EXCITING NEWS ABOUT SMALL AND LARGE SIZE BOOTS!!

This is time-sensitive, everyone! If you've always wanted top-shelf boots, but could never find your size here's your opportunity.

Over the years, I've had men and women reach out to me for help with finding boots that fit 'em. To date, I've been able to successfully find boots for a handful of them, but that ends now.

www.vintageengineerboots.com

For the next few days, Standard & Strange is taking pre-orders for the entire lineup of John Lofgren boots--Engineer Boots are being offered in sizes 6-12 and lace-up boots will come in various sizes. 

All pre-orders, ending on May 28th) will ship with a boot care kit (brush, polish, bag, rag assembled for each specific type of boot) 

Check out the entire lineup here

READER MAIL - RED WING 2966 SIZING

John! Long time follower of VEB.com, first boot question. I’m going to pick up my first pair of engineering boots within the next 24 hours, and have what’s possibly the silliest question you’ll ever receive. Half of my friends wear insoles with their Red Wings, half don’t. What’s the consensus is with the engineering boot crowd? Asking for sizing purposes.

www.vintageengineerboots.com

"Success! Thanks again for the sizing help."

"Fits like a glove, and it's only going to get better."

Hey Matt,

Not a silly question at all. It’s actually something I’m sure all Engineer Boot owners have battled with at one time or another. I know I have during my early days of collecting.

Some people have no choice but to purchase a size up on their engineers in order to accommodate ortho inserts. I’ve used inserts early on in an effort to make the boots more comfortable only to find out my thick boot socks and added insert caused them to feel far too uncomfortable.

Of all my boots, only one pair has inserts (1-1.5 sizes too big) only because they were a gift and I tend not to let go of gifts. Otherwise, I don’t fancy inserts and a lot of people I know feel the same way.

Thanks for the follow up (and for sharing your expertise so willingly at your site over the years). I’m going to pick up my first pair of engineering boots, 2966’s, from Standard & Strange tomorrow morning.

Best,

- Matt

READER MAIL - ATTRACTIONS CO.

Hey man I have wanted to invest in some attractions co boots but I’m not sure on the sizing. Should I get what I usually do in boots or do they run small? Or big?

www.VintageEngineerBoots.Com

For the Attractions, I personally go with my normal boot and Converse All Star sizing.

That’s what I got and they fit perfect

BLACK CAT M-43 BOOTS

I can’t wait to break in the new Standard & Strange x John Lofgren M-43 “Black Cat” boots!

Who: Standard & Strange x John Lofgren collaboration

What: WWII-style M-43 boots made with tanned black Japanese roughout steerhide.

Where: www.StandardAndStrange.com

When: Avialable now

Why: One of top brands in footwear known for design, durability and distinction.

Stay tuned for my full review.

www.VintageEngineerBoots.com

READER MAIL - PECARD

Hi there John,

I just placed an order with Pecard for some antique dressing and boot oil after I fell saw the posts on your lofgren engineers. I presume you started out with the antique leather dressings and then finished it off with a coat of the boot oil for waterproofing? I’m about 6 months in on my own natural cxl lofgren engineers and wanted to give them some TLC before winter hits in Australia.

 Cheers - Josh

www.vintageengineerboots.com

USMC Style Service Boot by Ranch Road Boots

Hey Josh,

Good call on choosing Pecard. I use it on all my leather goods. I personally apply the Boot Oil first. This allows the leather to absorb it and also makes the leather a little darker (if that's your thing). Applying the conditioner first acts like a barrier and prevents the oil from completely penetrating the leather.

Cheers!
John

Red Wing 9268 x Brass Tokyo

Hi John,

      If you're interested, I'd like to show you the work Brass Tokyo have done to my specs on my Red Wing 9268 which required a resole and restitch on the right hand boot. They are now my No. 1 pair and I own all of the best thanks to this blog!! I have attached a screenshot of my boots (before the work was done) from your Instagram Feb 1st 2017 and my diagram Brass used to make it happen,

Thanks again for all the info through the years!!!!

                                  

Martin Allwood (England)

www.VintageEngineerBoots.com

www.Brass-Tokyo.co.jp

E-mail: English@Brass-Tokyo.co.jp

Hey Martin,

The boots look great! Congrats on the work and thanks for the update!

