Footwear to go with our jackets

[Nacho]

When it comes to footwear I've almost exclusively been wearing boots for the past decade or so. I do own a couple of loafers and derby's but those are reserved for the office. Most of my boots are 'dress boots' made by one of the many great European shoemakers, think of Crockett & Jones; Edward Green; Gaziano & Girling; Carmina; Santoni or Silvano Sasetti.

Lately I've been exploring some more casual styles like engineer boots, cowboy boots or combat boots. These American style boots are much harder to come by than dress boots here in Europe. Especially when you're looking for premium quality boots.

Of course there are European retailers like Burg & Schild, Stuff or East West apparel which stock American made boots but import fees on shoes are harsh. A pair of suede plain toe Alden's will set you back €800 while the exact same pair will cost a couple of hundred less in the US. At €800 they're simply not worth the money imo. The same money will buy you a much nicer European made dress boot.

But I don't want dress boots, I want something more casual. Well, there are Northamptonshire makers like Trickers or Cheaney which offer some more casual styles but since the UK is no longer part of the EU footwear from those makers is now also subject to import fees. Also, they don't offer American styles like Engineers or Monkey Boots.

But then there's Bright Shoemakers, a Danish footwear brand that was founded in 2015.

As you can see on their website, they offer casual style boots and shoes, some of them with a Western/cowboy twist. Bright is not actually a maker, it's a brand which means they design the shoes and have another company make them. Their footwear is "handmade at a family run shoe factory in Spain with more than 100 years of experience in artisanal shoe making". If I'm not mistaken that factory is Sendra.

I've handled boots from another European brand that has their boots produced by Sendra but I wasn't too impressed tbh. Materials and construction quality were mediocre at best. I guess brands are able to select different levels of material and construction quality even though the boots are made at the same factory.

Anyway, let's see the 'Bright shoemakers' boots I ordered, A pair of suede Jodhpur's.

View attachment 517704 View attachment 517705 View attachment 517702 View attachment 517703 View attachment 517701
View attachment 517699 View attachment 517698
They are Goodyear welted (270 degrees), double stacked sole and have a stacked Cuban heel. As you can see the finish is really clean. When compared to dress shoes I'd say the finish is much nicer than Carmina, nicer than bench grade C&J but not as nice as handgrade C&J or Edward Greens. Which makes sense as boots from those makers are two or three times more expensive. These Bright Shoemaker Jodhpur's were 'only' €500. Which is a lot of money of course but not nearly as expensive as a pair of imported Alden's or Vibergs which are of lesser construction quality. Were they flawless? No. One of the boots had a small piece of plastic material stuck inbetween the outer sole and the upper (during construction the upper is protected by a plastic layer) but luckily it was easy to remove with a pair of tweezers. Sloppy but no biggie.

I really love the last which is a bit more sleek than these Rios Mercedes boots for instance. Perfect for the style.

View attachment 517700

In terms of sizing, they do run big. I was advised to order my regular size which is 42 but I feel like a 41.5 would have been better. Anyway, I put in a leather insole and now they're a perfect fit. Talking about the insole...They come with a memory foam insole which felt kind of weird, bouncy when I just got them. Luckily after wearing them a handful of times the 'bounciness' is now gone so I can't really say it's a negative I guess but if I had the choice I would prefer a regular thin leather insole.

The overall verdict? I absolutely love them, have been wearing them pretty much every other day since I got them. I might order another pair in black if available. Half a size down though.

View attachment 517696 View attachment 517697

Beautiful boots, Marc. You should put a protective rubber half sole to protect the leather sole. It's too nice to be worn out. Also, leather can be slippery in certain surfaces. Once the rubber sole wears out, you can just peel it off and put a new one on, extending the life of the leather sole tremendously.

There is a French shoe repair brand named TOPY. They make great quality rubber half sole. I think cobblers in the Netherlands will stock these. Or you can go with a 430 or 700 VIbram half sole if you prefer a thicker look.

