Custom White's Boots ... Thoughts?

[fasthall]

Anyone knows "Main Street" boots from their lifestyle collection?
The catalog, p. 12:
https://www.yumpu.com/en/embed/view/rEcP1nTZjiYgua5b

It looks like semi dress with Barrie last, kind of like MP is smoke jumper with Barrie last.
I asked Kyle at Bakers, he told me the boots are available just not published yet. Don't know if I should pull a trigger on them...

 

[iamntbatman]

Hmm, maybe, but it's lacking that stitching around the heel. The brogued cap toe boot also doesn't have metal eyelets. Looks like their dressiest boot yet.

 

[chicken1616]

Apparently, according to the catalogue, to make an 8" boot, it is cut down from a 10" with a chainsaw.

 

[gte872h]

Apparently, according to the catalogue, to make an 8" boot, it is cut down from a 10" with a chainsaw.

Interesting. I use a chainsaw to clip my nose hairs.

 

[TH3515]

It may look a little bit sleeker on pictures. Other than that, I honestly don't know why someone would choose a "Main Street" over a Semi Dress: Why buy a Goodyear welted, non-rebuildable boot when you can have an entirely hand welted, fully rebuildable one at the same price?

 

[Legal Eagles]

It may look a little bit sleeker on pictures. Other than that, I honestly don't know why someone would choose a "Main Street" over a Semi Dress: Why buy a Goodyear welted, non-rebuildable boot when you can have an entirely hand welted, fully rebuildable one at the same price?

^ 1000 times this...

A couple years ago Viberg tried to go to GYW instead of stitch down, their excuse was that it made for a "sleeker look" which today's fashion buyers demand... that may or may not be true, but many saw it as a cost-cutting measure to make boots cheaper and quicker, and customers stayed away in droves...

You will not convince me that GYW has any functional or structural advantage to a hand welted boot... but then again maybe I am just an old curmudgeon, stuck in my ways, yelling at kids to get off my lawn...

 

[fasthall]

It may look a little bit sleeker on pictures

I think you answer it yourself. Other options with similar build quality in similar price range are surprisingly lacking. Truman, Alden, Viberg, they all have pros and cons. Whether the market will accept it or not I don't know. But I'm glad to see White's exploring the market.

 

[Rymanocerous]

It may look a little bit sleeker on pictures. Other than that, I honestly don't know why someone would choose a "Main Street" over a Semi Dress: Why buy a Goodyear welted, non-rebuildable boot when you can have an entirely hand welted, fully rebuildable one at the same price?

Since when is a GWY not rebuildable? Hell, that's a major appeal and you will arguable get as many rebuilds out of a stitch down as a GWY. Anyway, the Main Street just looks like a Higgins Mill. It's a smart move in helping them continue to build out their Lifestyle line. Lets face it, the MP is a lot more work boot than office ready. It's utilitarian where you would expect lifestyle to fall into fashion oriented.

 

[fasthall]

Since when is a GWY not rebuildable? Hell, that's a major appeal and you will arguable get as many rebuilds out of a stitch down as a GWY. Anyway, the Main Street just looks like a Higgins Mill. It's a smart move in helping them continue to build out their Lifestyle line. Lets face it, the MP is a lot more work boot than office ready. It's utilitarian where you would expect lifestyle to fall into fashion oriented.

He is referring to White's catalog. I think White's GYW is technically still rebuildable, but they don't find it profitable to do it so it's not an option. However, their GYW is still resoleable and they will do it, they just won't rebuild the whole boots.

 

[TH3515]

Since when is a GWY not rebuildable? Hell, that's a major appeal and you will arguable get as many rebuilds out of a stitch down as a GWY.

You‘d have to ask White‘s. I didn’t make this up, it‘s information from their own brochure (link in @fasthalls post at the top of this page): Main Street and Kinney Chukka are resoleable, but not rebuildable the way a classic, hand welted White‘s boot would be.

EDIT : sorry @fasthall - didn’t see your reply when I wrote mine.

 

[Rymanocerous]

He is referring to White's catalog. I think White's GYW is technically still rebuildable, but they don't find it profitable to do it so it's not an option. However, their GYW is still resoleable and they will do it, they just won't rebuild the whole boots.

Ok maybe I am missing something really obvious here or we have some confusion on what Rebuildable covers.

We can reshape the arches and even replace worn-out insoles, midsoles, outsoles and heels. Toe leather can actually be replaced, when necessary. The only portion of the boot that cannot be rebuilt is the upper quarters.

So basically this is the insole. Again, I am not a shoe master, but I am not aware of any major GYW producer that will replace or re-shape in insole. If I look at the Main Street, I don't really see why someone would need to have the insole truly replaced or reshaped. Which leads me back to my points on the MP not truly being a Lifestyle boot. Again not a construction master but I believe the GWY processes greatly inhibits removal of the insole vs a stitch down.

 

[SouthNarc]

What's the difference between a 350 and a Semi Dress besides height?

 

[TH3515]

^The most visible difference would be the 350s external heel counter. Also, the higher and slightly more boxy toebox that the 350 owes to the 4811 last (unless of course you have it built on a semi dress last.

 

[Crit_Obs]

What's the difference between a 350 and a Semi Dress besides height?

350 seems to be what they call the Bounty Hunter at Baker's, i.e. Smokejumper/Farmer Rancher built on the 55 last.

Edit: Oh yeah they let you choose the last. So then it's whatever you want it to be, this seems to be quite a versatile "model" if only the height is a constant.

 

[sambam]

It may look a little bit sleeker on pictures. Other than that, I honestly don't know why someone would choose a "Main Street" over a Semi Dress: Why buy a Goodyear welted, non-rebuildable boot when you can have an entirely hand welted, fully rebuildable one at the same price?

Ok maybe I am missing something really obvious here or we have some confusion on what Rebuildable covers.



So basically this is the insole. Again, I am not a shoe master, but I am not aware of any major GYW producer that will replace or re-shape in insole. If I look at the Main Street, I don't really see why someone would need to have the insole truly replaced or reshaped. Which leads me back to my points on the MP not truly being a Lifestyle boot. Again not a construction master but I believe the GWY processes greatly inhibits removal of the insole vs a stitch down.

It's all a matter of preference in my opinion on a handwelted white's vs a goodyear welted white's. I have been here 30 years and I wore a smokejumper when I made boots, I own a semi dress but I never wear it. I own a bunch of reserve line boots (for some reason all the prototypes are designed in my size, and I've worn them everyday for the last 2 years and absolutely love them. It's a style thing for me. What we are trying to do is hit a different segment in the market. We have kept them as close to our traditional white's as we could. All leather shank, counter, reinforced inside counter pocket, heavier leather insole than other brands, etc. The rebuilding part is all about the upper. If we knew we could replace the vamps on these styles with no problems, then we would offer full rebuilds. Some of these new upper styles we just can't rebuild the uppers consistently. So on a reserve resole, if the ribbon is good, we can just take the sole off and re welt the boot. If the ribbon is bad then we will have to re ribbon the insole, relast the boot, re welt the boot, before re bottoming the boot. I like that we have all of you around on this forum. The White's purists. I knew the goodyear welted stuff wouldn't fly with you guys and gals. But to new consumers that want a true dress boot or shoe look it might. Plus we have been building a goodyear welted, mid price point fire boot for 10 years now. We didn't need to buy new machines to start this line. So if it flies, it flies. If it doesn't it doesn't.