Cheers!

John

STANDARD & STRANGE EXCLUSIVE: RED WING 2966 ENGINEER BOOTS

The Red Wing model 2966 is a must-have for any Engineer Boot enthusiast. Standard & Strange are the ONLY US retailer of this model. Nowhere can you find this caliber of Engineer Boot for such an unbelievable price. They currently have sizes 8D, 8.5D, 9, 9.5D, 10, 10.5D  and 11 in stock (as of 24 March 18). These are sure to sell like hotcakes, so I highly recommend acting fast.

Buy Them Here

www.vintageengineerboots.com

The boots shown in these photos belong to Suzie (@DenimBitch)

This and the following three photos were taken at 12 months of wear. Results vary depending on level of wear. 

-Leather: Black "Klondike"
-Double tanned ... the black will fade into a lovely brown over time.
-Soles: Black Neoprene Cord
- Height: 11"
- Width: D
- Vertical tag
- 1990's-style "Red Wing" embossing on shaft
- 1970's-style box label
- Price: Perfect $400 with free shipping!!

The below photos were taken after 18 months of wear

READER MAIL - TANNING THE CAMPUS JACKET

Hey John,

I’ve been following you for a good long while and am ever inspired by your posts. I’ve got two questions I’m hoping you could help me with:

I’m planning to buy a campus jacket in the natural veg tan. I love the way yours turned out but 1) I live in Sweden where sunlight is not guaranteed and 2) I have no bust form to hand. Would it be safe to tan in limited sunlight and just let it do its thing through wearing it?

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Hi Felix,

I really appreciate your e-mail and kind words. I'm glad folks find some use out of my blog--something I started as a repository to archive my interests.

The Mister Freedom® Campus Jacket is just one of the coolest Cossack style jackets on the market. Not only does it carry the name synonymous with quality and cutting edge heritage designs known the world over, but the idea of spending good, hard-earned money on a jacket just to turn around and take on the task of bringing it to life speaks volumes to the incredible impact MF and the man behind it have on die-hard collectors.

Regardless of geographical location and weather conditions, there shouldn't be a problem tanning the jacket. Ever hear of someone developing sun burn even on a cloudy day? This is because a large percentage of ultraviolet rays can still pass through clouds. Tanning may take a little longer, but in all actually it's probably safer for the leather since the impact of direct heat from the sun will dry out tannery chemicals used to preserve it and prevent decomposition.

The bust form is just a convenience and is absolutely not necessary. I had one on hand and it happened to help a little. You will have the same result by laying the jacket flat, but rather than just simply turning the bust toward the light/heat source you'll  have to turn the jacket over and ensure any wrinkles are smoothed  out in order to ensure even tanning.

Laid flat on a table

The final thing is to avoid adding any products (conditioners, waxes, oils) until you reach the desired level of tanning. Prematurely introducing products to the leather will certainly slow the process and may even prevent a fully desired outcome. And I recommend avoiding submersing the jacket in water at all cost. Doing so will just leave the jacket with unsightly wrinkles

STANDARD & STRANGE x TSPTR HIGH TOP SNEAKERS

Powerhouse purveyors of premier goods, Standard & Strange are one of the very few retail shops in the United States dedicated to providing us some of the biggest and best heritage name brands from around the globe.

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Their latest collaboration with Truth, Symmetry, Pleasure, Taste, Recognition offers three options for the S&S x TSPTR High Top Sneakers—white, navy and cammo—and is based on military training shoes of the 1950s.

These are made at one of the few remaining vulcanized footwear factories in Kurume, Japan under the supervision of the John Lofgren Footwear team.

I couldn't wait to break these in and try them out at the gym as soon as they were received, but as luck would have it I'd have to wait until the next day. Now whether I’m kickin’ around in my civvies or having fun with functional fitness, these versatile and comfy sneakers are always at the ready. Not only do these feel great and can withstand hours of heavy abuse in the gym, but they look great and knowing they are a product of some highly reputable names in the business is the icing on a deliciously decadent cake. 

Sizing: I wear size 7 in Converse, all John Lofgren footwear, Alden and Red Wing boots and I went with a size 7 in these for a perfect fit.