 

[red devil]

When it comes to footwear I've almost exclusively been wearing boots for the past decade or so. I do own a couple of loafers and derby's but those are reserved for the office. Most of my boots are 'dress boots' made by one of the many great European shoemakers, think of Crockett & Jones; Edward Green; Gaziano & Girling; Carmina; Santoni or Silvano Sasetti.

Lately I've been exploring some more casual styles like engineer boots, cowboy boots or combat boots. These American style boots are much harder to come by than dress boots here in Europe. Especially when you're looking for premium quality boots.

Of course there are European retailers like Burg & Schild, Stuff or East West apparel which stock American made boots but import fees on shoes are harsh. A pair of suede plain toe Alden's will set you back €800 while the exact same pair will cost a couple of hundred less in the US. At €800 they're simply not worth the money imo. The same money will buy you a much nicer European made dress boot.

But I don't want dress boots, I want something more casual. Well, there are Northamptonshire makers like Trickers or Cheaney which offer some more casual styles but since the UK is no longer part of the EU footwear from those makers is now subject to import fees too. Also, they don't offer American styles like Engineers or Monkey Boots.

But then there's Bright Shoemakers, a Danish footwear brand that was founded in 2015.

As you can see on their website, they offer casual style boots and shoes, some of them with a Western/cowboy twist. Bright is not actually a maker, it's a brand which means they design the shoes and have another company make them. Their footwear is "handmade at a family run shoe factory in Spain with more than 100 years of experience in artisanal shoe making". If I'm not mistaken that factory is Sendra.

I've handled boots from another European brand that has their boots produced by Sendra but I wasn't too impressed tbh. Materials and construction quality were mediocre at best. I guess brands are able to select different levels of material and construction quality even though the boots are made at the same factory.

Anyway, let's see the 'Bright shoemakers' boots I ordered, A pair of suede Jodhpur's.

View attachment 517704 View attachment 517705 View attachment 517702 View attachment 517703 View attachment 517701
View attachment 517699 View attachment 517698
They are Goodyear welted (270 degrees), double stacked sole and have a stacked Cuban heel. As you can see the finish is really clean. When compared to dress shoes I'd say the finish is much nicer than Carmina, nicer than bench grade C&J but not as nice as handgrade C&J or Edward Greens. Which makes sense as boots from those makers are two or three times more expensive. These Bright Shoemaker Jodhpur's were 'only' €500. Which is a lot of money of course but not nearly as expensive as a pair of imported Alden's or Vibergs which are of lesser construction quality. Were they flawless? No. One of the boots had a small piece of plastic material stuck inbetween the outer sole and the upper (during construction the upper is protected by a plastic layer) but luckily it was easy to remove with a pair of tweezers. Sloppy but no biggie.

I really love the last which is a bit more sleek than these Rios Mercedes boots for instance. Perfect for the style.

View attachment 517700

In terms of sizing, they do run big. I was advised to order my regular size which is 42 but I feel like a 41.5 would have been better. Anyway, I put in a leather insole and now they're a perfect fit. Talking about the insole...They come with a memory foam insole which felt kind of weird, bouncy when I just got them. Luckily after wearing them a handful of times the 'bounciness' is now gone so I can't really say it's a negative I guess but if I had the choice I would prefer a regular thin leather insole.

The overall verdict? I absolutely love them, have been wearing them pretty much every other day since I got them. I might order another pair in black if available. Half a size down though.

View attachment 517696 View attachment 517697

These look very good!

Took a look at their website and found these:

 

[Vezio]

Apart from 2 pairs of Wolverine 1000 miles boots, I usually wear casual shoes or sneakers (usually Paciotti, but I recently discovered a repair shop in Milan, "Maestri Ciccone", which makes very comfortable shoes, where I bought a pair of really good blue leather sneakers).
I recently pointed to the Grant Stone boots, model "Edward": does anyone have experience in those?

 

[ABCD]

Beautiful boots, Marc. You should put a protective rubber half sole to protect the leather sole. It's too nice to be worn out. Also, leather can be slippery in certain surfaces. Once the rubber sole wears out, you can just peel it off and put a new one on, extending the life of the leather sole tremendously.

