@@willem2099 a lot of the stuff I see advertised repeatedly to me on IG is nonsense masquerading as quality. Lots of fake heritage workwear stuff, cheap mass-produced knives marketed as high-quality Japanese stuff, etc. Basically, it reeks of exactly the same stuff as this: some entrepreneur with no knowledge of the actual product or how to do it right making a start-up direct-to-consumer brand that looks like some respected high-quality item but is really just a cheap knockoff with a big marketing budget behind it.
Straight up dude, initially I had also seen ads for Thursday boots, and was skeptical. Then I heard about the brand from a couple different people online and saw their website looked very professional, ordered a pair of captains and was very surprised. 👌🏼🔥
He's not trashing the marketing. He is trashing the customers. Businesses use bee ess to sell because it works. People are gullible and drink the kool-aid.
@jackfalcon5352 I think what they're insinuating is that he's saying the marketing is bad and lies, but the fact that they are successful means that there are people gullible enough to fall for it, and that's an indictment on the consumer. The company makes the bs advertising because it works. Regardless of how scummy we might find it, they wouldn't do it if it didn't work. If consumers on average were more discerning and waited for independent reviews like this one before making bigger purchases, these ad campaigns wouldn't succeed, therefore they wouldn't exist.
you cant expect everyone to know how a boot is made, i am not going to attack the average consumer for falling for IT scams /marketing just because i am a professional.@@paulharling7657
I interviewed for their Shopify developer position back in May and made it through a couple rounds before they went with someone else. They told me all of their products are made in Mexico and were very proud to tell me they pay their workers "higher than normal for the region" which as a Texan I knew meant "way less than minimum wage in America" lmfao not sure why UA-cam recommended this to me I'm a flip flop guy but good video man and glad to know I dodged a bullet
Yeah that's the thing about these "feel good" stories about outright colonialists who say that "well we pay better than the average in this poor country". Paying a nickle over "the average wage" is how these places operate their grifts. Much like the "fair trade coffee" BS and other things that make rich left coasters feel good about exploiting near slave labor.
@@gund89123 what do you mean “better”? Most shoes are mass produced using machines, so any location will use pretty much the same equipment and techniques. It only really matters if it’s an item from a region that has a tradition of crafting that type of item (Irish wool sweaters or Lithuanian linen come to mind) Not sure which region of Mexico they source their labor from but if it is near texas as op implied it could very well be a region that is entrenched in the craft of leather working.
Just imagine build a product for around 5 dollars, setting retail at $100 and then giving an 80% discount on said product. They'd still be making a $15 dollar profit.
I’m already subscribed. I appreciate the fact that you did not waste time with telling the whole story in one sentence. Letting people decide if they want to hear the details. Most reviewers leave a open ended statement. Thinking a viewer does not know how to skip forward. I will share this video!!! Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you so much for your honest opinions. It is astounding how the marketplace is becoming filled with so many snake oil products. Keep up the great work!
I'm so glad you did this. I have a different Patina boot that this. I gave them a very honest 3 star review. They never posted it. Now I know why all their reviews are only 4 or 5 stars.
When you buy quality you (usually) only cry once. I wore my Whites firefighting wildland boots for 25 years. I just retired and I still wear them. Brushed them, oiled them and sent them back to Whites to have them resoled and never had an issue. They cost about $300 USD back then and about $560 USD today. Having a comfortable boot that lasts along time is worth the money. Great channel and thanks for these honest reviews.
Can't say much about wearables, but have purchased several of their bags for my wife and daughter. They've been very good quality. Thank you for your review.
I work for one of the brands you always mention and when customers come into my store asking "Are these advertisement boots any good?" I just show them your videos. It's about educating the consumer but unfortunately some companies prey on the uneducated. You're doing great work!!
Ok, here's my shameless plug: I've been buying/wearing ecco's by Track for 26 yrs. Very well made, in Slovakia, leather shoes and boots. $180-$280. I replace the shoes every 2-3 years and the boots 4-5yrs. I know, I sound like an advertiser. I just really like them.
