WESCO
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@4c:
The only reason I haven’t yet considered Wesco boots:
Wesco is unique to many of the high-end brands in that they use steel shanks and I’ve always heard that steel shanks are not as nice as iron leather ones for most purposes because they are heavy, brittle, stiff, sometimes corrode, do not conform to the foot like leather, and are generally cheaper and less desirable than leather ones unless one demands very little flex in a boot which is a need for some boots such as mountaineering boots… I’ve had arguably the best handmade mountaineering boots in the word and they had a steel shank and I loved them, but they were nowhere near as comfortable as my boots with an iron leather shank. Also, when White’s uses Boss lasts (White’s doesn’t make a Boss last, Wesco makes a Boss last) on their boots they sell them for quite a bit less which is also concerning to me. (http://www.bakershoe.com/product/open-road-whites-boots)
Can somebody please help convince me that these are not problems? Or is there a Wesco boot offered with an iron leather shank?
Thanks
That doesn't even make sense. What is an "iron leather" shank? Most boots with a metal reinforced shanks use steel ones, because iron is heavier, more brittle and corrosion prone.
EDIT: Are you referring to this?
http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php?dispatch=pages.view&page_id=16They're showing leather shanks, which are lighter and more flexible than metal ones. The thickness is measured in "irons", which is an old-school leather measurement.
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^ Knowledge dropped
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That doesn't even make sense. What is an "iron leather" shank? Most boots with a metal reinforced shanks use steel ones, because iron is heavier, more brittle and corrosion prone.
EDIT: Are you referring to this?
http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php?dispatch=pages.view&page_id=16They're showing leather shanks, which are lighter and more flexible than metal ones. The thickness is measured in "irons", which is an old-school leather measurement.
It says “12-14 Iron Hard Leather Shank”… Thought that meant it was called Iron Leather….
Honest mistake (Honestly stupid :-[), but Will edit the post… Thank you for correcting it though. -
I've never heard that leather were better than steel shanks. In general I've always heard that White's and Wescos were similar in quality. I'd say take the plunge and find out!
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The only time it's ever a factor that I've seen is with wild land firefighters. Steel shanks apparently have a tendency to heat up whereas leather doesn't have that problem. Aside from that, it's really up to preference as to which you prefer quality-wise (re: White's vs Wesco). For me, White's are comfortable for my flat feet with standard sizing; with Wesco's, I'd need to get properly sized/custom fitting to get it just right but since I've only owned factory seconds, I haven't had the opportunity. This means I have to buy inserts accordingly to compensate whereas my White's fit perfect out of the box. Your mileage may vary!
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@aho:
The only time it's ever a factor that I've seen is with wild land firefighters. Steel shanks apparently have a tendency to heat up whereas leather doesn't have that problem.
This is true; it's the reason that steel toes are not NFPA approved for wildlands firefighters. However, for uses where heat is less of a concern and arch support/protection is a greater one, steel shanks are great. They're very common in boots used by people who climb ladders and utility poles, as well as in cowboy boots, to provide support when standing in stirrups.
Properly done, they're great for arch support. Some of my most comfortable pairs of boots have a steel shank. I've never had any problems with weight or flexibility.
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Steel shanks are fantastic. Wearing em now in my Lofgrens
