Ah! At last! I'm actually watching this, wearing black lousjiet service boots, just to break them in around the house, before I wear them outside. They are very, very nice, and I probably wouldn't buy them if I haven't watched your reviews. I also own three pairs of blkbrd footwear and I am glad to hear your opinion on the brand. Generally, I am very fond of the direction you are taking this channel. Keep on!
These looks great with shine. Wasn’t fully sure, if pull-up ones can be primed and shined and used for dress alternative as well sometimes when needed 😀
Expert leather I think sneakers look silly with a suit. It's a weird juxtaposition of formal and super casual in my opinion. By the way, since you were curious about the better leathers they offer, I can say that the clicking on my horween shell cordovan luchadors is excellent. They even selected the part of the cordovan that has the Horween ink stamp along the inside of the shaft so you see it when you look inside to put them on. A nice little touch. I just received my engineer boots from them a few days ago. Those are in Maryam horsehide. Just excellent quality, fully lined and 360 degree hand welted with Dr Sole split soles. The leather is awesome. I've been talking to them about creating a tall hybrid of a jodhpur/tanker style boot in a museum cordovan...but hopefully they can do it, as what I'm asking for is basically a new design that's not a regular catalog item. We'll see!
Expert Leather I was at a conference a couple years ago and I saw numerous people wearing sneakers and those dress shoe-sneaker hybrids with suits. I wore my Allen Edmonds which are nothing fancy but get the job done. The worst offender was wearing those five-toed Vibram shoe abominations. I love your review style and the topics you choose. Please keep it up! Very useful and entertaining.
These look great. Since BLKBRD offers customisation, I'm thinking of ordering a pair of Rudigers in this black pullup leather but with the sole swapped out for Dr Soles. I'd go for black chromexcel but I think BLKBRD uses the teacore version of it which I don't really like.
Expert leather I have the dixon boot from BLKBRD, same leather, thinking bout grabbing some black shoe cream and doing the same to mine. Also put an order in with Urban wolf club and checking out their "axeman" model boot.
Expert leather Hey youshoe happy new year 🎊. I ordered a pair of the luchador Z that comes with the Dr. Sole supergrip. Can't wait for them to come in but, overall where do you put blkbrd in value? Are they better than Urban Wolf Club? UWC to me is the best value but, their learher selection is lacking. Lastly go for the Rudiger in Shell cordovan for their premium boot experience.
@@M1_u I think BLKBRD and UWC are comparable value wise just different overall feel. I just got the luchador z also. Can’t wait for it to come in. I will check out the Rudiger
Expert Leather... and no sneakers with a suit!!! The last time I wore a suit was about 20 years ago, but even I know that sneakers with a suit is an abomination. I wouldn't even wear something with a more formal upper and a thick, soft sole. Happy New Year!
@@YouShoe-1985 6 months ago I was on a university tour with a 60+ year old Congressman, he wore a dark blue suit with "dress sneakers". That white, wedge sole kept distracting me, for all the wrong reasons.
How do they fit after you broke them in? Considering the fact that you ordered them one size larger than your regular boot size (red wings, grant stone, etc.), do you experience any heel slip? Do you have to wear them with thick socks, or are they ok with regular socks, but you prefer the thicker socks because you like tight fit?
Expert Leather A couple of opinions and thoughts: - the "crack" on the boot is not uncommon. Ive seen it on even more expensive shoes and boots. It must be a lasting technique/style. Not an indicator or quality. - Blkbrd presents an excellent value. You cannot beat the quality and customization for the price (i do think that Urban Wolf is also an excellet value as well). Hand lasted, large variety of leathers, and overall finishing that is very presentable. Punches above their weight. - men's fashion: its definitely more casual than it was historically. I think its both good and bad. I personally don't think all boots look good with suits (especially bulbous, Iron Ranger type lasts) but if people like them, then so be it. I still can't be convinced it looks good, but if people like it, then they should wear it. I think i struggle, because in the heritage boot world today there are so many great options for something with a fairly sleek last that i struggle to accept certain pairings 😅. But thats the beauty of clothing and fashion: its personal. Wear what makes you feel good. Thanks for the videos sir. Keep doing what you do. We appreciate it. Happy New Year!
