Men's leather ankle boots/shoes

Submitted by Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine t3_118trdk in BuyItForLife

Hey BIFL, my financé and I are getting married next year and I've been trying to think of a wedding gift I could get him that would convey my love for him.

He's trans and has never really had any "men's" things, certainly nothing that was of value or would last at all so I thought a shoe to last the rest of his life that he could be proud of would be wonderful

Can any of you recommend a men's ankle boot type shoe that is preferably leather, comfortable, and will outlive either of us?

He's got smaller feet (men's 7-7.5)

I'm not SUPER worried about price as long as we can keep it under like $500 😬

Edit: I said "as long as we can keep it under $500" thinking that amount was ridiculous and y'all really said BET 😂😂😂

Should I be worry about suede holding up? Should I just get a smooth finish?

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Junior_Ad2955 t1_j9jajyo wrote

Oak Street Bootmakers- very high quality leather and can be infinitely resolves. They are made in the US too and are super comfortable

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9kx6n5 wrote

Oh that's awesome! Ok I'll check them out 🥰 thank you!

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Cellifal t1_j9mkg6m wrote

Some more options for you: White’s Boots, Nick’s Boots, Red Wings (much cheaper at ~$350, still great boots), Allen Edmonds, Thursday boots (I don’t know that I’d call these BIFL - they’re good $200 boots but they’re just not equivalent to the ~$500 boots on the list)… there’s a bunch of others but all of those are worth looking at.

As far as Suede goes, look into Roughout leather. It’s pretty much just thicker suede, but suede has come a long way too. Can’t go wrong either way

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9u4rgi wrote

Awesome! Thank you! Will the roughout stand the test of time? With care and everything?

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Cellifal t1_j9us8rk wrote

Absolutely. Roughout is essentially just leather they’ve turned inside out - so the suede side is facing out. It’ll look “rough” rather than smooth leather, but that means you can pretty much just brush it to fix it up when it needs it.

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Muncie4 t1_j9jj5e2 wrote

Step zero is getting his size as quality footwear comes in width and length. Use a Brannock device or https://www.rei.com/assets/pdf/printable-brannock/nb-printable_brannock/live.pdf to know that he is, say a 7C. Then you can buy 7C boots.

Comfort is a personal metric and one cannot ask this online.

Options:

https://www.thefryecompany.com/collections/men-shoes-chelsea-boots

https://www.allenedmonds.com/mens-shoes/boots/

https://oakstreetbootmakers.com/footwear/everyday-boots

https://thursdayboots.com/collections/boots

https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/collections/boots

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9kyqto wrote

Ok perfect! Thank you I will 🥰

Fair enough, just don't want him on flat pieces of leather or something like that 😅

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A_Green_Sloth t1_j9jkumf wrote

I’ve had my Wolverine 1000 mile boots for about 8 or so years now, and absolutely love them. They’re a simple,timeless design and incredibly comfortable. I’ve since tried to get another pair of boots from Thursday and they just didn’t compare in terms of leather quality, they just felt cheap and plasticky almost. When I wore through the leather sole I got them resoled and swapped to rubber which was definitely an improvement although I never had any real issues with the leather.

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SpeakerSame9076 t1_j9ml51g wrote

I haven't had them more than a year yet, but I am constantly noticing how sturdy my Wolverine boots are compared to the (6?) pairs of women's leather boots (some of which cost more) I went through before them.

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Weltraumdrache t1_j9j8tsm wrote

Leather boots are very tough but they also need a brushing, cleaning and new coat of wax every now and then. So don’t forget a care kit.

In Germany I know the Burgol brand but it might be a different one in your country.

He doesn’t have to be as rigorous like in the military but leather needs that to become truly “for life”.

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9kx34k wrote

Wonderful! Thank you! I've actually mentioned that he should own a really nice pair of leather boots before and he got super invested in learning about care so I'm SURE he'll treat them very well 🥰 (but I might include a care kit with the boots)

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NerdyOutdoors t1_j9jbogc wrote

Such a cool & thoughtful gift idea, OP!

