otacon
Senior Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2010
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 3
Pros:
-One piece leather upper
-Goodyear welt stitching
-$140
Cons:
-Wrinkles
-last pair in my size in store
-one of the pull tabs is jutting out funny because of how it was sewn (hardly even worth mentioning)
Wall-o'-text
I started seriously looking for a new pair of chelseas during the summer. RM Williams seemed to be the favorite, and while I'd love a pair, it is difficult for me as I live in the US and not near a store where I could try any on to really get an idea of size/fit. I stopped inside a bootshop during the summer and found a pretty good pair, but something about it wasn't screaming at me--probably just the leather over the elastic, which I did not find to be as elegant.
Either way, I went back recently and apparently I knew what to look for a little bit better, as I noticed the one-piece upper and the welt stitching. The salesperson (who may have been an owner) assured me they were goodyear welts. What did not impress me were all of the wrinkles in the pair he brought out to me. Not too bad, but not new looking, either. The soles and heels looked new though, so I concluded someone tried them on in the store or at the factory and paper was not stuffed in after. Maybe I've just been brainwashed by all of the really beautiful pics I've been seeing on the RMW site and other manufacturers/sellers. I asked if he had any other pairs, noticing what looked like a scuff (but which was just glue, apparently.) He said no, and took care of the glue. It was either at this point or later that he mentioned the creases being somewhat unavoidable. They fit well--a bit tight on the sides, a little bit of a lift when I walk. They should conform, as I've had them, less than a week.
He didn't have any boot trees for them. He said, more or less, that he doesn't like them with boots anyway because it stretches them to the tree instead of the foot. Probably a good point.
When I got home, I treated them with Beare Grease Leather Dressing, which I picked up with the boots. He mentioned that it would soften the leather and water proof it. I'm a little worried that the former contributed to further wrinkling, but I'm not really sure it did anything different from any other saddle dressing.
He mentioned that the boots were cowhide. The manufacturer's website seems to indicate that they are made from deer, which I imagine is softer.
http://www.losaltosboots.com/index.p...v26aes68dnl2f6
What I did not ask was whether it was full grain or corrected grain. I've emailed the manufacturer but have not received reply. Could this contribute to some of the wrinkling? I have included pictures of the right boot, but the left is probably worse.
The wrinkling aside, I'm pretty happy. I'm not sure how much of a problem this will be in the future though, or if I really need to get trees for these things.
Thanks in advance for any advice, criticism, or comments
-One piece leather upper
-Goodyear welt stitching
-$140
Cons:
-Wrinkles
-last pair in my size in store
-one of the pull tabs is jutting out funny because of how it was sewn (hardly even worth mentioning)
Wall-o'-text
I started seriously looking for a new pair of chelseas during the summer. RM Williams seemed to be the favorite, and while I'd love a pair, it is difficult for me as I live in the US and not near a store where I could try any on to really get an idea of size/fit. I stopped inside a bootshop during the summer and found a pretty good pair, but something about it wasn't screaming at me--probably just the leather over the elastic, which I did not find to be as elegant.
Either way, I went back recently and apparently I knew what to look for a little bit better, as I noticed the one-piece upper and the welt stitching. The salesperson (who may have been an owner) assured me they were goodyear welts. What did not impress me were all of the wrinkles in the pair he brought out to me. Not too bad, but not new looking, either. The soles and heels looked new though, so I concluded someone tried them on in the store or at the factory and paper was not stuffed in after. Maybe I've just been brainwashed by all of the really beautiful pics I've been seeing on the RMW site and other manufacturers/sellers. I asked if he had any other pairs, noticing what looked like a scuff (but which was just glue, apparently.) He said no, and took care of the glue. It was either at this point or later that he mentioned the creases being somewhat unavoidable. They fit well--a bit tight on the sides, a little bit of a lift when I walk. They should conform, as I've had them, less than a week.
He didn't have any boot trees for them. He said, more or less, that he doesn't like them with boots anyway because it stretches them to the tree instead of the foot. Probably a good point.
When I got home, I treated them with Beare Grease Leather Dressing, which I picked up with the boots. He mentioned that it would soften the leather and water proof it. I'm a little worried that the former contributed to further wrinkling, but I'm not really sure it did anything different from any other saddle dressing.
He mentioned that the boots were cowhide. The manufacturer's website seems to indicate that they are made from deer, which I imagine is softer.
http://www.losaltosboots.com/index.p...v26aes68dnl2f6
What I did not ask was whether it was full grain or corrected grain. I've emailed the manufacturer but have not received reply. Could this contribute to some of the wrinkling? I have included pictures of the right boot, but the left is probably worse.
The wrinkling aside, I'm pretty happy. I'm not sure how much of a problem this will be in the future though, or if I really need to get trees for these things.
Thanks in advance for any advice, criticism, or comments
