Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Review

[burnso]

So an update. My rust 1Ks are now two seasons old. They get scuffed. I rub the scuffs in then brush em out, and then my boots just have more character. My regimen for keeping them nice is pretty much to use the LP once per season (two coats). Any time in between that they need a good cleaning I use some Lexol, followed by Reno followed by some major brushing.

Hey, Id really like a few pics of your worn and Obenauf treated Rusts'.
I have the Brown's and I treat mine basically the same way (few pics a few pages back).
I saw someone wearing them in Rust the other day and they looked so good, I think I have to get another pair in that colour.

 

[dusttruffle]

Perfectly suitable for the office on Monday; still don't understand people insisting these can't be versatile boots for office and play.

great set of pix.

 

[izzyfuld]

Quote:

On a job-site for a week with the 1K's, worn daily. They were very comfortable - no complaints. About to see how clean I can make them again

Perfectly suitable for the office on Monday; still don't understand people insisting these can't be versatile boots for office and play.
what method did you use to achieve such awesomeness?!

 

[Crane's]

Probably little more than a a damp sponge and a brush.

 

[MarioImpemba]

great set of pix.

what method did you use to achieve such awesomeness?!

Thanks!

I used a damp cloth at first, but that just made the concrete stick even worse, lol, so I hit it with a brush and Kiwi saddle soap, then some Kiwi Brown. Easy.

 

[raags]

Used BostonHedonist's/Crane's method for applying Obenauf's - didn't take before but here's an after photo.

 

[burnso]

Used BostonHedonist's/Crane's method for applying Obenauf's - didn't take before but here's an after photo.

Nice pic, looks like the scuffs came out alright...
Lol looking at that pic, perhaps I went too crazy with the LP when I treated mine: I used about half of that tub for my two coats

 

[raags]

I took them to a cobbler who did a lot of work on them - that minimized the scuffs for the most part. They're still noticable even after 2 coats of LP but it's not as blatant so it's okay. The OTF customer service was very reasonable and extremely helpful which was great!

 

[jcell]

I'm thinking about picking up a pair of the tan Addison. When I buy a shoe like this however, I tend to wear it out rather quickly because I will wear it 7 days a week. I have a tendency to wear a shoe a lot and wear it out then replace it after it starts falling apart. this would be my first pair of very nice non dress shoes.

I am at college and normally wear just regular sneakers like Adidas classics. So I look at these as a first step in upgrading my staples and style a bit.

So on to my question. I go to uga which is a rather large campus that requires a lot of walking. In the summer it is hot and humid, though sometimes dry as well, and gets rain fall. In the winter it is cold and rains and on occasion, maybe 3-5 times, will snow. It is very hilly here as well.

Would I be able to wear these shoes on a daily basis in all elements if I treat with a snoseal?

Will the snoseal Change the incredible softness and pliability of the leather on these boots?

Finally, will I have to give these shoes a rest day in between uses or can I wear them back to back daily?

 

[BrizzleCizzle]

Finally, will I have to give these shoes a rest day in between uses or can I wear them back to back daily?

First rule of 1000 Mile boot club: always ask Crane.

To address the bulk of your post: yes, you could wear these boots in any manner of environment, just look at Crane's posts.

BUT, shoes, and the leather that comprises them, require rest at times. If they get flooded with water, they need rest to air out and dry (naturally, not heat source induced). If they've been worn a lot, they'll need rest occasionally with some nutrients in the form of a leather conditioner or other nutrient-providing product to prevent excessive drying out and cracking of the leather. Having said that, i wore mine 3 days back to back when I first got them, and do a fair amount of walking each day at work, and I noticed not even a single sign of creasing or excessive wear, and they have yet to be treated with anything.

Hopefully some of the other guru's here, Crane especially, can dial in on how the leather feels when conditioned with things like snoseal and obenaufs, but judging by what Crane has done to his boots and how well they keep going, 1000 miles means 1000 miles, especially if you treat them right with conditioning, rest after intense excursions, and general care.

One note: if you're going to see a lot of rain and snow, consider resoling with a topy or vibram sole as the general idea is that leather soles will degrade faster in repetitive water/snow/salt exposures versus a rubber sole.

 

[digga]

I'm thinking about picking up a pair of the tan Addison. When I buy a shoe like this however, I tend to wear it out rather quickly because I will wear it 7 days a week. I have a tendency to wear a shoe a lot and wear it out then replace it after it starts falling apart. this would be my first pair of very nice non dress shoes.
I am at college and normally wear just regular sneakers like Adidas classics. So I look at these as a first step in upgrading my staples and style a bit.
So on to my question. I go to uga which is a rather large campus that requires a lot of walking. In the summer it is hot and humid, though sometimes dry as well, and gets rain fall. In the winter it is cold and rains and on occasion, maybe 3-5 times, will snow. It is very hilly here as well.
Would I be able to wear these shoes on a daily basis in all elements if I treat with a snoseal?
Will the snoseal Change the incredible softness and pliability of the leather on these boots?
Finally, will I have to give these shoes a rest day in between uses or can I wear them back to back daily?

I wouldn't call UGA a large campus, you shouldn't have any trouble walking the whole thing in these boots. I'm not sure I would bother using sno-seal in Georgia, though. I imagine most of the moisture and salt will come from your feet, rather than the sidewalk.

 

[digga]

I happened across this video earlier. I searched the thread and didn't see it posted, but it may be a repost. Wolverine video about 1000 mile care.

 

[FENWAY]

Had a thin Cat's Paw topy installed on my 1000 Mile oxfords...looks and feels good.

 

[Crane's]



First rule of 1000 Mile boot club: always ask Crane.

To address the bulk of your post: yes, you could wear these boots in any manner of environment, just look at Crane's posts.

Hopefully some of the other guru's here, Crane especially, can dial in on how the leather feels when conditioned with things like snoseal and obenaufs, but judging by what Crane has done to his boots and how well they keep going, 1000 miles means 1000 miles, especially if you treat them right with conditioning, rest after intense excursions, and general care.

LOL! Yeah I probably know a thing or two about these boots.

Anyway, I've worn these boots day after day for weeks at a time without any issue. The trick is I wasn't sloshing around in mud, water and my feet don't sweat much. Now if I do go out and stand in ankle deep water or fully submerse them then I'll let them dry out completely before wearing them again. That BTW usually takes a couple of days. Once dry I'll give them a quick light coat of boot oil and they're ready to go again. The big thing with leather footwear is to let them naturally dry out in an airy area if they feel damp or you get them wet. Generally speaking wearing them 3 or 4 days in a row won't have any bad effect on them at all. As far as any of the treatments go they don't stiffen the leather. In fact keeping up with a treatment regime will keep the leather supple and in good shape. I've posted enough photos of before and afters to show how well these boots hold up. No one anywhere abuses these boots more than I do. My brown 1Ks are 3 years old and going strong.

Getting a half sole is a good idea as well. My world famous commando resole job consists of a Vibram Raptor half sole and the Vibram lugged heel plate. This combo works well on ice, snow, mud, scree, rock and loose dirt. Basically all my 1Ks are light hiking boots that get a ton of use on "easy" hikes. LOL!

 

[giantslor]

If you want a chromexcel belt to match your 1Ks, but don't want to pay through the nose, try here: http://theleathershop.com/belts.html
$65 isn't unreasonable these days for a belt made of real leather. I haven't gotten mine yet, but it looks pretty solid. Not sure about that "leather backing" to the buckle, but we'll see.