Standard & Strange               TSPTR

WAXED FLESH JOHN LOFGREN COMBAT BOOTS

As I promised a lot of folks who have messaged me, here are the steps I used to wax my John Lofgren

www.vintageengineerboots.com

This is the boot care kit I use on my Marine Corps Desert Boots and since I've become very familiar with the products, I decided to stick with it.

As much as I liked the denim rub off, I decided to remove as much of it as possible using the eraser provided in the kit--I wanted a clean canvas in order to achieve the best results. I used the metal side of the brush to clean any dirt and dust left by the eraser, going with the grain of the flesh.

I then used the Cleaner to clean and condition the leather. allow to dry for at least an hour (I let it dry over night).

Using my favorite leather conditioner, Pecard Antique Leather Dressing, I evenly applied a liberal amount of the product over the entire boot, not forgetting about the tongue, welt and sole edges. 

I used a heat gun to melt the dressing into the flesh, being mindful not to stay in one area for too long in order to avoid burning the leather.

I even used Pecard to wax the laces. I allowed them to dry as much as possible before replacing them onto the boots. 

The boots will lighten up over time and depending on the length of exposure to various weather conditions, they may require periodic waxing.  

READER MAIL - MISTER FREEDOM® CAMPUS JACKET SIZING

Hey John,

Love your Instagram and blog. You have me very interested in picking up the Campus Jacket. Yours is phenomenal. I was curious if you could give me your thoughts on sizing—I’m 5’10 and 160 lbs. I typically wear a size 38 jacket. Do you think I should pick up a size 36 like yours for the same fit? Or do you think a 38 might be more appropriate? Any thoughts are much appreciated!

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Sleeves and waist hit me at the perfect spots

Hey Maxwell, 

Thanks for the kind words! The Campus is certainly an incredible jacket and my favorite Cossack-style on the market, because of the DIY nature of it. I can't think of another leather jacket that requires the new buyer to take it home and personally put it through their own unique tanning process. Never has an article of clothing felt so personal to me. 

Anyhow, I'm 5'5" and 138 with a sporty build and my size 36 fits like a charm. Given the specifics you provided above, I recommend sticking with a size 38.

Chest is perfectly snug for that vintage fit

Just to be sure, here are the measurements taken from my size 36 jacket today:

Chest: 20 1/2"

Shoulder: 17 1/4"

Sleeve (from shoulder seam): 23 3/4"

Length (from base of collar down back): 21 1/4"

Size 36 from the Mister Freedom® site

Chest: 20"

Shoulder: 17 1/4"

Sleeve: 24 3/4"

Length:23

Size 38 from the Mister Freedom® site

Chest: 21"

Shoulder: 18

Sleeve: 25 1/4"

Length:23 1/2"

Readers might also like:

Baloo

Campus (Italian vegetable tanned lamb leather)

Statesman (Cowhide)

READER MAIL - MY TOP 10 FOR AMAZING BOOTS UNDER $1K

Hi,

My name is Jay & I live in Seattle. I am very interested in finding an amazing pair of engineer boots. I wear size 10m ... can you help me?

Jay

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Chippewa 27899 (classic buckle)

Source: WorkingPerson.com

Jay, 

Thanks for the e-mail! While the Chippewa 27899s might be considered a place holder or gateway boots, they are still one of my favorites with regard to price, durability and classic styling. The other boots on my list definitely fall into the "amazing" category. 

The spreadsheet I whipped up below shows my top picks for boots under $1,000 and while I personally have paid well over this on a number of occasions, I feel this price is the threshold for what I consider to be reasonably acceptable. The only time I would ever consider spending more than a grand on boots again is if I run across something vintage and it has to be something spectacular--stick with the boots on this list and you will not be disappointed. 

Red Wing 2966

Source: Standard and Strange

It appears they have one size left that happens to be a 10D!

Re:Broth (Godfather last)

Source: Rebroth_Factory

Wesco 7400

Source: WorkingPerson.com

Viberg (2050 last)

Source: Viberg.com

Attractions Lot.444

Black Sign Aviator/Engineer

Source: bs_nishiura

This is more for someone with an established collection and looking for something different. Not recommended for a first pair. I'm definitely considering adding this to my collection.

 Black Sign Aviator/Engineer

Source: bs_nishiura

Dappers Lot.1142

Source: Dappers.jp

Mister Freedom® Road Champ

John Lofgren