Guppy
I'll Lock Up
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- Cleveland, OH
Nicks Boots has been a highly regarded maker of PNW-style boots for something like 60 years.
This weekend they launched their first(?) foray into leather jackets, an all-leather version of their canvas Patriot jacket that they introduced last year. Their early bird price is $995, a discounted from their regular price of $1200. It's a "limited quantity" item, presumably to see whether this is a market that Nicks really wants to get into.
![dscf1233-2[1].jpg](https://www.thefedoralounge.com/data/attachments/530/530889-c47485a1813ff8d0dcd2f59a7460127e.jpg "dscf1233-2[1].jpg")
The original Patriot jacket was a collaboration between Nicks and Heat Straps USA, and so too is this one. As such, it's 100% made in the USA. The leather is Nicks 1964 Brown, produced by Seidel Leather Tannery.
The design reminds me quite a bit of the Wills jacket by Ship John. Ship John did a few collabs of this jacket in different leathers with Langlitz a few years ago. Both jackets were originally made in heavy canvas, and I tend to think that's the right material for this type of jacket, but that's just my opinion.
My initial thoughts on all this:
* It's always exciting to see a new maker dabbling in leather jackets, particularly one with a pedigree for quality construction like Nicks Boots has. I hope that they are successful in this venture, and that it helps them grow their business, SO LONG AS this doesn't distract them from their core competency of being a top quality boot maker.
* I'm less excited about the styling of this jacket. The materials and quality of manufacturer, I am not worried about.
* Nicks would do well to get better at sizing. In all their pre-release photography that I've seen, the model seems to be wearing a jacket that looks to me at least one size too large, if not two. And the look is not flattering. the collar hangs loosely, the shoulders overdrape, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a batwing effect with the sleeves, the breast pockets look like they're an inch or two too low...
* It seems like they've done a bit of second-thinking on the design specs, I've seen photos of a jacket with both breast pockets having snap flap closures, and at least one where one of the breast pockets was open-top. While experimentation is to be expected, one would hope for consistency in what they publish about the actual item they are bringing to market, to avoid the sort of speculation and disappointment that we recently saw with the re-introduction of Legendary USA's Black Stallion jacket.
* Their SMLXL sizing, likewise, is extremely generous. I normally would be looking at a Large, but according to the measurements given, I would be able to fit a Small in this design. And given that Nicks is known for custom fit, handmade boots, it's a little incongruous to not see custom sizing options in a leather jacket. Presumably that may come later, if Nicks ends up deciding to stay in this product line.
* Nicks mentioned in one of their launch videos that the jacket uses two full sides of leather, which is equivalent to about 7 pairs of boots. Which, based on the cost of their boots, it sounds like the jacket will be far less profitable for them than their core product line. Although, their boots tend to be 7-8oz leather, and they're (quite sensibly) using a 2.5-3oz weight version of one of their better boot leathers for the jacket. When I ordered my first pair of Nicks, the fit pair they sent was made from their 1964 Brown, and I was really impressed with how nice it was.
Obviously for a first-time effort, it's not surprising that there's quite a bit of room for improvement. Time will tell what happens with this, but if Nicks ends up turning into another viable option for high end or even mid-tier leather jackets made in the USA, that would be a happy ending indeed.
I'm not picking one of these up, but it's interesting to see this development, and I'll be looking on with interest to see how it goes for them, rooting for them, and looking forward to what may come next.
This weekend they launched their first(?) foray into leather jackets, an all-leather version of their canvas Patriot jacket that they introduced last year. Their early bird price is $995, a discounted from their regular price of $1200. It's a "limited quantity" item, presumably to see whether this is a market that Nicks really wants to get into.
The original Patriot jacket was a collaboration between Nicks and Heat Straps USA, and so too is this one. As such, it's 100% made in the USA. The leather is Nicks 1964 Brown, produced by Seidel Leather Tannery.
The design reminds me quite a bit of the Wills jacket by Ship John. Ship John did a few collabs of this jacket in different leathers with Langlitz a few years ago. Both jackets were originally made in heavy canvas, and I tend to think that's the right material for this type of jacket, but that's just my opinion.
My initial thoughts on all this:
* It's always exciting to see a new maker dabbling in leather jackets, particularly one with a pedigree for quality construction like Nicks Boots has. I hope that they are successful in this venture, and that it helps them grow their business, SO LONG AS this doesn't distract them from their core competency of being a top quality boot maker.
* I'm less excited about the styling of this jacket. The materials and quality of manufacturer, I am not worried about.
* Nicks would do well to get better at sizing. In all their pre-release photography that I've seen, the model seems to be wearing a jacket that looks to me at least one size too large, if not two. And the look is not flattering. the collar hangs loosely, the shoulders overdrape, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a batwing effect with the sleeves, the breast pockets look like they're an inch or two too low...
* It seems like they've done a bit of second-thinking on the design specs, I've seen photos of a jacket with both breast pockets having snap flap closures, and at least one where one of the breast pockets was open-top. While experimentation is to be expected, one would hope for consistency in what they publish about the actual item they are bringing to market, to avoid the sort of speculation and disappointment that we recently saw with the re-introduction of Legendary USA's Black Stallion jacket.
* Their SMLXL sizing, likewise, is extremely generous. I normally would be looking at a Large, but according to the measurements given, I would be able to fit a Small in this design. And given that Nicks is known for custom fit, handmade boots, it's a little incongruous to not see custom sizing options in a leather jacket. Presumably that may come later, if Nicks ends up deciding to stay in this product line.
* Nicks mentioned in one of their launch videos that the jacket uses two full sides of leather, which is equivalent to about 7 pairs of boots. Which, based on the cost of their boots, it sounds like the jacket will be far less profitable for them than their core product line. Although, their boots tend to be 7-8oz leather, and they're (quite sensibly) using a 2.5-3oz weight version of one of their better boot leathers for the jacket. When I ordered my first pair of Nicks, the fit pair they sent was made from their 1964 Brown, and I was really impressed with how nice it was.
Obviously for a first-time effort, it's not surprising that there's quite a bit of room for improvement. Time will tell what happens with this, but if Nicks ends up turning into another viable option for high end or even mid-tier leather jackets made in the USA, that would be a happy ending indeed.
I'm not picking one of these up, but it's interesting to see this development, and I'll be looking on with interest to see how it goes for them, rooting for them, and looking forward to what may come next.
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