They have a dusty white finish on top of the black leather (excuse me for not knowing the technical term).
Will polish take that off? What is that dusty white coat anyways, some type of wax?
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Sounds like they have a wax coat on them, can you post a bigger pic of your actual boots? If there is a matte finish on there, you probably don't want to mess with it until you have to. They will like repel water for a while, and when you need to, I'd stay away from a rub in like Sno Seal and instead try one of the spray or sponge on water repellants, I've had very good results with the suede treatment from Nikwax, I'd assume their leather treatments are equally good.
Amazon.com: Nikwax Fabric & Leather Proof (Spray On): Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com: Nikwax Waterproofing Brown Wax for Leather Liquid: Sports & Outdoors
Nick's or White's only here. In my experience all that other stuff falls apart and/or doesn't support my high-arched feet well enough-I had 3 pairs of Danners (USA) at one time-none ever anymore.
Bought a pair (Nick's) in 2005 and 2006. Had the 2006 pair resoled not too long ago and will have the 2005 pair resoled soon. Probably be candidate for full overhauls for each on the next resole - in the next 5 or 6 years...
http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.49702...69478&pid=15.1
http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.48283...10065&pid=15.1
HONEY VIBRAM rocks my (outsole) world-I had the mini-vibram replaced with full-thick HV. HV gives great cushion and better damp traction. It will tear/twist out a little bit, so I try to go easier on it. I don't mind the tradeoff yet.
I've very hard on boots and jeans.
I really want these. I'm sad and glad they are too narrow for me:
Attachment 48694
From here.
I wanted to buy a pair of Redwing Beckman 9016... but that'll have to wait.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.svpp...ge/1200737.jpg
But I ended up with Clarks Medway Smiths. I picked them up 4 months ago, I oil them once a month.
http://www.clarksusa.com/_static/web...74_10127_6.jpg
-Joe
i had a pair of these that i bought at a px in germany twenty years ago. i just ordered a replacement pair. they were a $140 then and $135 now. weird....comfiest shoe i've ever owned.
Working remotely (meaning shorts or jeans are my work wardrobe) and living where I do, I don't have much need for dress boots, but I just sprung for a pair of these...
Had to do some fence mending (actual fence mind you) over the weekend and pulled out my trusty Danner Gore-Tex Fort Lewis'. creek water, sludgy, silty, mud, and four T-posts of fence later, feet were still as happy and dry as when I started. I'd buy another pair, but WTF am I going to do with em when I'm too old to need them when these wear out?
I think Steve Garro dished out some advice here by saying that if a business can't learn to say "no," then the consequences are on them. Bean's uses their no questions asked guarantee to generate sales, so I don't think it's bad form for the customer to make a claim. If they don't want to take old product back, then limit the return policy.
actual photo of actual boots...sorry 'bout the borrowed ones above getting zapped. And the pics of the ones i'm wearing didn't come out so hot.
This is my second pair, from 2006 (Nick's), resoled this year, should be good through at least one overhaul-when i wear these soles off.
Takes a month or better to break 'em in, but I'm expecting 6-10 more years out of each pair-with resoles and overhauls, maybe more.
Attachment 49807
I'm sorry, but I find it hard to believe that most of these things posted are considered boots.
Garro, I think, was referring to something slightly different. Now, as for what is Bad Form or not...only the individual can determine that, I guess, given a "No Questions Asked" return policy. Any LL Bean employee can tell you of the folks who buy a boatload of camping gear, use it for one trip, then return it all. Or, the housewife who orders tons of china and party goods for a lawn party, wedding, etc... and then sends it all back once the gig is done. Allowable under LLB policy? Yeah. Good Form? No. Vulgar. Like Brandeis said about Porn; You know it when you see it.
Garro is also on record as saying Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. I wholeheartedly agree with that nugget....I've used it myself.
OMFG
i went to Nick's to look at Engineers'/Harness Boots and found that they are now making Romeo's and Oxfords!
end of the world must be nearing (this is bullhide):
http://webstore.technologyservicesma...lkBullHide.jpg
Rudyard Kipling - Infantry Columns - 2 hour loop - YouTube
Slight chuckle, slight shudder. Every time this thread pops up it brings back memories of the linked audio; SERE school nearly 20 years ago. Good times.