There is a French shoe repair brand named TOPY. They make great quality rubber half sole. I think cobblers in the Netherlands will stock these. Or you can go with a 430 or 700 VIbram half sole if you prefer a thicker look.

That's I great tip, thnx!

 

[TartuWolf]

@Marc mndt
Thanks for the write up!
I've been into heritage/casual boots for the last several years. That's what got me into leather initially.

Currently I have settled with wearing mostly Red Wings due to the high supply and availability in second hand market in EU (you can get used in very good condition for ~150eu most models) and Sendra (also great 2nd hand market, can get most models in very good condition for ~100eu).

Would love to buy some Bright Shoemakers engineers in the future, especially if they agree to accommodate a few custom features for me (unstructured toe, pure veg tan insole).
Not quite sure if their markup is worth it yet, as they charge ~600eu while you can get a CUSTOM pair of Sendra boots for ~300-350eu. I'm just not sure how custom the custom Sendra boots are. I have tried communicating with them directly about it, but their answers to my various questions were quite vague.
While with Bright Shoemakers we have @Kenan here.

I know a few other different options in EU/Scandinavia/UK, but Bright Shoemakers would be the first ones I would go for at the moment. Their engineers do look very appealing.

 

[Blackadder]

When it comes to footwear I've almost exclusively been wearing boots for the past decade or so. I do own a couple of loafers and derby's but those are reserved for the office. Most of my boots are 'dress boots' made by one of the many great European shoemakers, think of Crockett & Jones; Edward Green; Gaziano & Girling; Carmina; Santoni or Silvano Sasetti.

Lately I've been exploring some more casual styles like engineer boots, cowboy boots or combat boots. These American style boots are much harder to come by than dress boots here in Europe. Especially when you're looking for premium quality boots.

Of course there are European retailers like Burg & Schild, Stuff or East West apparel which stock American made boots but import fees on shoes are harsh. A pair of suede plain toe Alden's will set you back €800 while the exact same pair will cost a couple of hundred less in the US. At €800 they're simply not worth the money imo. The same money will buy you a much nicer European made dress boot.

But I don't want dress boots, I want something more casual. Well, there are Northamptonshire makers like Trickers or Cheaney which offer some more casual styles but since the UK is no longer part of the EU footwear from those makers is now subject to import fees too. Also, they don't offer American styles like Engineers or Monkey Boots.

But then there's Bright Shoemakers, a Danish footwear brand that was founded in 2015.

As you can see on their website, they offer casual style boots and shoes, some of them with a Western/cowboy twist. Bright is not actually a maker, it's a brand which means they design the shoes and have another company make them. Their footwear is "handmade at a family run shoe factory in Spain with more than 100 years of experience in artisanal shoe making". If I'm not mistaken that factory is Sendra.

I've handled boots from another European brand that has their boots produced by Sendra but I wasn't too impressed tbh. Materials and construction quality were mediocre at best. I guess brands are able to select different levels of material and construction quality even though the boots are made at the same factory.

Anyway, let's see the 'Bright shoemakers' boots I ordered, A pair of suede Jodhpur's.

View attachment 517704 View attachment 517705 View attachment 517702 View attachment 517703 View attachment 517701
View attachment 517699 View attachment 517698
They are Goodyear welted (270 degrees), double stacked sole and have a stacked Cuban heel. As you can see the finish is really clean. When compared to dress shoes I'd say the finish is much nicer than Carmina, nicer than bench grade C&J but not as nice as handgrade C&J or Edward Greens. Which makes sense as boots from those makers are two or three times more expensive. These Bright Shoemaker Jodhpur's were 'only' €500. Which is a lot of money of course but not nearly as expensive as a pair of imported Alden's or Vibergs which are of lesser construction quality. Were they flawless? No. One of the boots had a small piece of plastic material stuck inbetween the outer sole and the upper (during construction the upper is protected by a plastic layer) but luckily it was easy to remove with a pair of tweezers. Sloppy but no biggie.

