SKOOB
M-43 Service Shoes
stuf|f
When I was looking for a boot for my first Thunderdome participation, I decided pretty fast to go with some kind of a service boot. I wanted something versatile that's makes it easy to be worn each day of the week. I work in an office environment so it had to be classic, but still rugged enough for small adventures on the weekend. Brown boots go well with pretty much everything and the potential to develop a nice patina is much higher than with black boots and since there were so many boots in natural leathers in the last Dome, I wanted to go a different route.
The ordering process was pretty straight forward. Since this one is a collaboration between Skoob and stuf|f it was pretty easy to get my hands on a pair. I'm living in Germany and it's a german shop, so shipping was fast and easy. I wasn't sure about the sizing, but they give always helpful tips and comparisons to other brands' sizing in the description.
I planned on wearing my Skoobs as much as I can and I did. I work in an office environment, so a normal weekday consists of walking to the train and from the train to work, beeing in the office, going for a walk in my break and vice versa. So not a big challenge for these beautiful boots. Other than that I'm a pretty active person, so the weekends were full of little adventures from working in the garden, camping and repairing my car to going on hikes and walking miles and miles when I was on vacation. The Skoobs handled all of it with ease. At first I was a bit concerned about the rubber half sole without much profile. I expected to get problems on slippery surfaces and in the winter, but they did an exceptional job. I thought I'd have to replace them after some time, but the compound is pretty hard, so they still look pretty good.
This was my first pair of horsebutt boots, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The Maryam horsebutt is pretty thick and stiff, but it softend up a bit with time (break-in and heat). The break-in was pretty easy, no blisters or other problems. I'm used to heavy duty boots, so I started with full days of wear immediately and I didn't regret it a single time. The insole is completely formed to my foot since month two and they feel like an extension of my body at this point. I have to admit that I thought the leather might develop a bit faster, especially since it's hand dyed by the guys at Skoob, but I'm still pretty happy with the patina they developed. My favorite is for sure the visible grain structure on the left boot that came out more and more over time. I conditioned them twice with neutral Collonil 1909 Creme de Luxe and brushed them every other day. Other than that I conditioned the inside of the boots with Saphir Creme Universelle, because I was a bit concerned the insole might dry out with the excessive wear. I didn't use shoe trees like I normally do, because I wanted the vamps to develop the characteristic rolls and they did.
I'm still fully convinced that my decision to go with the Skoobs was right. I really enjoy the classic design that goes well with pretty much everything in my wardrobe. The construction is solid and they held up even better than expected. The stitching is flawless and the brown eyelets still look like new (colored eyelets sometimes loose their color over time). It seems like they put a lot of thought into the design of the boots and wanted to check all the boxes. Everything is made the way a boot enthusiast would want it, without making any compromises or having cost cutting in mind.
The biggest surprise is the bottom construction - they went with a leather full sole without a midsole and added a rubber half sole. The half sole isn't sewn on and I've seen many of them delaminate over time, but these are still perfectly bonded. They held up amazing and there's still much life left in them as well as the heel blocks. I walk a bit to the outside so the heels are often the first thing I have to replace, but the ones on the Skoobs look still perfectly fine and relatively even. As stated before, I was a bit concerned that there might be a lack of grip on icy or wet roads and they are clearly no Vibram 100 lug soles, but they really did a great job of keeping me safe. The overall comfort is great, even without a midsole. They clearly did a great job in constructing the bottom part of the boots.
It still feels like yesterday that I first put my Skoobs on and the last six months really flew by. It was an awesome journey and a great experience I wouldn't want to miss. The boots exceeded my expectations and developed a really nice patina, while becomimg a true staple of my wardrobe and that's what they'll remain. I can recommend this brand to anyone who is interested in a high quality, classic boot and I'm sure this won't be my last pair. They aren't cheap, but that's exactly what a customer gets - a lifelong companion made by skilled craftsman.