Great engineer boots under $400?!? New releases from Grant Stone, Dehen1920, Bradley Mountain, and Whites Boots.
April is off to a great start with some awesome new releases from our favorite brands, and possibly the best deal going in engineer boots today!
UES Traveling Shirt
There is a great thought exercise where you choose a “superhero outfit” or “avatar” in which your clothing selection is something you could wear for the rest of your life happily. The UES Traveling Shirt would be a top contender for mine. It’s simple enough to work in a variety of situations, but unique and rare enough to scratch the heritage artisan itch. Available in black and brown, and a relative bargain when compared with similar shirts from Iron Heart or The Flat Head.
UES Offers up an incredible shirt at a "reasonable" price (relatively speaking).
Grant Stone Ghost Burro
These are a little crazy, and I love that Grant Stone has begun to explore more adventurous makeups. The first time I saw this leather was a limited edition Craft and Lore wallet. Walpier’s Ghost Burro article is a vegetable-tanned leather, retaining its full-grain, offering a firm hand which will soften over time. The “ghost finish” is a white wax coating that will naturally wear and develop a beautiful patina over time, revealing the natural, warm, honey-like color beneath it. Patina nerds rejoice!
White(ish) boots that will turn a light brown. Yes, they're weird and I love it.
Whites Perry Select – Rosewood Kudu
It’s hard to make a recommendation for decent moc toe boots without mentioning the Whites Perry. They’re the entry level from a wonderful old American brand offering some of the most respected boots in logging, wildland firefighting, and construction. The Perry Select is, as the name suggests, the cream of the Perry crop and now it’s available in a beautiful Rosewood Kudu leather!
The Whites Perry, but in a cool new leather!
Unmarked Archie Boots – Full Brown
Unmarked must be reading my diary because damn, these are some gorgeous boots! They seem to have a very decent construction as well but seem to be vague on the actual leather used, only listed as “pull-up leather”. Perhaps I missed the details, but I’d like to know more before clicking the ‘Buy It Now’ button.
A wonderful-looking boot, but I have questions about that leather.
Bradley Mountain G1 Bomber
Bradley Mountain reimagines the classic G-1 bomber jacket in waxed canvas, and it looks great. The 12oz waxed canvas is available in five colors and lined in cotton flannel. Still, at this price I would have liked to see a wool (or even wool blend) lining for even more durability and versatility.
Bradley Mountain interprets the G-1 in waxed canvas.
Freewheelers 1951 Field Jacket
Are you looking for a place to spend this months rent? Well look no further than the exquisite 1951 Field Jacket from Japanese brand Freewheelers. Known for their impeccable construction and attention to detail, it’s safe to say that finding a superior alternative is nearly impossible. Of course, all that attention to detail comes with a hefty price tag.
Is it expensive? Yes. Is it peerless? Yes. Do you need it? Maybe.
Cordobes Engineer Boots
Engineer boots have always been the style in which few budget options exist. They’re tricky to make, require a ton of leather, and aren’t a huge seller outside of some circles. Most of the time people will recommend the Wesco Mister Lou as the baseline engineers, but at $700 with a 2-year wait list they’re becoming less and less appealing. Cordobes is a small shop out of San Mateo Atenco in the outskirts of Mexico City with engineer boots that look VERY promising. Get this: handwelted engineer boots with a soft toe for under $500. Are they any good? Well I have a pair on order to find out. Stay tuned!
Have we found the new king of budget engineer boots?
Dehen 1920 Raincoat
Dehen 1920 make some grail-worthy pieces, and their latest is the heavy duty raincoat. It’s beautiful, but I have to wonder how the functionality of this raincoat stacks up against technical options from Patagonia or Arcteryx. If I were shopping for a raincoat, I’d probably go with a technical fabric. However, maybe you are a traditionalist and prefer the way they did things over 100 years ago. At least you’ll look great doing it!
A waxed canvas raincoat may look better than it functions, but when it looks this good- who cares?
Weird Pick: One432 Shikra Wave Shacket
I have to admit, a big part of me didn’t like this shacket (shirt/jacket) at first. But then I looked at the design and reason for the patchwork look: it’s actually made from scrap material from the cutting floor. Since then, this shacket has definitely gown on me and its weird nature is now endearing in my eyes.
So strange that I think I want to buy it!
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