/fa/ - Fashion

I hate chelseas so my choice is obvious.

>>7364562
if you get the chelseas make sure you wear denim slim enough not to overwhelm the boot.

kata's. They'll last you a life time.

>>7364583
on second thought, what kinda clothes do you wear?

katrahdins if these are a first/only boot. Get the chelseas if you wanna change things up a little, but definitely not if it's your first boot

alternatively, save up a little more and get wolverine 1ks or RWs. RWs are 30% at revolveclothing with first-time-discount. they're well worth the extra $100.

OR get the new cordovan katahdin which are 10x nicer imo and the same price.

>>7364562
if you're willing to spend 200, why not continue to save and spend 400 on rm williams

>>7364583
>>7364587
if you wear big bulky clothing, and have a more balanced silhouette, go for the katahdins.

if your silhouette is slim, go with the slim boots with a slim toebox. (The chelseas)

>>7364609
>if you're willing to spend this, why not spend twice that amount

>>7364629
whats another 200 in the context of a month or two? the difference is a lifetime of quality.

>>7364634
Maybe 200 is a lot to him. Maybe he doesn't know if he'll even want to wear a boot of this style in a year or two let alone "for the rest of his life."

>>7364587
>>7364612
I live in a tropical climate so I'll be wearing them with slim denim and a tee most of the time. Rarely faced with an opportunity to layer clothing.

>>7364596
I've heard the toe box on the cordovan katahdin's was sightly bulkier, which was why I was going to avoid them. That said, this image would suggest the opposite (although they look to be shot from different angles and to be different sizes).

>>7364634
For me at the moment $435 is just too much for a pair of boots. I'll most definitely buy a pair when I graduate from Uni though.

>>7364675
I own the cordovan katahdins and wolverine 1ks, the cordovan katahdins toe box is similar to the 1ks but not quite as sleek. The toe box on the regular katahdins is ugly, cordovan's are waaaaay sleeker.

>>7364688
there's a thread on mfa somewhere with a picture comparison of cordovan katahdinds and wolverine 1ks as well

>>7364596
From the side. Maybe the advice I've received re: their toebox was a bit misleading as every pic I can find seems to shoe that they're either identical or the cordovan is slightly slimmer/lower.

>>7364659
if 200 is a lot to him he shouldnt waste it on a pair of substandard shoes

OP see pic for comparison

>>7364675
I'd go for the chelsea's then. Big fat boots with a huge toe box would look weird for a tropical setting where you probably want something light.

>>7364703
Thanks a heap. Maybe I should stop comparing every Katahdin engineer boot to the 1k's, because they all look like they've got a bulky toebox by comparison.

>>7364715
yeah the 1ks are definitely sleeker, but the toebox on the cordovan katahdin is still nice. compared to the 1k it's big, but overall not so much.

>>7364743
oh wait OP just saw that you said tropical climate. The cordovan katahdins are pretty heavy duty man (also physically pretty heavy), I use them for canadian winters. Keep that in mind.

>>7364562

Go Katahdin!

I had my choice of virtually any boot I wanted and I bought these a few weeks ago.

Didn't want the RW Iron Ranger's because of the flat slip sole, also think the Katahdin's are more aesthetically pleasing than the IRs. Wanted the 875s but believe they are a little too bulky, maybe overplayed when you go to a fashionable city and the Katahdin's would be more fitting for my closet.

Spent time drooling over the 1Ks but I really couldn't fathom spending $400+ on a boot at this point in my life. Plus feel like the Wolverine's are a little too dressy and they have the flat sole.

So the only reason why I would tell you not to go Katahdin is because I'd rather not see anyone else with the same boot as me! ;)

>>7364675

Someone on here or styleforum posted a pic of the Cordova's after a few wears and holy shit..... The wrinkles that started on the toe box were hideous and really an eyesore for the boot.

Save up another 50, accept nothing less than the ideal boot. My rangers have developed a nice patina.

