READER MAIL - BOOT TREATMENT (VEGAN OPTION)

Hey Dude,

I hope you're well, sorry for messaging you directly; nevertheless, I wondered if you had any suggestions for boots treatment. I've got a pair of Red Wing Engineers Boots, that due to non-use need softening and I wondered what you use to keep your boots looking so good and comfy. I'm vegetarian and would prefer something not animal based, what would you suggest?

Cheers,
Nick

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Hey Nick, 
I'm a huge fan of Pecard leather care products. I use the Boot and Shoe Care Oil along with Antique Leather Dressing. Neither products contain animal fat, tallow, mink oil, lanolin, or neatsfoot oil. I use Barbasol shave cream to clean my boots. It's not abrasive and safe for all leather colors and it's inexpensive -- back in the 1990s, it was perfect for a young Marine who broke dozens of layers of black boot polish every week or two -- and it just yields the best results. It provided a perfect blank canvas to reapply fresh polish for a perfect spit shine. 
My cleaning process goes as follows:
Unbuckle all straps and brush off any dirt. 
Apply a generous amount of the shave cream over the entire surface of the boot. Massage the cream into the leather using your hand followed by a soft brush -- toothbrush is perfect for the job -- to clean using a circular motion. Ensure the welt and seams are not ignored. 

Allow to air dry over night or place in front of a fan for half the time.

I squeeze / pour a decent amount of Boot and Shoe Care Oil into a small container and apply generously onto the surface, welt, creases, seams, strap using my fingers. Since it's an oil, the absorption time is minimal. I may add a second layer depending on how dry I feel the leather to be.
Allow to air dry over night or place in front of a fan for half the time.
You can essentially stop at this point and feel confident the boot are being preserved and protected from the elements, but I like to add Antique Leather Dressing.

I apply a fairly thin layer of Antique Leather Dressing with my fingers as I would the Boot and Shoe Care Oil and allow the leather to absorb it over night (or sometimes two). 
Use a boot brush to buff away excess dressing. 

Done. This process isn't necessary again for a long time unless the boots are put through some grueling work or exposed to the sun for a long period of time. 

I hope this helps.
Cheers, John

READER MAIL - MAINTAINING THE CAMPUS LEATHER JACKET

Hi there, 

Love your page and all the Mister Freedom pieces! May I ask what's your suggestion to maintain the Mister Freedom Campus Leather Jacket?

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Hi Eric, 
Thank you for the kind words!
Allow the jacket to sit in the sun whenever it's not being worn.  Refrain from introducing the jacket to any conditioning products until you reach the desired degree of sun tanning. Products will significantly increase the amount of time it will take for the jacket to develop a rich dark tone and it's not guaranteed the jacket will reach its full dark potential.
Along the way it will be a dirt/mark magnet and will develop water spotting, but wiping the area down with a lightly damp cloth will easily "erase" the marks.
Once the jacket is sun tanned to the desired level -- or shows no sign of getting any darker -- wipe down with a damp cloth, air dry and apply a liberal amount of leather conditioner. Allow the leather to absorb the conditioner for a couple of days and then wipe clean with an old cotton t-shirt or cloth.
Mister Freedom Campus Jackets
The jacket will be supple and still slightly damp from the conditioner -- this is the best time to wear the jacket and re-establish any of the arm creases. Hang to air dry for another day.
The jacket will not need any conditioner for months if not years. The occasional wiping from a damp microfiber towel is all you'll need ... or leave it as-is to develop that desired patina.
*You can check out my Campus Journey and process here
Cheers! John

READER MAIL -- NARROW BOOT SHAFT

Dear sir,

First I would like to thank you for your great work. I am an avid reader and a big fan of your blog. I am faced with a decision and would like to hear your assessment. It's about a pair of Attractions lot.444 engineer boots that I want to order. I already own two pairs of John Lofgren engineer boots with which I am very happy. As I have taken it from your website, the sizes are identical, but what worries me is the shaft. Is this much narrower than the John Lofgren boots? At the beginning I had some difficulty in getting into the boots, which has improved significantly over time. I would be very grateful if you could help me on the matter.

Best regards from Germany,

Stephan

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Hello Stephan,

Thank you for your email! The shafts are quite similar on both the John Lofgren and Attractions Lot.444 Engineer Boots. Over time, depending of the level of wear, the soft and supple attributes of Horween's CXL leather really begin to take shape causing the shaft to slouch beautifully. The horse butt leather used on the Lot. 444 is quite stiff and will pretty much remain that way with very minimal slouch giving you that perpetual stove piped shaft.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!
John

READER MAIL -- JOHN LOFGREN SIZING

Good afternoon,

I hope your day is going well. I really enjoy reading your blog and had a question for you.

I recently found a pair of John Lofgren engineer boots, new with box for 600 dollars!

Although this appears like an amazing deal, I want to ensure that sizing works for me.

I am a size 10 in sneakers and own 3 pairs of red wing Pecos and am a 9.5 in those. In my iron rangers I am a size 9.

The Lofgrens I have my eyes on are a size 9.5! What would you advice/suggestions be on the sizing for lofgren engineer boots?

Thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best,
Jake

www.vintageengineerboots.com

Hi Jake,

I wear a size 8 in athletic sneakers and a 7 across the board with converse style sneakers (regardless of brand and country of origin). I wear a 7 in RW Pecos as well as Iron Rangers ... as well as on all John Lofgren boots. Having said that, It boils down to how much wiggle room you're working with between your Pecos and Iron Rangers -- I think folks tend to prefer different levels of wiggle room between their slip-ons and lace-ups.

Based on your information -- and if the Pecos are ideally sized -- and since the shape of the toe box/taper on the Pecos are similar to that of John Lofgren's boots, I think the 9.5 will be close to what you're looking for.

I hope this helps.

Best,
John