Heritage/Service Boots

[johnniegold]

With the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall… out come the boots.

As the boot season kicks off, I find that I am in good shape in the area of chukka/desert boots (although I’m always on the lookout for another pair ), but when it comes to Heritage or service style boots (I’m not sure if those terms are interchangeable), I find my collection could use an addition (or two ).

My interest was piqued after receiving an email from Oak Street Bootmakers regarding a newly-released Cap-toe Lakeshore boot in Brown Nut Dublin leather.

I thought about it… and thought about it… and when I decided to pull the trigger a few days later, they were sold out of my size. (Sometimes you get lucky like that).

But now I have this style of boot on the brain.

Now I know there is a whole world of top-notch bookmakers like Nick’s or White’s and Viberg but I don’t know if I’m in that deep (although those Viberg 2030s are indeed tempting).

After having sold off some boots like the Dr. Martens 939 Ben Boot

And my Red Wing Iron Rangers 8111 (still have seller’s remorse)….

I found myself looking for another service type boot in addition to my Alden 405s…

When one starts to look for this style of boot, one of the first to pop up in a search would be the Captain Boot from the Thursday Boot Company.

They’re a nice and easy choice for just around $200 USD and they provide lots of colors, sizes and widths.

Now after watching plenty of YT reviews and reading some articles on Reddit, I’m kinda leaning towards the Higgins Mill boot from Allen Edmonds. With some nice color choices in Chromexcel leather that come in a variety of widths, they provide a very nice (and easy) option.

While they come in at around $495, with AE, you can always expect a sale or even head over to their Shoe Bank where you could pick up a pair of Seconds for about $325 that will usually have some indiscernible blemish that didn’t pass through AE’s QC.

Next up is the Coniston boot from Crockett & Jones. I’ve looked at these for years.

And while it is a beautiful boot, I think it leans towards the dressier side while I’m looking for a boot to jump up and down in puddles of water after a rain storm.

Still mulling over my choices but I think I’m gonna pull the trigger soon.

Whichever boot I select, when I get ‘em… you’ll see ‘em.


Feel free to let me know your faves.

 

[MrSpeedy]

I'm in the same search and am leaning towards the ones from Thursday. I have two different pairs from them - a chukka boot and a Chelsea - and have been happy with both.

 

[blantyre]

These two look like good value for the style and quality. I’ve generally been happy with Loakes but it’s been a while since I’ve bought any of theor products.

Loake Aquarius in cedar calf

This Loake Aquarius high lace boot has a cedar calf leather upper. Goodyear welted onto lightweight rubber soles for greater longevity and grip.

www.bradshawandlloyd.com

Been tempted to try DeWinter a couple of times. Since I’m trying to get rid of stuff, I resisted since I loaded up on Crown shoes a couple of years ago.

De Winter Rochester in dark leaf grain

We think that our De Winter Rochester boot is as good as it gets for a stylish, practical lace boot and yet divinely comfortable.

www.bradshawandlloyd.com

 

[dojpros]

There are an abundance of heritage inspired boots, new and used, from their respective websites to eBay and everywhere in between.

My challenge is sizing as in how do these boots fit. I have had mixed success buying used from eBay i.e. to boot and jack erwins.


ie- I am a have to break in 11 in red wing iron rangers. 11.5 no break in in Wolverine 1000 milers. Spot on size 12s in DANNER bull runs.

I branneck at 12-12.5 though my Allen Edmonds and sport shoes (Hoka/Brooks/Puma) shoes have usually been 13s forever.

Indeed, when I bought my first pair of iron rangers, i was stunned that they guy was adamant to put me in 11s.

Best of luck and really anxious to see your latest aquisitions.

PS- I have a pair of Thursdays in 13, a little big, 12s were too small based on trying on 2 pair of a friend’s. 12.5 seems to be the way to go. Great value for money to be sure.

 

[JWCowboy]

I like those Allen Edmonds, have never owned a pair but my brother in law has and I know they are one of the "Cadillacs" (maybe Bentley would be more appropriate )

I'm not a huge fan of the cap toe look either, but I'm sure a stylish guy like you could pull it off Bob.