>>7364750
Yeah that's probably why I'll go for a chelsea boot or something of a similar weight/fit. Even during our winter, in the middle of the night it will get no lower than maybe 15 C (~60F).

>>7364772
I saw that. I'm going to say that might have been the case because they're wearing too large a boot, but I can't be sure.

>>7364812
the kat leather looks iffie, whats the consensus from people that own them?

>>7364812
OP, you mention being not wanting to shell out for the RM's in regards to chelseas, and not the RW's or Wolves. Some comment on the chelsea situation and on the Iron Rangers vs the Katadhins.

Firstly, the cheapest you could get some craftsman RMW's for would be about 250AUD, and that's if you go to a DFO and get some seconds (I've scored some there and even though they've been listed seconds there is very little wrong with them). I urge you to find a DFO near you and ring them up/check their site to see if they have an RMW in them.
I've got one in Canberra, and it sells 2nds for 250AUD, and 1sts for 325 - that's not bad for firsts, pretty much the price from their retailers before tax.

If you can't get to them, there are the aforementioned retailers - there's never a need to buy from an actual RMW boutique, as they charge the full aussie domestic price of 425AUD - get them from a retailer for about 357AUD or so (bootsonline.com.au; nungar.com.au - this guy never answers his emails tho; portphillipshop.com.au etc., etc.).
This is for a craftsman in yearling, that is.

The DFO seconds are a lucky dip if you want something other than the chestnut or black, as it's really whatever they have their in other leathers or colours and styles - black and chestnut craftsman's are typically in great abundance.

Cheaper of course if you live in Adelaide (fuck that) and can ransack their annual factory seconds sale (a pair of craftsman for 80 bucks - ffs).

>>7365594
cont'd

If there's no DFO nearby and you don't want to fork over the 350 odd bucks for a pair from their retailers, there are other aussie made *wholecut chelseas that you can consider.

There's those made by Baxter: the Henry Baxter classic - will probably set you back 250 again, but there might be a store that actually stocks there wherever you are. The rubber soled variant is called the Saddler I think.

Decent enough boot - not to the same level as RMW (only a 3/4 leather lining inside; it't mostly linen as opposed to the full leather RMW), but pretty decent, and a wholecut too. Only come in black and a darker brown chesnut equivalent called walnut.

They have a cheaper boot, probably 200AUD? Called the Horseman - it's same as the above (chisel toe last etc.,) except it's not a wholecut.
At least this one comes in third colour that's kinda like a dark tan. It's nice.

Also, if you can get a hold of them, another make called Ian Harold (Harold's Boots) are very well made. Every bootseller I've talked to has held them in high regard, they just unfortunately don't market their goods very well at all (it's non-existent). RMW market the shit out of their stuff.

Boot of interest is called the Grazier - black or chocolate - same craftsman like chisel toe etc.
They then to fit wider than than RMW at the same size number though.

They have another model called the Eyre that's a tan kangaroo skin that I'm trying track down (it's been discontinued, and the only retailer where I am has run out of them).

There's also the Gardener model, which is particularly robust as far as chelseas go - really not a dress boot but a real work boot, but still a wholecut. This fucker definitely runs wide. I own a pair for the sake of having something different.

>>7364775
>patina

>>7365606
cont'd

If you can't find any of these brands in retailers near you, there's always ebay and gumtree.

I notice that the Cole Haan's you posted in your OP are of a very light colour.

Only made to order RM's will come in that something like that (unless whomever you buy it from, be it one of their stores or a 3rd party retailer, happens to have whatever model/colour/leather you want in stock).

You could consider a custom order - you generally pay half when you order, and then the other half when the it's finished. I'm gonna do this for a pair of either Dark Tan or Rum craftsmans on the brass screwed sole from bootsonline.

No point right now as it would've be finished till feb when the factory reopens, but it's on my list.

If it's a matter of not having all the money now, that's what you could do, providing you know your size, exactly what variation of boot you want, and can wait a few months - might give you time to save up?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
In regards to the Katadhins vs the IR's (never owned the Wolves and only handled them once so can't help with that sorry) I've been reading that their insole is made of fiberboard instead of real leather like the RW's.

