Crockett & Jones Grizedale

Collecting and wearing high quality boots and shoes is undoubtedly a unique hobby (another reason I’m very grateful for the SDP community!) which can often draw questions from even my closest friends like “well they’re just boots, what else is there to it?”, “You spent how much on those?!,” or “WTF is bronze oiled sides or an unlined shaft?” The Patina Thunderdome presents the perfect answer to those questions. Six months to learn more about a topic that is of mutual interest to a wide community, share stories, lessons, or say, inextricably more expensive GMTO ideas. But also six months to understand why exactly Crockett and Jones are revered for their quality and comfort in footware (and commend a commensurate price) or why Horween would make such a cool leather as Bronze Oiled Sides, and how the two come together to make a pretty fantastic boot. Due to their initial color and nubuck-like texture, I began calling these the Boot Snob’s Timberlands, and that is a fairly accurate representation of what they ended up being. But they also presented a few challenges. The unlined shaft made for a great patina catcher, but ultimately led the boots to feel less “locked in,” as a normal lined boot would. Additionally, the 228 last, which exhibits a wide toe box, also possesses close to zero arch support, which led to me installing instep pads for the first time ever. These boots suported me through the good, the bad, and the ugly over the past six months, and as Sinatra said of New York City, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!” They’ve earned a place in my rotation, and I’m glad I could share my thoughts with you all.