From the First to the Last

I fell absolutely in love with grant stone after wearing their black and leather sole diesel boot for my wedding day, so I knew it was high on my list for something I wanted to wear for the dome. I love the cap toe design on so many different boot brands and it fit a slightly dressier vibe for my workplace

Actually, with many pairs of boots I go for what I consider true to size. I started my journey with a pair of red wing iron rangers in the classic amber harness, second hand off eBay, and a brand new pair of matte black presidents from Thursday boot company. Reading a lot of sizing info and reviews from Nick at Stridewise, I always heard half size down, but 12.5 is a bit more rare to see. I wear 13s in my Chuck Taylor’s, which fit pretty well if not a touch snug at the toes, so I took a wild stab in the dark with those first two pairs and by golly I was right to do so. Immediately I felt like they were my correct size. And from there I experimented with other brands like oak street, going with their advice of true to size and getting a perfect fit in a 13D. With whites and vibergs the normal conversion made it a 12E, which again proved correct. I just had to trust my gut and it worked out!

Super fast online clicking and within a week I had them

I started my first two months wearing them every day straight with only Sundays being the day they weren’t worn, as it was a day off work where I didn’t have any plans to leave the house. My job is retail, suit shop, carpet and concrete, lots of stretching and bending and moving carts and racks of clothes around. I’d say it’s a fairly active environment, I don’t sit often, in fact often I’m speed walking all day haha! I’ve also worn them on dates with my wife! I’d say the average wardrobe they’re paired with would be smart chinos, shirt and tie, and tweed blazer, but occasionally shined and conditioned to be worn with a navy suit. I often don’t think about trying to keep my shoes clean or clear from debris so scuffs and scrapes happen regularly. After that first two month period the rubber delaminated at the toes which caught me off guard but otherwise everything about the shoes has held up tremendously. Although, whether it’s my lifestyle or perhaps a touch of rough metal in an eyelet, I’ve gone through shoelaces like mad and am on my 4th pair. I wore them in blizzard white out conditions, heavy rain, and long hours in the sunlight, as well as inside at my job under the fluorescent bulbs. All in all these are now the boots my work colleagues associate with me, and I know they’re gonna be a part of my life for a very long time!

Always always in tip top shape! This is why horween is so well known, this is why everyone uses this leather on footwear. Sturdy but supple, flexible but never weak. With every scratch and scrape and scuff they gain character, with every flex and wrinkle they add to their story, all the while never compromising on their ability to last. I have conditioned them a few times after some severe weather and even added some color back with Venetian shoe cream. After all, they’re meant for working in a suit shop. After the first month of regular wear the leather began to take shape to my foot. Month two is when deep wrinkles and creases showed easily, and I’d say month three is when the footbed felt custom to my foot. These days at the end of the dome it’s like a leather sock with a solid footbed, incredibly comfortable for all day wear.

They are so comfortable! Like I said, it’s like a leather sock or sneaker, just so incredibly smooth and flexible, I don’t think about them when they’re on. Plenty of room for my toes to wiggle and stretch but still secure enough that I don’t have more than a 1/4 inch of heel slip. The Goldilocks zone of comfort. Arch support is alright but then again I’ve got kinda duck-foot shaped feet with twigs for ankles. As compared to the diesel on the same last, there feels like there’s more boot, I have to really cinch them down but it does look more dressy with the quarters tighter over the vamp.

Peak design. I love grant stone and their build quality, their products never disappoint and I am hoping to one day add more of their products to my collection. The stitching is great, leather choice was perfect, cap toe is well aligned, nothing to me seemed out of place. When they arrived they almost looked like a shell cordovan with how glossy the finish was, and as they’ve aged and broken in they look really cool! One downside perhaps is one or two eyelets seem to be rough on the inside and they’ve chewed through a few pairs of laces over the last few months.

The sole is great! It’s very supportive and grippy. As I said in another section the toe area delaminated from the midsole pretty early on, which was very surprising, but otherwise has held on through all sorts of weather and hasn’t continued to fall off anywhere else.

I love them! Truly I am so happy with these boots it’s made me a lifelong fan of the company, and I can’t wait to see what they do next for other styles of boots to come! I respect the hard work they put into everything and I admire the inspiring story of the creation of grant stone. When I wear these boots I feel like they represent me! And for the cost, these are practically a steal with how well constructed they are!