ADDICT BOOTS Japan
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@FlavourFade a few thoughts from my personal experience with larger feet and handmade boots…
My perspective is that there seems to be a lot more variability in sizing and fit throughout the “middle” of the chart, with outliers like me on the ends often taking the largest size that Japanese boot brands will offer. Just my observation but it seems like it can be a lot more difficult to nail down the perfect fit for people with smaller feet.
I don’t have as much choice, and in RDT for example they don’t even offer half sizes in the larger boots. So I either take a 12 that’s comfortable and slightly roomy, or try to squeeze into an 11. I also learned that the Japanese domestic footwear market prefers a roomier fit, which explains why RDT Boots feel and fit the way that they do. American consumers and boot brands tend to suggest/prefer a snug fit.
I find way less variation with size 12 boots and wear that size in Wesco, Russell Moccasin, RDT, Addict, Zerrows, etc. and they all work very well for me.
That being said the addict is definitely a snugger fitting boot and last shape in size 12 than the Casper, but they are like comparing apples and oranges to me- so they will always look and feel different on foot.
Excess In Moderation
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@SourPower thanks for your thoughts man! I recently got a pair of Luosjiet Boots that also fit a bit oversized but still comfortable and I just realized that I like that and the overly snug fit I tended to in the past is not what I am after for my next purchases anymore
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Hey all, I’ll be in Chicago again this year for the Stitchdown Expo(Nov 6 and 7th), formerly known as Boot Camp. Addict will be in attendance, so I’m planning to try on some of their engineers. I’m actually interested in a pair myself once Iron Heart releases them. Assuming Addict will have both the ST and CL lasts available, I’ll try on both. I’m not sure if IH is planning to carry both or just the ST last in the engineer, but either way I’ll be happy to give some feedback on the different fits and sizing if anybody’s interested.
@selveldgesteps
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@northsouthdenimguy said in ADDICT BOOTS Japan:
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Everything we have coming is on the CL last, The Engineer boots where not available on the ST.
Looking forward to hearing about the ST.
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@northsouthdenimguy hopefully we can make the Stitchdown Expo in 2027. I've met Ben a couple of times and he's a good bloke. Looks like a fun event!
The devil is in the detail..
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Yeah, it’ll be interesting. I have the ST side-zips from last year’s Stitchdown collab, so I’m really curious to see how the CL fits in comparison. From what I understand, the CL side-zip might be a little tricky in the same size I wear in the ST. Apparently, the CL engineer fits pretty similarly to the ST engineer, other than the lower toe profile and slimmer shaft. Hopefully, Addict will have all the different lasts available in their laceless boots so I can try them all and see how the fits compare. Might be a useful data point for others too.
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I always have a great time. This will be my third year, and I’ve dragged my wife along every year. She’s a trooper.
Ben’s a cool dude, although he’s always so busy at these events that I never get much time to hang out with him. But I’ve met so many great people over the years.
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I spoke with the team at ADDICT regarding the CL and ST lasts. They launch these at different times of the year, and the ST last will be available when we place our next order around March 2027.
For context, the ST last features a slightly more voluminous toe area and a roomier fit around the foot and instep, resulting in a more standard fit. Please note that the bottom shape of both the ST and CL lasts share the same design.
If you think the ST last will work better for your needs, it will be an option for us in the future.
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So I've been breaking in my ST versions for just over two weeks now. They are coming along very nicely, the first few days were definitely uncomfortable, bordering on slightly painful due to the size I chose (see the above posts for details). I will post some more photos probably in another fortnight or so to give a better visual comparison
The major difference in fit I can tell so far between the ST and CL lasts is definitely the more room around the toes and the toe box height, as well as a little more room in the ball of the foot and the instep. Although I think the instep increase is so marginal I'd say it's negligible (in my pair anyway) but the toe box space is definitely there.
I think the more important difference to me is the leather; the horsehide ST leather is much more forgiving and has formed and stretched much more and much faster than the CL. The shaft is a lot softer and flexes and moves with me when I walk. It hasn't collapsed any more than my CL pair but I surprisingly much prefer the firmness of the CL Horsebutt leather.
I think I have about another few days of wear and the ST pair will feel as broken in as the CL pair which have a few months of much, much harder wear put into them.I think if you have a foot shape that isn't very friendly/similar to the shape of Addict's lasts then the ST last is definitely going to be the more forgiving and easier pair to break in.
I'm very eager to pick up a pair of the brown horsebutt so I can have three pairs of Addicts and call it a day. Now that I have experienced both, I do love the ST last and I do think its an amazing boot, but I would opt for the CL last with the horsebutt leather any day.
I am still unsure if I could go down a full size with the CL's, I doubt it. Perhaps when I am in Japan in January I will get the chance to try them on. I have no regrets going half a size down with the CL pair I have and I'm quite looking forward to wearing them again soon and alternating between the two lasts once I've done some more breaking in and tests with this ST pair.
I look forward to reading other people's experiences and seeing the patina!
