I was looking for something super casual that I could beat up while going to park with my toddler and walking the dog, but also could wear to my (very casual) office if need be.
When I bought this pair, I had recently properly sized on a Brannock device at 9.5 C. I was actually hoping to pick up a size 9, but I found these on the Viberg archive sale site, and the only size left was 8.5, so I took a gamble. I had a pair of 2030 at size 7.5 and 8, so I was worried these would feel huge, but they felt great out of the box. If I had to do it again I’d get them in size 9.
I waited too long to get some of the really good stuff at the online archive sale, but ordering from the archive sale was easy enough. Paid with paypal, shipped roughly 2 weeks later, which was a totally fair trade off for being heavily discounted from retail price imo.
I’ve worn these boots in essentially every situation and environment I typically experience. I wore them to work/client meetings early on, wore them on hikes, snowy and rainy dog walks, stepped on my toddlers in the mud. They held up great throughout. Because of the extreme pull-up and patina Rowdy Dachshund takes on, I’d say beyond 2 months in, the leather wasn’t quite as suitable for more formal situations like client meetings.
A big part of the appeal of this boot was the leather, and in the end it didn’t disappoint. I found rowdy dachshund to be soft and pliable, but also almost waxy to the touch. Not sure about other makeups, but I was expecting it to be thicker at first. Comfortable out of the box, I don’t remember much stiffness other than the floating tongue rubbing against my ankle. That went away within a month or so. When trying these on, the first step I took created very strong creases, and for the first few months, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it because the contrast was so extreme. But over time, I’ve come to love the character they’ve taken on. Within a few months, they developed a very burnished quality, and by the end of the dome, the contrast had evened out. The result is a tough and worn look, and I love the interplay of creasing and pull up with the shiny and almost waxy feel. I never conditioned these, but brushed after every wear. Not sure they need conditioning yet, I’ll revisit in 6 months or so.
This version of the 2030 last works pretty well for me. I’m a low volume C width, and 1 down from Brannock tends to work decently. The heel and waist feel pretty locked in, more so than old 2030. I mostly wore darn tough midweight socks with these. More than that and my “ring” toe on my left foot had some slight discomfort. I’d try size 9 next time - volume might be a factor, but that way I’d avoid the toe rub problem.
I’m a big fan of the scout pattern, especially with more casual leathers like this boot has. It’s great with casual fits and I enjoyed the chance to put more miles on them knowing they’d continue to look better and better. I didn’t think so at first, but I do find the combination of casual and rugged pattern, leather, and sole to be an odd combination with the welt and super high SPI welt stitching. This looks like a boot meant to handle anything, but the lighter welt and fine stitching bring a dressy touch that feels almost out of place. Construction and finishing feel in line with modern Viberg. Very clean stitching and high SPI throughout. Very clean welt joins. Not much to complain about there. About halfway through the dome, one end of a staple started poking through the leather just inside the insole on the right boot, poking my arch when I walked. It was super painful when it first happened. Apparently Viberg uses staples to attach the upper to the insole, but they’re supposed to take them out before sewing on the welt. I’m guessing this got left in. I thought about sanding it down, but just put a small piece of medical tape over it and that solved my problem. I’m not sure how clicking is supposed to look on this leather, but the vamps turned out to be very ropy. It does look like different parts of the hide were intentionally selected for the quarters, backstay, and quarters.
I like it! But I’m a wedge fan. It’s nothing out of the ordinary. I found it to be comfortable and only had traction issues on ice. I expected more wear on the sole. I’d guess it’d be a few years before a resole assuming I wear these a few times a week consistently post-dome.
I really like this pair, especially at the archive sale price. They’re comfortable, work for a variety of contexts, and they look even better when they take a beating. I do find some of the design choices around the welt to be odd, and the way the leather creases tend to be unpredictable, but I’d definitely recommend these as a hard wearing boot with pretty good patina potential.