I really love the last which is a bit more sleek than these Rios Mercedes boots for instance. Perfect for the style.

View attachment 517700

In terms of sizing, they do run big. I was advised to order my regular size which is 42 but I feel like a 41.5 would have been better. Anyway, I put in a leather insole and now they're a perfect fit. Talking about the insole...They come with a memory foam insole which felt kind of weird, bouncy when I just got them. Luckily after wearing them a handful of times the 'bounciness' is now gone so I can't really say it's a negative I guess but if I had the choice I would prefer a regular thin leather insole.

The overall verdict? I absolutely love them, have been wearing them pretty much every other day since I got them. I might order another pair in black if available. Half a size down though.

View attachment 517696 View attachment 517697

Nice looking boots. I would categorise these as semi-dress though. I remember when I was living in the UK, I had trouble finding OK quality sleek cowboy and harness boots. I had a couple of buckle boots and managed to find a pair of Mexican made harness by a company called Adams I think. I don't think it exists anymore. Seems to be export focus company as I found some used pairs on Rakuten.

 

[Tom71]

Just picked up these Paraboots on a business trip to Brighton last week. Most comfy pair of boots in a while, and the leather has already started to darken over a sunny weekend in France.

 

[mvilla]

But I don't want dress boots, I want something more casual. Well, there are Northamptonshire makers like Trickers or Cheaney which offer some more casual styles but since the UK is no longer part of the EU footwear from those makers is now subject to import fees too. Also, they don't offer American styles like Engineers or Monkey Boots.

Actually, Tricker's do offer Monkey Boots. They're not my personal preference, though... Don't really like the style

 

[ABCD]

Actually, Tricker's do offer Monkey Boots. They're not my personal preference, though... Don't really like the style

View attachment 517769

I stand corrected.

 

[mvilla]

I stand corrected.

I just noticed that my reply might've sounded harsh. That wasn't my intention at all... So, if it did sound that way, I'm sorry. It is just that I saw this boot not that long ago

 

[ABCD]

I just noticed that my reply might've sounded harsh. That wasn't my intention at all... So, if it did sound that way, I'm sorry. It is just that I saw this boot not that long ago

No worries buddy, I didn't take it that way

Personally I'm not a fan of monkey boots myself. I just mentioned then to illustrate my point that European dress shoe makers don't do American designs. I couldn't be more wrong lol. Turns out monkey boots originate from Eastern Europe, they're not an American style at all. Maybe I should stick to jacket reviews lol.

 

[Edward]

Wasn’t there a great looking kangaroo Indy recently?

These look very good!

Took a look at their website and found these:

I love these. Tres Johnny Thunders, just add TV yellow LP DC Junior and Schott Perfecto....

Actually, Tricker's do offer Monkey Boots. They're not my personal preference, though... Don't really like the style

View attachment 517769

I'd love to try a pair of these. What I like about the Trickers (ModShoes are similar, if much more affordable) is the soles. I really don't care for either wedge soles, or Airwear style. These leather & rubber, 'dressier', versions are much more my bag. I suspect on some subconscious level the appeal is rooted in them being something of a midpoint between the trad brogues I favour now, and something closer to the sort of monkeyboots that would have matched well with my ******* trousers twenty odd years ago.

No worries buddy, I didn't take it that way

Personally I'm not a fan of monkey boots myself. I just mentioned then to illustrate my point that European dress shoe makers don't do American designs. I couldn't be more wrong lol. Turns out monkey boots originate from Eastern Europe, they're not an American style at all. Maybe I should stick to jacket reviews lol.

