Nicks Boots

[NorthCoast]

Good eyes, you have. They are shell cordovan which I provided to them. Sorry that I really forget about its cost because it is more than 30 weeks passed.They are not my first shell shoes but I'm surprised that the bend area faded very fast, I need to apply venetien onto the bend to maintain color consistency... just after 2 wear while my other shell usually 3 months.

Nice. So how much shell did you have to provide them and did they provide you the formula based on your shoe size?

 

[FrankCowperwood]

How did you go about getting the shells? Right from the tannery or through another vendor?

 

[sleepyinsanfran]

Good eyes, you have. They are shell cordovan which I provided to them. Sorry that I really forget about its cost because it is more than 30 weeks passed.They are not my first shell shoes but I'm surprised that the bend area faded very fast, I need to apply venetien onto the bend to maintain color consistency... just after 2 wear while my other shell usually 3 months.

Looking great still ! Brushing might help with the vamp bloom if you are averse to putting product on them after a month of wear...

How did you go about getting the shells? Right from the tannery or through another vendor?

Would be good to know.
Btw Baker Shoe has bought burgundy shell and special ordered SD's from Whites in the past--they might do it again for nicks perhaps?

 

[andy b.]

After quite a few weeks delay, my first pair of Nick's arrived yesterday. These boots are amazing! I own several pairs of White's, Wesco, and Red Wing. The leather and build quality on the Nick's is probably the best of any of them. The leather is Tan Teton, and it is the thickest, stiffest leather I have ever owned in a pair of footwear. Normally I can have a pair of new boots broken in and comfortable in a few days. These boots from Nick's are going to take weeks, I can already tell. The welt stitching on the soles is the most precise of any boots I own.

For a size comparison, they seem to run about 1 width wider and almost a 1/2 size longer than White's and Wesco. A 9 1/2 D in White's and Wesco fit me with a medium-weight sock. I can easily fit the heaviest wool socks I can find in the 9 1/2 D Nick's.

Tan Teton uppers, tan lining, and Vibram Lug sole. I did not specify a different tongue color, but it is a softer leather than the Tan Teton. Personally I love the look, and a tongue made from Tan Teton would be almost impossible to fold over to lace up the boots. They are the McKay construction, not the welted construction. It is similar to what Wesco uses. I can't really notice any difference in function between the various welting methods used on these types of work boots.

Here they are new in the box:

Fresh from the box:

On:

 

[sleepyinsanfran]

^^ these look great!
Does the lace-to-toe design break in differently than the standard lacing?

 

[andy b.]



^^ these look great!
Does the lace-to-toe design break in differently than the standard lacing?

It does. I would say it seems a little stiffer initially, but the boot stays tighter over your toes. Once broken in, the LTT design stays tighter to the toe area, and feels different when it flexes. I can't say it is stiffer, just different. Probably because it feels tighter to your toes than a normal lacing method. On normal lacing the toe flexes fairly easily almost from the start. I will say, this is the third pair of LTT boots I own (one White's, one Wesco, and this new Nick's), and I have never had any "toe bite" from where the toe flexes. On some other pairs of workboots I have had some bite at the flex point.

Of course, these Nick's are so stiff to start with that it is like wearing ski boots. There is almost zero flex after the first day of wear. We'll see how they feel at the end of the day tomorrow. As an aside, I have been wearing them with some Gustin 23 oz denim. The jeans were almost as stiff as the boots to start with, so it only seems appropriate. LOL

 

[sleepyinsanfran]

It does. I would say it seems a little stiffer initially, but the boot stays tighter over your toes. Once broken in, the LTT design stays tighter to the toe area, and feels different when it flexes. I can't say it is stiffer, just different. Probably because it feels tighter to your toes than a normal lacing method. On normal lacing the toe flexes fairly easily almost from the start. I will say, this is the third pair of LTT boots I own (one White's, one Wesco, and this new Nick's), and I have never had any "toe bite" from where the toe flexes. On some other pairs of workboots I have had some bite at the flex point.

Of course, these Nick's are so stiff to start with that it is like wearing ski boots. There is almost zero flex after the first day of wear. We'll see how they feel at the end of the day tomorrow. As an aside, I have been wearing them with some Gustin 23 oz denim. The jeans were almost as stiff as the boots to start with, so it only seems appropriate. LOL

Interesting--thanks for the summary! I like the look of LTT models, but haven't tried one yet.
whoa 23 oz! It took me two months to break in a pair of unbranded 21 oz jeans, and I dont think I'm going to buy anything near that weight again, haha

 

[sleepyinsanfran]

Contenders on the moderate-arch HNW last, with leather laces from earlier this week. crappy-phone pic, so you can't see the creases, which are still quite minimal for four months of (albeit infrequent) wear

 

[Whirling]

Fresh from the box:


On:

These look like wonderful boots. I have a couple pair of Nicks and have been extremely happy with them. I agree that the tongues look great. To my knowledge, White's, Nick's, and Viberg workboots will always use a lighter, softer leather for the tongues, which is necessary because they are fully gusseted and generous in size to make taking the boots on and off easier.