Good point about the more casual men’s fashion. It’s definitely a trend these days. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the future. But the key is what you said “wear what makes you feel good”. Thanks for the comment!
Expert leather. I'd rather wear a cup sole with a leather upper than a hybrid wedge sole 'dress shoe'. There's just something that feels off about those Cole Haan style shoes. Like wearing jeans with a tuxedo jacket. Some of the sneakers-with-a-suit comes from NBA tunnel fits. And pulling those off usually involves being a little flashy (to show off their sneaker sponsor). But they'll also dress down the suit (shorter pants, no tie, unbuttoned jacket, etc.) because they need to go with sneakers. It definitely requires more effort and thought to pull off a sneaker with a suit, all I'm saying is it can be done.
Expert leather. The first time I’ve seen sneakers with suit is around the nba tv personality’s. And it’s has spread. When I first seen it I thought it was cheesy, still do. I get it it’s a sports setting. Let’s look like men and not boy’s. It’s makes a grown man look like an immature kid. Someone that screams look at me I’m so cool and different.
@@demetrioclipper I talked about this recently with my local Allen Edmonds store manager. She said the exact same thing about sports commentators. Usually they are retired players with messed up feet and they gravitate towards sneakers for comfort.
Expert leather 🫡 I am by no means a big dresser, but I’ll say that I’m somewhere in between. I do feel that pull to wanting to see better shoes/quality on people who claim to care about value/quality/style. However, I do think that style has changed so much to where a really great quality pair of ‘dressed up’ tennis shoes could work with a suit. I’d rather see a well made pair of shoes like koio or even low tier like Thursday sneakers than a Cole Haan with a suit. Cole Haan and the like irk me since they are essentially imitation dress shoes selling quality/comfort. I also vehemently dislike the new craze of hey dude shoes even for casual…but that’s just me!
Expert Leather: Don't wear dress sneakers with a suit unless you're a skinny hipster and under 30. That's sizie-ist and age-ist but true.Then you'll deserve the abuse you get (or should get). Regarding footwear for suits, I feel if you've made the effort to wear a suit then ideally you'd want to wear a pair of Oxfords but I don't have any great objections to wearing a Derby shoe or boot with a suit. Some people struggle with the closed lacing and have to wear a Derby anyway. What I do think is that the welt and edging should ideally be quite dark (no Grant Stone natural welt, black CXL) and also have a relatively thin and close cut welt (not a Trickers welt, more crockett & jones), relatively subdued laces (avoid bright colours) and not excessively large eyelets. Then there's the sole. They invented Dainite and other low profile soles for a reason so if the weather is bad please don't wear a commando sole boot. Or if you have to, bring a pair of dressier footwear with you. Basically the boot worn with the suit should look like a relatively refined dress shoe with higher shaft. This applies to business attire and not country wear like heavy textured wool or tweed suits for example where country boots are much more acceptable . BTW, I think this boot is ok with a suit but a bit more shine on them would be better. IMHO the leather looked quite oily and you should have skipped adding renovateur as you're just adding extra oiliness which means the polish was less effective. I really don't think they need conditioning again for a long time. At most, shoe cream to cover up scuffs if necessary and polish for a bit of shine.
@@YouShoe-1985 I would consider giving them a clean with saddle soap to see how much excess oil you can remove. I suspect they will still be relatively oily afterwards so no need to add conditioner. Then I would try polishing them again. Otherwise try a good shoe cream rather than shoe polish. The good shoe creams have some waxes but are a half way house between conditioners at one end and polish at the other end. A good rich shoe cream will add some depth of colour and you should get a nice sheen even if not a shine. Generally, the issue with CXL type leathers is that they do not accept waxes very well and are very difficult to produce a proper shine. It's the nature of the leather. If you want a good shine you really don't want a pull up leather and a traditional calf leather will be ideal. I realise that's not very helpful but I think you are going to have to aim for relatively subdued shine at best.
Some Chukka style boots can be dressy and replace shoes. Sneakers / trainers should not be worn with suits unless you are the boss/owner or an entertainer. I had a pair of Black bird boots made with burgundy pull up leather. It has a lot of loose grain. They are well made though.