I think Thursday has found the sweet spot in terms of the minimum price you can charge for decent quality materials and construction. And in my experience they’ve been nothing but upfront and transparent with their customers.
if you want to know a terrible boot, go for the sketchers work boot, steel toe. the heels of the leather brakes apart leaving plaster to scape on your ankel, the stitches seperate at the toe and on the sides from the boot to the soul of the boot leaving 100% water into the boot. they last about a year with daily use for $60 at burlington. Im now trying out the Timberland Pro. composite boot
Great series. I love me some boots and shoes and there's nothing worse than getting scammed on what you think is a pair of boots that you think are going to last forever. Well done.
The thing that was the most enlightening to me about this video and the comment section is that there are people out there who actually watch ads. Astonishing.
just remember, real brands that sell real high quality stuff don't need to spam everyone with ads, they already have the cache to make the brand speak by itself
I have multiple bags and wallets from Portland leather and they are of good quality, especially for the price. The reviews on their website about their Patina line were bad, so I never intended to buy any of those... and glad I didn't! Thanks for the video!
Where "Branding" gets out of hand. When the ratio of Hype goes beyond the reasonable Value of the Product is a big clue to what the real story and real products are.
Was literally holding off on these until I heard Weston’s take on these and boy am I glad I didn’t pull the trigger on any purchases 😂 Thanks again Weston!
It'd be neat to see a review of Thursday Boot Company. I have the impression they are good quality boots having recently bought a pair, but am not a leather expert and would love to see a detailed review like this to see how well they hold up :)
I was about to say maybe they're at least worth it for the price, and maybe they are--but also... Thursday boots are $200. That's a small step up in price for a huge step up in quality.
First redflag is when people write their own bio's describing themselves as self-made $100 million a year entrepreneur AND serial entrepreneur AND digital marketing expert, (great at lying in other words) AND a riveting story teller. OMG there are not doors big enough.
Back in the 1880's Boots could cost 100.00.. which is probably about 1500.00 today.. but they were made to last a lifetime. They were also repairable. Rule is that good quality made products USUALLY cost much more than Portland leather. and for a good reason.
It's pretty rich having a big startup marketer talk down on people who do honest work. Nicks, Whites, Wescoe, Franks, Redwing, those guys are SCREWING YOU! This is my first time making boots and I have already got it figured out. Trust me, I have a patagonia vest to prove it.
Great video - thanks. I never buy anything that is exclusively advertised on social media because it’s ALWAYS a scam! They always use the ‘cut out the middleman’ justification too - it’s 5he same with cheap ‘luxury’ watches. All these digital marketing guru’s are just con artists.
P.T. Barnum's maxim. There are more than a dozen longstanding bootmakers who build excellent boots and charge fair prices for the goods and which are good enough to re-sole because their boots wear in rather than wear out.
My wife has a couple Portland Leather bags and they seem legit. But she ordered a watch strap through their site and it turned out to be Patina, and it is NOT good. Maybe its worth the price they list with the 8 million discounts they always have on, but its certainly not worth the "original" price they list. I was expecting sort of a slab of their regular leather, but its thin, and cheap, and made in China.
shoes and boots with non runner soles are often imported as " slippers" because of the lack of rubber sole. Less tariffs, but also generally means crap shoe/boot
Sounds like how that guy from the Nikola company described himself. And his product was equally just a marketing attempt to rip-off people who wanted the real thing.
I love your videos when you actually inform us of a interesting brand not just more crap from China. It would be great if you showed off what the insides are like in Canada West boots. Made in Canada but cheaper than Red wings
im real stingy with likes. i mean if you give them away all the time what are they really worth? but i hit you with one, without the likes of you we would be fleeced and conned day in day out. like the press, you independent reviewers keep retailers honest. THANK YOU.
"No for 128" So like my Merrell Moabs without a third party insole, which are super comfortable and hold up to about 2-3 years of daily wear with about 10 miles a day of wear. Oh and we're going to compare them to $500 boots... like Nicks or Whites or Asolos... No
I live in rural Colorado mountains and $25 lugz moc toe type and their raised heel boots at my local chepo sportsmans store have out lasted any my expensive boots and junk I come across . Most my boot don't last a year as I wear for work not style. I'd rather spend $25 than $100-400 and last same amount and need repairing= more money
My mother in law ask what I could use for Xmas. My wife said work pants and I received two pair Duck Head work pants. One lasted two weeks at my job service plumbing and I started using the other for causal wear.
