New boots, at last!

Karl Hungus

Some people have been complaining that there's not enough men posting on this forum, so I thought why post a thread about my awesome new boots I picked up in London at the weekend? It might be of interest to someone.

Anyway, I went into the British Boot Company in Camden, and got a pair of Grinders. I've been looking forward to getting a new ones, because I used to have a pair of Grinders before, and they were just incredible, my favourite boots by a mile. Sadly, they got kinda destroyed and rather than have them repaired, I just chucked 'em thinking I could get a new pair again, but the shop I got them in stopped stocking them. So I've had it on the cards that if I ever went to London again I was grabbing myself a new pair.

I took a quick pic to show them off:



Or here's a pic from the website:



I'm just wearing them around the house at the moment, trying to break them in a bit before I go and wear them out. I'd say it'll take a little while before they're as comfy as my trusty old docs. They're made of a fairly soft leather, but they do need to be worn in a bit before I go trailing off all day with them on. Here's hoping I get even more wear out of them than I got out of the docs for the last 6 or 7 years.

phasers

There's something about that style of boots that's really sexy on a guy I think, much better than flimsy runers! Takes a tough man to wear tough boots

OldGoat

I love grinders, great boot. Are those toecapped by any chance?

Only issue I (or should I say Mrs.Goat) have with them is the black scuff marks the rubber soles leave. Looking at the floor under my computer chair there is a mass of black scuff marks that are never going away. I see them as a badge of honour for the hours I put in on the puta. :rolleyes:

Did you say you got 8 years out of a pair of docs? :eek: I have to buy new every 8-12 months.

stovelid

Only thing I don't really like is the chunky soles(in general) but otherwise, they do look a nice boot alright.

OldGoat

Little items of desire. Like the OP I have a pair of boots that I really must have. Some day they will be mine...when the bank allows me a 3ed morgage.
C&J 'Coniston' boot.

Orlee

Wow ... serious price tag OldGoat! Although to be fair there's nothing better than a good pair of shoes!

I'm liking the grinders ... a nice change from CATs

Karl Hungus

phasers wrote: »

much better than flimsy runers!

I really dislike runners. They start to fall apart pretty quick, and look like crap when they've had a bit of wear.

OldGoat wrote: »

I love grinders, great boot. Are those toecapped by any chance?

Yeah, steel toe capped. They're rather heavy.

OldGoat wrote: »

Did you say you got 8 years out of a pair of docs? :eek: I have to buy new every 8-12 months.

Well, 6 or 7 years I think. I don't quite know, but they're certainly still going very strong. I've been traveling everywhere with them, any time I've gone on holidays they've come with me and got some serious wear. They've been to Norway, Romania, Japan and all over the UK. Frankly, I don't see them giving out for a very long time yet. They don't look amazing, they're pretty scuffed, but with some regular polish they look fine.

I've never had a pair of boots give out on me in 8-12 months, but I think older pairs were just better made. I've looked at docs again, and they don't look all that great. I know New Rock build quality has gone downhill considerably, I've got the same pair for over 10 years now, where other people I know who've gotten pairs that just fell apart after a few months, all the metal fittings came off, soles split open. My pair are only missing 1 piece of metal.

OldGoat

Oh I've always been rough on footwear. I get through good (and I mean GOOD) hiking boots in 18 months. It's a curse. I think it's because I have a very broad foot. I burst the sides off the sole.
Nice to hear that someone polishes a boot still. I figured it was a dead art.

If they are toecapped I wonder if I can nurgle a pair through work to replace mine. Health & Safety and all that twaddle.:rolleyes:

Karl Hungus

Ah, nasty. I'm glad I don't have that problem. I think my feet are fairly narrow enough, even as tightly as I lace my docs, they still feel a bit loose. I don't really polish my boots all that often, really only every few months, I guess I like them to have a bit of character and I only polish 'em up if they're getting particularly scuffed. I took a pic of my age-old docs that have served and continue to serve me so well over the years:



Also, awesome pair of combats in this pic, instead of the old jeans in the other.

Sheeps

I think those Cat boots look a lot better tbh. Dark boots like that are grand if you're going climbing a mountain or something, otherwise you'd look like you belong in a group of lads wearing dark makeup with long leather jackets hanging around central bank.

Karl Hungus

Or I'll just look like someone who likes those kind of boots.

OldGoat

Did you ever go for the Monkey Boots? I went through a phase with them thinking that if I'm gonna destroy boots I really should wear cheap ones. Then they got as expensive as doc but without the build quality.
I'm getting nostalgic for a pair...and a donkey jacket...and my mohican

Karl Hungus

Nah, never had a pair. Good old nostalgia though, eh? I suppose my taste in footwear hasn't changed much at all, so there's not much to get nostalgic about if you've still got the same style of boots you wore years ago.