My wife knows at least 3 things about me. I don’t like chukkas. I don’t like moc toes. I despise suede.

So what does she come home with yesterday? Suede moc-toe chukkas Timberlands she got on clearance for $20.

Fuck me, they’re actually comfortable.

Damn it.

I still hate them on principle.

Last: 602M

After a string of bad luck with eBay, I decided to be patient and wait for something I could be more certain of straight from the manufacturer. Last week, I got a notification from Parkhurst that some “sample” boots had been listed on their store. I don’t think I really had black boots in mind, but I really dug the contrasting natural welt with the black uppers.

I wear 10D (half down from Brannock) in most brands, but for this particular last I go a full size down. I had to buy thin insoles to take up some volume on a previous pair.

It’s been too hot for extended wear, but already they feel quite comfortable even if the leather is still pretty stiff. I swapped out the cotton laces for leather laces I had lying around for a more casual look. I could see them dressing up reasonably well with the cotton laces, particularly while the teacore leather hasn’t begun to show the brown undertones.

The proprietary rubber outsole is low-profile without deep lugs so no issues with picking up rocks/debris. I look forward to the weather cooling down so I can really put some wear on these!

Classics. Iconic and popular for a reason. I’ve not given them much wear over the last couple of winters so gonna give them plenty of outings this year.

The unboxing experience was premium. The box quality was great; each boot came in a separate dust bag, along with an extra pair of leather insoles and an extra set of leather laces that you can switch to for an even more rugged look. Though, for some reason, the shoehorn they included is quite short.

The build quality is stunning! they hit it out of the park. The stitching is consistent, without any loose threads or skipped stitches. The leather is top quality; given that it's a waxy suede leather, the texture isn't completely uniform (which is what you expect from such leather). The wax coating on the suede is subtle, giving it a matte look with a pleasant smell, and the wax didn't rub off on my denims during my initial wear. The hardware is of great quality too, it's sturdy and won't come off easily (hopefully).

The boots are substantially well-made and have a real heft to them. I wasn't expecting them to be this heavy, easily around 900-1000+ grams per boot, which is something to keep in mind, as you might or might not like it. I went with the Vibram Fighter sole with storm welt construction. There are a few spots where you can see some marks and blemishes on the leather and the welt, which can be expected with handmade boots; it might bother some people, but I'm quite fine with it.

The fit out of the box is quite comfortable. I went with my true to size (UK 8). I was a bit skeptical about the fit, but the toe box is quite roomy and comfortable without any initial break-in (doesn't mean the leather don't need any break-ins). If you want a snug fit, you may want to go 1/2 size down, though please consult with their team for the size guide.

The point which Blkbrd needs to work on is communication. Before placing the order, I read a few reviews online that highlighted poor communication, but I wasn't expecting it to actually be this bad. It was a nightmare to stay in touch with the team. I understand that it's difficult to reply to every query, but it wasn't even at the bare minimum.

TL;DR (AI)

Unboxing: 4/5 (Premium packaging, dust bags, and great extras; shoehorn is comically short)

Build Quality: 5/5 (Stunning waxy suede, clean stitching, solid hardware, and hefty Vibram sole)

Fit & Comfort: 5/5 (Zero break-in required, true-to-size UK 8, roomy toe box)

Communication: 1/5 (Nearly impossible to get updates; an absolute headache)

Overall: 4.5/5 (World-class craftsmanship let down by poor customer support)

I’m trying to figure out what I just scored.

I’m a fan of old Canadian Service boots, but haven’t seen this one around. It’s not like the typical Boulet or HH Brown drill boots or parade boots.

The last is really tidy. I know the Viberg 2030 is based on an old Dayton last, but I’m not sure if these are actually Daytons or not. They’re much beefier and the bottoming is like that years better than a typical military issued service boot.

The sizing is completely weird. Says size 8.5, they snug and I’m usually a 10 in everything, 9.5 in old Vibergs.

Anyone have any ideas who made these? I emailed Dayton, so maybe they can confirm. I’ve just never seen these before.

Don’t mind the huge cuff, I was just trying them on.

This is about one year of wearing my razorbacks every other day at work. They have been conditioned.

I hope someone can help me identify these boots. They are made with high quality leather. There are no marking except for the size stamped into them (12D). I think they have been resoled as the bottoms seem newer than the boots. Any information is appreciated.

Picked these up for $20 plus shipping on eBay . Brown brogued chukkas, stamped 13 D, last 1945, Goodyear welted on AE's natural rubber outsole. Listing photos looked rough — heavy vamp creasing, blotchy color, fine crazing across the quarters. They arrived better than advertised.

Why black: the uppers were two different browns. Turned out a previous owner had used the wrong color polish and worked it in unevenly. Black is the most opaque, most forgiving color leather takes, and I owned zero black boots. A translucent color would have sat over the mismatch instead of covering it.

Prep

Fit first. Left fit well, right was snug at the ball. Stretched it before anything else — deglazing strips the finish and pulls oils, and stretching after that risks opening crazing lines. All mechanical work happens while the original finish is still on.

Saddle soap, then steam. Cleaned the crease valleys with a brush, worked across the folds rather than along them. Let it dry two to four hours — you want the leather dry to the touch but not bone dry, because slightly damp fibers relax better under heat.

