Best posts made by AskAxel

Hey all!

So after a long time saving and an even longer time reading reviews and trying to make up my mind, I purchased my first pair of engineers! I went with Addict due to the really good reviews and hearing from many sources that they have a lower instep compared to other brands. I measure an 11.5D Brannock and I have a low-mid instep height. After some back and forth with Addict regarding sizing, I was advised to go half a size down from Brannock. I also wear an 11D in Iron Rangers and I have an 11.5D in Chisos (which are too big without their supplied insoles).

Addict recently re-stocked a bunch of their engineers and I was specifically seeking a pair in a teacore horsebutt leather with a soft toe; their narrow last engineer fit all these requirements.

It took a about 6 days to ship from Japan to Australia, the boots cost $1,180AUD and I had to pay $300AUD in duties which included GST. I was tossing up between these and the John Lofgren Railmaster Shinki Horsebutt which were only an extra $200AUD but the wait time is at least March 2027 and I wanted them now.. Perhaps I'll grab a pair of those later in the year although I think I'd rather a brown pair for my second. Anyway I'm getting carried away.

Anyway here are some photos. They were very comfy out of the box and quite snug, the leather lining made them much easier than expected to slip on. I've worn them one day so far landscaping and paving so I'm hoping after a week they should break in quite nicely, although they are incredibly comfy already. I was a little cautious about the instep strap not being stitched to the shaft (something I intend on getting a cobbler to fix) but so far I've had it snug and it seems pretty strong. The pull-loop was also very helpful. I have heard these develop a patina really fast so hopefully I'll have some photos of the teacore coming through soon.

Addict were easy and great to deal with and I'm very happy I went with these for my first pair. I would thoroughly recommend these and they still have a few available on their website from the latest drop too.

Cheers!

PS: Apologies for the poor photo quality, my camera is slowly dying

Will take some fresh photos of my Addict Engineers and upload, the teacore after a month and a half of wear is pretty full on, theyre looking wonderful.
In regards to their sizing, I wear an 11D in Iron Rangers, measure an 11.5D brannock on both feet and I have quite a low instep.

After talking to Addict and sending my measurements they advised I buy an 11D in their narrow last engineer which I did. After breaking in, I then added their thin leather insole that comes with the boots and I would say the fit is almost perfect. There is still a little extra length in the boot and the vamp and instep area are comfortably snug but not tight on me. I'm very confident I could have gone down a full size to 10.5D and not used their insole after break-in and the fit would be perfect; the caveat being that I do like my boots to be snug. Heel slip post break-in is basically non-existant.

I plan on buying a second pair in their brown horsebutt in 10.5D but I will be visiting Japan in january so I'm hoping to try them on in-store and grab a pair there.

Edit: Added photos. I also got my cobbler to add additional stitching to the straps. Now that I have been wearing these hard, I don't actually think it is necessary but being my first pair of engineer boots and knowing I was not going to be gentle with them I decided to be overly cautious and get extra reinforcement added.

Update with photos, after a few days of wear post soak + machine wash. They are still incredibly stiff but starting to crease and form well. So far just work around the property and nothing too serious. I can;t wait to start breaking these in properly.
What does everyone think of the fit? I tend to have a large butt from riding compared to my long slim legs but I think the high rise is perfect for me even though its a little loose around the crotch and hips. I was concerned with other IH cuts having lower rises as my previous experience with other brands with rises less than 11.5" has made them very difficult to wear and work in.

Hello!

Recently I made my first Iron Heart purchase, the IHSH-227-IND Wabash 12oz shirt. Needless to say I think the shirt is amazing and the quality unreal, but that's not the point of this post.

I (nervously) mailed the shirt to the UK from here in Australia to have the snaps upgraded to the heavy pearl option; I thought the white snaps would look better with the Wabash fabric and eventual fades. The service from IH Uk was amazing, the guys were great and the process was simple and much quicker than expected so thank you all!

Attached is a photo for everyone to see the difference, I think it definitely looks better! Apologies for the poor lighting, I only have warm lights in my home. Give me a few months to get some fades on this beauty and I'll post an update!

Cheers

Awesome, thanks guys! Washed inside and out and theyre drying flat now. I'll leave them overnight tonight and see how they go tomorrow after work, keen

Edit: update after drying overnight.