 

[andy b.]



These look like wonderful boots.  I have a couple pair of Nicks and have been extremely happy with them.  I agree that the tongues look great.  To my knowledge, White's, Nick's, and Viberg workboots will always use a lighter, softer leather for the tongues, which is necessary because they are fully gusseted and generous in size to make taking the boots on and off easier.

I do agree that White's and Wesco seem to use a lighter-weight leather for tongues. I just have never seen a different color leather used, let alone one quite so contrasting to the main boot leather. Like I said, I like the look on the Nick's boots.

I've been wearing them every day since I received them Monday, and they are finally starting to soften a little. A very little. LOL

One observation I have is that due to the stiffness and 6" height, they do bite into the ankle at the top of the boot. I have other 6" boots, but they are all a softer leather and I never noticed this ankle biting problem. If I don't use the top eyelet, it isn't bad. The leather is softening a little, so the biting is decreasing. This is probably a case where an 8" height would have been more comfortable with such a stiff leather. I think the pain will be worth it once the boots are broken-in. These may very well end up being my favorite pair of footwear, and I have a closet full to choose from. Haha!

 

[Whirling]

I do agree that White's and Wesco seem to use a lighter-weight leather for tongues. I just have never seen a different color leather used, let alone one quite so contrasting to the main boot leather. Like I said, I like the look on the Nick's boots.

I've been wearing them every day since I received them Monday, and they are finally starting to soften a little. A very little. LOL

One observation I have is that due to the stiffness and 6" height, they do bite into the ankle at the top of the boot. I have other 6" boots, but they are all a softer leather and I never noticed this ankle biting problem. If I don't use the top eyelet, it isn't bad. The leather is softening a little, so the biting is decreasing. This is probably a case where an 8" height would have been more comfortable with such a stiff leather. I think the pain will be worth it once the boots are broken-in. These may very well end up being my favorite pair of footwear, and I have a closet full to choose from. Haha!

I have never tried it, but Nick's suggests a water/rubbing alcohol mix be sprayed on areas that need some stretching. My feeling, though, is that the leather is better off without such treatment and the pain is good for one's moral development.

 

[mr. burns]

getting through that ankle bite period is like a rite of passage.

i got really nasty biting on my inside ankle bones, but you can ease the pain by lacing through the hooks differently, like the 2-1-3 method that nick's suggests. at times i used the first hooks then went straight to the top eyelet, when things were getting really painful.

 

[andy b.]



I have never tried it, but Nick's suggests a water/rubbing alcohol mix be sprayed on areas that need some stretching.  My feeling, though, is that the leather is better off without such treatment and the pain is good for one's moral development.

Haha! I kind of felt the same way. Plus, I used to use rubbing alcohol to strip the finish on leather. I always felt uncomfortable using it to help break-in boots. But, if Nick's recommends it, hopefully they aren't hoping for increased sales. You get my drift?

getting through that ankle bite period is like a rite of passage.

i got really nasty biting on my inside ankle bones, but you can ease the pain by lacing through the hooks differently, like the 2-1-3 method that nick's suggests. at times i used the first hooks then went straight to the top eyelet, when things were getting really painful.

I've been using the 2-1-3 method, but if you had a pair of boots made from 1/4" thick steel, and tried lacing them different ways, does it really make a difference? LOL The "bite" is at the top cuff of the boot, not down where the normal ankle flexes. At this point there is still minimal flex at the actual ankle, which is part of the reason the top cuff bites in. I checked other boots I have, and these are by far the thickest leather on any of them. I don't know if just the Tan Teton is this insane, or Nick's standard black and brown are as well. I feel a pair of 3-4" LTT in brown rough-out may be in my future. It would be like suede armor dress shoes.

 

[NorthCoast]

I'm on week 15 and getting itchy.

Ready for some boots!

 

[Whirling]



I'm on week 15 and getting itchy.

Ready for some boots!

Yeah, that wait sounds like a great method for cultivating patience. Nick's Instagram mentions that they are going to pay their people for some overtime to get through their backlog. I got my Nick's RTW from Zuriick's.

As an aside, my custom White's are on their way to me for arrival at just under one month from order placement through Baker's.