"Full grain leather" means that the entire top thickness of the leather from epidermis to the suede connective tissue is intact. The fact they sanded off the epidermis but still called it full grain should have been the tipoff they were either completely ignorant of the term or lying.
I bought a pair of their boots with very low expectations, and was still really disappointed. I always steer people looking for budget boots to Thursday, especially after your videos and wearing them to work pretty much every day for 2.5 years now. Twice the money 10x the quality. not that Thursdays are perfect, these are just that terrible. I hate companies that are clearly educated on how to make great products and talk the talk, but choose to make junk. They know the features of a nice boot, they just fake them.
Are the soles on boots nailed on or glued? Sewed? I have a pair of leather boots $200 range where the sole (heel) fell loose from the boot. And I dont see how it was ever fastened. There are no nails and I dont see any glue either. Boots are like brand new and the heel is flopping around.
Well the meat of this video is basically saying that I can buy 4 -5 pair of these Portland boots in different styles for the same price as a single pair of higher quality. When I hit the shoe store and walk away with a $80 pair of Nikes or Adidas that disintegrate within a few months,it’s actually encouraging to see a boot priced just a bit higher with “good enough” quality.
$100 boot should have a $100 quality right? Seems fine to me. The almost perfect is a fantastic buy. What's a scam (if you want to call it a scam) is Thursday Boots. Cheap products with heavy marketing
That's so disappointing. I bought a simple leather bag from the company, nice looking, seemingly well made. I have been disappounted buying shoes on line because they never seem to fit right. To learn that these are scams is so disappointing.
I stick with my Red Wings. They are expensive and stand the test of time. Just wear my 12 year old Beckmanns, they are as good as new. Better, because they adapted to my feet. Cost me 300 € a pair and worth it. Good video!
Curtis fired me back in 2021 after I made roughly 100 videos for him/Portland Leather. I was paid under market value for these cinematic videos. Dude came into work hungover and high on coke every single day. His creative director at the time thought he was insufferable and quit about a week after I was fired. Learned so much about how not to run a business. Hi Curits :)
You know something funny? The best shoes I ever wore were surprisingly a rockport brand, and also the worst shoes I ever wore were unsurprisingly a rockport. The success of Portland Leather is clearly due to an unfulfilled demand for durable footwear on a budget.
This was my favorite! Because I’m from portland I’m more than familiar with this tool. He’s your typical hipster portlander makin money of off a junk product. It’s all about image in PDX. No different than VooDoo donuts. Sheep love to follow the hype and he got their number.
My first pair of redwings (mid 1980's) were the worst shoes I have ever has to wear. my second pair (took me 30 years to forget) was off of a truck and fell apart in 6 months simply put Walmart shoes lasted the same amount of time. Trust is something no company will ever get from me again.
Because ultimately you end up paying for advertising and not the quality of the product. I was immediately suspicious of this brand when I was looking for boots, and I know a decent amount about apparel and construction and I could see some red flags right away. They do look decent though. I ended up buying a pair of hari mari on clearance for $100 and they are great. Full leather, no need for a lining. Excellent construction. To be fair the full price was 190 bucks or something, but even at that price they were pretty good deal.
I bought Portland Leather boots DAYS before this video came out. I wish I had known! I’m at least comforted in knowing that I didn’t overpay, but I’m disappointed that I spent money on a dishonest company. Thank you for making these videos!
If you haven't gotten them yet, just reject the shipment and have them returned and get your money back. Then look into a pair of Thursdays for not a lot more money and more than twice the quality.
I know you like the boots but I would try to return them and take recs from channels like these to invest in a better made pair of boots. When I was in HS, I bought top of the line motorcycle mid-calf boots that I wore and my mother also wore. She would take them every few years to the shoe cobbler to change the soles. When she passed away, I inherited the boots back and I am wearing them today. She taught me to look for expert craftsmanship in classic styles that you can wear for a lifetime. You can take the $100-150 spent here and buy a higher but better made boot from a reputable company than spending that same amount every couple of years and end up spending more over time. Cost per wear, a very overused concept, but very true in terms of buying more expensive but better made items that will pay for themselves over time. Best.
