Submitted by emcla95 t3_y0hh2q in BuyItForLife
I'm looking into getting a nice, durable pair of leather boots that I can wear for a long time to come. Originally I had planned on getting Blundstones, but now I'm hearing good things about Thursday boots. If you have either of these, can I hear your opinions? Or if you have another recommendation all together, I'll happily take them!
Yes, same happened to me. Blundstone replaced mine, but I gave them away to someone who would wear them more. Especially if you live in a humid environment, you need to wear them a lot, or the hydrolysis will happen and the boots will fail.
I actually reached out today, hence the venom in my post. Curious if they will replace mine - they were a gift, so I cant procure the original receipt.
[deleted]
It is ultimately going to be down to your feet. CanadaWest have a really good welted sole construction and I would not hesitate to recommend them over either of those...but I wear Blundstones myself because they were the only one that was wide enough (the winter run the widest and have the most room for high insteps). The best and most repairable shoe in the world will do you no good if it does not fit. CanadaWest are too narrow for me, but if you do not have short wedge-shaped grape-stomper flipper feet like mine, they are an excellent boot!
I do have pretty big feet haha. I tend to be more comfortable in shoes that are slightly wider in the toe box, but have never needed to buy "wide" sizes. Would you say you're similar? Just wondering for fit purposes.
It might actually be worth your while to pop into an actual shoe store and stick your feet in a Brannock device. (Those big metal slide foot measuring things.) If you pick a nice old-school place, they might also have a nice selection of Chelseas, there are quite a few brands that make them, Blundstone is just the most famous! I wear a womens 8 EE and usually "wide" width shoes are not enough for me, can't even get my feet in them.
Some sizing notes: In the US and Canada most women's regular shoes are a B width and wide is a C. Men's shoes are usually a C, with a wide as a D and extra-wide are usually E. If I happen to find a men's 5 E it usually fits too, but not always. Things marketed as being unisex invariably run wider than things meant just for women. For those reading along and wondering why wide-footed gals don't just buy dude shoes - it is super hard finding wide-widths in tiny lengths! Also women's shoes are usually made with a narrower heel, so sometimes even if I can get the width right, then it is slipping at the heel. For some shoe styles you can just add little inserts, but that doesn't work so well for say hiking boots. I don't know the exact sizing conventions for other countries, but I do know that German and UK brands run wider than US (Long may my Birkenstocks and Lowas live!)
That is all very informative, thank you!
I just picked up some Canada West Moorby 2801s and after about a week of 1 hour walks they are starting to feel amazing and softer on my feet. Not as nice looking as Whites (they are about half the price) in terms of stitching/leather shapes on the heel etc, but man, these feel solid as hell, even compared to some old chippewa's I had. My advice is just make sure you buy something that's a goodyear welt so they can be resoled over and over if need be.
Idunno how wide your feet are, but all of Canada Wests boots are either EE or EEE width. I have big fat bunions and Canada west is one of the only manufacturers that fit my feet. They're also wildly affordable and a couple models are insulated. My winters are their insulated Romeo's (Chelsea style).
The women's Romeos only come in C and the men's don't quite come small enough. They start at men's 6. I managed to find some at a safety store once to try on, but they didn't have any women's models and the men's size 6 flopped around like clown shoes sadly. They were wide enough though!
Ooohhh that's my bad. I assumed they would do the same for woman.
I would really love a pair of Canada West, but actually figuring out how they fit is discouraging me from ordering them.
Can I ask how you chose a size for them? I'm in the USA so unfortunately trying them on seems nearly impossible and I'm a bit worried about paying for international shipping, especially if a return is needed :/
They are easier to find here, but I would suggest for any shoe that you choose a vendor with good return policies! Our dollar is in your favour at least and shipping to the US is not bad.
I recently bought my first pair of Thursdays and really like them so far. I can't personally attest to their durability over time, but the early returns are good: they're comfortable, they look and feel like they're well-crafted with good materials, and, in my view, they're sharp. They strike me as being of good value at $200.
