Briselblack Boots: What do you think?

[Adria_Marques]

Hi there,
I was thinking to get a pair of their Engineer boots in brown: https://www.briselblack.com/products/the-keeper-type-2-engineer-boots
They look pretty decent, and price is quite good too, but you never know till you see them live.
Anyone owns a pair? What do you think about them?

Adri

 

[TartuWolf]

I have never owned or seen anything from Benzein/Briselblack in person but I can still give you a bit of information.
Together with Onderhoud they are considered to be the best Indonesian makers to go for if you want Engineer boots specifically.
Indonesian boot makers offer a very high quality (and often quite customizable) product for a reasonable price. The main thing to keep in mind is that you're getting hit with 20-35% taxes depending on where you live, bumping up the final price quite a bit.
Lots of reddit reviews are available for the "the keeper type 2", read around.
For me the engineers from both of these makers fall squarely in the "dress engineers" spectrum of engineer boots.
Depends on what you like really.
I have complete confidence that the quality would be amazing. Not easy to get the sizing right though (as with all boots).
Personally I would go with their Tanker boots if I'd go for this maker. Those really set them apart and offer something unique.

 

[Adria_Marques]

Thank you!
I was searching for something close to Clinch engineer ones, but for a more reasonable price.

 

[Monitor]

Seems like another Clinch knock-off. Like those Xbox boots or whatever they company is called.

 

[TartuWolf]

If you want something more in the middle of the spectrum of engineer boots - less dressy/slim, but not too rugged/bulbous either- you can also look into Zerrows boots :
https://zerrows-onlinestore.com/en/collections/custom-boots

In EU we also have : https://brightshoemakers.com/collections/casual-suiting
Sendra makes the boots for them to spec and using higher quality leather and other materials.
Bright Shoemakers charge ~485eu for their stock boots.
Sendra charges ~250eu for theirs. Less refined but just as rugged I would say. Large second hand market too.

Anyway, I love engineer boots more than any other style, could talk about them a lot (too much).
I also have a pair of Red Wing engineers in size 41 if you'd be interested.

 

[Observe]

Seems like another Clinch knock-off. Like those Xbox boots or whatever they company is called.

Xbxs I think it's called, lol.

 

[Nine Inch Males]

Let me start by saying I have a pair of clinch engineerS and a pair of Brisel Blacks and I actually like my Brisel Blacks better. I have a pair in dark brown overdyed shinki horsbutt. They are by far my favorite boots and the finishing, stitching and hand overdyeing came perfect, cleaner than the stitching on my Clinch's and they were less than half the price of the Clinch's with all similar quality materials (The clinch's are natural Maryam Hb overdyed brown and the BB's are Shinky overdyed.

While i love the shape of Clinch's chiseled last, the Brisel Blacks look quite different and has a slimmer shaft, which i appreciate. I would not call these a Clinch ripoff, whereas the XBXS are 100% a direct ripoff (they also have hi liner and gary rip offs too.) Adi, the owner is really rad and responsive. I think their wait list is around 4-6 months now. I can't recommend them enough.

 

[TartuWolf]

Thanks for the short review @Nine Inch Males.
Maybe some day I'll get a pair of Brisel Black tankers..
Awesome name by the way, I'm a big fan of NIN and Trent's other work

 

[Mickiemac]

Here's a pair of custom Wesco Boss boots I ordered/received back in 2021. They have 20" shafts (unlined) and steel toes w/natural mid sole and heel. Really comfortable boots - Wesco is known for their top quality materials and construction and these boots reflect that standard. The extra tall shafts may be too much for most but you can specify the height from 10" on up.

 

[Observe]

Here's a pair of custom Wesco Boss boots I ordered/received back in 2021. They have 20" shafts (unlined) and steel toes w/natural mid sole and heel. Really comfortable boots - Wesco is known for their top quality materials and construction and these boots reflect that standard. The extra tall shafts may be too much for most but you can specify the height from 10" on up.


View attachment 533993

Do these go up past your knees? Lol

 

[Marc mndt]

a Clinch ripoff, whereas the XBXS are 100% a direct ripoff (they also have hi liner and gary rip offs too.)

Also, it's kind of silly to send over $1.3k to China to have them make a pair of American style boots.

 

[Observe]

Clinch boots are just a meme at this point; expensive because of name cachet and hype by various clothing stores. Based on what @dudewuttheheck recently posted on his blog/YouTube (can't remember which one), it seems the quality has gone downhill to keep up with production demands. Don't worry though, those prices aren't going anywhere but up!