It's not such a big problem, but it does help explain to me why they're so much cheaper than the IR's - the leather is also not exactly up to the same standard, but that could just be subjectivity (I doubt it though, as RW do use some pretty nice leathers).

The only Australian RW distributor is in Melb, so still pretty far from you, but he's selling the amber harness model pretty cheaply (for australian standards) 297AUD. He told me he's gonna increase them after christmas.

I bought a pair there because I actually tried them on their and liked them so much (incidentally, bootsonline the RM's seller is in the same location as these Red Wing people - different store, same shop space).

>>7365619
cont'd

I don't know what you money situation is like, nor how patient you can be, but I recommend you like >>7364775, to save up for what you really want, and accept no substitute, be it RMW Craftsman, Wolverine 1k Miles or RW Iron Ranger.

One important note on buying a boot over the net: try it on first - don't try and guess your size without trying the *exact model* you want on.

If you take any of this multi-part ramble in, take this as it's the most important.

>>7365607

if u r skinny and can do heroin chic get the chelsea boots. if u r fat/fit get the "katahdins"

I am pretty skinny, but my Iron works are gonna be here today. I ordered the captoe, but I am mirin those cordovans for sure now that I see the toebox is smaller and wouldn't be as bad for my figure.
Thoughts?

save up and get the real thing
buying cheaper alternatives will only give you a shittier boot and youll end up spending more money in the long run anyway

Iron rangers are even on sale in aussieland right now
http://www.redwingshoes.com.au/heritage-lifestyle/8111-iron-ranger-amber-harness-boots,p87/

>>7364562
I was looking at those chelseas too as a first pair. They'd go fine with a suit (in addition to casual wear) if I take care of them right?

Anything similiar to katahdins/iron rangers, but in Europe?

I seriously can't find any nice boots here.
Want something for raw denim/maybe chinos from time to time. Ideas?

>>7365643
Bump

>>7366315
If you want quality, and don't care if you're not a special snowflake.

Winter's coming

>>7364562
Check out port phillip shop online, they have RM Chelseas for ~$280 AUD and they're definitely worth the extra money. I own two pairs, one black veal craftsman and one tanbark kangaroo riggers. Best boots I've owned easily.

>>7365625
>>7368495
http://www.portphillipshop.com.au/Mens_RMW_Craftsman_Boot.html
Popping up a link, they're going at $285 and I got $2 postage and handling to Melb. They're definitely worth a buy (and these aren't seconds). If you have any questions email the guy and he will respond v promptly. Happy buying :) x

looking for chelseas that can handle snow. ankle-high is fine -- i'm mostly concerned about the sole / tread. something like pic related (apc chelseas with commando sole) would be perfect at a lower price point. i've never owned chelseas before so i'd like to just dip my toes in first.

oh and in black B^)

>>7368642

doc martens

>>7365594
>>7365606
>>7365619
>>7365625

Mate you're an absolute legend. I'm fortunate that there's a DFO in Cairns, so I'll be sure to check if there's an RM Williams store in there.

Grew up in Adelaide so I'm familiar with the following and lesser price of RM products down south. It's a shame,save for their stockyard stuff, that they're not as prevalent in the far north (not as many people are into 'dress' anything).

>>7364562
Left looks very nice. As one college student to another, you'll just look goofy in the chelseas. You don't have the lifestyle to back it up.

>>7368700
Urgh, I just re-read my ramble - sorry for all the grammatical errors; shitty tablet autorcorrect.

Yeah, if you DFO has a website it should list their stores and their tel numbers.

My chestnut craftsman are being resoled - can't pick them up till february coz of the factory break, and my baxters need a resole too.

Hey /fa/, I just got my Katahdins and I really like em. They look great even though my legs aren't the best looking.
I think I need to size down a half size though. I can slide them slightly. Do I really need to size down another half size? (Usually a 9 in Converse and most shoes I try on)

Pic totally unrelated.

