Adelante
The Havana
Adelante Shoes
I was originally looking for a dark brown full grain boot, mainly to be worn to a business casual office that could be dressed up or down a little. Adelante only has dark brown nubuck, but this chestnut leather caught my eye. It is not typically offered on the Havana, but the darker and more interesting color was worth the few extra dollars to upgrade from their lighter full grain options.
Adelante offers a virtual consult, where they walk you through measuring your foot. The original suggestion of 8D + EE instep matched both my Brannock and the difficult experience I've had with sizing RTW boots. That first pair had a smidge too much volume, but going down to an E instep resulted in a perfect fit for me.
This pair was a replacement. After shipping back my original pair (Adelante covered postage costs), they began work on the new pair which arrived 5 weeks after the originals were sent off. My original pair was ordered after a virtual sizing consult. After a video call with a CS rep to help sizing, they set up the custom order for me. This pair did experience a 2 week delay from the original estimate, but still arrived 5 weeks after the original order. My overall experience with their CS has been good. I'll usually have to wait a day for a response, maybe two, but they're always been very helpful. Unfortunately, I hear that's not everyone's experience with this brand.
I worked from home the majority of the Dome, but these made it to the office 2-3 times a week until February, and saw nearly all of my weekend wear, as well as many walks around the neighborhood and on paved trails in nearby arboretums. Tried wearing them to shovel snow once, but didn't have enough traction to get the job done. Most interestingly, my left foot was in a walking cast for the entire month of November, and you can see the effects of it being one month behind on Patina! Aside from one big scuff on the toe, the right boot is clearly more wrinkled/worn in
Break in was pretty minimal with no pain or hotspots, though the boot has definitely gotten more flexible over time. They were brushed regularly (almost every wear) and conditioned twice during the dome. Once at the halfway mark, and again in the winter when I noticed that the scuffed areas were absorbing water too easily. I used Bick 4 and neutral Collonil Shoe Cream, which added some shire and returned a bit of water repellency. I do with the leather resisted scuffs and scrapes a bit better as the toes got a bit banged up (especially the left toe).
Fantastic. The custom sizing gives me plenty of room where I need over the instep. There's none of the tightness over the top of foot I'm used to, and the height and shape of the toe box is perfect for me. My heel is snug and secure, with no slip after the first couple of wears. I have very high arches so there was no noticeable arch support for me, but I don't find that to be an issue.
Very happy, especially considering the price. The welt is super clean, with an almost invisible join and high SPI. You can notice some stitching on the pull loops or counter cover that isn't perfectly straight, but it's something I completely forgot about after initial inspection. The design is polarizing, with the only five widely spaces eyelets and a flex relief notch on the shaft. But it gives them an identifiable signature which I've come to love. I think it looks much better in person/on foot than on their website. The only complaint is the clicking, as there's some bad grain break/wrinkles on the quarter panel of the left boot. Luckily it's on the medial side and covered with pants, so I don't think anyone but me has ever noticed.
Without lugs, these were too slippery in the snow. Otherwise they held up great.
If not for developing a squeak on two pairs in a row, I would recommend them as an entry priced option without hesitation. Thankfully, Adelante has stood by their work and will replace them (again). They've been fantastic to wear these past 6 months, and while I don't expect them to be competitive I'm super glad I completed the Dome!