Other Footwear
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Now you know how we feel when we see an upcoming IH product…
Fosters have a really nice bespoke chukka boot, which is a similar style. Their lastmaker, Terry Moore, is long past retirement age and considered to be the best in Britain.
I've got a thing about bespoke footwear. It's just the several thousand pound starting price acts as a real dampener on my enthusiasm.
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Crockett and Jones, Fosters and Edward Green all do versions of that boot in their ready-to-wear collections, and I suspect that the other traditional shoemakers will offer them. Prices probably start around £400, rising to £800 for Edward Green. I believe that the style is a Jodphur boot with strap.
The Crockett and Jones model can be seen at:
http://www.crockettandjones.com/Product/Cottesmore-Chestnut
Fosters, Lobbs and no doubt all the other bespoke makers could make you a pair if you fancy bankruptcy. Prices start at £3500 for that option.
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Hostem, a Shoreditch shop that looks like something out of a Tim Burton movie, have got a new bespoke room, and one of their suppliers is Sebastian Tarek, a bespoke shoemaker.
Tarek's doing a more contemporary spin on traditional footwear, which isn't hard when you consider that the John Lobb shop doesn't appear to have changed in the last century.
There was a Balmoral boot on display, which I was really taken with. It looked something like this.
And digging around on his site, I found a chukka boot for Giles.
Tarek himself has a background in the industry, having worked for James Taylor and Sons (an orthopedic and bespoke maker near Paddington). He's also a lot cheaper than the likes of Lobbs or Fosters, with shoes starting at £1500, which I'm assuming is ex-VAT. Fosters start at around £2300, whilst Lobbs are £3000.
He's also got a gnarly beard!
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I'm currently having a bit of a thing for Tanker Boots.
They were designed for tank crews in World War 2, and the straps mean that they don't get caught on bits of machinery. They also hold together better in a fire as they don't melt, and can be removed more easily in muddy conditions than laces.
The pair, above, are by Buzz Rickson. They're on special offer in a size 10 US at $530, down from $930. If anyone's tempted, the link is below.
http://www.historypreservation.com/hpassociates/detailpop.php?uniqnum=409
There's further information on the style here.
http://www.historypreservation.com/hpassociates/images/brwg_tnk_boot_mont.jpg
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After seeing Lucifer and your posts above, I was reminded of tanker boots. I went through a phase several years ago where I really wanted a pair, but never found the right ones. Those Buzz ones are really nice, but not quite right for me now.
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I'm tempted by a pair of tanker boots because they look a bit different, but also removing laces means that they're a bit more motorbike friendly. (Laces are likely to fail in a slide down the road, followed by losing the boots and then bits of your anatomy.)
The question would be whether they're generally versatile. There aren't many pictures of them being worn under trousers, but I suspect they might look a bit like a chukka boot with a Monk strap. This one has the trousers rolled up, so they look a bit more casual.
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I've found a couple of pictures of Monk chukka boots being worn.
Something like a pair of the dressier Dehner Tanker Boots, or the Buzz Rickson's could possibly look respectable if worn without a cuff.
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Anyone getting these?
http://www.selectism.com/2013/01/19/buttero-denham-and-14-oz-tanino-shoes/
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Hmmm, that pic makes them look much better. You're starting to sway me, damn you.
EDIT: just spent a solid half hour looking at tankers and trying to decide if I can justify another pair of boots. Not cool, Graeme, not cool.
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I know the guys from 14oz (the brand and former store manager is a friend of me) and a few of my friends have them.
I ve tried them on and waiting for a camouflage version. What you want to know?
Enjoy ya addiction!
Well, I would love a pair, but nowhere in Oslo got them afaik. How is the leather sole working on a pair of sneakers? and how is the construction quality overall?
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They are indeed comfortable for shoes like this but don't expect to much. If you are used to good boots you ll need to rest after wearing them straight for a couple of days.
Quality wise they are fine but not as well as good constructed boots. I ve seen a pair (rough out leather) which were worn for only a half year and they looked really smashed.
Finally i d say there are good looking shoes and a good alternative to boots.
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Chris, my work here is done.
Lucifer, the Denham webstore carries the Buttero shoes.
http://www.denhamthejeanmaker.com/#/card/2086/buttero-high.json
http://www.denhamthejeanmaker.com/#/card/2087/buttero-low.json -
Chris, my work here is done.
I wonder if Viberg or White's would be willing to do a one-off custom build for me?
You are such a bad influence, especially considering how little willpower I have.
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Oh, I'm in trouble now…
A tanker boot is basically your common-or-garden combat boot with a set of straps replacing the laces. It doesn't strike me as being a particularly difficult conversion to make to an existing pattern.
Viberg already do the Smoke Jumper, and they have done a taller service boot as a one-off. That's the white one below, which I think is one of their cooler pieces.
There's also a Balmoral style on their blog, which they might be able to convert.
The other thing to do would be to convince another four like-minded people to do a build.
Meanwhile I'm wondering if Mr. Tarek might be talked into putting straps on my Balmorals.
