Role Club Thread

[Mghart]

Correct. They're being shipped to me and should be here in a week or so. I should probably just wait until they arrive, but am impatient and was hoping to get a little info about the fit of the last while I waited...

His Engineers are based off a 30/40's Chippewa from what I recall he told me. While his boots are MTM, I'd say half size down from brannock is a safe bet for length, but width is a totally different matter. My underdogs are on the same last but its hard to compare it to other footwear. Pretty close to what I feel in my whites 55 last I'd say though which I took half size down from brannock.

 

[Chop Chop]

The Underdogs look great new but at ~$1800, a goodyear welt is an easy pass. Also not a fan of the eyelets coming together after lacing/wear.

 

[bjhofkin]

The Underdogs look great new but at ~$1800, a goodyear welt is an easy pass. Also not a fan of the eyelets coming together after lacing/wear.

They're hand-welted, to be clear.

 

[drentco]

Just picked up from Unsung House in Nashville. Leather jack sole with toe taps and cuban heel. Removed Brian’s woodsman after a poor choice on my part.

 

[lol_12345]

.

 

[sajesak]

HIGHLY recommended.

Love how they're easy to get on and off yet still have the substantial look/feel of boots.

The key is to make sure the eyelets remain more or less where they'd be without the shaft being any taller so that the lacing pressure is over the instep where it needs to be. Brian did a great job.

FWIW, not to get all cross-genre on everyone so early in the thread, but these boots by the great DW Frommer were the inspiration.

Having Nicholas Templeman make me a pair (DWFII himself is mainly retired) and will post in the bespoke shoes thread when they're made, for those interested… https://gaminguider.com

Hi there! I am about to place an order for a pair of Role Club engineer boots. I have a few questions, and am hoping folks on here can help me.

1. Does anyone own RC boots in both the 1940 and 2307 lasts. I am wondering what you think of the lasts. I am having a hard time deciding between the two.

2. I don't know if I should go with a structured toe or a soft toe, and honestly don't even know what the difference is.

3. I want a pair of black engineer boots. He offers CXL leather, super horsehide, and something called Hand Finished Black Horsehide. Does anyone know the differences between these leathers?

4. What is an edge finish? The choices are dark brown, medium brown, natural and black. But I have no idea what this is.

5. Any recommendations on heel height? Standard is 1 7/8 inches and lower is 1 1/2 inches. It's a small difference, but I'm curious what the difference may be to the wearer.

Thanks so much!

 

[Silverwolf]

Hi there! I am about to place an order for a pair of Role Club engineer boots. I have a few questions, and am hoping folks on here can help me.

1. Does anyone own RC boots in both the 1940 and 2307 lasts. I am wondering what you think of the lasts. I am having a hard time deciding between the two.

2. I don't know if I should go with a structured toe or a soft toe, and honestly don't even know what the difference is.

3. I want a pair of black engineer boots. He offers CXL leather, super horsehide, and something called Hand Finished Black Horsehide. Does anyone know the differences between these leathers?

4. What is an edge finish? The choices are dark brown, medium brown, natural and black. But I have no idea what this is.

5. Any recommendations on heel height? Standard is 1 7/8 inches and lower is 1 1/2 inches. It's a small difference, but I'm curious what the difference may be to the wearer.

Thanks so much!

Hi, I actually have 2 pairs of Role Clubs (though I'll be selling one soon).

One is in black shell, the other is regular black CXL. The shells have a structured toe, medium finish, and 1 1/2 inch heel. The CXLs have an unstructured toe, black finish, and 1 7/8 inch heels. I think my shells are on the 1940, and the other pair is the 2307.

The biggest difference is the 1940 is a bit bulbous, and looks more like a typical morotcycle boot, and the 2307 has a slimmer, more fashion-dress-shoe sleekness to it.

Structured toes mean there is a rigid material built into the toe box so it keeps its shape over time. Soft or unstructured toes mean there is nothing to support the toe box, so it will collapse over your feet with wear and time. It's really a personal prefernce style, and I'd suggest you look up pictures of worn soft toe boots to get an idea of what it would look like.

CXL stands for chromexcel. It's a custom manufacturing process from the Horween leather company. It's very soft and smooth, and one of the cheaper options for the leathers Brian offers. Super horsehide is very grainy, meaning it has a lot of texture. You should look up some well worn pairs of super horsehide boots if that's how you want your boots to eventually look. Hand finished black horsehide means the leather has been dyed by hand. With that kind of finish, the leather dye will eventually begin to wear away, and you'll have what's called "teacore" come through. It's where more worn parts of the leather lose a bit of the dye and become lighter. It's best showcased in black leather boots that develop lighter brown wear spots. I believe super horsehide also gets some teacore, but not to the same extent as the hand finished leather. He also offers shell cordovan whcih is what one of my pairs is made of, but it's significantly more expensive than all the other options. It's bascially a fiber membraine under the hide of a horse's butt that's been smoothed out. It's a very smooth leather with a shiny lustre and deep color.

Edge finish means the dyed color of the midsoles and welts of the boots (the compressed bands between the actual leather boot itself and the outsole on the bottom), basically what color you want the trim on the sides to look like.

As for the heels, it's also a personal preference. Wearing the 1 7/8 inch heels almost feels like wearing traditional cowboy boots. If you like that kind of fit on your feet then I'd go with it. The 1 1/2 inch heels are like wearing heritage brand boots like iron rangers or whites mps. Personally I prefer the 1 1/2 over my taller ones because it's harder for me to stand in tall heels for a long time.

I can try to get some pictures later if you like, but I hope this information helps you.

 

[NautOfEarth]

Preordered March 2021 and arrived yesterday. Originally wanted brown HH but after getting my brown hh Hendriks, changed it to black. They feel snug without being constricting and generally feel good. They do have"pinching" or rolling on both pairs which I would probably ignore except that I feel them when they're on foot. Would have expected a bit better for >1k since my Hendriks, or even cheaper boots have not come with that.

 

[caffed]

Preordered March 2021 and arrived yesterday. Originally wanted brown HH but after getting my brown hh Hendriks, changed it to black. They feel snug without being constricting and generally feel good. They do have"pinching" or rolling on both pairs which I would probably ignore except that I feel them when they're on foot. Would have expected a bit better for >1k since my Hendriks, or even cheaper boots have not come with that.

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These look beautiful 👌

 

[Jpto]

They're hand-welted, to be clear.

I love Brian's work but he doesn't do a traditional handwelt. It's closer to early GYW and the way Viberg does GYW these days.

Checkout this video on how he prepares the insoles



and here's the late DFWII's response when I asked him about Brian's technique.

Shoemaking Techniques and Traditions--"...these foolish things..."

I just registered here because this thread and other ones are so damn educating and I too have some questions about different construction methods. As a non professional customer I try to educate myself so I can do better informed purchases. Unfortuntely one has to rely on information given by...

www.styleforum.net

 

[Librarian Bro]

Got a pair of Role Club Boondockers for sale if anyone is interested.

https://www.styleforum.net/buyandse...uper-horsehide-size-26-5-fits-like-7-5.35943/

 

[JDAYE15]

My Role Clubs have finally arrived! Know it's not a crazy make up! But these should go well with my fit.