These have been my go to boots for everything. Almost daily wear. These boots shined where ankle support was needed. Some activities: - Daily walks along a short rocky trail with my three 70lb - 80lbs dogs. Walking two dogs or one hyper Weimaraner at a time. At minimum four times a day. A lot of the scratches/scrapesn you see are from these walks. The ankle support and tough Red Dog leather kept me protected on these walks. For example, when my dogs would charge a stray cat/squirrel and pull me unwillingly to join the cause, it was typically into rocks or branches and but thankfully I fell on my face because of the ankle support. I tried the same walk in sandals once, and apparently the sides of my bare feet don’t enjoy rocks. Weird - Helped my friend move during a rainstorm carrying heavy stuff up to the third floor - Two Metal shows and several moshpits. Ankle support was great and kept standing in the pits. The tall heel helped me see above crowds to see the bands (me at 5’ 9” any extra height is welcomed) - Outdoor food festival, many outdoor breweries and food trucks - Local fantasy themed pro-wrestling show. Tall heel again helped see the action again - Trip back home to San Francisco Bay Area and traversing the hills of SF the tall heel made walking up hills easier - Trips to museums - Visited my friends farm, fed some cows. It was great - Chilled at my local coffee shop working on my laptop many times - Most importantly: wore them to hang with friends that would listen to me monologue about the history of the packer boots and why I think they’re so cool
Break in was tough. The red dog leather was a leather to be tamed. Stiffest leather I’ve broken in so far. Stiffer than many: chromexcel, double shot, Maryam horsebutt, rambler, cheaha, and many others leathers. It’s a resilient leather, able to absorb cuts and scratches well After months though it softened and it gained a more reddish hue compared to the dark brown/red it had in the beginning. Scratches revealed an orange undertone that I adore. I brushed these boots daily, lightly, with a horse hair brush
I have low volume and flat feet but after taming the 55 last (maybe the 55 last tamed my feet actually) I was ready to try a higher arch last These boots revealed some of the recent pain I was experiencing with my left foot that I noticed even in my 55 last boots. It was more pronounced in my packers so it spurred me to find a remedy for the discomfort and stop ignoring it I believe the tendons and muscles that run along the arch of my left foot had become stiff, so daily I would massage my arches with a lacrosse ball and stretch my arches. Eventually this helped and I was able to wear my boots with no discomfort In a weird way, the 690 last helped my health. It push me to maintain my feet just so I can wear my favorite boots. I also use my feet to train martial arts 4 - 5 days a week (Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai) so healthier feet help in those activities
Even though I’ve watched many hours of boot making vids, I am still not qualified to properly comment on construction because I’ve never built a boot or resoled a boot. I didn’t see any errant stitching out of place or anything out of place so I’m assuming that’s good
V bar is a pretty resilient outsole! I thought the little grooves would wear down after 6 months but not at all
After wearing these for 6 months, I’m a big fan of packer boots now. They look so cool, interesting history, comfortable, durable, and the tall heel helps me see my favorite bands above crowds. Also shoutout Laura at White’s Boots for helping me with my return for my first pair of defective boots. She was great and super helpful. Great representation of Whites