Ship John
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I'm stoked to share another Grailed score and to join the Derroll Cool Kids Club. I picked these up recently... and there's a bit of a story.
These things are killer! Kind of a neat thing to have the same leather as my Guildsman (fka The Alex), only flipped inside out. The Grailed seller was a little wobbly when I pressed him on the sole construction. Nonetheless, we found a price where I could take a flyer because on an earlier trip to Wesco, I found a size I could (eventually) squeeze into of their 7500 Engineer. The seller claimed these were a Ship John Derroll boot. And by most markers, it is; the boot leather, the last, the toe shape, buckles, etc. But the soles were off. Mike at Ship John specs his boots with the Vibram V-bar full sole and heel stack pad. These suckers have a Sure-Grip half-sole and maintain the V-bar heel stack pad.
Deep in a rabbit hole - and a question I asked here - I toted them along when I picked up my reworked custom Engineers to ask the man himself at Wesco; Chris Warren. Turns out, these were likely a recraft. Someone bought a pair and had them resoled and either rebuilt or tweaked the uppers. If you look closely, you'll see different wear on the vamp (new) versus the shaft and straps (original).
It's a bit of a frankenboot, but importantly, I can get them on. There will be some break-in, especially with the left boot, but I remain committed!
Two other nuggets I learned: Chris confirmed that hot water in the boots is a-ok with their footwear. He went on to explain that with Wesco, the steel shank will support such heat, whereas a full veg-tan-constructed boot would be susceptible to accelerated collapse. The other is that people buying brand new boots will often send theirs in for a rebuild; be it a different sole, a buildup tweak, or most commonly, a full resize. I had no idea! Crazy.
I'll wear these and either have them reheeled with a Super Grip heel when the time comes or have them completely resoled with the VIbram V-bar.
Bonus nugget: Mike of Ship John specs his engineers with the full sole due to all the rain we enjoy here in the PNWet. With no sole leather exposed, the boots require less maintenance. Though Chris was quick to say that applying boot wax to the sole leather negates that breakdown. The more you know...
Safety third
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@Bobcat-Sig Great info! They look awesome. I’m
Having a fireside beer with mine. Very comfortable boots 🥾
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Those look great! I kind of figured it was probably a resole at the very least. Regardless killer make up you’ll enjoy the heck out of them.
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@Bobcat-Sig after speaking with Chris awhile back I warm soak almost all of my engineers when I get them to help the break in period quicken up. For me I just need the instep to loosen up and it’s always done the trick without any issues. Enjoy the boots man they look great
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@Denimhead-0 @northsouthdenimguy Thanks, fellas. I'm stoked to not only find these, but finally figure out a model and size that works. These particular boots will take some work to break and get comfortable, but I know it's worth it. The roughout is just so cool!
@hgering27 said in Ship John:
@Bobcat-Sig after speaking with Chris awhile back I warm soak almost all of my engineers when I get them to help the break in period quicken up. For me I just need the instep to loosen up and it’s always done the trick without any issues. Enjoy the boots man they look great
He recommended the same, stating that their steel shank keeps the boots where they need to be, despite the warm water, and may other influencers (and I use that term loosely) saying that it's a bad idea.
I've never done a warm soak before - I just stubbornly grind it out until the boot breaks in. So my question: what's your process for a warm soak? Just hot water, drain, and wear to dry? Or shove my foot in the warm water? I know; dumb questions, but asking so others don't have to...
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@Bobcat-Sig I fill them up with warm water about 3/4 to the top, I let them sit for about 30 minutes, then I wear them the entire day. At the end of the day I let them air dry until the following morning. I’ve done it with leather and rough out both resulting in better fits. It just helps them mold a little bit more to your foot. It’s one of those things that feels wrong to do, but I’ve done it time and time again without any issues
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@hgering27 Do you empty them out before putting them on?
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@Mister_Brue hahaha yes, yes I do
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I usually pour in a nice “Japanese clear Soup”, but only for about 30 seconds because you definitely don’t want it to cool off too much. It ruins the taste.
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@Gianny-Boy Yes, I saw this too. I think they’ll fly out.
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Thanks for the heads up. I was going to ask this question the other day when we thought they might be dropping… I want the brass but I guess it’ll go super quick when it finally drops
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@Gianny-Boy yeah I heard Mike talking on one of the most recent lives the silver we’re going up on the site.
I have my eyes on the brass but guessing it will go very fast. It’s been gone a long time and now coming back 2.0, my gut feeling says it’s gonna be hot
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finally managed to snag a second hand wills!.....went for a size large and it fits perfectly, with enough room to get a hoodie/UHF underneath, so very pleased with it.......I am really liking the quality and fit of the ship John stuff, (and the gold hardware they use too) - definitely worth trying to get your mitts on one
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@Darth-fader did you get it at the sale over this past weekend? those spun button snaps are really nice.
i couldn't wait for the next batch order nor do i want to pay over a G on used market so i ended up ordering a Tin Duck.
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@dugafola I got it second hand online, but it’s in great condition and was a good price - I haven’t had much luck trying to buy things new from ship John directly as the demand is always too high and I am too slow…..but really happy I finally managed to pick one up
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@Darth-fader Very nice! How’s the sizing on those? true to size?
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@Darth-fader nice! i'm on their mailing list. missed out on the Townes sashiko though...that was a bummmer.
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@Denimhead-0 yeah, I would say so, I am usually a large and it pretty much fits like a glove
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@Darth-fader curious to hear how you like it after some wear. If it’s a “all the time jacket” or because of it’s weight just for special occasion
Feels like a lot of Wills owners just have it as a collective piece in the closet, because of its hype and rareness. But would be cool to see and hear about people’s opinions that actually wears it hard and often🫶
It’s a cool jacket, definitely one I have on the wish list for sure!