I've been wearing Portland Leather boots for less than a year and the stitching is falling apart, of all things. My previous boots lasted over five years so this is pretty disappointing.
Great work! Full grain leather is the full hide of the animal and is usually very thick and therefore expensive... and it ages well with a lovely patina (horse saddle for instance). It is a shame that these companies lie about their products and make genuine companies look like they are over charging people. I have $300 full grain boots that are over 15 years old and totally worth it. Thank you for the good work that you do.
I was passed down a genuine leather jacket from my friends mother. The jacket is older than me by about a decade and it’s still looking fantastic. It could use a bit of repair I haven’t gotten around to, but it’s just the lining coming undone and fraying, but the leather itself has absolutely no issues.
Hey - Something I can comment on... I interviewed for a position @ Portland Leather earlier in the year. I knew something was up during the second interview when I met Curtis himself because he crashed the interview!! He was incredibly crude, unprofessional, and cocky. He said "We want to get rid of the employees that fucking suck" and it felt super off-putting to hear that in a job interview. He would ask me about my interests and then immediately challenge me on everything I brought up, trying to one-up me at every point. I like basketball? Well he sits courtside all the time. I enjoy live music? He was backstage last week. That kind of BS. When I was shown the Patina line of products, I asked a few basic questions about construction and he became visibly frustrated, took them out of my hands, and left the interview. Funnily enough, I got offered the position by HR, but turned it down because the CEO was so unbelievably unpleasant. Wasn't the kind of guy you want to work for.
Was that here in Portland? Yikes. The guy sounds like a piece of work. Wise move to not take position. I've met the owners of deek & Brian's outdoor adventures and they are pretty cool dudes.
I had a feeling something was off about Curtis. I watched a few podcasts with him as the guest and he seemed to make outlandish claims and to me he seemed disingenuous. I kept wondering if anyone else saw what I saw, because the hosts of these podcasts just glossed over all of it. Anyway, thanks for sharing, it validates how I felt.
I bought a beautiful leather handbag from Portland Leather about five years ago and still love it and get compliments on it all the time. It's sad to see they're not putting the same quality into their boots.
Same! I was surprised to see the company associated with scams because I REALLY like my purse. I've been using it for 2 years and it still looks great. I'll stick to leather Doc Martins for boots.
I came to the comments to see about their purses and totes. I’m glad to see positive reviews. I am being flooded with their advertising and have considered purchasing one.
I bought one of their totes and had terrible color transfer issues onto my clothes. When I asked them what to do about it, they were completely unhelpful. They just expect us to ruin our clothes to break in a bag.
Buy some cool leather goods from the Rose Anvil shop right here - bit.ly/44jXLNu
can you review any cole haan boots pleeeease?
Do dr marten steel toe work boots
can you do Tod's sneakers? and Paraboot?
Can you review duradero boots
Do a review of L.L. Bean's "Bucksport" boots.
Brands like this are the reason why basically any product advertised to me via Instagram is probably cheap, fake bullshit.
Same with Facebook ads it seems
That makes no sense. Could you explain that?
@@willem2099 a lot of the stuff I see advertised repeatedly to me on IG is nonsense masquerading as quality. Lots of fake heritage workwear stuff, cheap mass-produced knives marketed as high-quality Japanese stuff, etc.
Basically, it reeks of exactly the same stuff as this: some entrepreneur with no knowledge of the actual product or how to do it right making a start-up direct-to-consumer brand that looks like some respected high-quality item but is really just a cheap knockoff with a big marketing budget behind it.
Idk, my Thursday's are actually a great value and they advertised pretty heavy on those platforms.
Straight up dude, initially I had also seen ads for Thursday boots, and was skeptical. Then I heard about the brand from a couple different people online and saw their website looked very professional, ordered a pair of captains and was very surprised. 👌🏼🔥
On their behalf, they did immediately refund my money when I returned a purse that I felt did not live up to the advertising. No questions asked.
They know many people don’t want to be bothered. That’s how they make the money.
That's not a high bar, I can get my money back for a box of pencils at Walmart.
Marketers getting trashed is why I love this channel.
He's not trashing the marketing. He is trashing the customers. Businesses use bee ess to sell because it works. People are gullible and drink the kool-aid.