Looking forward to seeing what you end up with.

 

[johnniegold]

I'm not a huge fan of the cap toe look either, but I'm sure a stylish guy like you could pull it off Bob.

From what I’ve read/heard, Allen Edmonds typically has sales in October so I’ll keep my eyes open. I have a B&M near me so I can head over there and try on a few sizes/widths to get the best fit.

 

[nemo]

There's that time of year right around the corner. You may know I'm a big Red Wing fan, mostly moc-toe work boots -- made in America, re-crafted easily, long-lasting, blah blah blah.

But my first pair of RW boots way back when were actually Blacksmiths. They broke in easily for me and I'm not a big cap-toe guy so they were perfect in the briar oil slick leather. They've been worn everywhere and recently received a new sole and welt ($105 in Minnesota factory).

They treated me right, great boots but I wanted something a little dressier and so I got some Beckmans in that beautiful Featherstone leather and Roccia sole. I'm not sure if they're still discontinued or not, I see some European stores have them.

My take on the "service boot".

 

[jaro 101969]

My only problem with those style boots are that the insoles all seem to be very uncomfortable to me.. If I could find some that had insoles that were as comfortable as hiking boots or even tactical boots I would jump on a pair in a second !! I guess I could change the insoles in them... Anyone else have the same problem?

 

[johnniegold]

My only problem with those style boots are that the insoles all seem to be very uncomfortable to me.. If I could find some that had insoles that were as comfortable as hiking boots or even tactical boots I would jump on a pair in a second !! I guess I could change the insoles in them... Anyone else have the same problem?

I’ve experienced some footbed issues with some Red Wing boots but after a while, the stiffness in the Iron Ranger gave way to forming to my foot and it was comfortable.

The 3141 Work Chukka by Red Wing is still a work in progress.

 

[Doc4]

but when it comes to Heritage or service style boots (I’m not sure if those terms are interchangeable), I find my collection could use an addition (or two ).

William Lennon B5 Ankle Boots, Dark Brown, Single Thickness Sole - Varusteleka.com

Proper ol' leather boot made of dark brown leather. A reproduction of the World War 1 combat boot with modern rubber half-soles. Made in the UK!

www.varusteleka.com

 

[nemo]

William Lennon B5 Ankle Boots, Dark Brown, Single Thickness Sole - Varusteleka.com

Proper ol' leather boot made of dark brown leather. A reproduction of the World War 1 combat boot with modern rubber half-soles. Made in the UK!

www.varusteleka.com

Nice boot but I think it's out of production.

 

[JohnG]

Having wide feet (9.5 EEE) my choices are limited.

My regular boots for just shy of the last ten years have been a pair of Chippewa Apache (made in USA).

Unfortunately, I think they're made in China now.

More of a work boot than a heritage boot, but they've been of stalwart service.

Looking forward to seeing more posts in this thread.

 

[Doc4]

Nice boot but I think it's out of production.

B5 WWI Replica Boot - William Lennon & Co Ltd

The 'B series' style boots were introduced from 1915 onwards by the Army during The Great War. Our replica B5 boot is produced using the original patterns from a surviving pair of originals & knives found in the factory archives. Fitted to the correct wooden 2181 square toe last.

williamlennon.co.uk

I suspect they would be willing to consider a more modern sole if asked.

 

[johnniegold]

Getting closer…

After going into a deeper dive and looking more at the Thursday Boot Company’s, Captain boot, I came across their Made in USA Vanguard Boot ($265) made from Horween leather with Thursday’s version of the Dainite sole.

I like the look of this boot, although I’m not crazy about the leather laces. But they could be changed out with some flat waxed cotton laces as seen below…

I also like the fact that there are no speed hooks.

The Vanguards look very nice, but almost too nice. A bit too dressy. I really am going for more of a knock-around boot.

Which brings me back to the Higgins Mill boot from Allen Edmonds. Still a “Made in USA” boot, with the shoe uppers for the Allen Edmonds hand-sewn collection cut and sewn in the Dominican Republic; raw materials are sent from the U.S. for sewing, then shipped to Port Washington, Wisconsin for completion.