There was a great thread on here about them a year or two ago if you ever get the urge to find out more. The legend is that they started out as either WW2 or 1950s Czech army boots (the story varies, like all good legends), though it's not so clear. They were big in the UK with mods initially (Pete Townsend is a famous wearer), then later on the punks. Skinheads too, when they couldn't get or afford DMs (if you've ever seen This is England, the scene where Sean gets his first boots, the ones he objects to because they aren't DMs, but they are what his mother can afford, and the shop assistant insists they're "special ones, from London, that they don't put the label on" - those are the classic monkey boot you'd see in the UK). Last I saw of them, younger skater kids were buying them and carefully razoring off all the treads to create a low-profile, flexible sole. What I've never been able to pin down is where they cross over with US roofer boots. Different roots, but remarkably similar styles. I'd love a pair of the latter, but they seems not only expensive here, but almost impossible to find without overly chunky tread soles, or those white-rubber wedge soles for which I really do not care.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Treated myself to a nice dark green pair of Trickers from the UK. View attachment 515076 View attachment 515077 View attachment 515078 Custom order with red lining and a lightweight rubber sole. Ordered 5 months ago, finally arrived yesterday.

Love the cap toe brogue and elastic sides. You went with Dainite? Can't tell from the sides.

 

[NZJono]

Love the cap toe brogue and elastic sides. You went with Dainite? Can't tell from the sides.

Thanks, they’re are lovely boot. I actually went with a lighter weight vibram gumlite sole which are softer, lighter, quieter and more comfortable than Danite. I’d never buy danite soles again, I find them hard, noisy when walking and downright dangerous on certain surfaces. I see Trickers now offer ridgeway soles also on certain models which are an improvement on danites also.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Thanks, they’re are lovely boot. I actually went with a lighter weight vibram gumlite sole which are softer, lighter, quieter and more comfortable than Danite. I’d never buy danite soles again, I find them hard, noisy when walking and downright dangerous on certain surfaces. I see Trickers now offer ridgeway soles also on certain models which are an improvement on danites also.

Gumlite are nice. Dainites are slippery in wet conditions, I wish they update the compound so it’s not so slippery When wet.

 

[TartuWolf]

I'm just not sure how custom the custom Sendra boots are.

Talked to Sendra about this. Turns out their customization is very meh when ordered by a single customer.

Veg tan leather insole - Not possible
Unstructured toe - Not possible
Leather midsole + half-sole instead of full rubber outsole - Not possible
Unlined - Not possible

Basically pick a model as is and you can only customize the leather to one of the other ones they offer. That's it.

So yeah, custom Sendra directly from Sendra is not an option sadly.

 

[Observe]

Thanks, they’re are lovely boot. I actually went with a lighter weight vibram gumlite sole which are softer, lighter, quieter and more comfortable than Danite. I’d never buy danite soles again, I find them hard, noisy when walking and downright dangerous on certain surfaces. I see Trickers now offer ridgeway soles also on certain models which are an improvement on danites also.

Dainite soles are actually garbage in terms of traction. Their intended purpose I believe is to avoid tracking in dirt from outside. They have a nice profile, but I'd sacrifice some aesthetic appeal for practicality.

I'd never buy footwear with dainite soles again. I even find vibram 700 soles to have better traction than dainite, a better alternative for low profile.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Dainite is disgustingly overrated in the boot world by people who gave the tried vibrant or Dr. Soles, etc. Dainese offers a pathetic amount of grip in comparison to other rubber soles.

 

[Observe]

Dainite is disgustingly overrated in the boot world by people who gave the tried vibrant or Dr. Soles, etc. Dainese offers a pathetic amount of grip in comparison to other rubber soles.

Yeah, my Wesco engineer boots have Dr. Sole super grip soles, they're low profile and provide reasonable traction all things considered.

 

[Tom71]

Dainite is disgustingly overrated in the boot world by people who gave the tried vibrant or Dr. Soles, etc. Dainese offers a pathetic amount of grip in comparison to other rubber soles.

Hmm, as somebody who wears dress shoes with leather soles five days in the week, "traction" has a different status for me. Dainite Soles are the go-to for me when I need to dress up, but will be faced with adverse or changing weather conditions (heavy rain on the commute, business-trips with unpredictable weather etc.). They look subtle enough to go well with dress shoes, but are more uncomplicated to use than leather soles.

"Traction" is something I am looking for when I need to do a lot of walking in wet and/or uneven terrain.

This is not a contradiction to what has been said before; I agree that Dainite´s do not excel in terms of traction.