Indonesian Boot Makers (Onderhoud, Benzein, RenavGoods, Santalum, etc)

[justsayno]

good looking last, clicking can be better

 

[milkbaby]

Wearing brogue wingtip boots from Fortis today. Leather is waxy ortensia from Badalassi Carlo tannery. Was a more brilliant hue when I first received them but seem to be a bit sun faded after about a year. I guess this is typical for a lot of intense colors in leather, what can you do... 🤷‍♂️

Today:

March 2024:

 

[Keyser_Söze]

MTO Jakkrabbits Service Boots arrived today. Took about 3 months, ordered in October.

Shinki leather
Unstructured cap toe
Dr. soles supergrip

Fit is fine, a bit loose in the heel and waist, and these boots are visibly smaller than my Vibergs in a size 8. Pretty much no break in, it feels comfortable upon putting them on aside from the gusseted tongue making it a bit hard to get in.
Stitching is very clean, some of the clicking is a little messy but not really noticeable.

Would I order again...ehhh maybe not, took too long from what was quoted and the leather is just alright, but I'm just nitpicking. It seems like there's coarse break in the vamp area which if I'm being honest, I hope it doesn't become some veiny looking mess.

Are they better in terms of construction to Vibergs. No, but are they worth what I paid? ~$479 (due to the customizations)...I think at this pricepoint it's fine, you get whatever you want in terms of customization which is nice. I'd probably buy it at 300 though.

How would you compare quality to Grant Stone? I ask because it's in the same price point.

 

[Nykwil]

How would you compare quality to Grant Stone? I ask because it's in the same price point.

Maybe its the leather I chose but it's not very thick and doesn't keep your foot warm. Probably great for the summer climates.

These boots are light, they're lighter than my plain toe grant stone crimson shoe.

They're not as comfortable either. I would say grant stone's lasts are better refined, these feel like sliding into slides without as much support, the waist and heel cup don't hug as well. Maybe they need more breaking into or something. My foot pushes forward when walking in these as well.

Live and learn.

We'll see how they feel after a month.

 

[Keyser_Söze]

Maybe its the leather I chose but it's not very thick and doesn't keep your foot warm. Probably great for the summer climates.

These boots are light, they're lighter than my plain toe grant stone crimson shoe.

They're not as comfortable either. I would say grant stone's lasts are better refined, these feel like sliding into slides without as much support, the waist and heel cup don't hug as well. Maybe they need more breaking into or something. My foot pushes forward when walking in these as well.

Live and learn.

We'll see how they feel after a month.

Would sizing down 1/2 size have helped?

 

[Nykwil]

Would sizing down 1/2 size have helped?

No, they made me send them tracings and measurements of my feet. They would be too tight a half size smaller.

They're smaller than my size 8 vibergs but the same size as my size 8 redwings

I think an insole will help and we'll se how it breaks in some more.

I would say in terms of lightness/weight, the jakkrabbits have a similar weight to the redwings, but the vibergs are nice and hefty.

 

[Nykwil]

I may be harshing in these jakks too much.

I should give em a chance.

Probably spoiled from wearing vibergs and whites.

I would put these in terms of construction quality right beside redwings. Probably same in comfort.

Edit: I don’t hate them. I just feel like I could’ve gotten more for the price? But they’re def red wings quality. They should definitely work on their lasts.

 

[Nykwil]

My honest Joe bloke take on this without the IG or YouTube influence?

I found this brand with Google search looking for Shinki boots. Went down rabbit hole, got plenty of Shinki jackets of my own to figure out that these boots will look crackling.

I don’t think Indonesia has the crafting quality of Japan or China yet.

 

[jischwar]

My honest Joe bloke take on this without the IG or YouTube influence?

I found this brand with Google search looking for Shinki boots. Went down rabbit hole, got plenty of Shinki jackets of my own to figure out that these boots will look crackling.

I don’t think Indonesia has the crafting quality of Japan or China yet.

Agreed with you, their lasts just aren't there and now with cost parity, it's hard to recommend them. I can think of only a handful of guys I'd get boots from over there

 

[milkbaby]

I don’t think Indonesia has the crafting quality of Japan or China yet.

I personally disagree with you based on my admittedly limited experiences. I say this based on owning footwear from Indonesian brands Santalum, Fortis, Sagara, and Briselblack (formerly known as Benzein) compared to Japanese brands Rolling Dub Trio, Attractions/Builtbuck, and whoever manufactures Y'2 Leather's footwear. My only Chinese brand experience is Iron Boots though I do have American brand Grant Stone which are manufactured in China.

The finishing of my Indonesian boots are often as good and surprisingly sometimes better than my Japanese boots.

While Iron Boots gets acclaim for their finishing work, I personally do not find them obviously head and shoulders above other brands. They are excellent but not AMAZING. In fact, if you look at the RTW pair here https://iron-boots.com/products/ostmo-x-iron-boots-drop-11-rtw-pair there are a few spots that aren't super clean on the stitching and the left boot looks lasted somewhat less perfect than the right boot when you look at the location of the facings.

I don't find it useful to talk about lasts except for whether a brand offers multiple choices because whether a last works well for you or me is highly dependent on our own individual anatomy. Alden is known for their anatomical approach to lasts, yet some people still cannot find an option from Alden that works for them.

I love my White's, and they're probably my favorite brand based on how many pairs I own (eight pairs), but outside of other PNW brands, I would be surprised if anyone matched their type of construction. And their finishing quality is no where as refined as many other brands, but that's fine by me considering their work and firefighting boot heritage and customer base.

These are just my opinions based on my experiences.