@@paulharling7657 huh? he directly trashed the company’s marketing multiple times, he didn’t once criticize the customers.
@@jackfalcon5352 advertising, not marketing.
@jackfalcon5352 I think what they're insinuating is that he's saying the marketing is bad and lies, but the fact that they are successful means that there are people gullible enough to fall for it, and that's an indictment on the consumer.
The company makes the bs advertising because it works. Regardless of how scummy we might find it, they wouldn't do it if it didn't work. If consumers on average were more discerning and waited for independent reviews like this one before making bigger purchases, these ad campaigns wouldn't succeed, therefore they wouldn't exist.
you cant expect everyone to know how a boot is made, i am not going to attack the average consumer for falling for IT scams /marketing just because i am a professional.@@paulharling7657
I interviewed for their Shopify developer position back in May and made it through a couple rounds before they went with someone else. They told me all of their products are made in Mexico and were very proud to tell me they pay their workers "higher than normal for the region" which as a Texan I knew meant "way less than minimum wage in America" lmfao not sure why UA-cam recommended this to me I'm a flip flop guy but good video man and glad to know I dodged a bullet
You absolutely dodged a bullet. Absolute trash company.
Yeah that's the thing about these "feel good" stories about outright colonialists who say that "well we pay better than the average in this poor country". Paying a nickle over "the average wage" is how these places operate their grifts. Much like the "fair trade coffee" BS and other things that make rich left coasters feel good about exploiting near slave labor.
Hmm... Did you wear flip-flops to the interview?
Made in Mexico is better than made in china for sure. I would give them some credit.
@@gund89123 what do you mean “better”? Most shoes are mass produced using machines, so any location will use pretty much the same equipment and techniques. It only really matters if it’s an item from a region that has a tradition of crafting that type of item (Irish wool sweaters or Lithuanian linen come to mind)
Not sure which region of Mexico they source their labor from but if it is near texas as op implied it could very well be a region that is entrenched in the craft of leather working.
In other words their "discounted" $98 boot is in fact a full price $98 shoe.
It is in fact a $35 dollar boots.
Just imagine build a product for around 5 dollars, setting retail at $100 and then giving an 80% discount on said product. They'd still be making a $15 dollar profit.
@leighfoulkes7297 thats how GM sells cars 😂
@@johnwolf1113all companies not just gm
Yeah, theyre leather sneakers pretty much
I’m already subscribed. I appreciate the fact that you did not waste time with telling the whole story in one sentence. Letting people decide if they want to hear the details. Most reviewers leave a open ended statement. Thinking a viewer does not know how to skip forward. I will share this video!!! Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you so much for your honest opinions. It is astounding how the marketplace is becoming filled with so many snake oil products. Keep up the great work!
Robert Mitchell, I couldn't agree more.
@@zekeyeager1458 In conclusion, nothing is wrong with capitalism except for the things that are wrong with capitalism.
@@zekeyeager1458 😆 Hahaha!
Wow , this thread went stupid real quick.
@@user-otzlixr You’re overthinking it.
I'm so glad you did this. I have a different Patina boot that this. I gave them a very honest 3 star review. They never posted it. Now I know why all their reviews are only 4 or 5 stars.
Wow!
It’s also quite common for companies to pay people to leave fictitious 4-5 star reviews on products. That practice is rampant on Amazon.
When you buy quality you (usually) only cry once. I wore my Whites firefighting wildland boots for 25 years. I just retired and I still wear them. Brushed them, oiled them and sent them back to Whites to have them resoled and never had an issue. They cost about $300 USD back then and about $560 USD today. Having a comfortable boot that lasts along time is worth the money. Great channel and thanks for these honest reviews.
Sir, I appreciate every single one of these videos you do. You have taught me so much about boots and boot construction. Thank you.
never had an issue with my second hand army boots i get from army surplus stores. comfortable, strong, last practically forever and cost a pittance
Can't say much about wearables, but have purchased several of their bags for my wife and daughter. They've been very good quality. Thank you for your review.
Pretty scummy company. Thanks for making this video!
Fitting for Portland Oregon
Yeah, because companies like Langlitz and Wesco are shit? Get real.@@guaporeturns9472
I work for one of the brands you always mention and when customers come into my store asking "Are these advertisement boots any good?"