I measured the jeans this afternoon after work and tried them on, they were still a little damp. I spent a few hours walking around in them and they are definitely more snug and forming very well already.

The waist is now around 84ish-cm's or 33" which is almost a full 1.5" shrink and the inseam is measuring at 89cm/35" which is a full 2" shrink. Inseam is perfect with a single cuff for me now; nowhere nearly as much stacking as before just enough for my liking. The waist is perfect and the hip area isn't as puffy/wide on me now either.

I'll post some new photos in better lighting after a few more days of wear. I already get the feeling that these will become one of, if not my best, fitting jeans. I'll have to take some comparison photos with my Oni Asphalts and Momo GTB's later down the line.

Thanks for the tips and help everyone!

@dan79 I use shoe trees for my oxfords and formal shoes, and boot trees for the boots that I want to hold their shape such as my cowboy boots and my redwings/service boots.

For my engineers I do not use boot trees as they have a soft toe and I want the horsebutt to roll and a boot tree would significantly increase the time for this to happen and also make the rolls less prominent.

Trees can also help if you're in humid environments (like me in Australia) for shoes/boots that you either wear very often or that just get damp from wear/sweat/water etc. Obviously this only goes for cedar or similar wooden trees; cedar is preferable for its ability to reduce odours.

In my opinion, for people that don't spend the time looking after their shoes/boots with regular cleaning and the occasional oil/condition/polish etc shoe trees are a very easy way to extend the life of your boots. If you're good at doing regular maintenance to your shoes then trees are honestly just good for odour and shape retention.

Edit: Added photos. My redwings and chisos boots here are both about 2yrs old with very regular wear and have always had boot trees and a lot of care put into maintaining them. My Addict Engineers are now about 1.5months old with lots of regular hard wear and no shoe trees and only minimal brushing for maintenance in order to test and increase potential patina. They are just starting to form rolls now and if I had been using shoe trees I doubt they would be rolling so soon.

Hello!

New member here; a lifelong 13mwz guy who jumped down the rabbit hole of high quality selvedge denim a few years ago. I recently made my very first Iron Heart purchase and love the quality and the range. I can't to add more pieces to my wardrobe and start the fading journey. Currently only own the IHSH-227-IND 12oz Wabash but I'm eager to add a pair of 888's to the mix, preferably the 25oz when they come back in stock! The wabash 12oz is unreal and I love it.

Currently have the Oni Asphalt, TCB Baggy 50's, and the Momotaro #400's in my rotation/daily wear. I've previously owned and tried Oni's secret denim and quite a few samurai and SDA jeans but sold them all as the cuts were not right for me sadly. I'm eager to learn from everyone here on the forum and eventually hopefully contribute some fade progress.

Cheers

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!

@caithangkhanh The teacore really is stunning in person, the photos don't do it justice. I wasn't too sure how I'd like the teacore as I've never had a pair before but I'm enjoying the process and the depth of colour and patina so far. I think I'll have to add a pure black pair in the future...

@crispy-heron I did quite a bit of research before deciding on Addict. I reached out to them with my foot measurements (taken via franks youtube guide) as well as the size of my other boots and we had a back and forth about fit and size recommendations. Their customer service and help in this regard was fantastic. From what I was told, without talking to them/sending your measurements in, the general advice is to take half a size down from brannock on the Engineers UNLESS you have an above average instep in which case you can go TTS and use their insert later in time. Regarding the service boots I do not know if the same advice applies.

@northsouthdenimguy I have also heard and was told that their zip boots do fit differently and going TTS is recommended, but there are always exceptions, and from experience I would advise just reaching out as they were super helpful. I would agree, at least in regards to my engineers, that overall foot volume and instep is going to be a greater determining factor in fit than brannock. Are the Zip boots horsehide?

I have definitely noticed stretch in the horsebutt engineers during the first 6 weeks; I'm pushing around 10 weeks of almost daily wear now. I wear very thin wool socks and have a very low instep, thus I'm very confident I could avoid the supplied insert and go another half size down from brannock for a firm and very snug fit (which I personally like) although I imagine the break-in would be quite painful. My current pair was very easy and only had minor discomfort for the first week, I believe that to be because both myself and person from Addict I was talking to were playing it on the safe side with sizing.

