Made in Spain Footwear, including TLB Mallorca, Cobbler Union, Yanko, Norman Vilalta, etc

[Braid]

I guess everyone is free to do what they want but yeah these blanket statements are just silly. There's nothing wrong with Horween's hatchgrain.

It's not a blanket statement, it's just my opinion. If you get horween hatch grain there is a higher probability of having heavy creasing, for me this is a good reason to look for a different kind of grained leather.

If you are not bothered with creasing go for it, not saying it should be illegal to sell or buy it

 

[Schweino]

Leather is expensive so a lot of makers use as much of the hide as they can which isn’t surprising. A good entry level company like TLB can click specifically around scars and marring and try to hide the fat rolls/stretch marks but it can be harder to identify them on hides that have been embossed like @j ingevaldsson mentioned because the embossing will hide a lot of them.

A lot of times people just kind of refer to this as “loose grain” as a blanket statement and call it that but my understanding is that’s not always what it is.

That is not what I meant with loose grain. What I mean is that belly leather has a much looser fiber structure than back leather which has a very tight structure. This won't be covered by embossing the leather, scars etc are.

So, loose structure leather will crease much more easily and in a more coarse manner than back leather. This can easiliy be avoided by clicking from the right parts of the hide: Don't use loose grain/loose fiber leather for parts of the shoe that bend a lot like the vamp.

also see:

**The Official Shoe Care Thread: Tutorials, Photos, etc.**

What’s the difference? From my point of view, I feel that even though both fell in the same boots category and that the differences might be subtle, the main one between chukka and desert boots is that the latter tends to be lighter in weight as most would be unlined and has a floppier upper...

www.styleforum.net

Cheaney

Sale. These boots came from the factory shop this morning. 175 last in plough suede.

www.styleforum.net

 

[j ingevaldsson]

LOL.... crust leather is also known to have "worse creasing", should we also avoid using crust leather?

I think that's just some weird thing that came out of Saint Crispin's using thin Polish crust leather that creases rather heavily (because it's thin, not because it's crust). In general, it's surely not the case and don't think people believe it's the case either, you may have wax gather up in the creasing a bit more making it lighter coloured but that's a different thing.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Let me preface this by saying I like the brand and I've seen some really nice shoes from them. However my personal experience has been a bit disappointing, especially with regard to leather quality. Here's what my pair of Artista 135 STDs look like after being worn 4 times in good conditions. I don't really know what to think...

Looking back at these pictures - I'd be curious how these fit the OP. Looking more closely this doesn't look like grain break, loose grain, delamination etc to me. I say that mainly because the creasing is near identical on both shoes.

The shoes also look either dusty or like they have dried wax on them. Be curious what they looked like after some cream polish or a brushing.

 

[Nebbiolo]

Looking back at these pictures - I'd be curious how these fit the OP. Looking more closely this doesn't look like grain break, loose grain, delamination etc to me. I say that mainly because the creasing is near identical on both shoes.

The shoes also look either dusty or like they have dried wax on them. Be curious what they looked like after some cream polish or a brushing.

They're the correct size and fit fairly snug on me. I only wish they had more support around the heel. Here's another picture after I gave them a good brushing (no cream).

 

[VaNeT]

My first TLB MTO Artista Picasso Black Chelsea Boots that arrived at the start of November. Wearing them 3-4 times, very glad with fit.

Spoiler: Photos

 

[Braid]

They're the correct size and fit fairly snug on me. I only wish they had more support around the heel. Here's another picture after I gave them a good brushing (no cream). View attachment 1715221

To me it looks like bad clipping and I am afraid there isn't much you can do about it. I have very similar creasing on a pair of boots with same leather (but from a different maker) and the same dry look as well.

As I mentioned before I have the impression that Hatchgrain has a higher probability of having severe creasing compared to other embossed leathers. When I visited one of of the Northampton factories a worker told me they stopped using the leather as they had multiple problem with it and several customers complained. I hope it doesn't sound like a blanket statement but for me this is a sufficient reason to avoid this leather going forward.

