Winter Dress Shoes

[Chorn]

I recently purchased a pair of Herring shoes with commando soles for the purpose of dealing with the ice that covers Seoul's streets for 3 months out of the year. I have some a few pairs with Dainite, but they weren't fantastic in dealing with ice (excellent for rain though). Anyway, I'll be doing some "for shits and giggles" experiments behind my apartment when winter hits for real, Dainite vs commando, but any difference I make will be useless because a) an experiment? Come on. I have shit for equipment and a single of pair of shoes to test and b) commando is just the type of sole and not the type of rubber, which also makes a difference.

For now, however, pictures.

Full grain, Goodyear welted. Excellent construction. Average finishing. Overall, they appear to be serviceable beaters (and given that I was hit with import duties, just slightly more than what I wanted to pay for them).
http://www.herringshoes.co.uk/product-info.php?&brandid=6&shoeid=5207

Very sturdy construction.

Questionable finishing.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Those look like tanks.

 

[Chorn]

You're damned right they do. Dress tanks.

 

[Russell Street]

I can't remember having a traction problem with any rubber sole, but I'm blessed with a certain sure-footedness. Science must go on!

The detailing objection is the misalignment of stitching and punching? The blank rectangle on the sole is interesting, as I suspect that's a spot meant for manufacturer branding to be tacked glued on but they opted against it. The welting certainly reveals the gross inconsistency of the welting of a certain American shoe company.

 

[Chorn]

There is some uneveness in the color. If I cared, I could probably strip the factory finish and repolish it or whatnot, but it's not too important to me. You can see the cracking in the leather around the laces.

And sure footed or not, black ice and hills are enough to down a billy goat. I've fallen just twice since moving here in 2009, but I've had enough near misses to convince myself it was worth going the extra mile for extra traction.

 

[Grand Potentate]

I picked this up with a similar intention. Will be bulling it with a darker tone as that tan will show an awful lot of salt and water.

http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/Tan-brogue-boots?q=gbpdefault|boot|MB101TAN|||||||||||||

Ok, even for me, that's a really fucking weird sole pattern. What are those made out of?

 

[Grand Potentate]

The detailing objection is the misalignment of stitching and punching? The blank rectangle on the sole is interesting, as I suspect that's a spot meant for manufacturer branding to be tacked glued on but they opted against it. The welting certainly reveals the gross inconsistency of the welting of a certain American shoe company.

Correct, the blank space is usually where the name goes. What American shoe company makes Herrings? Or did I completely misread that?

 

[Chorn]

Herring is British. I suspect he was being critical of AE's less than uniform welting.

 

[Grand Potentate]

Herring is British. I suspect he was being critical of AE's less than uniform welting.

That's what I thought. Just wasn't sure.

 

[Russell Street]

I suspect he was being critical of AE's less than uniform welting.

Well, yeah. The AE welting in my closet appears much more slapdash.
I didn't make the connection that the detail shot was of a new shoe. That mottled coloration and texture is odd for an unused product.

The downside of the hiding tread by recessing it is that from certain angles the sole looks like it's hovering above the floor.

 

[Chorn]

I didn't make the connection that the detail shot was of a new shoe. That mottled coloration and texture is odd for an unused product.

Exactly. But as the issue seems to be with the factory polish and not the leather itself, and because these shoes will be taking a beating, it's not a huge deal to me for this pair. I might be hesitant to buy further Herring shoes unless I see them in person though.

 

[Pauly Chase]

I have a pair of Paul Stuart chukkas (Timothy?)with danite soles that I wear frequently during the winter months if I am not in ninja moods.

Also have a pair of NOS florsheims I kopped from SF in its heydays that have served me well.

There was a Tricker's collab with one of the British brands that made some tank shoes.

 

[Chorn]

Well, I'll be running some highly controlled scientific tests on those shoes. Rabbits will be slaughtered (how else am I to test rubber to blood ice traction?)

 

[Zé Ferreira]

Sacrifices must be made for the good of the menswear.