Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[hoppy_IPA]

So @hoppy_IPA , basically any half-sole will consist of one midsole, and one outsole, with rubber or composition sole attached. Do I understand that correctly?

I have this exact make-up & if you order the vibram 700 half comp sole you will effectively get a double mid by default. As Linafelt pointed out, there is a slight recess in the leather mid so the outsole is flush. It’s a very clean & tidy way to do a half sole.
So to clarify, White’s uses a double mid-sole when boots are ordered with a half-sole rubber outsole. If you ordered a double midsole with a half comp, you’d get 3 layers of leather.

 

[Chupacabra]

@linafelt and @hoppy_IPA thank you gentleman for the knowledge, much appreciated.

 

[HolyBootsBatman]

I haven’t seen many LLT Swing Last photos, so I thought I’d share.

Swing Last 9338
LLT 7”
Cinnamon WF
Black crepe

I find the swing last incredibly comfy.

 

[Mghart]

Those look great! @HolyBootsBatman I haven’t seen waxed flesh on other boots other than the MP
Boots. Is that something you can order through Bakers even though they don’t list waxed flesh leather on the site?

 

[HolyBootsBatman]

It just wears incredibly fast and is less comfortable.

You find the half comp wears quickly.
• What half sole seems the most durable?

 

[b1lf]

You find the half comp wears quickly.
• What half sole seems the most durable?

The 430 half sole

 

[HolyBootsBatman]

Those look great! @HolyBootsBatman I haven’t seen waxed flesh on other boots other than the MP
Boots. Is that something you can order through Bakers even though they don’t list waxed flesh leather on the site?

Thank you, I’m very happy how they turned out.

I ordered directly with Mandy at White’s. Baker’s will also order WF.

I find the websites annoying, I can’t seem to get Build-A-Boot to work well. Over the phone they were happy to do it.

Soon, I’ll order another pair thru Baker’s. Perhaps Olive WF. Or Brown oil RO and brown dress combo.

 

[Mghart]

Good to know thanks! I used to have a viberg boot in wax flesh and it worked well as a bad weather boot but not super comfortable. I’m finding my SDs to be better fitting so getting another foul weather boot in wax flesh would be great.

 

[HolyBootsBatman]

Good to know thanks! I used to have a viberg boot in wax flesh and it worked well as a bad weather boot but not super comfortable. I’m finding my SDs to be better fitting so getting another foul weather boot in wax flesh would be great.

Yeah, Waxed Flesh is a good choice for weather and those that like the worn-in look.

I enjoy my Vibergs for casual wear. But I find these White’s much more comfortable; the swing last fits perfectly and the arch support is great for my long work days on set.

Red Wing moc-toes are popular here, and I have a pair. But they pale in comparison. I’m sure those on this thread know why.

 

[hoppy_IPA]

New Boots came in today. Wanted to share a few quick long, drawn out & rambling thoughts & pics.

TL;DR: Ordered Veg Tan Horse Hide from Horween for a pair of White's Bounty Hunters. Kyle at Baker's is a god among boots & these boots are crazy burly. Chernobyl level patina to ensure. Expectations took mushrooms & the boots had me hallucinating when i opened the box.

Leather: Horween “Russet” Horsehide; a raw in every sense of the word Veg Tan beast. I purchased it from Tannery Row & had it shipped directly to Bakers. Kyle facilitated this & QA’d the strips prior to fwd’ing to Whites for the build. Took a leap of faith to pull the trigger w/o so much as a sample.
This stuff is THIKK. I’m guessing 7/8oz which is square in work leather territory. I doubt my brown oil or 2 pairs of Distressed is thicker. It’s also incredibly stiff. Even though the fit is spot on (11.5D) these are going to need some serious break in time. Of my 9 pairs of White’s, they are without question the stiffest. Color wise, they are completely natural & remind me of a Veg Tan belt I got last year. No pigment/dye in it at all. “Patina” shall be my watch word.

Sole: Double Oak with a rubber Topy applied by Bakers. I’ve never had a Topy on any boots before & I expected a flimsy piece of rubber to be rubber cemented onto my boots. I had to call Kyle immediately & learn more about this absurdly rugged sheath I found STITCHED to my boots! I was informed my perception was correct but Bakers takes things a bit more serious & likes to sew on these gnarly Vibram topies on to align with the ruggedness of White's boot. These totally caught me by surprise & greatly exceeded my expectations. Previously, Ive extolled my love for single Oak soles but after wearing my Double Oak SD's a ton lately I had a knee jerk reaction & called Kyle to change to double from single. The absurdly thick & rugged heavy Horsehide commands a double sole to balance the boot out.

Specs: 7" Bounty Hunter on the 55 last. Soft/unstructed toe. 5 Brass eyelets/4 hooks. top garment = hook. Brogue toe cap. Pull loops yes. Cut Top. Natural Edge color/dressing. Calf skin liner YES in Red or Tan.... now this is where I suggest folks at times trust the Pro's (Kyle/White's staff)... they were built w/o liner without contacting me. Kyle told me afterwards this particular Horse Hide is simply too thick & burly to be lasted with a liner. That was definitely the right decision!

Thoughts: Custom ordering leather is something i've been wanting to do for a long time. There is a great deal of uncertainty to what you'll get & how White's will handle it. Even though my expectations were kept open, these surprised me when i opened the box. I had a dressy-casual look in mind and perhaps they will get there eventually but as is, they are destined for a long trip on the Patina Highway. I prepared myself to limit the duty of this pair for "Sunday Best" type wear but i'm going to just go ahead & treat them like boots and enjoy the ride. Mowing the lawn is about the only off-limits activity as Im just not ready for grass stains. During the wait, i had 2nd thoughts about Semi-Dress and wondered if i missed the mark. The SD's partially gusseted tongue & 5" height makes them all to convenient to reach for due to ease of putting on/lacing up/taking off. Again, Bounty Hunter in 7" was (I wanted 10" or at least 8" but was told HH strip can't accommodate that) the right move for balance. In hindsight, I would special request the cobbler check dies to see what is the tallest boots my special order strips could yield. After all, I bought & paid for this leather and was sort of hoping they'd put the trim in the box with my boots (which they did not so no telling how much extra they had). I texted Kyle to see if there are any scraps big enough for some coasters. My fault for not expressing this but it's something i would do differently next time. Initially I was reluctant to place extraneous details on the order which I'm equally OK with. So if you made it to the end this long winded, rambling, 7th grade level write up you deserve a beer

White’s Bounty Hunter in Horween Russet Horse Hide

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[TH3515]

^ Ah, so they're yours! Bakers posted a pic of them on their Facebook a few days ago...and I was wondering who the lucky owner may be.
We're now expecting weekly patina updates over the next, say, 10 years or so

 

[Trapp]

Both boots above look amazing. I have some SDs in a dark brown waxed flesh and I love them.

I can't believe how good those custom horsehide boots turned out. Look forward to seeing and hearing more about the leather as it wears in.

 

[Mghart]

@hoppy_IPA Those boots came out amazing! Looking forward to seeing how they age. Was Kyle at bakers pretty open about you supplying the leather? I'm curious as to how much leather you needed to order to have enough to produce the boots.

 

[Phalanx]

@hoppy_IPA Those look incredible. Did you specify a custom eyelet/hooks pattern there? I always thought 7 inch boots had 4 hooks and a eyelet after the initial eyelets.

 

[iamntbatman]

Those natural vegtan horsehide BHs are practically standing-ovation worthy. Peak White's? Can't wait to see how that leather ages.