S
I agree that there's some line out there that's allowable but bad form, but I think that line is becoming less and less clear. Bean's takes anything back, and they let the customer draw the line. Competitive Cyclist says explicitly that they're happy to take back nasty, threadbare, crashed out shorts. If it's okay to send crashed shorts back, where is the line anymore? I think some retailers have contributed to obscuring that line (Bean's among them), and used it to sell product by giving customers confidence in buying outsourced goods sight unseen. I think we can all agree that the examples you give are in bad taste, but where bad taste ends and a liberal interpretation of "customer dissatisfaction" begins became unclear when retailers moved away from a standard of defective manufacturing for returns.
Here's the thing. There are preponderance of overwhelmingly fair-minded people in this world who seek out merchants like Bean who bare their chest and "dare" you to return their goods. I like the way L.L.Bean thinks.
http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/8232/img1126d.jpg
These beauties have entered my life. Alden Indy boot.
I was talking with my dad about Bean, and he told me a story about this one guy who would just regularly buy a ton of shirts from them. Like every two years, he would just toss the ones he had a buy a bunch more. One time he called them up to order a new run and they asked him what was wrong with the ones he had, and if he wanted to just return those, and they would send out some new ones for free. He didn't take them up on their offer, but things like this probably mean that he'll continue to order from them far into the future.
Congrats! Keep an eye on the welt of those. Mine separated (twice) on the inside, right where the shoe flexes around the ball of your foot. I think mine was an isolated incident from what the Alden DC store said, but something to keep your eye out for.
Oh, I'm sure it's isolated. Happened to me too. Also the stitching in the tongue has come out twice and the tongue rotates around my ankle. Oh yeah, and did I mention the horrible scratching.
I wouldn't take a pair of Indy boots for free now. Mine suck. But I love the Barrie and Grant last dress shoes.
I've been squirreling funds away for a pair of Wolverine 1000 Mile boots for several months. But LOL I just spent it all (and then some) on a pair of these Frye's as a surprise for my wife. She's gotten the short-end of the stick with my father's broken back.
http://imagesec.fr.ctscdn.com/image/...4c9cb3d97f.jpg
I guess I'll start squirreling again. But I may end up getting a pair of White's Semi-Dress boots instead.
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...N/DSC_0193.jpg
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m...N/DSC_0194.jpg
these have been getting a lot of use lately. Irish Setters from Redwings. They arent the swankiest boot on the market, but damned comfortable, and i dont cringe when i have to use these boots like boots. the leather is nice and supple, and i expect them to last many years, good stuff.
http://images49.fotki.com/v1539/phot...MG_0453-vi.jpg
Staying with a friend last spring, he told me he'd bought some chukka boots online that were a bit big on him, and did I want them? I tried them on and they seemed like a good fit, so I took the shoes and bought him a bunch of drinks. I got home and put them in my closet, forgetting all about them until Saturday.
I pulled them out and put them on and, hey, nice shoes! They look something like this but with slightly chunkier, treaded soles:
http://www.mensdesignershoe.com/avac...ots_rust_0.png
I just bought these "boots". Hint - There are some Red Wings over at J Crew (online) for 30% off. If the code doesn't work - Live Chat them and they'll probably honor it. The 6" Blue Moc is awesome, but I don't need that much boot for FLO-rida.
http://s7.jcrew.com/is/image/jcrew/3...82?$pdp_fs418$
musgrave, thanks for rekindling my White's lust. I'll start saving up for those and one day I can set my pair next to Dad's smokejumpers.
I've been wearing these for the last couple of months and really like them-
Weinbrenner USA
Made in Wisconsin so you know they're wholesome... mostly.
Grenson Christian Hi-Shine Honey.
Attachment 50873
Happy so far.
HELP! Going to NYC tomorrow for the weekend, what are some good men's clothing/boot stores to visit for a nice selection of men's boots. Staying in Times Sq. area. Thanks,
Quattro