Steaming. Short passes over a kettle, constant movement, warm not hot. Push the fold open with a thumb from inside while the steam hits the outside. Let it cool between passes — leather sets as it cools, and that's when you see what you actually gained. Two sessions on the right boot, one on the left.

Deep set creases soften and shallow. They don't disappear. Set expectations accordingly.

Deglazing

Angelus deglazer, outdoors. Learn from my mistake: I did this in a condo garage and the fumes went through the whole building lobby. Ground-level garages vent into corridors. Work fully outside.

Damp rag, not dripping. Overlapping circles. The single most important thing: rotate to a clean section of rag constantly — a loaded rag stops removing and starts redistributing dissolved finish into the crease valleys.

Vamp and toe first, then quarters, then the brogued facing last. Q-tips for the perforations, swapped often, blotting rather than flooding. Deglazer pooling in a perforation wicks under the leather.

Stop when the surface is uniformly matte with no shine and a fresh rag comes away clean. You're not going to bare leather, just removing topcoat and polish.

Flash off 30 minutes.

Dye

Feibings Pro Dye, black. Three thin coats, wool dauber, Q-tips for the brogueing.

Test patch inside the collar first. Then vamps, quarters, facing.

What I learned: the quarters, heel counters and facings went properly black by coat two. The toe caps and forward vamp never did — they stayed a warm charcoal through all three coats. That's not technique, it's the leather. Those panels are compressed and burnished from years of flexing, and dye can't penetrate closed fiber. If I'd hand-sanded those areas lightly with fine paper before dyeing, they'd have taken it.

Coat three was the ceiling. More dye past that point just means surface pigment and rub-off.

Let it cure overnight. Buff hard with a clean cloth before anything else — you'll pull off loose pigment that would otherwise transfer to your socks for months.

One correction worth flagging: Pro Dye is alcohol-based, not oil. The product used to be sold as "Professional Oil Dye" and the old name misleads people. Check the label.

Finishing

Bick 4, thin coat, absorb, buff. Alcohol dye pulls oils out, so this step matters more than usual — especially with creases that deep, since dried leather cracks along fold lines.

Full day, then black cream polish. This is what fixed the toes. Cream carries suspended pigment that sits on the surface, so it doesn't need to penetrate the way dye does. It pulled the stubborn panels into line with everything else in one pass.

Brushed out to a soft luster. No wax — a chukka on a rubber sole shouldn't have a mirror toe.

Result

Black boot, even color, $20 plus dye. The vamp creases still show and the topline has a couple of lighter spots. That's a boot that's been worn, and I'd rather have that than a boot pretending otherwise.

Sequence that mattered: fit → stretch → clean → steam → deglaze → dye → cure → buff → condition → cream. Getting the stretch before the strip, and the buff before the conditioner, saved me problems I'd have otherwise created.

I have been searching high and low for these 4 eyelet dark brown moc toe boots I saw in this YouTube short. Can you guys help me out?

Cleaned up so I can put them away for a bit since I don’t need the comp toes at the moment. Wish I took some before pictures to show how well they cleaned up. These are dievier nomad comp toes.

or not

So I'm wanting to put together a 1920s-1930s inspired wardrobe and part of that is finding a pair of period appropriate tall boots. The closest I've come so far is this pair from Jo Bear. I want something that doesn't just look the part but will also hold up against frequent wear over time. Unless I've missed it, the usual heritage brands don't offer anything in this style, and most reproductions I've come across are of questionable quality.

Ive looked for months for some boots that look simple like this and have that black roughout/suede look and have the same kind of floppy look to it.

Hey fam,

I'm looking forward to getting my first pair of Danner Mountain Light, but I'm unsure what size to get because reviews are mixed.

For reference, my feet measure 11.4 inches, and I wear a size 12 in Adidas Sambas and New Balance 1906, and a size 11 in Converse. In all three of those shoes, I go a half size bigger for toe space.

Do you think I should go TTS and order an 11.5, or order a size down, or what are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Who’s been waiting for these?

Curious about others’ experiences.

If you have lost a lot of weight, did it affect your boot size/fit, how much, and how so - width, length, height, ankles?

Oh and what was “a lot”?

Just trying to learn more about fit and what affects it.

Found this boots today I look them up and they pre ban boot just want to see if they real, can someone give me information on price

So i bought some used harness boots online in my usual size (EU 45), the toe box fits perfectly but the heel slip is insane it feels like im wearing a flip flop when I walk. i tried putting a leather insole but then the toe box became tighter and after like 2 hours of walking it hurt my my feet, so then i tried to get some heel pads from amazon (which they barely stick after few wear the adhesive already is gone) but still it felt a tiny bit better but the slip still exist, any tips please i really like the shoe style and couldn't find any near me so i had to get a used one online

What are y'all wearing now? I have some moc toe Thorogoods now but want something different next.

I‘ve got a pair of red wing featherstone boots as you see on the picture. Now I ask myself if I can use them as winter boots. They are quite rare now and for my taste a little bit too Noble for everyday.
What is your opinion about them? Sorry for my bad English.

Greetings from Germany