Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Review

[eldude]

Dont post often but thought I'd share my pair. They're on year 4. Resoled twice locally. Original laces but as you can tell they badly need to be replaced so a new pair is on the way. Been through hell and back and I love them dearly. Sorry but I kind of have to laugh about people freaking out about minor scuffs or this and that. The right shoe has definitely worn a little bit more due to the creasing, but its never really bothered me. Its leather, each pairs going to be different.





I do have a question though. Theres a small part part of the leather thats split open, is there anything I can cover/seal it with to prevent it from growing?

 

[chrispy650]



Dont post often but thought I'd share my pair. They're on year 4. Resoled twice locally. Original laces but as you can tell they badly need to be replaced so a new pair is on the way. Been through hell and back and I love them dearly. Sorry but I kind of have to laugh about people freaking out about minor scuffs or this and that. The right shoe has definitely worn a little bit more due to the creasing, but its never really bothered me. Its leather, each pairs going to be different. I do have a question though. Theres a small part part of the leather thats split open, is there anything I can cover/seal it with to prevent it from growing?

What color is that? Rust?

 

[eldude]

nope thats brown!

 

[Crane's]



Dont post often but thought I'd share my pair. They're on year 4. Resoled twice locally. Original laces but as you can tell they badly need to be replaced so a new pair is on the way. Been through hell and back and I love them dearly. Sorry but I kind of have to laugh about people freaking out about minor scuffs or this and that. The right shoe has definitely worn a little bit more due to the creasing, but its never really bothered me. Its leather, each pairs going to be different. I do have a question though. Theres a small part part of the leather thats split open, is there anything I can cover/seal it with to prevent it from growing?

Awesome! Where is the split?

 

[eldude]

its on a crease down near the sole

 

[milw50717]



That's a nice shot. Digital is a god send for this kind of stuff as the keeper ratio must be quite low

 

[Crane's]



its on a crease down near the sole

This is happening on my brown boots too. What's happened is microscopic dirt has gotten into the leather and is cutting it. There's nothing that can be done about it other than keep them as clean as possible so it takes longer for the upper to fail. I know it sucks but this is what happens to leather where it's constantly stressed and creased. You wore them well, continue to do so.

That's a nice shot. Digital is a god send for this kind of stuff as the keeper ratio must be quite low

Not only is the keeper level low, in this case the ratio was about 50 to one for what I consider a good lightning shot, the opportunity is hard to come by as well. About the only thing worse is probably going after meteors. I would lose my mind if I tried to do this with a film camera not to mention the piles of hundred dollar bills that would get burned up.

 

[MarioImpemba]

Dont post often but thought I'd share my pair. They're on year 4. Resoled twice locally. Original laces but as you can tell they badly need to be replaced so a new pair is on the way. Been through hell and back and I love them dearly. Sorry but I kind of have to laugh about people freaking out about minor scuffs or this and that. The right shoe has definitely worn a little bit more due to the creasing, but its never really bothered me. Its leather, each pairs going to be different.

Awesome tonal variation. Look good.

 

[Neognosis]

Quote:
I have to say, that sounds silly to me.

If microscopic dirt alone is enough to split chromexcel open like that... well, that would make me think even less of chromexcel's suitability for footwear.

 

[FatCatPhil]

1 tiny crease after 4 years of hard wear makes it OK in my book.

 

[Crane's]



I have to say, that sounds silly to me.

If microscopic dirt alone is enough to split chromexcel open like that... well, that would make me think even less of chromexcel's suitability for footwear.

That's what has most likely happened whether you think it's silly or not. The damage that dirt does to leather starts internally and works it's way to the surface. it starts as barely visible hairline cracks. Then it gets worse. The same thing happens to leather that is allowed to dry out and is continually flexed. I don't think this is the problem with this guy's boots given the amount of use he's put them through. If they were dry they wouldn't last a year given what he said.

While we're on the subject CXL is an excellent choice to make footwear out of. Your incessant babblings to the contrary is getting to the point of being beyond monotonous and boring. Find something else to ***** about.

 

[milw50717]



I have to say, that sounds silly to me.

If microscopic dirt alone is enough to split chromexcel open like that... well, that would make me think even less of chromexcel's suitability for footwear.

It could of course have been caused by a small cut in the leather caused by something sharp. This is a high flex area, so over time the small cut could have grown larger and deeper,.

It may be worth taking them to a cobbler to see if they can stitch and patch them. Having stitching or a patch on the inside could cause some discomfort if they rub against the foot, however.

 

[cbfn]



I have to say, that sounds silly to me.

If microscopic dirt alone is enough to split chromexcel open like that... well, that would make me think even less of chromexcel's suitability for footwear.

Even if it sounds silly, this is usually what leads to cracking in leather. Dry leather only speeds up this process.

EDIT: Found a post from DW to back up the claim.

Leather cracking can be caused by any number of factors--it is a problem that shoemakers have been dealing with for centuries. It's the most significant weakness of leather as a raw material.

It's not an accident nor insignificant that most if not all cracking occurs where the shoe flexes the most--in the creases that naturally develop in the forepart of the shoe. All things being equal, you never see cracking in the quarters or the facings.

My own perspective and experiences tell me that dirt is probably one of the major issues, if not the issue.

Conditioners that do not penetrate the leather but remain on the surface, collect grit and dirt. And we all try to get wax and conditioners deep into the creases of our shoes...right where accumulations of grit and dirt do the most damage.

Solvents dry leather...making it more susceptible to whatever comes next, whatever will cause cracking.

And while perhaps not something we can quantify, the more a shoe creases, the more likely it is to crack. The upshot is that as the heel gets lower, and the forepart flatter, the shoe has to bend...and crease...more to accommodate the flexing of the foot. IOW, a shoe with little toe spring may look good but it probably increases the likelihood of cracking.

My go-to product for conditioning is Bick4. I don't know the ingredients but it doesn't smell of solvents, doesn't feel greasy or waxy and penetrates the leather readily--where it is trapped by the fiber mat and remains to nourish the leather for longer that the moment. I seriously doubt that the "active" ingredients are either fugitive, drying, or occlusive as so many other products tend to be.

 

[Mr M]

And don't forget that this is dress boots. So it is good IMO if it can stand this long with outdoor activities.

 

[eldude]

Hey, just to provide a little more context...

Off the bat, it wouldnt surprise me if my care hasnt met best practices or what have you. Ill wear them consecutive days in a row, theyve been completely soaked during rain storms on multiple occassions, havent been shoe tree-d, slid down a rocky trail in them a couple times, etc.

FWIW Im not using them on a farm or a job site...they're still first and foremost city boy boots. And being from Chicago, I definitely dont wear them in the winter months (I have a pair of Red Wings that I coat with Obenaufs for snow and slush).

That being said, I've always made a point to wipe them down and let them dry naturally if they do get wet before wearing again, and I use a conditioner on them a couple times a year or whenever it feels like they need a refresh or they start to look dull. The stuff I use came with the boots as part of a Wolverine care kit



I have no idea if my applications number in the too many or too few. Unfortunately they didnt provide any instructions with the kit about how often or when to apply. But I was always a little more worried about over rather than under conditioning them as theyve always seemed pretty soft and supple to me.

Anyway, the split has been there for at least a year and hasnt grown, so knock on wood.