Never owned antything from Cole Haan, but I'm very happy with my Katahdins.

>>7371250

why does nixon look so much like gene simmons

>>7365627
how does patina like this develop?
do you have to clean them often or rarely?

>>7371250
Well, they will probably stretch with wear like all leather footwear so they might turn out even bigger after wear.

You could try and mitigate this by putting some thin insoles in. Like scholl gel ones for comfort.

Try to find some really thin ones.

Boots should be quite firm (with whatever type of sock you think you'll be wearing them most with), boarderline tight, on first wear as they'll stretch.

Are you wearing thick or thin socks with them currently?

Depending on where in the world you are, if it's too difficult to send them back for an exchange the the best you can do to mitigate size issues is insoles and thick socks.

>>7371451
>Try to find some really thin ones.
Sorry, I mean try thin ones at first and increase thickness till it's comfy. You might have to actually wear them for a day to tell; I've done this and the wrong thickness insole made it so that I got a really sore foot with blisters at the end of the day.

Now I just get my shoes fitted properly first up, get them "quite firm" and let the leather stretch as I wear them in.

>>7364701
i disagree. my first footwear that was even remotely fashionable was a pair of chukkas from target (mfa would have loved them). they cost $40 USD. i wasn't sure if i would end up liking the style, so i tested it out with a cheap ass pair that i would be ok with getting rid of in a couple months if i never wore them. i did like the look, and eventually bought some cdb's. $400 is a lot to throw into a look if you're not sure you're going to wear it often enough to justify the expense.

>>7371315
This particular patina developed through wear, because that's what the copper rough n' tough iron ranger's leather characteristic is.
Clean dirt off them, yeah, but no boot oil/waterproofing/leatherconditioner etc.,etc.

>this darkens the boot

>>7371250
>I can slide them slightly
Get a lot of slippage at the heel?

Boot's too big then m8.

You could try a heel insert thing, but if it slips in the heel area it's prolly too big.

>>7371763
>>7371451
Thanks for the advice m80s. Not that exchanging is hard, just a long process. I'll size down to an 8 and see how those fit. Cheers.

>>7371903
Try relacing them tighter first. They should be fairly tight across the top so that your heel stays in place but still have some wiggle room in the toes.

>>7371763
It depends on how they tighten the laces too though.
When you put on the boot, make sure your heel touches the heel of the boot (you can ensure this buy resting the boot on the floor by the heel - with your foot in it) and tighten it from there. See then if the boot's too loose.

Could just be that you haven't tightened them enough/correclty.
Try this site for help with laces. The different styles give different attributes and have their own pros and cons.
>http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm

>>7364759
what size are you? looks like a kid's shoes

>>7371957
>boot on the floor by the heel
Urgh. I don't mean by the heal. I mean by the edge of the boot's heel. You know what I mean, on that angle, not with the sole flat on the floor.

>>7371984
With what do you have as far as reference in order to make that observation?

>>7371950
>>7371957
I'll give it a shot, but it isn't exactly snug around my foot on the sides either. I also have enough room so that my toes dont even touch the tip when I push em forward.

>>7371992
I'd check now but I have a class at 1 and I'm not home yet. Bummer indeed.

>>7371992
>I also have enough room so that my toes dont even touch the tip when I push em forward.
That's not such a necessary requirement.

If even with reasonable lace tightening (not tightened so much that deforms the boot) you get that heel slippage and the overall width is too loose then you probably have a half size too large.

Is this the Queenslander?

>>7371988
the toebox I guess... Sorry, wasn't try to be mean. But seriously, what size are you

>>7372009
That's not my pic; I'm just wondering what in that picture would give you that assumption as I can't see it. (note I don't own these particular boots so perhaps it's something I would miss)

One aesthetic point that I'll give the Kata's over the IR's is those brass, hexagonal fittings.

Fuck, if the IR's in the Amber or Copper had brass fittings, hexagonal or not, then they would be my perfect boot.

What's with this chrome nickel shit?