I've had a men's pair of Thursday's for around 6 years I think? I've worn them a ton, especially when I used to have a 3 mile roundtrip walking commute. Resoled once and they're super comfortable. Not sure how the sole durability compares to other brands but the leather uppers have held up really well even with occasional abuse on wet/snowy days. They wear in really well. I did have a friend who bought a second pair more recently and wasn't as impressed with the quality but I can't speak to that either.
I love my Blundstones but last two waterproof ones have let in water through the sole. They replaced the first ones (when I reached out to ask for certified repair spots in MTL). But, yeah, I don't know anymore.
Depends. How do you plan to wear them and in what types of environments? What's your price range? Are you looking for a lace up or slip on? What style (sleek, chonky or something in-between)?
Both Blundstone and Thursday are enough to satisfy the majority of the population. Most of Thursday's women's line is NOT goodyear welted and not resoleable. Keep and eye out for that.
u/goodyearwelt has a guide to quality women's footwear
If you run into the issue of wide forefoot and narrow heel, several of the PNW bootmakers (pending you're in the US) can make a combination last (merry the forefoot of one last and the heel of another) to account for that discrepancy. They're pricey but can be worth it. I.E. White's, JK Boots, Frank's, maybe Nick's and Wesco too.
I bought the redwing chelsea heritage boots https://www.redwingshoes.com/heritage/mens/6-inch-boots/Classic-Chelsea-03191.html and they are incredibly well made. I had Blunnies and ran them into the ground in a couple of years and the red wings are an order of magnitude higher quality AND you can re-sole them. I had to search stores to find them however...
I'd like to chime in and suggest Canada West, as well. I now own four pairs (WM Moorby 2845, 2806, 2847-2, and the Romeo 14333), and can attest they work *very* well for wide feet. The 2845 is a little snug at 2E width, and I had to go up a size in E for the 2806, but both the 2847-2 and 14333 came in 3E and I had to size down.
All of them can be re-soled, and I don't expect to replace any of them for a long, long time.
I bought Red Back UBBK Chelsea boots almost exactly 5 years ago. They're worn casually about 6-8 months of the year, some light hiking, and I work at a standing desk. They're my most comfortable shoe, haven't aged a day, and never let in water. I think they may be harder to come by and a bit more expensive these days (supply chain, right?).
I have both and they’re equally good
It depends on what you need the boots to do. If you can get away with a work boot, I suggest Thorogood. Got mine as seconds for $70 almost 7 years ago. They've been to the Sierras and all over the northeast, been on lots of job sites, and seen me through 6 years of school. They're still on the original sole. I didn't do a good job of caring for the leather and the leather is cracked in spots, but I expect they'll last another 2 years.
Forgot to mention, comfiest shoes I've ever worn!
I got Thorogood moc toes last year for work and they absolutely fucking rule. So comfortable, can be on your feet all day, and I don’t mind beating the shit out of them because I know they can take it.
Check out Grant Stone. I’ve heard Thursday quality is decent at best. Grant stone quality is held in higher regard from what I’ve seen. Their B grades are excellent too.
[removed]
Thursday boots are a good value fashion boot, the quality leaves something to be desired especially if you have used better boots in the past. Good to wear for a couple hours to an event but I wouldn’t want to do any serious walking or hard use in them
That's really all I'm looking for. I have work boots and hiking boots and rain boots and all that stuff, I just want to get a pair of casual boots that I can wear with jeans and a sweater or something like that but that will still last me a long time.
Should be good to go with Thursdays then
I just got a pair of blunnies last February. Used them almost daily for 4 months. I use them for everything including work in construction field. They have held up incredibly well and the soles barely look worn. The leather is good too. Barel TV any creases and the grain seems very tight.
[deleted] t1_iru50vd wrote
Blundstones soles will disentegrate after a couple years, or in my case, five months. Exposure to water or dirt followed by a prolonged period of non-use will induce hydrolysis, which slowly deteriorates the sole. It will split and crumble as you walk, and ultimately you'll find your gait unstable - outside of their just being dangerous to wear at that point. The leather upper will survive fine, but you're paying upwards of $100 to find specialty cobblers who are able to resole Blundstones. The quality has really dropped and will continue to do so long as people believe two years of use at 200 dollars is fair.
Conversely, you find people who have had theirs for ten years and wear them daily. If you're buying them now, though, you're probably not getting quality.