I visited their website today and utilized their live chat to discuss sizing.

My convo with “Tim”

Based on my Alden 405 size and my AE Carlyle size, “Tim” recommended going with a 10E in the Higgins Mill.

I also asked if AE was going to have its annual Rediscovering America sale and Tim informed me that it will start tomorrow and that the Higgins Mill would be on sale from its current price of $495 to a sale price of $379.

By all accounts, paying full retail for the Higgins Mill is not the move, but for $379, it appears to be worthwhile.

I’m all in.

As for Thursday Boot Company, I’m quite sure a pair of their Captain boot will end up in my closet. Perhaps a pair of their Arizona Adobe as it closely mirrors the color of the Red Wing Iron Ranger 8111 in Amber Harness. Maybe that will sooth my seller’s remorse.

And for under $200, how can you not?

For what it would’ve cost to get the pair of Lakeshore Captoe boots from Oak Street Bootmakers, I can spend another $16 and get both the Higgins Mill boot from AE and Captain boot from Thursday Boot.

Ok… let’s simmer down.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Many brands that used to be made in the USA, jumped ship to China, in order to cut costs. But here's the thing, whenever you cut on costs, you are also cutting on quality to do so. I used to wear a pair of Red Wings, they used to be a great brand back in the day, till they decided to move production to China. Still, I wore my Red Wings until I completely wore them out, and the bottom soul was delaminating from the rest of the boot. Thats when I was no longer a fan of glued on souls.

Thorogood Loggers

Logger Series - 9" Brown Stud Horse Waterproof

Long days and harsh work conditions don’t stop you from putting in an honest days’ work. Thorogood’s rugged loggers have got you covered. The Vibram® outsole with reinforced tip stitch is slip-resistant and highly abrasion resistant. Add to that the Ultimate Shock Absorption footbed, and you’ll...

thorogoodusa.com

These days, if you want quality boots, then be prepared to spend a lot of money on them. A couple of USA brands I researched, were Danner and Thorogood. I ended up going with Thorogood, both for the features of the boots, as well as the price. Danner at the time, didn't have what I was looking for, for a decent price, as I too refuse to spend over 400 dollar on a pair of boots. I got my Thorogood Loggers with tax for I think it was 330 dollars.

My main business is, I do small engine repair, and I do lawncare as a side hustle. It was important for me to really protect my feet, for the kind of work I do. Steel towed boots were an absolute must requirement for me, and I really wanted to upgrade to a stitched on bottom soul, something that is actually going to last for a long time, and not delaminate. The link I provided shows the full specs, but here's a quick screenshot.

These protect my feet really well, and I appreciate the aggressive traction on the bottom souls. My feet stay well protected against harm, and these things grip like you wouldn't believe. Like I said above, if you want quality boots, you are going to pay a lot of money. But I personally would rather my money go to supporting an USA manufacture, over supporting slave labor in China.

I've had these boots for a couple of years now, and I really love them. They hold up extremely well, and all thats happened to them, is they have gotten darker in color now, from all the hard work I do. Work boots are made for working though, not to look pretty on the show room floor, so its to be expected. Unlike cheap brands that fall apart after 1-year, these boots are still going strong.

USA represent! WOOT WOOT

 

[dojpros]

A DUSM I worked with before his retirement had 20 plus pairs of boots-he started with red wing/danner. Moved up to AE, Whites and Aldens. Went quasi bespoke when stationed in SoCal. Then he stumbled across Thurs Boots.

He is of the opinion that they far exceed the intersection of quality/value in both the Mexico made lines at 200ish and the vanguard made in usa at 275ish. Their “Danite” sole was nice enough to wear in court and gave enough traction for running/moving/fighting as needed.

I have a pair of Capts from ebay. They are certainly worth 200ish base on the DANNER Bull Run (x2) Red Wing Iron Ranger (x2) Wolverine 100 Miler (x2) boot I own.

A pair of the Color# 8s at Vanguards are on my short list at 12.5 based on me being a 11 in the RW IR, 12 in the DANNER Bull Runs and the 13s I already have being a bit big.
Concur 100% re going w a flat waxed bootlace.