I mean, I own a pair of amber IR's, but whenever I look down I see that slivery glint and wish it were more yellowy...

>>7372006
Nah. I live in Colorado. (The one with the Katahdins). I'd just go to the store but the only one is all the way up in Denver. Too far and too cold to make that trip this week.

>>7372020
>Too far and too cold to make that trip this week.
Was just wondering if you were wearing thick or thin socks with them.

>>7372043
They are kinda in between. The pair I tried with was Smartwool's mid weight crew. I do need some thicker socks though. Cold as shit lately.

>>7371957
Okay, I tried the over under lacing method put forth in that guys guide to see how they fit. I tied it as tight as I could so that when I walk, the opening of my boot is stiff and I can' barely walk forward.

There IS slippage, but it is an extremely tiny amount. Does that mean I got the sizing right?

>>7372803
Just a shameful bump before I head to work. Be nice to get a little closure on this.

Bump

Bump for katadhin and boot interest,

>>7371984
I'm 11.5 in most footwear. Listened to the reviews and sized down an entire site to 10.5 and they fit perfect. I think I'm actually 11 now but would swear by 12s from like years 17-22.

My dad always said his feet shrunk when he got a little older, and I think now that I'm 23 my feet shrunk at least a half a size.

>>7375051
>My dad always said his feet shrunk when he got a little older, and I think now that I'm 23 my feet shrunk at least a half a size.
Your feet didn't shrink m8, the world just got bigger

>>7375667
I had a giggle, m8.

>>7372803
Another bump

>>7364609

are you that fucking stupid?

mom, look! another ignorant tripfag..

Heres my katahdins, theyre kind of beat and im not really feeling them anymore.

Been looking at Chelsea boots as well but meh. idk. HELP ME DECIDE TOOOOOOO

>>7377830
the more beat the better.

I love the look

While were here should I get Narly Peak Gore-Tex (About 100 bucks) boots or Red Wings Ice Cutters(about 400)

In terms of durability and Style which do you guys think is good.

>>7371315
You can treat the copper rough and tough initially, and then just wear the shit out of them. That's how you get the alternating light/dark.

>>7379741
The former is cheap, practical and will do its job. The latter will probably last longer and look even better with wear.

Up to you m8.

First one's a purely functional piece of footwear, the other doesn't just have utility in mind.

>>7365619

Not sure if the guy who posted this is still around, but do you know whereabouts the RW retailer is in Melbourne?

I'm living in Adelaide and there's one store that only sells the Red Wings with the huge crepe soles which I really hate. I'm going to be heading over to Melbourne early next year, so I might pick them up or at least try them on for size.

>>7380652
Yeah I'm here.
the store is at 380 Burnley St.,
Burnley. If you're using the public transport, you can take a train from Flinders st. Station (the hub station) to Burnley station; you can find your way from there (3min walk). They have a website that someone posted above somewhere, it's like redwingshoes.com.au or somesuch. Like mentioned I thunk the IR's are a good price by aussie standards right now. The RW proprietor there (bootsonline the RMW folks are there too) is pleasant enough in a gruff, old-school aussie kind lf way. Fitting I suppose for the nature of the shoes he sells. I have a feeling that he might be slightly deaf so speak up and speak clearly; when I was in there this mumbling beta was having a time trying to communicate with him lel. Dont tjink the poor kid bought anything in the end.

>>7381039

thanks man, I'll write that down and check it out when I go to Melbourne

>>7381039

Sweet. Cheers mate. Like anon, I saw a Redwings sign at Midwest Trader, but they only had shitty looking ones. Bloke behind the counter apologised and said something snide about the average Adelaide punter (fair enough) when I asked about Redwings.

Might be moving to Tassie next sem so I'll pick up some Rangers on the way through. Cheers.

>>7381547
when I asked about Iron Rangers***

>>7381547

Ah, you tried Midwest Trader as well? I did a bit of looking around on the net and I couldn't find any other stores aside from that.

The only boots I can find in Adelaide are Chelseas and Timberlands -- it's a real pain in the ass.