Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Review

[milw50717]



Oh, and I almost forgot. What's your opinion on the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine 1000 Mile boot? A lot of reviews say Alden's are better overall.

Thanks again for the help!

They are great. Buy them both.

 

[toby1992]

Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I could not find his signature on that link. And do you know when the code will end? Just got to make sure I have time.

And regarding the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine...which is better though? In terms of quality, comfort, etc (if any)... I own a pair of Wolverines already and was only interested in Alden Indy's because of the extremely positive reviews it got. After a few searches of 'Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine,' almost everybody said Alden's are much better quality and comfort.

 

[movoblast]

Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I could not find his signature on that link. And do you know when the code will end? Just got to make sure I have time.

And regarding the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine...which is better though? In terms of quality, comfort, etc (if any)... I own a pair of Wolverines already and was only interested in Alden Indy's because of the extremely positive reviews it got. After a few searches of 'Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine,' almost everybody said Alden's are much better quality and comfort.

Don't own a pair of Indy's, but love how they look and would like to someday own a pair. With that said, I don't think I could get myself to pay $500 for a pair of calf/cxl shoes. I would buy them if they fall in the $350-$400 range. If I'm already at the $500 price point, I'd just go all out and buy shell cordovan. Just my opinion on alden calf.

 

[milw50717]



Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I could not find his signature on that link. And do you know when the code will end? Just got to make sure I have time.

And regarding the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine...which is better though? In terms of quality, comfort, etc (if any)... I own a pair of Wolverines already and was only interested in Alden Indy's because of the extremely positive reviews it got. After a few searches of 'Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine,' almost everybody said Alden's are much better quality and comfort.

Check with Crane as to the code.

You come to a Wolverine 1K thread and ask if the Indy is a better boot ?

The Indy is a great boot and will serve you well. I find it interesting that you are only interested in it because of the reviews. Doesn't the look of it come into the equation also ? I'd argue that they are quite different boots. The 1K being more of a work boot and the Indy being more of a refined boot, despite Alden's description.

A well fitting 1K should be a very comfortable boot. Same will be true for the Indy.

Quality, yes I'd give that to the Indy.

 

[chimaki]

Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I could not find his signature on that link. And do you know when the code will end? Just got to make sure I have time.

And regarding the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine...which is better though? In terms of quality, comfort, etc (if any)... I own a pair of Wolverines already and was only interested in Alden Indy's because of the extremely positive reviews it got. After a few searches of 'Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine,' almost everybody said Alden's are much better quality and comfort.

go to the website, put a boot in your cart, try the code, check for discount. if it's not there, it's over.

 

[Crane's]



go to the website, put a boot in your cart, try the code, check for discount.  if it's not there, it's over.

Smart move since I do tend to run specials longer than I say.

 

[anrobit]

Check with Crane as to the code.

You come to a Wolverine 1K thread and ask if the Indy is a better boot ?

The Indy is a great boot and will serve you well. I find it interesting that you are only interested in it because of the reviews. Doesn't the look of it come into the equation also ? I'd argue that they are quite different boots. The 1K being more of a work boot and the Indy being more of a refined boot, despite Alden's description.

A well fitting 1K should be a very comfortable boot. Same will be true for the Indy.

Quality, yes I'd give that to the Indy.

I would really disagree that the Indy and the 1k are very different boots. It all depends on treatment. If you treat them carefully and prevent stains, etc, either boot can work in business casual, but will look rather out of place with anything more formal.

The Alden Indy and 1k both look wonderful beaten up, and I'd say that the Indy is better suited to rough conditions.

 

[cthip]



Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I could not find his signature on that link. And do you know when the code will end? Just got to make sure I have time.

And regarding the Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine...which is better though? In terms of quality, comfort, etc (if any)... I own a pair of Wolverines already and was only interested in Alden Indy's because of the extremely positive reviews it got. After a few searches of 'Alden Indy's vs. Wolverine,' almost everybody said Alden's are much better quality and comfort.

I have a pair of each, both in Chromexcel. They're both great boots, and you'll be happy with either one.

Comfort is VERY subjective and if at all possible, trying them on locally would be your best bet. You're gonna be spending several hundred dollars on these, so if they're available within an hour or so drive of where you live, you really should go check them out in person. Alden's Trubalance last has a fairly unique shape, and the last that fits your foot shape best will likely be the most comfortable.

Objectively, the Alden is probably better constructed but not so much so that you'd notice a difference in longevity or comfort. They're also significantly heavier than the Wolverines, which may or may not make a difference to you.