Men's Vanguard Lace-Up Boot In Color #8 - Thursday Boot Company

Comfortable Men's Cap Toe Lace-Up Boot in Color #8 Horween® Leather. Handcrafted with Integrity in the USA Using Goodyear Welt Construction. Free Shipping & Returns.

thursdayboots.com

 

[Old Hippie]

When I saw "service boot" my mind went to the pair of US Army Corcoran jump boots I keep shined up on the top shelf of the closet. Yes, I wore them in uniform. (Full disclosure: I was not a jumper. I was in an elite drill and rifle team and that was our uniform footwear.) I had them resoled a decade ago, otherwise they're still as they were in 1979.

I like Red Wing. I've also had a few pairs by other makers: Double H, White, Pierre Paris and Canada West. For hard work I like my Canada West steeltoes. For looking like I do hard work I have a pair of Pierre Paris loggers.

O.H.

 

[litework]

"Many brands that used to be made in the USA, jumped ship to China, in order to cut costs. But here's the thing, whenever you cut on costs, you are also cutting on quality to do so. I used to wear a pair of Red Wings, they used to be a great brand back in the day, till they decided to move production to China. Still, I wore my Red Wings until I completely wore them out, and the bottom soul was delaminating from the rest of the boot. Thats when I was no longer a fan of glued on souls..."

Red Wings, Thorogood and Danner are good brands. They are actually very similar in that all three companies have boots that are made in the USA and all three companies have imported boots. In addition to their Heritage line up, Red Wings have many offerings of work boots that are made in the USA - and they are moderately priced. You can search for made in USA boots in their work boot line up. I have had a pair of made in the USA 202s since 2017 and that boot is available today.

 

[litework]

There's that time of year right around the corner. You may know I'm a big Red Wing fan, mostly moc-toe work boots -- made in America, re-crafted easily, long-lasting, blah blah blah.

But my first pair of RW boots way back when were actually Blacksmiths. They broke in easily for me and I'm not a big cap-toe guy so they were perfect in the briar oil slick leather. They've been worn everywhere and recently received a new sole and welt ($105 in Minnesota factory).

They treated me right, great boots but I wanted something a little dressier and so I got some Beckmans in that beautiful Featherstone leather and Roccia sole. I'm not sure if they're still discontinued or not, I see some European stores have them.

My take on the "service boot".

Looks like the Beckman boots are back. They are featured on the Red Wings website.

 

[johnniegold]

Went to the Allen Edmonds store near me today to try on the Higgins Mill boot.

In the pic below, I tried on the 10E (on the left) and the 10.5D (on the right) and the fit was pretty much identical.

The 10.5D is a bit more snug across the foot but that snugness is barely discernible.

I went with the 10E because I would definitely wear a thicker sock in the colder months so the E width would be able to absorb that.

Now get this… the salesperson told me that these two boots were the same color: Brown.

I looked at both boxes and they both said “Brown”. I thought the one on the left was perhaps their Chili color but the salesperson said they were both brown. Perhaps just a different batch of chromexcel leather.

The darker one is definitely more of a “cigar” brown. The lighter boot definitely has more reddish tones (although not quite Chili) and has much more character, imo.

So… the 10E it is!

The boots come with shoe bags…

The leather is already supple and soft and they are incredibly comfortable right out of the box.

I look forward to breaking them in and watching the leather develop a nice patina as time goes on and, after a period time, do a comparison with the Alden Indy 405. At the outset, the footbed on the Higgins Mill definitely has a bit more cushion than the Indy 405 boot.

With the Indy 405’s mocc toe stitching and the Higgins Mill being a plain toe boot, maybe a cap toe boot in a darker color from Thursday Boot would round out the collection for this boot season.


So… why not the Factory Seconds?

With AE’s current sale, the difference between a pristine pair and the Factory Seconds is about $50 bucks so in the overall scheme of things, it was a negligible amount, so I opted for a regular pair that did not have any blemishes.

And they do look perfect and I am pleased. .