d̶r̶e̶s̶s̶ casual boot decisions are getting tough.

[soapsuds]

I have recently gotten into the look of the 6" dress boots and would love some extra eyes and feed back on the boots I am looking in to purchasing.

The first is the Courtland 1000 mile boots in brown: http://www.wolverine.com/US/en-US/P...29/Mens/Courtland-1000-Mile-Boot?dimensions=0

They are the cheapest of the bunch I am seriously looking at now.

Next are the Oak Street Bootmakers Natural Cap-Toe Trench boot: http://oakstreetbootmakers.com/footwear/natural-captoe-trench-boot

These are probably the front runners for me at the moment however i have seen some mentions of them being easy to scuff and mark up. I understand that is part of the character to all these boots, however I want to keep these boots as nice as possible to transition from casual to dress. I am in college and would love for them to be great with jeans going to class, chinos going to work, and a suit for weddings and the such.

Lastly are the Alden Indy Boot: https://www.aldenshop.com/Store/DrawProducts.aspx?CategoryID=163&ParentID=4&PageID=&Action=

These are the most expensive and I would prefer the shell cordovan offered in this boot but those are getting way out of my price range. I have seen great reviews on all the Alden boots and never a bad one. So I believe I could go with these and never have any doubts.

I would enjoy some first hand experience of people who have dealt with all or even just two of these boots to offer some comparison. I believe they all have leather coming from Horween leather so that is a major plus. The only difference would be how the boot makers take advantage of the great leather.
I am always open to more options. I want a leather sole, or the like (thinner sole, more elegant), and would like for them to be cheaper than these options as well if that is possible with quality boots.

I am also very new to owning quality leather footwear. I would greatly appreciate some help on how to take care of them as well. Just from looking online and some research I know i need cedar shoe trees, leather conditioner/shoe cream (haven't found the difference in them), a horse hair brush, and some quality time with the shoes. Is there anything else that is essential that would help with prolonging their life or improving their look?

Thank y'all very much and I look forward to reading what is said and eventually getting the best pair!

 

[dddrees]

Of the three you have listed most here would never consider any of these as being a dress boot, but they are more of a casual boot instead. Keep in mind that just because the leather comes from Horween does not mean that there aren't varying levels of quality in their leathers as well. The price you pay will typically be reflected as to what quality you would be getting. I personally do not have any experience with the two particular boots from Wolverine or Oak Street Bootmakers. However I do have a 1000k boot from Wolverine and an Alden Indy Boot. Although the tongue on one of the Alden Indy boots does tend to travel (documented by many, and fairly easy to address by a cobbler), I would still rate the leather and that boot as being better than the 1000K boot from Wolverine.


However if your intent is to look for more of a dress boot than a casual \ work boot you really need to look at some other boots.

 

[RogerP]

^^^ You called it @dddrees - not a dress boot in the bunch, but as casual boots go the Alden would be my pick of that particular litter.

For a very smart casual boot though, I think this Carmina from Skoak is pretty hard to top for quality style and value.

http://www.skoaktiebolaget.se/collections/carmina/products/carmina-jumper-boot

 

[soapsuds]

Alright I fixed the title, I can see how those are more casual boots as opposed to a wingtip dress boot and the like. I don't want a dress boot according to the technical terms, however I do want a boot that can be dressed up to match a more formal setting. Being a college student we don't have many formal/black tie affairs that will require a true dress shoe. I would like to have the option of a more presentable look during everyday wear that can be obtained by a quality leather boot instead of tennis shoes or sperrys.

 

[eotm]

College student go with the Wolverine, the leather will be a bit harder wearing than an Alden boot (even if marginally less nice). Given the terrible things that are basically guaranteed to happen to it, there is a good amount of value there. Also, you probably have great uses for an extra $125.

However, if you basically want a replacement for buying captoe/wingtip shoes, you might want to look into a more formal boot. Chelseas if you are in a city or laceup wingtip boots outside. In that case, Alden has nice options and AE has been having issues selling boots recently so you might be able to get a great deal. Also, look into getting Alden's seconds, only thing you are likely to notice are the savings.

Last point, if you current have sneakers and boat shoes, maybe a pair of loafers would satisfy the dress requirement and let you get a casual boot, which you seem to prefer.

 

[dddrees]

Alright I fixed the title, I can see how those are more casual boots as opposed to a wingtip dress boot and the like. I don't want a dress boot according to the technical terms, however I do want a boot that can be dressed up to match a more formal setting. Being a college student we don't have many formal/black tie affairs that will require a true dress shoe. I would like to have the option of a more presentable look during everyday wear that can be obtained by a quality leather boot instead of tennis shoes or sperrys.

Well then I think @rogerp provided you with the perfect alternative then. Good quality boot for your money which could be worn either casually or with dress slacks. I don't think I would wear these with a suit, however they would work well with dress slacks.

 

[chogall]

Wolverine or Indy Boots aint gonna cut it if you want to wear with suits.

You probably need either chelsea boots or chukkas; both will work from jeans to chinos to suits. For Chelsea, look for RM Williams. Chukka, look for Trickers on Sierra Trading Post.

 

[RogerP]

Well then I think @rogerp provided you with the perfect alternative then. Good quality boot for your money which could be worn either casually or with dress slacks. I don't think I would wear these with a suit, however they would work well with dress slacks.

Again, I'm with you.