Update! The AB-01H-ST Standard Horsehide Engineer boots have arrived!

Relatively quick postage from Japan to Australia, no issues with the packaging. For fellow Australians, Addict now ships internationally in USD only and these were listed as $830USD for me at the time of purchase, shipping was $53USD and i paid customs/duties/tax of around $305AUD bringing the total price to $1,560-ish AUD. Previously Addict's international store used local currency so when I purchased my Horsebutt engineers first (the more expensive of the two versions) I paid in AUD and they actually cost about the same as this pair now that they have swapped to selling in USD. That doesn't bother me particularly, but it's something to consider.

First impressions; the leather is just as thick as the Horsebutt engineers although the shaft and top strap are noticeably softer and more supple. The Shaft has much more flex than the horsebutt versions, although I would definitely say it is still quite firm but the break-in will be much quicker. There is (at least on my pair) a subtle lasting line down the center of the boot, something that I did not notice in the stock photos. This surprised me, I actually have found this quite unappealing in photos of engineers boots (looking at you clinch) but in person I'm really surprised that I actually like it. perhaps it's because its subtle and a point of difference to my horsebutt pair.

Clicking looks wonderful to me, there is some visible grain in the shaft but the vamp and heel look perfect, there is a little spot on vamp of the left boot in the photos but this just rubbed away just using my finger. The black has a nice lustre to it in person and is deep without being shiny, so excuse my poor photos.

This version is a structured toe, and although not quite a full heritage bump toe, it is noticeably rounder and higher than the unstructured horsebutt. I wanted a pair with the structured toe, although I do prefer a rolled and collapsed toe. I bought this black pair with intention of it being my engineer boot for dressier occasions compared to the abuse my teacore pair live up to.
For photo comparison purposes, the teacore now have about 3 months of almost daily wear including some rough yard work like fencing and landscaping. Yesterday, before I took these photos, I gave them their first real clean and touch up with some conditioner and they have come up much better than expected, a lot of the scratches have disappeared.

Sizing
I took a risk and did go a full size down on the brannock with these. I decided to do that because of the structured toe and to have a very tight fit, these are a 10.5D. As stated in my other posts above, I do have a very low instep and while the 11D Horsebutt fit me very well after break in and using the insert from Addict, i found there is still a little bit of wiggle room in the instep for me even now that I have them on the third hole and I just don't want to tighten them more. With the collapsing of the toebox in the horsebutt I also do not have room in the toes to go down to a 10.5 like I could with these. I plan on getting another pair of the horsebutt in the brown in an 11D and I would still recommend to others going only a half size down unless youve spoken to Addict and are really, really, confident with your foot measurements.

I've put them on and walked around the house for a bit now, they are definitely very tight but in a good way. I do expected a longer and slightly painful break-in period compared to the horsebutt, which I would say while there was some initial break-in discomfort, they were not painful. I can already tell that I will not be needing these inserts and these are going to form so well to my feet.

Other things of note
I can happily say that the sole thickness between the two is the same, for some reason on the standard versions Addict have a full rubber outer-sole instead of the half-cut version on the horsebut, the heelstack is also the same height so i assume there is a little less leather in this heelstack to make up for the additional rubber.
As you can see in the photos, I did add additional stitching to both straps on the shaft. I did this mostly as a precaution and because these cost me so much I wanted to be safe. In hindsight, on the horsebutt versions I dont think this is necessary, and on the bottom strap of the Horsehide I also would say I don't think it's necessary, but the top strap is feels very soft to me so it could be considered. Personal preference I guess, but I will be taking these to my cobbler and getting additional stitching to both straps anyway.

I'll post some more photos in the future, I intend on alternating between these two now and easing up on the abuse my horsebutt pair have copped these past three months. Hopefully around Christmas/January I'll have the funds to buy a third pair in Brown if they are still available. I've considered trying an alternative brand like JL or Wesco, but here in Australia getting a pair of Wesco's costs just as much as Addict, Attractions or JL and I just can't justify it, especially given the mixed advice on sizing for Wesco's I've received. Other brands like JL, Attractions, and Skoob (from what I've been told) have much higher insteps and we all know that for Engineers fit is king; the Addicts are 2 for 2 for me in terms of amazing fit so I think one more pair should do it and I can go back to just buying more IH jeans and jackets haha

@worn2fade Great video, thanks for the update!