I don't know if it's because I'm getting more cynical with age, but I'm growing progressively more weary of this type of extreme exclusive hyped up marketing nonsense in the "heritage" menswear world, the irony being that the brands with the least actual heritage seem to command the highest prices. I'll wear my "inferior" Whites, thanks.

 

[Mickiemac]

Do these go up past your knees? Lol

I'm rather tall (4' 26") and the boots do not go above my knees. The shaft is about 1" below my kneecap and where my legs bend (in back) so they don't impede walking. I measured thoroughly before ordering to ensure proper fit & movement.

 

[geedee]

If you want something more in the middle of the spectrum of engineer boots - less dressy/slim, but not too rugged/bulbous either- you can also look into Zerrows boots :
https://zerrows-onlinestore.com/en/collections/custom-boots

View attachment 533770

View attachment 533771

View attachment 533772

In EU we also have : https://brightshoemakers.com/collections/casual-suiting
Sendra makes the boots for them to spec and using higher quality leather and other materials.
Bright Shoemakers charge ~485eu for their stock boots.
Sendra charges ~250eu for theirs. Less refined but just as rugged I would say. Large second hand market too.

Anyway, I love engineer boots more than any other style, could talk about them a lot (too much).
I also have a pair of Red Wing engineers in size 41 if you'd be interested.

Hey thanks for that. I looked at Brights recently; do you have any feedback on their Engineer boots - quality, sizing etc. International returns for Engineer boots is an expensive thing if you buy the wrong pair!

 

[Marc mndt]

Hey thanks for that. I looked at Brights recently; do you have any feedback on their Engineer boots - quality, sizing etc. International returns for Engineer boots is an expensive thing if you buy the wrong pair!

You'll need to order one size down from your usual size.

Clinch boots are just a meme at this point; expensive because of name cachet and hype by various clothing stores. Based on what @dudewuttheheck recently posted on his blog/YouTube (can't remember which one), it seems the quality has gone downhill to keep up with production demands.

Be aware not to judge a book by its cover (i.e. stitching). I own a pair of Clinch and although the stitching might not win any awards (very neat but not laser like) the last is very comfortable, providing great arch and heel support. The development of a good last costs money. Also, you don't know what materials were used on the inside, the parts you can't see.

Just like a 5* jacket may have nice stitching, their patterns can't hold a candle to Schott's for instance. Same holds for leather and hardware.

 

[Observe]

You'll need to order one size down from your usual size.



Be aware not to judge a book by its cover (i.e. stitching). I own a pair of Clinch and although the stitching might not win any awards (very neat but not laser like) the last is very comfortable, providing great arch and heel support. The development of a good last costs money. Also, you don't know what materials were used on the inside, the parts you can't see.

Just like a 5* jacket may have nice stitching, their patterns can't hold a candle to Schott's for instance. Same holds for leather and hardware.

Without going down the rabbit hole on subjective value of an item and diminishing returns on investment past a certain price point, I do see where you're coming from. Just having a curmudgeonly ba***rd moment here this morning, but the bit about marketing hype still stands I believe. I don't doubt that Clinch puts a lot of effort into their product.

 

[TartuWolf]

You'll need to order one size down from your usual size.

You have a pair or tried one?

 

[Marc mndt]

You have a pair or tried one?

I own a pair of their jodhpurs. I think it's the same last.

 

[Nine Inch Males]

Here are some pictures of my Briselblack Keeper Type 2 Engineers new, and after a few months of wear. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. I have 3 pairs of Benzein/Brisel Blacks so I have a pretty good knowledge of them and their quality.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

T

Clinch boots are just a meme at this point; expensive because of name cachet and hype by various clothing stores. Based on what @dudewuttheheck recently posted on his blog/YouTube (can't remember which one), it seems the quality has gone downhill to keep up with production demands. Don't worry though, those prices aren't going anywhere but up!

I don't know if it's because I'm getting more cynical with age, but I'm growing progressively more weary of this type of extreme exclusive hyped up marketing nonsense in the "heritage" menswear world, the irony being that the brands with the least actual heritage seem to command the highest prices. I'll wear my "inferior" Whites, thanks.

There are still a few brands where the quality is actually as good or even better than the hype says it is, but sadly not as many as there were previously. It's sad, but thats our reality.