I have a pair of Grenson boots. Resoleable, absolutely gorgeous, and good fit. Not inexpensive at all, but if the the leather holds up, the re-soleable bottom means I can keep them going for a long long time.

I like the “Fred” G2 fit. Just a tiny bit over your current budget. Sometimes these pop up on sale on their website.

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9kygg9 wrote

Thank you! Yeah it took a lot of thought to come to something meaningful that he will actually use and when I think of "things every man should own" I think: pocket knife, watch, suit, and good pair of boots/shoes that will look good on any occasion

Getting him a suit for our wedding felt, weird, he won't wear a watch and he already owns a very expensive buck

So shoes it is!

I'll definitely look into Grenson! Thank you! The bit I've seen already looks great!

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MrHuckleberryFinn t1_j9jn7pm wrote

I've had Rancourts, Aldens, Red wings, but out of all the boots I've had only my Vibergs and Whites will outlast me. Truly handmade to last.

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akohhh t1_j9mgn12 wrote

RM Williams boots last an eternity, even when beating them up horse riding as I’ve done with my first pair, and can be resoled, plus have the elastic replaced if you get the classics like the Craftsman.

On your suede question; smooth finish leather is going to last better and age much more beautifully.

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bad-monkey t1_j9m1ime wrote

I really love my Allen Edmonds chelsea boots! I'd wear them everyday if I could, and in fact I do my damnedest.

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9u5aou wrote

That so good to hear! I'll definitely keep that in mind that's really my hope for his boots 🥰

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9l5ihf wrote

I don't know if anyone can speak to this at all but I see a lot of the suggested companies sell rough finish shoes

is that rough finish something I should be concerned about holding up and I should just go with a smooth finish or does it hold up and care just fine?

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DrKennethNoisewater- t1_j9lzu2q wrote

Red Wing Irons Rangers or Blacksmiths. Nicks boots also occasionally has deals, but they’re typically between 500-600 for the heritage style. He’ll likely have both for life, but Nicks are far and away better quality.

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MisterCleanClean t1_j9m22v2 wrote

Sizing is everything. Get your partner measured on the brannock device as a starting point. Mens boots typically run up to a size larger than sneakers.

My second point on sizing is that as a result of people not measuring their feet properly you find a tonne of boots worn only a handful of times on eBay for a fraction of the price.

Picked up some Red Wing Blacksmiths that had been worn less than five times for $155 when they retail for $395 here in the UK.

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MisterCleanClean t1_j9m2qw7 wrote

Also, get a boot that is goodyearwelt constructed. This basically means they can be resoled.

Would highly recommend heading over to r/goodyearwelt for inspiration and a huge number of knowledgeable people on all things quality boots.

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Kim_or_Kimmys_Fine OP t1_j9u53bl wrote

WOW that's really good to know thank you! I'll definitely keep that in mind! Get to an actual place with a Braddock device

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JobeX t1_j9n2y4a wrote

Solovair boots are like better made Doc Martins, there’s also Red Wing boots which are popular, Thursdays also makes popular boots.

As a New Yorker, I always have to add timberlands, premium versions in wheat or black.

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MalagrugrousPatroon t1_j9n7s3g wrote

Allen Edmonds is a classic American high quality shoe maker worth looking at. They have a wide range of styles, as well as a broad selection of sizes and widths. They can be resoled for a long time, and they've become quite popular as used shoes because of how well they last.

Get boot trees to help them maintain their shape and appearance.

By the way, congratulations!

PS - I'm going to throw a few expensive options in just in case.

This place carries Allen Edmonds' modified last. It's narrow at the heal, and wide at the toes. They cost more but some people need that.

Kreosote boots are custom boots, expensive, and very interesting. They look like they're made specifically for ass kicking. Even the dressier boots do too.

The Self Edge Flathead is less expensive, but still expensive, and another interesting boot.

This one is much closer to your price point, it's the Nicks Heritage Tankerpro.

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waggletons t1_ja59shu wrote

White's, Nicks, or Russell Moccasins are my go-to.

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DRAWKWARD79 t1_j9j746y wrote

Blundstones. Hands down. BIFL stylish and timeless

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