Julian Boots! Custom Pattern & Last

My previous Bourbon shell pair left me unsatisfied with the design, and since Bourbon one of my favorite Horween shell colors, I wanted a second go at it. I sought it on a plain toe pair with a military-inspired look, with a pronounced last. Julian Boots was driving distance from me, and I had never ordered from them before. I perused their site for potential models, and Ianded on their "Madison" model, modified with a plain toe instead of a brogue cap toe.

Julian Boots was a three-hour drive from me, so I made the trip to get sized in person. The bootmaker, Avo, was present to measure my feet. He took foot tracings and three circumferential measurements at the ball, instep, and heel. I felt that the measurements he took were very rushed, but I was reassured because the custom last included a trial pair for fitting.

This is going to be a long one, and you have been warned! I initially reached out to Julian Boots via email, inquiring about a custom pair made in Horween Bourbon Shell (cordovan pairs start at $1595). I was interested in a fully custom pattern (+$350) inspired by the Alden Munson Boot and a custom last (+$400) specially sized for each foot. They were happy to accommodate my order, and Horween was even able to fast-track some shells to them. I made my trip over to their shop, and let them know on the phone. However, they requested me to come back the next weekend because it's their policy that the customer sees the shell cordovan they use before they begin production. That was fine with me, and I rescheduled my trip for the following weekend. When I arrived the next week, the shell had not arrived in time, but they were happy to proceed. I had the pleasure of meeting Francesca, Avo, and Michael of Julian Boots, and they were all very warm and welcoming. Avo, the bootmaker, was in a hurry, and had to quickly take my measurements. I was quite uncertain about how quickly he sized me, but the custom last included a trial pair, and this put me at ease. Then, there was push-back about some of the requirements we had discussed on email, namely the shell cordovan tongue. This was an important part of my custom pattern, so they agreed to accommodate me. We conversed and laughed for a good while, and I left them with a printed out copy of the pattern and all the details we finalized. In my following email conversations with Julian Boots, there were some challenges related to the custom pattern, so we agreed to scrap the entire thing and simplify it down to their "Madison" model on their website. The only modifications remaining were a plain toe, french binding, and the coveted shell cordovan tongue. I felt more confident moving forward with one of their standard models rather than the custom pattern I had initially proposed. The first trial pair arrived, and it looked overall gorgeous. They did it in shell cordovan too, which was surprising to me. The stitching was pristine. The french binding was a bit "thick" but it wasn't a huge bother. The shell cordovan tongue turned out great. The pair was too short and fit extremely tight all around, and I sent photo diagrams of the hotspots and fit issues via email. The final pair arrived, and it wasn't up to par with the trial pair in terms of finishing. The stitching was oddly shaped where the quarter meets the vamp, and the french binding was even thicker. Most importantly though, they fit too short. At this point I regretted not requesting that they took the measurements more carefully, but it had me wondering how we can reliability communicate how much longer a pair needs to be made, based on a trial fitting. If I could do it over, I would have made the drive again to do the trial pair fitting in person. At Julian Boots's request, I sent them back to be stretched, but that didn't solve the issue. Julian Boots agreed to make a third pair, based on all the feedback on the second pair. They insisted on no shell cordovan tongue this time; they cited it the reason for the messy stitching at the quarter-meets-vamp area. I asked them not to include French binding on the final pair. I was more than happy to accommodate them to make the best possible final pair. This is my Julian Boots ordering journey that brought me to the pair I wore during my travels in Mexico City and the 2023-2024 Stitchdown Patina Thunderdome. Overall, if you are interested in getting a pair from Julian Boots, I would stick to their stock designs on their website and see if you can fit into one of their stock lasts before going the custom last route. I recommend doing the initial and trial pair fits in person. Do not overcomplicate things, and they will work diligently to put you in a pair that works. For my experience with the final pair, please visit my reviews section!

I wore my pair throughout my travels in Ciudad de México. They were worn at various coffee shops, record bars, and beer tasting rooms while I coded Patina Project. I walked to and from Spanish class three days a week and learned how to dance basic salsa in them.

Horween shell never ceases to leave me satisfied. The color has stayed rich and continues to show a great color depth in the sun. The footwear-pant interfacing has left a nice glaze on the quarters. The break-in for shell has never been an issue for me. It also breathes well, and I always wear Darn Tough merino wool tactical socks (T4021) with them. As of writing, they have been cleaned, conditioned with Saphir Renovateur, and brushed a grand total of once.

The third and final iteration of my custom last with Julian Boots is hit and miss. It fits my ball width quite well, and the instep fits perfectly with the facings perfectly spaced apart. The heel space is also ideal. However, the last is too voluminous, and is slightly too short, where my tips of my toes sometimes feel the ends of the boots. Jorge Guadarramar, a bespoke shoemaker and friend of mine in Ciudad de México, made me a pair of custom insoles to help remedy the volume issue. This made the pair fit more securely and allowed me to even dance salsa comfortably.

Julian Boots really knocked it out of the park on the design and finishing department. The welt and stitching are clean. They nailed the military-inspired look that teeters between rugged and refined, thanks to the Horween shell. I believe their pattern work is where Julian Boots really shines. Each of my pairs is sized specially for each foot, and there is a bit of a difference in the shape of the lasts. The left boot tapers in a bit more at the big toe area, but it causes no noticeable fit difference in that area. The depth of the toe structure on each boot is also slightly different, which has resulted in a difference in the position of where the shell has rolled. It's minor, but something I have to point out.

I absolutely love this sole. Not only does it have one of my favorite designs of a sole ever, but it holds up and feels great. If I ever get a resole, I definitely hope to obtain another set of these.

My Julian Boots experience has been wildly mixed! However I am enjoying my pair to the fullest, and the design and finishing hit high marks for me. In the future, I may consult Unsung House for a relast to resolve the volume and length issues, to achieve the perfect fit. In the meantime, they fit me well enough to enjoy my Ciudad de México travels.