Expert boot review consumer. I can see how where barefoot style shoes with a suite is bad taste and tacky on the surface. What possibly is even worse is the times are behind and have left a whole in the market. Many people see these types of dress boots as the culprit and would rather go barefoot than to put their foot into uneducated and silly footwear. They see boots and shoes that squeeze the feet and put them into unnatural and unhealthy positions as the enemy. A person who are conscious in this matter do not have much choice in footwear. Zero rise barefoot style shoes are only available in sporty styles that do not match well with a suite. Who makes zero rise dress barefoot style boots and shoes? There is an opportunity for high end footwear manufacturers to fill a need. Make dress shoes and boots for the foot health-conscious consumers. If it is done well, it could start a new trend. Soon you will see this more and more. Thank you for the reviews.
Expert Leather I don't really mind what anyone else is wearing. Poor choices are apparent (and plentiful) in every aspect of life, including fashion. The only time anyone would see me wearing sneakers with a suit is if my wife decided to bury me that way. But she has better taste than that, hopefully, and is leaning toward cremation anyway. I think trying to be "cool" or appear "laid back" is fine for other people who want to do that -- other people with poor fashion sense or poor taste in general who don't mind broadcasting those facts. But that's them, and it's really not any of my business. Having said these things, I have to admit that my daughter once pointed out I was wearing a brown belt with black shoes, a decidedly poor choice in her view. I raised her well!
Expert leather
Just wanted to say you’re doing great, man. Always glad to see you in my feed and keep it up.
Appreciate that!
Ah! At last! I'm actually watching this, wearing black lousjiet service boots, just to break them in around the house, before I wear them outside. They are very, very nice, and I probably wouldn't buy them if I haven't watched your reviews. I also own three pairs of blkbrd footwear and I am glad to hear your opinion on the brand. Generally, I am very fond of the direction you are taking this channel. Keep on!
These looks great with shine.
Wasn’t fully sure, if pull-up ones can be primed and shined and used for dress alternative as well sometimes when needed 😀
Expert leather
I think sneakers look silly with a suit. It's a weird juxtaposition of formal and super casual in my opinion.
By the way, since you were curious about the better leathers they offer, I can say that the clicking on my horween shell cordovan luchadors is excellent. They even selected the part of the cordovan that has the Horween ink stamp along the inside of the shaft so you see it when you look inside to put them on. A nice little touch. I just received my engineer boots from them a few days ago. Those are in Maryam horsehide. Just excellent quality, fully lined and 360 degree hand welted with Dr Sole split soles. The leather is awesome.
I've been talking to them about creating a tall hybrid of a jodhpur/tanker style boot in a museum cordovan...but hopefully they can do it, as what I'm asking for is basically a new design that's not a regular catalog item. We'll see!
I hope they can make your custom boot! I'd love to see that!
Expert Leather
I was at a conference a couple years ago and I saw numerous people wearing sneakers and those dress shoe-sneaker hybrids with suits. I wore my Allen Edmonds which are nothing fancy but get the job done. The worst offender was wearing those five-toed Vibram shoe abominations.
I love your review style and the topics you choose. Please keep it up! Very useful and entertaining.
Thanks so much. Five toes shoes with a suit is a new low😂
These look great. Since BLKBRD offers customisation, I'm thinking of ordering a pair of Rudigers in this black pullup leather but with the sole swapped out for Dr Soles. I'd go for black chromexcel but I think BLKBRD uses the teacore version of it which I don't really like.
Expert leather: cool video!
@@ryanvest7061 thanks!
Expert leather
I have the dixon boot from BLKBRD, same leather, thinking bout grabbing some black shoe cream and doing the same to mine. Also put an order in with Urban wolf club and checking out their "axeman" model boot.
@@cowcrapper awesome. Let me know how you like the axeman
Expert leather
Hey youshoe happy new year 🎊. I ordered a pair of the luchador Z that comes with the Dr. Sole supergrip. Can't wait for them to come in but, overall where do you put blkbrd in value? Are they better than Urban Wolf Club? UWC to me is the best value but, their learher selection is lacking. Lastly go for the Rudiger in Shell cordovan for their premium boot experience.
