Boots?

[Livonian]

I think they look great for dress, but honestly I don't think they look like I'd go 1000 miles in them. And maybe they could; I just have a prejudice about what rugged long-life boots ought to look like.

They could, and probably will. Heck, I did about 200 miles last summer in a pair of 52-year old Florsheim Imperial dress shoes (the Kenmoor longwing, if memory serves) which I had bought as deadstock. If the cobbler hadn't quoted me at $250 minimum for a re-sole after I wore through one layer of the double leather soles, I'd still be logging miles on them. Those were purpose-made dress shoes... the Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots are specifically made as a reproduction of classic hiking/work boots.

[Tenmiles]

I believe it! It's just that - at least sometimes - modern advances in understanding, engineering, and construction have resulted in better things (like boots, for example) for specific purposes.
Just because a pair of leather boots made 80 years ago was sturdy enough to last a really long time doesn't necessarily mean that a new design might not work better; otherwise our armies would not be wearing modern designed boots, and still be wearing the same design as in WWII.

Of course, there's another factor, which is that even "modern, over-engineered, tactical footwear" might still be constructed poorly, with bad quality control or cheap quality materials, and so wear out much more quickly, while a pair of very simple all-leather boots, custom fitted to the wearer, might last his lifetime and then some.


I just dropped $120 on a pair of these, with a mind towards an upcoming backpacking trip this summer


(my current hiking boots happen to also be my daily-wear shoes, even at work, and are feeling a little worn inside, so I decided to get something new which I can wear with the 'utility kilt' on the trail)

These are designed for a soldier to wear, rucking a 100-pound pack for, let's say, 40 Km over mountainous terrain, and not break the man wearing them; I figure they'll be fine for hiking in the Cascades with a 40-50-pound pack.

In this instance, I am favoring modern ergonomic design and foot-centric engineering over a classic leather boot, regardless of how stout and trail-worthy they may have been "back in the day" - though it is also with the understanding that I will probably wear these out completely within a couple of years.
And clearly they are not designed for long life - no chance of resoling, etc.

I am glad and proud that there are still some shoemakers, like Wolverine (for example) who are building high-quality leather boots in traditional styles. I'll still vary my footwear based on the environment and what I expect from it.

Something like the above for hitting the trail,

Something like below for wearing to work or about town.

[Mel1721L]

I use German para boots with mine. Fairly high but not OTT.

[Andrew Ferrara]

Nice! I love your new boots, man! Their style reminds me of early 20th century, like I saw in a magazine ad for Indian Motorcycle, circa 1916. That look really goes with the flashes and kilt. Way to go, Hipbilly, you did yourself well!