I spent several months thinking about what I wanted to wear for the 3rd dome. I was interested in having a wedge sole, to see how that would look after six months of regular wear. And I wanted a pull up leather. Nicks released a series of boots that would ship in time for October, so these seemed like a no brainer.
I’ve worn the HNW last before and basically used my Whites sizing
Great. Nicks specifically had quick ship boots on the store.
I wore these religiously for six months. A couple vacations, a few long weekends, day hikes in the woods, lots of bars and restaurants. Walking around the city several days a week as well as kicking my feet up and just about anything below waist height. I wish I had the chance this winter to stomp around in more snow, but it was lacking. Didn’t hesitate to get them wet, though.
This leather holds up to abuse as well as anything I own. Which didn’t always endear me to it. Scuffs usually disappear with or without brushing and any color change is hard earned. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for a proper work boot. The temper remained firm even after tens of thousands of steps. It rolls pleasantly and keeps a lot of pull-up, though it may lose some depth as the natural contrast diminishes. It doesn’t burnish easily, but will hold a mellow shine after brushing. It’s pretty impervious to conditioner. I applied a variety in small amounts about once a month and spot checked many others on the unused kilties, Venetian, Mails, Atom Wax, creams and polish. In the end the closer to a polish or wax layer I was putting down the more I liked it. It seems pretty oil rich, so I didn’t try any boot oils or the like.
These were wearable for the long haul right out of the box. Great on my foot. I sized up a width from D to E so the facings would close up a bit more. Obviously a very casual boot, so they look good the way a Red Wing does, but not super versatile.
I love Nicks and the quality is great. These were a quick ship pair that was advertised as being something Dome appropriate, a little closer to seconds than what would normally meet QC standards. I don’t mind blemishes, dents and streaking, but there were some clicking differences between left and right that bothered me not when new, but after weeks of wear. The leather on the vamp was a lot more matte on the right boot. And the mid sole on the left boot was thin and burnishable, while the right boot’s midsole was spongy and less firm. The right boot was not my favorite. I like the idea of buying boots that are meant to be abused, but I’d actually prefer seconds that were 100% normal that had a cut or hole over a left/right asymmetry in materials.
Love the sole. I was actually dissapointed I had to get a tan sole, but I ended up preferring it to white. It holds up to wear more than I thought it would-I was actually hoping they would wear down more! And super comfortable to walk in or stand in for long periods.
I really enjoyed wearing these and I’m glad I’ll have them in the rotation for the next decade or two. These may be my “I need to stand on cement or walk for 10 miles” boots for quite a long time. Nicks makes a great pair of footwear.