@@M1_u I think BLKBRD and UWC are comparable value wise just different overall feel. I just got the luchador z also. Can’t wait for it to come in. I will check out the Rudiger
Expert Leather... and no sneakers with a suit!!! The last time I wore a suit was about 20 years ago, but even I know that sneakers with a suit is an abomination. I wouldn't even wear something with a more formal upper and a thick, soft sole. Happy New Year!
@@EdAb I agree not a fan of that trend
@@YouShoe-1985 6 months ago I was on a university tour with a 60+ year old Congressman, he wore a dark blue suit with "dress sneakers". That white, wedge sole kept distracting me, for all the wrong reasons.
How do they fit after you broke them in? Considering the fact that you ordered them one size larger than your regular boot size (red wings, grant stone, etc.), do you experience any heel slip? Do you have to wear them with thick socks, or are they ok with regular socks, but you prefer the thicker socks because you like tight fit?
Veg tan heel counter? Blackbird said it's leatherboard on a Stridewise video.
Thanks for the the info I’ll have to make an edit
Expert Leather
A couple of opinions and thoughts:
- the "crack" on the boot is not uncommon. Ive seen it on even more expensive shoes and boots. It must be a lasting technique/style. Not an indicator or quality.
- Blkbrd presents an excellent value. You cannot beat the quality and customization for the price (i do think that Urban Wolf is also an excellet value as well). Hand lasted, large variety of leathers, and overall finishing that is very presentable. Punches above their weight.
- men's fashion: its definitely more casual than it was historically. I think its both good and bad. I personally don't think all boots look good with suits (especially bulbous, Iron Ranger type lasts) but if people like them, then so be it. I still can't be convinced it looks good, but if people like it, then they should wear it. I think i struggle, because in the heritage boot world today there are so many great options for something with a fairly sleek last that i struggle to accept certain pairings 😅. But thats the beauty of clothing and fashion: its personal. Wear what makes you feel good.
Thanks for the videos sir. Keep doing what you do. We appreciate it. Happy New Year!
Good point about the more casual men’s fashion. It’s definitely a trend these days. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the future. But the key is what you said “wear what makes you feel good”. Thanks for the comment!
Expert leather. I'd rather wear a cup sole with a leather upper than a hybrid wedge sole 'dress shoe'. There's just something that feels off about those Cole Haan style shoes. Like wearing jeans with a tuxedo jacket.
Some of the sneakers-with-a-suit comes from NBA tunnel fits. And pulling those off usually involves being a little flashy (to show off their sneaker sponsor). But they'll also dress down the suit (shorter pants, no tie, unbuttoned jacket, etc.) because they need to go with sneakers. It definitely requires more effort and thought to pull off a sneaker with a suit, all I'm saying is it can be done.
Great points
whats the sizing method for these boots and what last are these in?
expert leather
This is on their ROYCE-B last and I suggest going true to size.
Expert leather, Obviously the only appropriate footwear that goes with a suit are Crocs and Hey Dudes
@@kevingest5452😂😬 it’s just a matter of time
Expert leather. The first time I’ve seen sneakers with suit is around the nba tv personality’s. And it’s has spread. When I first seen it I thought it was cheesy, still do. I get it it’s a sports setting. Let’s look like men and not boy’s. It’s makes a grown man look like an immature kid. Someone that screams look at me I’m so cool and different.
@@demetrioclipper I talked about this recently with my local Allen Edmonds store manager. She said the exact same thing about sports commentators. Usually they are retired players with messed up feet and they gravitate towards sneakers for comfort.
Expert leather 🫡
I am by no means a big dresser, but I’ll say that I’m somewhere in between. I do feel that pull to wanting to see better shoes/quality on people who claim to care about value/quality/style. However, I do think that style has changed so much to where a really great quality pair of ‘dressed up’ tennis shoes could work with a suit. I’d rather see a well made pair of shoes like koio or even low tier like Thursday sneakers than a Cole Haan with a suit. Cole Haan and the like irk me since they are essentially imitation dress shoes selling quality/comfort. I also vehemently dislike the new craze of hey dude shoes even for casual…but that’s just me!