That said, given some of the shockingly horrible boot choices I see worn with suits each and every winter, these would be a massive improvement for a great many.

 

[BackInTheJox]

I'm going to go ahead and offer my opinion that chelsea boots are horrendous looking (no exceptions), and that no one should ever buy a pair unless the intention is to burn them (and the rest of the stock).

Aim for something else that's been suggested.

 

[clotheshorse69]

Wh

I'm going to go ahead and offer my opinion that chelsea boots are horrendous looking (no exceptions), and that no one should ever buy a pair unless the intention is to burn them (and the rest of the stock).

Aim for something else that's been suggested.

Why do you say that?

 

[soapsuds]

I have never enjoyed the look of Chelsea boots. They remind me of what a toddler would wear so they can wear it for a longer period of time while their foot grows and so they can put it on themselves.

I have added the Skoak boots to my choices now. That is a beautiful boot and I love the texture to it. (pebble?)

I take the suit comment back. One because I don't think there would work well with a suit. Might could pull it off if required. Second because I don't own a suit. I have a couple sport coats and jackets with dress slacks/chinos that I would like to wear the boots with. I feel like that would be more acceptable to adorn with the casual boots am looking at.

Thank you all for your help so far and quick responses. I will probably be purchasing them after I receive my next paycheck.

 

[RogerP]

I love Chelsea boots. Not everyone will, of course. Just like whatever your particular fave form of footwear might be, there will be others who don't care for it. Gotta love other-the-top SF bombast though. Anything that one particular person doesn't like must be "burned" at large and the ashes scattered to the four winds.

I guess some might look at these and see toddler shoes. I sure don't.

 

[chogall]

I have never enjoyed the look of Chelsea boots. They remind me of what a toddler would wear so they can wear it for a longer period of time while their foot grows and so they can put it on themselves.

I have added the Skoak boots to my choices now. That is a beautiful boot and I love the texture to it. (pebble?)

I take the suit comment back. One because I don't think there would work well with a suit. Might could pull it off if required. Second because I don't own a suit. I have a couple sport coats and jackets with dress slacks/chinos that I would like to wear the boots with. I feel like that would be more acceptable to adorn with the casual boots am looking at.

Thank you all for your help so far and quick responses. I will probably be purchasing them after I receive my next paycheck.

Chukka will be your best choice. Skip work boots like indy boots or wolverines unless you intend to do hard labor.

 

[hugh51271]

I think those boots are for winter and definitely not for formal wear or a suit as others have said.

Regarding boots and suits. I quite like these boots Bob Dylan is wearing (can't find a better image). No idea what they are. They remind me of the wild west 120 years ago.

 

[johng70]

Some things to consider regarding your boot selection as a college student:
1) Leather vs. rubber sole: if you are planning on wearing the boots outside in wet and or snow conditions forget about a leather sole. Seriously. You will definitely appreciate a boot that has a rubber sole. Some boots allow for different tread patterns so not every rubber soled boot has a massive lug sole. To that point, I would stick with boots that have a full rubber sole not some of them that still have a portion of leather sole - as that will get soaked. Leather soles look nicer but they're a lot less practical

2) Chromexcel scratches when you look at it. Make sure you're OK with that. I have some very nice Whites boots in Brown CXL - just catching the toe walking up a concrete step put a mammoth scratch in it. It's easy to rub the color back in but the leather itself really shows abuse. Remember, you can't control what other people do - what they drop, where the step, etc. So, with that in mind, CXL would not be my choice for everyday foot-ware on a college campus. Great for dress but in everyday life you'll really show scratches and guages.

3) Comfort. Here's the real shocker you might not be expecting. These expensive boots are often less comfortable than cheaper footware and especially sneakers. You are buying durability, recraftability and style. When you do that you often take a hit on comfort. A big part of it is the heavier leather doesn't give as much and of course you don't have cushioned insoles. A lot depends on how much you walk though - 25 years ago when I was in college we had to walk everywhere. If you're not logging a lot of miles it might not matter.

4. Lasts and sizing. BUT, either way, I would seriously suggest you not buy an expensive pair of boots site-unseen. Different boot makers use different lasts (the mold that shapes the boot) some lasts just fit better on a given foot than other. And, you may find yourself needing what seems to you to be a bizarre size. So, you're going to want to try on the boots first. Let's say you wear a 9.5D in a "normal" shoe. You may find you need a 9EE or 9E or 10D in one boot and 9.5D in another. And some boots just might not fit right at all. My White's Semi Dress are 9.5 D. They fit well but I need thicker socks. When I tried 1000 mile boots neither 9.5 D nor 9.5 E fit me comfortably. I cannot emphasize enough how just getting your foot measured on the standard device is irrelevant. Similarly, I have about 8 pairs of Allen Edmonds shoes/boots across several different lasts. One of their lasts fits me perfectly and those shoes are very comfortable. The other shoes, while they fit they are not nearly as comfortable and I tried several different sizes. All are perfectly fine for office wear - but if I were logging the number of steps I used to at college I wouldn't want to be wearing some of them.

5. Make sure you are not wishy-washy about the style you wear. Let's face it - when you buy boots like these you're buying something you want to last for a number of years. If you get tired of the style of something quickly then buying expensive shoes/boots might not be the best choice.

Finally, as mentioned - don't plan on wearing any of the boots in a dress-up situation. I'm not talking about tuxes - if you have to wear a tie, most of these boots are not appropriate.