I tend to wear my Aldens when I want to be a little dressed up. I think they're appropriate with anything less formal than a suit. I usually go with my 1Ks in rough weather (rain, snow, mud). It looks like Anrobit prefers the Indy in rough conditions, which just goes to show (as he stated) that either boot can easily fill either role.

The price difference between them is about $100 (or more depending on available discounts), and it's probably justified if you like the Indys better or if they suit your needs and style better. You'll likely be wearing these boots for 10 years or more, so pick whichever one is going to best meet your needs over that span.

 

[Andreas1965]

After receiving a couple pairs of defective 1ks myself, I pointed Wolverine customer service to this thread with all the QC complaints. They just don't seem to really give a damn. At least they recognize them as defective.

"SF Fashion is not a valid reseller of our product. They are selling seconds and defects. So the issues that are coming from them are something that we cannot help with since they are seconds"

Better yet:

if enough people stopped buying them I bet they would get the point.

IDK. Wolverine customer service USA gave me a contact email from their (so called) German distributor. I emailed the guy (I bought a defective 1K at Nordstrom) and never received an answer. Called back Wolverine USA, they said they'll try to dig out a working email adress. That's 4 weeks ago...

I'm sorry, but their QC is plain lousy, their customer service is a shame and I promise I'll never ever buy a product from them again. There are much, much better alternatives on the market. I'm owning several pairs of Vibergs, Whites, Wescos and Red Wings. Never had an issue with one of their boots. First pair of 1Ks and BAM! And if you carefully follow what people are complaining about the Wolverines on the internet (boards etc.) you'll get an idea how crappy these boots really are.

 

[red81]

i don't know if crappy's the right word, i would just follow some precautions:

1. make sure they fit well
2. inspect them/ try them on in person, look for issues that came up here (excessive creasing if that bothers you, improper stitching, etc.)
3. buy from a legitimate retailer if you want to buy online, one that has good customer service (apparently, do not rely on wolverine's cs to do anything).

i saw these in person, and they looked nice enough, but not on top of my list. i will reserve my judgment of them when/if i ever purchase them.

 

[Andreas1965]

i don't know if crappy's the right word, i would just follow some precautions:

1. make sure they fit well
2. inspect them/ try them on in person, look for issues that came up here (excessive creasing if that bothers you, improper stitching, etc.)
3. buy from a legitimate retailer if you want to buy online, one that has good customer service (apparently, do not rely on wolverine's cs to do anything).

i saw these in person, and they looked nice enough, but not on top of my list. i will reserve my judgment of them when/if i ever purchase them.

1. I tried them on at Nordstrom. Seemed fine. A few weeks later (when back in Europe) all but 2 eyelets came loose. One Eyelet popped off and left a huge tear in the leather. My cobbler only shook his head over these boots...
2. see above. In store they looked ok.
3. Nordstrom seem legit.

What I must do now: put the damn boots in my luggage when in US next time (next week), go to Nordstrom, try to give them back. I want my MONEY back, not another pair of subpar boots. So I'm carrying the boots back to USA instead of just sending them to their German distributor (who, I'm afraid, only exists in their phantasy). One of my RWs once had a faulty stitching. These also were American bought boots. I just went into a RW-store in Germany, and they took them back. THAT'S customer service.

 

[Andreas1965]

Good thing you didn't buy from Crane's. He would have told you that's normal wear and tear.

I have no experience with Crane, so I do not want to comment.

My go to store in my hometown sold 1Ks for a while but stopped offering them because of multiple complaints from their customers. Stitchings, length/width differences between left/right boot, eyelets, broken soles, etc. The owner told me he had to send back to the factory about 20% of his orders because of defects. He's an honest guy and I'm thankful for the fact there are still some dealers out there refusing to sell crap.

 

[Distorbiant]

Christ. It's like nobody can make a good boot anymore. White's and Viberg it is I guess.

 

[Andreas1965]

Christ. It's like nobody can make a good boot anymore. White's and Viberg it is I guess.

Viberg, Whites and don't forget Wesco.
After my experience with other bootmakers, I'll stick to those 3 in the future.

 

[mg2380]

Christ. It's like nobody can make a good boot anymore. White's and Viberg it is I guess.

Give William Lennon & Co a look.

http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/

Tour of the factory.
http://loomstate.blogspot.com/2011/11/william-lennon-factory-stoney-middleton.html

The boots I'm thinking about ordering.
http://skip-ratting.blogspot.com/2013/02/william-lennon-boots.html

They have several leather choices (Including Chromexcel).
http://www.williamlennon.co.uk/footwear/78tc-traditional-work-boot.html