@@tylerhilgers8196 good point
Expert Leather: Don't wear dress sneakers with a suit unless you're a skinny hipster and under 30. That's sizie-ist and age-ist but true.Then you'll deserve the abuse you get (or should get).
Regarding footwear for suits, I feel if you've made the effort to wear a suit then ideally you'd want to wear a pair of Oxfords but I don't have any great objections to wearing a Derby shoe or boot with a suit. Some people struggle with the closed lacing and have to wear a Derby anyway.
What I do think is that the welt and edging should ideally be quite dark (no Grant Stone natural welt, black CXL) and also have a relatively thin and close cut welt (not a Trickers welt, more crockett & jones), relatively subdued laces (avoid bright colours) and not excessively large eyelets. Then there's the sole. They invented Dainite and other low profile soles for a reason so if the weather is bad please don't wear a commando sole boot. Or if you have to, bring a pair of dressier footwear with you. Basically the boot worn with the suit should look like a relatively refined dress shoe with higher shaft.
This applies to business attire and not country wear like heavy textured wool or tweed suits for example where country boots are much more acceptable .
BTW, I think this boot is ok with a suit but a bit more shine on them would be better. IMHO the leather looked quite oily and you should have skipped adding renovateur as you're just adding extra oiliness which means the polish was less effective. I really don't think they need conditioning again for a long time. At most, shoe cream to cover up scuffs if necessary and polish for a bit of shine.
Thanks for the comment. Any ideas on how to get more of a shine on these?
@@YouShoe-1985 I would consider giving them a clean with saddle soap to see how much excess oil you can remove. I suspect they will still be relatively oily afterwards so no need to add conditioner. Then I would try polishing them again. Otherwise try a good shoe cream rather than shoe polish. The good shoe creams have some waxes but are a half way house between conditioners at one end and polish at the other end. A good rich shoe cream will add some depth of colour and you should get a nice sheen even if not a shine.
Generally, the issue with CXL type leathers is that they do not accept waxes very well and are very difficult to produce a proper shine. It's the nature of the leather. If you want a good shine you really don't want a pull up leather and a traditional calf leather will be ideal. I realise that's not very helpful but I think you are going to have to aim for relatively subdued shine at best.
Some Chukka style boots can be dressy and replace shoes. Sneakers / trainers should not be worn with suits unless you are the boss/owner or an entertainer. I had a pair of Black bird boots made with burgundy pull up leather. It has a lot of loose grain. They are well made though.
Expert boot review consumer. I can see how where barefoot style shoes with a suite is bad taste and tacky on the surface. What possibly is even worse is the times are behind and have left a whole in the market. Many people see these types of dress boots as the culprit and would rather go barefoot than to put their foot into uneducated and silly footwear. They see boots and shoes that squeeze the feet and put them into unnatural and unhealthy positions as the enemy. A person who are conscious in this matter do not have much choice in footwear. Zero rise barefoot style shoes are only available in sporty styles that do not match well with a suite. Who makes zero rise dress barefoot style boots and shoes? There is an opportunity for high end footwear manufacturers to fill a need. Make dress shoes and boots for the foot health-conscious consumers. If it is done well, it could start a new trend. Soon you will see this more and more. Thank you for the reviews.
@@BrianLee445 thank you and good point. Might be a market there that hasn’t been explored
Expert Leather
I don't really mind what anyone else is wearing. Poor choices are apparent (and plentiful) in every aspect of life, including fashion. The only time anyone would see me wearing sneakers with a suit is if my wife decided to bury me that way. But she has better taste than that, hopefully, and is leaning toward cremation anyway. I think trying to be "cool" or appear "laid back" is fine for other people who want to do that -- other people with poor fashion sense or poor taste in general who don't mind broadcasting those facts. But that's them, and it's really not any of my business. Having said these things, I have to admit that my daughter once pointed out I was wearing a brown belt with black shoes, a decidedly poor choice in her view. I raised her well!
@@tony_r_pierce look like you certainly did