I just show them your videos. It's about educating the consumer but unfortunately some companies prey on the uneducated. You're doing great work!!
Ok, here's my shameless plug: I've been buying/wearing ecco's by Track for 26 yrs. Very well made, in Slovakia, leather shoes and boots. $180-$280. I replace the shoes every 2-3 years and the boots 4-5yrs. I know, I sound like an advertiser. I just really like them.
Most boots you test appear to be junk...it would be good to see more videos about the good products.
I think Thursday has found the sweet spot in terms of the minimum price you can charge for decent quality materials and construction. And in my experience they’ve been nothing but upfront and transparent with their customers.
I love Thursday!!
Unfortunately doesn't exist in Europe
I love my Thursday Captains. They are extremely comfortable.
Thanks, never heard of them but I’ll check it out
I love Thursday boot
I wore G.I. Combat Boots in both full black leather & Olive Green Jungle Boots.
if you want to know a terrible boot, go for the sketchers work boot, steel toe. the heels of the leather brakes apart leaving plaster to scape on your ankel, the stitches seperate at the toe and on the sides from the boot to the soul of the boot leaving 100% water into the boot. they last about a year with daily use for $60 at burlington. Im now trying out the Timberland Pro. composite boot
Thank you, Weston. This needs to be done. Too many brands scam us and it’s becoming a norm. It’s so wrong.
You mean like Timberland?
Great series. I love me some boots and shoes and there's nothing worse than getting scammed on what you think is a pair of boots that you think are going to last forever. Well done.
You noitce how a lot of these companies claim they are cheaper because they cut out the middle man, when in reality they just cut out the quality.
Great report. It's always nice to be reminded just how dishonest most of the advertising that's found on social media is. Thanks!
Doc Martens are light, comfy, relaxed and real. Little more expensive, but real beats cheap.
Here is how good your videos are - I don't really care about boots or leather. But these videos are captivating on so many levels. Keep going!
The thing that was the most enlightening to me about this video and the comment section is that there are people out there who actually watch ads. Astonishing.
just remember, real brands that sell real high quality stuff don't need to spam everyone with ads, they already have the cache to make the brand speak by itself
And which are these brands?
Cheers for exposing these shady business.
I have multiple bags and wallets from Portland leather and they are of good quality, especially for the price. The reviews on their website about their Patina line were bad, so I never intended to buy any of those... and glad I didn't! Thanks for the video!
Yea I wouldn’t buy shoes from them but I have a wallet and small purse, it’s nice thick pebbled leather and v durable
Yeah, I'm beyond thrilled with my bags and wallets. Shrug. I guess maybe we were lucky? 🤷♀️
I own 3 purses and 3 wallets from them and love them! They are holding up great and I always receive compliments.
I have a couple of smaller items from them (wallet, key chain , purse) have no complaints about the quality of those items. They have held up well.
I just saw on line (multiple sizes available) at wallmart for $39.99 . Black and brown. Cheap price
Where "Branding" gets out of hand. When the ratio of Hype goes beyond the reasonable Value of the Product is a big clue to what the real story and real products are.
Was literally holding off on these until I heard Weston’s take on these and boy am I glad I didn’t pull the trigger on any purchases 😂 Thanks again Weston!
Thursday boots I would recommend,, they have a good selection and are very comfortable. and the quality is good
It'd be neat to see a review of Thursday Boot Company. I have the impression they are good quality boots having recently bought a pair, but am not a leather expert and would love to see a detailed review like this to see how well they hold up :)
I was about to say maybe they're at least worth it for the price, and maybe they are--but also... Thursday boots are $200. That's a small step up in price for a huge step up in quality.
Thank you for service and your knowledge sharing to the community.
First redflag is when people write their own bio's describing themselves as self-made $100 million a year entrepreneur AND serial entrepreneur AND digital marketing expert, (great at lying in other words) AND a riveting story teller. OMG there are not doors big enough.
We need more Maury in these videos!
I dropped the bag on my Nicks. Expensive, but I'll die in these boots.
Please do a goretex series going over the material in sneakers and boots
I've never seen one of their ads. Although I haven't seen an ad for anything in at least two years.
