A boot that will make you jealous of when it was considered an average everyday work boot

I purchased these since as a mechanic I need to wear protective footwear but I also enjoy the heritage of traditional work boots so I sought out a vintage pair with a protective toe cap and was able to purchase these locally, I also really like the nylon corded biltrite soles because the grip you get on oily shop floors is honestly unmatched

I based my size off of other boots I had worn from the same brand, but still ended up a little bit different (they actually fit me better than I expected)

I messaged the guy selling them and then came over to see them and try em on and left with a lighter wallet but I was the owner of a pair of boots I’m confident I’ll never see another pair of

I’ve worn these for just about everything and they’ve been just about everywhere I’ve been, I wear them when I’m working in the shop, I spend long days standing on concrete in them, I’ve worn them hiking, fishing, foraging, and logging (clearing land on family property) They’ve held up very well and the build quality is something I cannot question, I’ve yet to wear them in the snow and ice because well, it’s not winter yet but I expect they’ll shrug it off like they have with everything else

The leather on these boots has incredible depth of colour and very dense and firm grain but is still very supple and malleable at the same time, I almost want to think that it’s a type of leather similar to shrunken calf because of the way the leather is textured with a fine pebbled look similar to shrunken hides, the leather also feels a little thinner than my other cowhide boots but denser so it makes me wonder if they had potentially used a horsehide for its tighter grain. The colour is a beautiful dark red with some darker brown tones in lower wear areas, on one of the toes the hide has some prominent healed scars from when the animal was still alive that appear darker than the surrounding leather giving some beautiful character. I maintain this leather with primarily 60yo Capo Arctic Dubbin but my can is starting to get down to the nitty gritty so I’m going to look into something that’s still available, I’m looking at either Huberd’s or Gold Label Dubbin (mainly leaning towards gold label because a 500ml container for under $20 is a lot of bang for your buck) I also try to brush my boots off at the end of every day to remove dust and cover up scratches and cuts in the leather

The fit is very good and they have one of the most comfortable lasts I’ve worn, at least for my feet, there’s plenty of room in the toe box preventing the steel toe from any pinching and the heel is nice and tight and comfortable keeping me entirely locked in, the arch is moderate but the support is very good

I really like the unique paneling of the upper and the vamp construction where the front is wrapped around with the layers of the vamp being on top preventing area where the heel counter and quarters meet from creating a place where sticks and branches and such can get caught and snag. I appreciate the larger eyelets that vintage boots used because it gives a lot more options for what laces to use and makes tightening and loosening easier The stitching is all very tight and most places are triple stitched which gives some nice peace of mind

These soles are some of the best, at least for what I do, they’re incredibly oil resistant and decently hard wearing, also the cords coming out of the black rubber never gets old

It was okay just a little on the hard side making it a little slippery

I really like this heel, great grip nice soft compound, only negative I can see is that it seems to not be the longest wearing rubber ever but idgaf I feel like a baller when I wear them

I think they’re an absolute steal for the price and encourage more people who are just getting into the boot world to look backwards and find something unique