WESCO
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On the subject of insoles/leather inserts…
Do you wear your wesco boots with the leather inserts they provide? What purpose do they serve? Comfort? Accommodate with the fit?
I ask because I have IHWE-PO, IHWE-JOU, 1939 Engineer boot in 9.5D. My Hendriks are 9.5E to account for the MP last. These boots fit great WITHOUT the insert but I doubt I could wear them with the insert as they would be too tight. My IHWE-5 are a 10E and they don’t fit particularly well with the insert and are pretty roomy without.
Curious to hear your feedback and what the consensus is. Thanks
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I'm actually pretty curious about this, too.
Weirdly, my new 12E Lous fit a lot differently today, and the only reason I can come up with is that I ate a frozen pizza for dinner last night. I know salt can make you swell a bit, so maybe not an outlandish theory? I generally eat pretty healthily, so we'll see if it goes away.
BUT, back to the topic at hand — I felt mine also fit a little better today sans insoles. Is there any reason to not wear em, as in can it bad for your boots? Seems like it wouldn't, but who knows…
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I’ve slip ons only from Wesco.
10.5D on the MP toe with their heaviest leather = no insole the first year. They stretched enough to put it back in.
10.5D MP toe with the brown domain = always used the insole
10.5E Boss toe (x2) with the heavy leather, roomy and comfortable without being too big = insole in
10.5D Morrison toe (light olive burlap) = always insoles
10.5E MP toe, burlap = always insoles.
The point being a change on width obviously makes a difference, but different leathers will also affect fit and comfort.
As for the point of insoles, they mitigate the accumulation of odour and wear in the sole of the boot over time. In other words unless you don’t wash or socks, you’ll be fine without them for long periods and depending on type of wear indefinitely.
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[mention]neph93 [/mention] That’s an impressively large (ahem) collection of boots you have there Sir…
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I wear some without insoles (because apparently your feet get larger as you age. I'm a 13 now so this sucks.) or replace the leather inserts with something like Spenco.
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[mention]neph93 [/mention] That’s an impressively large (ahem) collection of boots you have there Sir…
I also have one pair of Vibergs [emoji51]
Let’s not talk about my sneaker collection (almost exclusively Adidas Originals, with a bit of New Balance and Saucony). I halved it before the house move and still need all fingers and toes to count how many have. I’m not bragging here, I’m confessing.
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Right on — I appreciate these replies!
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On the subject of insoles/leather inserts…
Do you wear your wesco boots with the leather inserts they provide? What purpose do they serve? Comfort? Accommodate with the fit?
I ask because I have IHWE-PO, IHWE-JOU, 1939 Engineer boot in 9.5D. My Hendriks are 9.5E to account for the MP last. These boots fit great WITHOUT the insert but I doubt I could wear them with the insert as they would be too tight. My IHWE-5 are a 10E and they don’t fit particularly well with the insert and are pretty roomy without.
Curious to hear your feedback and what the consensus is. Thanks
I currently have four pairs of Wesco boots, and I've owned multiple pairs from each of the "big three" Pacific Northwest brands (Wesco, White's , and Nick's). As consistent as these boots are, I've had multiple pairs of the same boot in different leathers, and there can be a little variation. For reference, I am a 13D in sneakers.
Wesco has been the most consistent for me across multiple pairs - I wear a 13D in a standard round toe boss boot and a 13E in the 7500 / Mr. Lou (these two are the same last and shaft circumference). My brown Mr Lou is a tiny bit roomy, while my black Mr. Lou and my 7500's are perfect. That being said, the 7500 has the most stretch in the leather, so they are more forgiving if my feet are a little swollen on a given morning. The black Horse doesn't stretch as much, but they also have less wear on them, so time will tell. Regardless, Wesco has made the boot that consistently fits me the best.
In White's Nomad Engineer boot, I have owned 5 pairs in a 12.5 D (and a few of those got sold). One pair was tight, one was a bit loose, the others were consistent in the middle.
I haven't owned enough Nick's to comment on consistency, but they run even bigger than White's, so it took a few tries to get my size right (I now know that I need a 12D in Nicks).
These companies are all great, but I'm most attached to my Wescos these days. Chris from Wesco is a genuinely great human being who works as hard as anyone I know, and he's super helpful in getting your fit right.
I take the inserts out until such time as the boots have stretched a little, then I replace them….
I watched a livestream with Wesco a week ago, and Chris recommended the exact same thing. It's like you know each other…
The point being a change on width obviously makes a difference, but different leathers will also affect fit and comfort.
Everything Neph said is true, but this is one key takeaway - stiffer leathers like Horween Horsehide can feel a bit tighter than a more flexible leather like British Tan cowhide. All leathers will break in with time, but some can be more or less forgiving fit-wise. I'd equate it to IH shirts, where I've found that sometimes a shirt made from heavier materials 'feels' a little tight on me, even if the measurements are perfect for what I might wear in a lighter shirt.
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Thanks to everyone who responded. Appreciate the insights. Very helpful
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I’m not bragging here, I’m confessing.
I totally get that!! -
…well, I was just contacted by Karen at Wesco yesterday Sept 8th and it looks like we're waiting another 4-6 weeks.
Just in time for Halloween! :o ??? -
Got the same email. I placed my order on February 22. Looks like Wesco has a solid 7-8 month lead time at the moment. Glad I have a few other pairs to wear in the meantime.
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There’s so many cool boots to choose from here it’s almost impossible!
Does anyone see their boots on the rack to the right??
I went with the Natty CXL
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Very excited for the CXL. Chris didn’t have my size in stock so he called up standard and strange and had them send me an invoice right then while he was on the phone.. he’s the best! I haven’t read all the previous comments in this thread but he has been getting all kinds of flack from everyone about their lead times right now and I feel bad for him because he’s such a great dude! We talked for at least an hour about my dad while I was there and his experiences with loosing loved ones and I just felt so good leaving his shop..
On a different note… I took this picture while I was there and sent it to my cousin because he has the same pair, and he promptly sent me the bottom picture. I think they’re about 3 years old and still going strong!
I
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Chris is awesome. The long lead times aren't ideal but their products are worth the wait. I'm actually happy that they're so busy during this crazy time because it means they'll be around in the future when I want to buy more custom boots.
I'm really looking forward to my pair that will hopefully be done in the next 1-2 months.
