When I saw Nick's post the Natural Chrome XL Urban Loggers with Honey Lug soles up on Instagram I immediately knew that was the boot style I wanted for my first Patina Thunderdome
Went with the Brannock measurement and the recommended 1/2 size down
Ordered online through Nick's website. Wasn't sure what I was doing at first as it was my first pair of custom boots, but with a little help and a few emails to the great customer service folks at Nick's the order was a breeze.
In 6 months these boots were worn all but 3 days. From my daily use at the office to my woodshop at home to the grocery store to 2 trips to New York City over the holidays to family events, these boots were with me every step of the way.
When I first started wearing the boots I was unsure what to expect. The leather was thicker and heavier than any other leather I had worn before and once received the color was more muted than I expected when I ordered them . The patina was slow to change and then it happened. I wore them several times in the snow and salt and they needed a serious cleaning and conditioning. I gave them a good scrub with Lexol and massaged in some Bick 4 conditioner. Over the next 2 weeks following the cleaning and conditioning the color began to pop. In the end I couldn't have been more surprised and more amazed by the color change. With the gum colored soles and natural edges they really needed to darken up to provide that contrast needed to make a sharp pair of boots and they didn't disappoint. Throughout the 6 months they were brushed every evening. They were cleaned with Lexol 3 times and conditioned with Bick 4 five times. The break in was pretty much painless and easier than expected after trying them on the first time. The boots were worn hard, 14 hours or more each day and they held up well.
Nick's makes a comfortable boot. Prior to the dome I was having some hip pain and after wearing the boots it is gone. I think that much of the relief came from the high sturdy arches and that tall heel. I say that because the 3 times that I wore a different pair of boots with a lower arch and more moderate heel the hip pain returned. Only one time did I have major hotspots and pain on the bottom of my feet and that was on about day 45 when I walked 9 miles in them through the streets of New York when I took some friends on a holiday tour of New York City. All in all the boots broke in without issue. I typically wore Smartwool partially or fully padded sock and had plenty of room from toe box to heel. I ordered them 1/2 step down from my normal boot and shoe size and the fit seems to be spot on.
The boots are heavy and I thought it would be an issue but it never was. They are well built from the clicking to the stitching to the sole assembly. I had a small issue with the one heel delaminating a bit and water would gather in that delamination on wet days and would make a squishy sound when I walked, other than that they were perfect. The lines were clean, no wrinkles anywhere along the curves, and nothing shifted over the 6 months that they were worn. The hardware was secure and easy to speed lace. I used a tall stiff metal shoehorn to easily slip them on daily and that did the trick.
I think the gum sole with its flexibility and cushion really added to the comfort level and the ease of breaking these boots in. They had great traction even when smooth floors were wet. The aggressive nature of the sole was also great for when I was showing farms to my clients and walking steep and often slippery hillsides. They were also great in the snow. I couldn't have been more happy with the way the soles preformed and I am considering another pair with the same sole.
They say you get what you pay for sometimes and that holds especially true with footwear. I always thought my $300 off the shelf boots were great... And then I bought this custom pair of Nick's just for the dome. I am ruined! Once you reach for this caliber of boot and experience the difference of wearing such amazing footwear day in and day out for 6 months, I think it will be difficult to go back. The high arches were a god sent for my legs and hips. Watching that color change and really focusing on how the patina was changing taught me a lot about leather that I never really watched for. The Patina Thunderdome was an amazing experience. It helped me discover what a difference a pair of boots can make. Wether it was to test out the boots in different conditions or to walk the extra mile to get that perfect photo opportunity of my boots, being in the Thunderdome gave me a reason to pay attention to what I was doing and pushed me to go off the beaten path. I couldn't have asked for a more rewarding journey and I am already looking forward to jeans and boots and jumping back in to the next dome in the fall.