John Lofgren (Speedway)
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I think you should at least go down a half size. I'm a true 9.5 brannock and a 9.5 in vans (which I find to be super tts), and the 9 fit incredibly easy as I said.
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I'm 9.5D in most American footwear, and digitally measured there by Red Wing, and manually on a Brannock. I have a 9.5 Lofgren, but could easily do a 9.
If you are very careful and try them on gingerly on carpet they would be returnable, at least John would take them back, and I think SE would probably take them back in exchange or for store credit.
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Thanks guys. I think I'll try an 11 first, SE has only one in stock, but several pairs of 11.5s. So if the 11s are too small, it's unlikely the other ones will sell out before I could get an exchange.
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@Cold:
Thanks guys. I think I'll try an 11 first, SE has only one in stock, but several pairs of 11.5s. So if the 11s are too small, it's unlikely the other ones will sell out before I could get an exchange.
Smart move–I bet it will fit, you never know with feet but they generally seem to be a half size roomy.
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My Engineers are in the mail and are scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Can't wait.
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Such a good feeling…I'll be interested to hear how they compare to your current pair of engineers. Those are pretty tough to beat!
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Got my boots today! They are really spectacular. They are pretty much flawless and a perfect fit. Thanks for the sizing advice everyone, the 11s were definitely the right call. 11.5 would have been too big.
I'm really pleased at how these complement the FH short engineer boots. It's really hard to say which is better, they're so close. The FH boot has a slightly more tapered, cowboy boot-inspired shape, and are made from horsehide. The Lofgrens have a rounded toe and Chromexcel leather. The storm welt is really impressive and quite different from the double stitching on my FH boots.
I love the Chromexcel leather on these and think it's the perfect choice for these boots, I don't like how black horsehide looks in comparison (it really lends itself better to the aging possibilities of red/brown boots.) The fit is very comfortable and easy to get on and off, but not too loose, even without insoles.
The only areas where I think the FH boots clearly beat the Lofgrens are the straps and hardware. The FH straps are lined on the underside (not sure which type of leather they use - think it's calfskin) and this creates a much heavier, more solid feel in addition to the smoothness of the underside of the strap. The FH buckles also feel a bit more solid and tough than the Lofgren ones. Of course the Lofgren ones are probably more vintage-correct, so it's really just a matter of taste.
These boots perfectly complement my RJB D105s - they'll get a lot more wear now that I have two pairs of footwear that go nicely with these jeans. I'll take some pics soon.
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The storm welts are from England, the buckles from Australia, leather obviously from Chicago, outsoles are from America, midsoles are oak-tanned leather and also American, and then they're built obviously in Japan. The sourcing is as impressive as the attention to detail.
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Dope kyle! I was pretty sure that those would fit you well.. seems like sizing down half is a good call unless you want to fill them up with insoles etc.
What is it specifically that you don't like about black horsehide? I ask because black horsehide is almost exactly what I want for my pair of engineer boots (when I make sure all my tastes have settled)…
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Ben, your future engineer boots have taken on almost legendary status at this point!
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Ha…. what can I say
but I've learned that for me it's really best to make sure that I know exactly what I like and don't like before I make a big purchase. It would've saved me a lot of money in the long run if I'd developed that mentality earlier! -
Nice!
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Ben -
I've found that horsehide is very high-maintenance compared to cowhide, and requires a lot more treatment to stay shiny and sleek-looking. With brown or red boots I don't think this is an issue but I like black boots to have a shinier, glossier look to them. You can definitely do this with horsehide, it just takes a lot more work, comparatively speaking.
Honestly I should get some better treatment stuff for my FH boots - does anyone have suggestions on good products to use on horsehide? I've been using my Equus leather feed which works well but I'd like to know about other options that would work well.
Also - anyone have ideas for good insoles to use with the Lofgren boots?
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I use Scholl's gel insoles. Combining those with a boot that's already so comfy is like walking on clouds.
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Btw, fwiw there were never a lot of horsehide engineer boots historically speaking, for those who are concerned about materials from a repro angle.