The 25oz arrived this afternoon. Initial impressions are very great, the texture is unreal. They aren't as firm as I expected, probably on par with the IH UHR but the texture is beautiful. Definitely a pain to button up, the gold buttons aren't as tacky in person. I normally wear a 32" and i sized up to a 33 in these and it was definitely the smart move. I would not be able to button up a 32 haha
I'll get some wear in over the weekend but I think I'll hang these while I break in my UHR as I've not yet hit 50 wears on those.

I'll keep my eyes on Iron Shop, they have good rates on shipping to Aus. Although I really don't need another pair...

@popvulture I have two of tees in white/natural, one henley in natural, and i just bought another tee in the dark kuri/brown. I initially wanted the black/kuromame but in person it was more like charcoal dark grey and not black enough for my taste. The dark kuri has an insane depth of colour. No fading on that one yet as I'm only a few wears in.

I have had the natural's for about 6months now and there has been no change. They quickly became my favourite tee's. The texture and drape is unreal and the fit is perfect for me. I haven't touched my wonderlooper or bronson tees since buying these and have no desire to wear any other t-shirt tbh.

I made a trip from Brisbane just to go there and to blue works vintage, it was worth it for Corlection alone. I've gotten quite a few things from them, even when sometimes it's cheaper to buy direct from Japan. The store and crew are great. Their range of Samurai and IH products is amazing and it's great to try a bunch of the cuts on.

@northsouthdenimguy Awesome! Post some photos when they arrive!
I also didn't know JL lined their Shinki. I saw Attractions have some of their 444's in a beautiful brown horsebutt.. I'm hoping there are still some available by the time I have enough funds for a second pair.

@northsouthdenimguy interesting, I'd be curious to see if they give over time like the engineers seem to be doing.
@AdamC Awesome news, thanks!

@jpvisual Ah I did not do that... Good to know.
I'll put them through the machine and see how they go. Thanks for that!

@Lukenstein Check our Corlection in Sydney, I have shopped from them pretty often and they have a great iron heart range. They also have some stuff available in 34 too

I managed to snag a pair of these, they've been on my goal list for some time and I was lucky to find a pair in stock around my size here in Aus! I was sad to hear that the UHR will no longer be made, apparently due to some factory issues if I understand correctly, so I made the jump and bought a pair. I was considering holding out for the 25oz XHS instead but I thought that might be a bit too heavy seeing as my daily jeans are around 15-16oz (and I'm unsure when they will be coming back for sale).

How's the shrinkage been from everyone else? I purchased a 34" which is according to the unwashed size chart is a little too big for me. I have done one initial hot soak in water around 35C for about 30mins. I tried them on when they were damp and they are a little roomy around the waist and hips. I have about 6hrs of wear in them so far as of these photos and already they are starting to form to my body. The denim is incredibly stiff, it's unreal! I thought my Asphalt 20oz were tough but these are on another level, the texture however is very soft and feels wonderful. I can't wait to break these in, although atm I need to wear a belt. I'm hoping that with more wear and some loving abuse they will conform a little and sit better on my waist and hips, the denim.

The inseam shrunk by about an inch and the waist by roughly 3/4 of an inch. I was hoping for a little more shrinkage in the waist but it's definitely close enough. I was surprised the inseam didn't shrink more but that may have been to me wearing the jeans in the hot bath. I like a little extra for some stacks and horse riding so this is a win in my books.

Excuse the poor photo quality, my phone's camera is partially broken so it doesn't pick up detail very well. I will take more photos as I get more wear in the coming weeks.
I finally have my first pair if Iron heart denim after months of saving and I can't wait for the fades!

Cheers

@worn2fade Mate I think these look great on you! Sadly I missed out on getting a pair of these but i managed to buy a pair of the 25oz so I guess I can't complain. I've only had Samurai's 17oz zero+ denim before and the heaviest denim I have so far is the 888 UHR so I'm keen to see how these 25oz's go. Theyre set to arrive tomorrow!

@cyclops Denimio, cost $6 for express. Arrived within a week