 

[Betelgeuse]

My first TLB MTO Artista Picasso Black Chelsea Boots that arrived at the start of November. Wearing them 3-4 times, very glad with fit.
View attachment 1716621

Those look great. But, may I ask why is there a charger cable?

 

[j ingevaldsson]

Those look great. But, may I ask why is there a charger cable?

Toni is very flexible on MTO's you know, now you can have a combined welted shoe and battery pack

 

[VaNeT]

Those look great. But, may I ask why is there a charger cable?

Funny story here. My wife lost her Headphone Jack Adapter and was very upset about this. She did those pictures for me also, because she is a better photographer and I was busy. And she didn't notice that the adapter was inside the boot while shooting, so she took the boot upside down to take a photo of the sole and the adapter fell out

 

[WilYa]

To me it looks like bad clipping and I am afraid there isn't much you can do about it. I have very similar creasing on a pair of boots with same leather (but from a different maker) and the same dry look as well.

As I mentioned before I have the impression that Hatchgrain has a higher probability of having severe creasing compared to other embossed leathers. When I visited one of of the Northampton factories a worker told me they stopped using the leather as they had multiple problem with it and several customers complained. I hope it doesn't sound like a blanket statement but for me this is a sufficient reason to avoid this leather going forward.

I concur with this. The pair with the worst creasing in my collection happens to be of Horween Hatch. My impression from handling the swatches is that this leather is more plastic-y than other leather options.
There are indeed other cons with this leather, especially during lasting:
1. The hatch pattern phases out more easily
2. The colour fades more easily

 

[Robert W.]

I wonder if they changed the opening of the shaft. I remember members saying that the shaft is really wide.

This is how a pair of TLB Bryan last F width boots fit on me. I'm very thin, so your mileage may vary.

Also, what do you think about a shaft that fit in this way? Is it acceptable? If not, can you recommend some low to mid priced boots with a narrower leg opening?

 

[thuhoan]

This is how a pair of TLB Bryan last F width boots fit on me. I'm very thin, so your mileage may vary.

Also, what do you think about a shaft that fit in this way? Is it acceptable? If not, can you recommend some low to mid priced boots with a narrower leg opening?

View attachment 1718356 View attachment 1718357 View attachment 1718358 View attachment 1718359

That part of my leg is also skinny. I am very picky so for me not acceptable unless the last keeps my foot in place sufficiently.

I know that Carmina’s Chelsea boots in Rain last is snug at the ankle, unlike the one from Skolyx.

No experience with lace up boots from either brand.

 

[Patrick1053]

This is how a pair of TLB Bryan last F width boots fit on me. I'm very thin, so your mileage may vary.

Also, what do you think about a shaft that fit in this way? Is it acceptable? If not, can you recommend some low to mid priced boots with a narrower leg opening?

View attachment 1718356 View attachment 1718357 View attachment 1718358 View attachment 1718359

I wouldn't keep them if they fit like that. On the other hand, If you install a tongue pad in the shaft area that would fill it out. You could have a cobbler toe a permanent tongue pad in.

 

[Schweino]

This is how a pair of TLB Bryan last F width boots fit on me. I'm very thin, so your mileage may vary.

Also, what do you think about a shaft that fit in this way? Is it acceptable? If not, can you recommend some low to mid priced boots with a narrower leg opening?

View attachment 1718356 View attachment 1718357 View attachment 1718358 View attachment 1718359

I have the exact same issue with some boots (Yanko, Sons of Henrey, some Crockett and Jones). It doesn't work if the shaft is this loose; laces come undone and it just doesn't feel right to me. So I either sold or returned these boots.

Brands that don't have this issue are: Cheaney, Carlos Santos, Löf & Tung. Carmina too but that is another price range.

I can recommend you the field boots of Carlos Santos on last 316 (style 9156) - size down half a size from normal. Or Löf & Tung Kingsley or Clark boots. Or Cheaney Elliott: https://www.cheaney.co.uk/cheaney-elliott-ii-r-capped-derby-boot-in-mahogany-grain-leather-p1079