attachment 1777648 View attachment 1777649 View attachment 1777650 View attachment 1777651

Do you have any darn tough socks? They are cushioned and come in a variety of weights. Maybe a mid weight, fully cushioned boot sock from them would take away any hot spots you are experiencing. You could even go with a heavy weight fully cushioned sock but that would be over kill… Can’t recommend those socks more they are awesome

 

[climbinglife]

Have you tried a tongue pad to reduce heel lift and at the same time give some protection from the laces? I know it sounds strange, but a tongue pad can help with heel slip...

Amazon.com

I have not tried those but i will now! Thanks for that tip