Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot Review

[Crane's]



This has me worried. I have about the same frequency and duration of wear, but mine look fine, for now at least. It's always wet/rainy here and 90% of my shoes have leather soles. I have overshoes, but they would get destroyed riding my motorcycle. Wonder how soon I'll need some resoles.

That "crack" could easily be a cut from glass or a sharp rock. My brown 1Ks had this problem after one of my hikes in scree. This alone is a good reason to add some type of half sole to the boot.

 

[rexet]



Hi everyone,

I'm expecting a pair of 1000 mile boots in the mail sometime this week and wonder what I should do with them first.

The general consensus I've read is to LP them right out of the box to waterproof and condition them.... However, I live in dry California so I don't know if that will be necessary. From what I've read the boots seemed to be well oiled out of the box and as such, should I really condition them with something? I'm looking into buying some Venetian Shoe Cream, which I have read is great for CXL, but it does seem hard to find a good price on them. Are there any other leather care items that you guys recommend besides LP?

As for adding a topy, I will not be going hiking out with this things or anything of that sort. Most walking will be done on flat cement side walks with the occasional pebble road, would you guys suggest to add a topy regardless to extend the life of the leather soles? Also, can topys be easily removed to add a new one once the original gets worn out?

Thanks!

I think for casual use a standard greasy cream is enough to take care of them. I decided to order some LP (that I just receive today in Paris) just to be 120% safe but I am pretty sure you'll be ok with cream as far as it is made for greasy leather.
Regarding the topy it is a matter of preference. Some people do prefer the feel of the leather on the ciment and can't stand the rubber sole. IMHO it is also a matter of cost. Putting a new topy (yes you can that's the purpose of it) is cheap but you will have to do it more often while renew the entire sole is quite expensive but it lasts longer.

 

[IronRinn]

Order a pair of the 1Ks off of Repertoire last week and they came in today. Ordered the same size as my Iron Rangers (8.5) but these feel a little tight on the sides and top, at the start of my instep, right behind my toes. Does anyone know how much additional length a 9 is going to add? I figure a half size should give me the width I need.

 

[silentfox74]

what type of socks do you wear? The boots will expand a bit, but if it is really tight, than a size nine will not be noticeable.

 

[Countach]

Took my 1000 miles to get a half sole and the cobbler said he could not do it because the glue would not stick because of the leather. Guess I'll have to take it to another cobbler or something.

 

[VirtruviusR]

Do any of you guys tree your 1ks? I know they're work boots, but I feel it would be good for the boot. The shape/last, however, has me wondering whether conventional shoetrees would even work for this boot. Is there such a thing as boot trees (barring those for uber-boot balmorals and such)?

 

[Pecan89]

Gotten a fair amount of salt and slush through my pair over the weekend ?
Any cleaning tips there. Just planning on a lite brushing/ scrubbing with a clean brush and some water. Then maybe in a day or so reconditioning after dry

 

[digga]

That "crack" could easily be a cut from glass or a sharp rock. My brown 1Ks had this problem after one of my hikes in scree. This alone is a good reason to add some type of half sole to the boot.

The crack is right in the center of where the sole flexes and it is lined up with the bending direction so I figured it was from wear/weather/flexing rather than from some sort of trauma. If it's a tear from glass or something maybe it won't spread as quickly... guess we'll see.

 

[skuo07]

Can anyone provide any input on whether or not it would be a good idea to use some Saphir Renomat cleaner on a pair of 1K's. I would normally use saddle soap as it has been recommended here but I would really like to remove all the extra wax/polish/silicone and other crap I have accumulated on it and start fresh using Crane's method of caring for my boots.

Ive heard that Saphir Renomat does wonders for removing all the excess gunk and stripping the leather down to how it was originally but Saphir says to be careful with it as it could remove delicate or cheap finishes. I wasnt sure if this is something I should worry about with the CXL since it seems like its just dyed and there really isnt a finish on it anyway.

 

[tsekh]



Can anyone provide any input on whether or not it would be a good idea to use some Saphir Renomat cleaner on a pair of 1K's. I would normally use saddle soap as it has been recommended here but I would really like to remove all the extra wax/polish/silicone and other crap I have accumulated on it and start fresh using Crane's method of caring for my boots. 

Ive heard that Saphir Renomat does wonders for removing all the excess gunk and stripping the leather down to how it was originally but Saphir says to be careful with it as it could remove delicate or cheap finishes. I wasnt sure if this is something I should worry about with the CXL since it seems like its just dyed and there really isnt a finish on it anyway.

Renomat is ok to use on CXL. I just did. Bought a bottle of renomat to remove some old wax on a pair of dress shoes, and then I tried it on my 1k boots. No harm done.

 

[Cherry Ghost]

Anyone have the Rockfords? I'm pretty interested but haven't heard much about them. I'd appreciate pics if possible.

 

[kmdsimpson]



I've had my boots for about a week now and I'm really enjoying them. I do have a question about QC of these boots. The main issue that I have is that the tongue on my right boot is significantly off center (leans to the exterior ankle) to the point that it is actually covering my ankle and leaving the top of my foot slightly exposed. Is this normal? I've never bought hand made shoes before so I don't know what the tolerance is for QC issues, etc. There are other slight issues that I'm less concerned about. Tongue: Any insight is greatly appreciated.

I have this problem with some boots. I don't know if it's a defect, or just a combination of foot and shoe shape with some boots. What you can do is have a cobbler stitch the tongue to one side of the vamp. I had this done on a pair of Alden Indys. Some shoe come this way new, as well. I find this works great.

One photo is from the inside. The outside photo shows how my cobber ran the sticthing along existing stitching, so it doesn't stand out.

 

[rexet]

Ok they're back from the cobbler.
As I told you earlier I finally ask for a thin half sole to keep a smooth look.

He is still not sure the glue is gonna stick well on the greasy leather of the sole and this is the reason why he didn't make me pay for the work.
He asked me to bring them back after having wore them for one month and see how it goes. I will pay only if I am satisfied !

Now it is time for the Obenauf step and I would finally able to enjoy them !

 

[bik2101]

what?? haha what a nice guy

 

[rexet]

Yeah he is really nice and the work is quite good for the price (when I pay hehe).
He said "you're gonna be my tester for this kind of sole on greasy leather so I will know if I can accept future order like this"