Back in the 1880's Boots could cost 100.00.. which is probably about 1500.00 today.. but they were made to last a lifetime. They were also repairable. Rule is that good quality made products USUALLY cost much more than Portland leather. and for a good reason.
It's pretty rich having a big startup marketer talk down on people who do honest work. Nicks, Whites, Wescoe, Franks, Redwing, those guys are SCREWING YOU! This is my first time making boots and I have already got it figured out. Trust me, I have a patagonia vest to prove it.
Great video - thanks. I never buy anything that is exclusively advertised on social media because it’s ALWAYS a scam! They always use the ‘cut out the middleman’ justification too - it’s 5he same with cheap ‘luxury’ watches. All these digital marketing guru’s are just con artists.
P.T. Barnum's maxim. There are more than a dozen longstanding bootmakers who build excellent boots and charge fair prices for the goods and which are good enough to re-sole because their boots wear in rather than wear out.
My wife has a couple Portland Leather bags and they seem legit. But she ordered a watch strap through their site and it turned out to be Patina, and it is NOT good. Maybe its worth the price they list with the 8 million discounts they always have on, but its certainly not worth the "original" price they list. I was expecting sort of a slab of their regular leather, but its thin, and cheap, and made in China.
They're still just lying by saying it's discounted when it ultimately is just the actual price (and probably still higher than what it should be).
Would like to see you review the Keen Cincinnati, been wearing them for a few years I like them . Would be cool to see you cut them in half!
shoes and boots with non runner soles are often imported as " slippers" because of the lack of rubber sole. Less tariffs, but also generally means crap shoe/boot
When someone describes themselves as a "Serial Entrepreneur," you know to take them as least serious as absolute possible.
Sounds like how that guy from the Nikola company described himself. And his product was equally just a marketing attempt to rip-off people who wanted the real thing.
I have actually never seen their ads. I am getting bombarded by Brunt work boots ads that make some pretty tall claims.
Honesty is the best policy. Thanks.
As a Portland resident, they had it coming
This is sad. I got one of their bags early on when they were new and loved it. Sad they went this direction
I honestly never heard of them but then again I only recognize Nicks as a west coast boot maker
I love your videos when you actually inform us of a interesting brand not just more crap from China. It would be great if you showed off what the insides are like in Canada West boots. Made in Canada but cheaper than Red wings
Red Wings get my vote. Multiple pairs over several decades on the railroad.
im real stingy with likes. i mean if you give them away all the time what are they really worth? but i hit you with one, without the likes of you we would be fleeced and conned day in day out. like the press, you independent reviewers keep retailers honest. THANK YOU.
"No for 128"
So like my Merrell Moabs without a third party insole, which are super comfortable and hold up to about 2-3 years of daily wear with about 10 miles a day of wear.
Oh and we're going to compare them to $500 boots... like Nicks or Whites or Asolos... No
Strange. I’ve never seen any ads for Portland Leather goods.
I live in rural Colorado mountains and $25 lugz moc toe type and their raised heel boots at my local chepo sportsmans store have out lasted any my expensive boots and junk I come across . Most my boot don't last a year as I wear for work not style. I'd rather spend $25 than $100-400 and last same amount and need repairing= more money
Imagine if all the money they spent on advertising went towards making a higher quality boot
You'll never convince me that Curtis Matsco guy isn't just Taika Waititi doing a side hustle.
REMEMBER-
Is nothing personal. Its busin$$.
!
My heart dropped at the title thinking you were going to slam Danner's 😅
It's odd that I got an ad for these boots during your critique of these boots.
Well, i didn't get to try their shoes because they no longer sell them, but i can tell you, the bags are really good.
My mother in law ask what I could use for Xmas. My wife said work pants and I received two pair Duck Head work pants.
One lasted two weeks at my job service plumbing and I started using the other for causal wear.
I am not a boot man, but I found this very educational!!
"Full grain leather" means that the entire top thickness of the leather from epidermis to the suede connective tissue is intact. The fact they sanded off the epidermis but still called it full grain should have been the tipoff they were either completely ignorant of the term or lying.
Anything that is advertised on social media ads i immediately assume is garbage and refuse to give my money to
I bought a pair of their boots with very low expectations, and was still really disappointed. I always steer people looking for budget boots to Thursday, especially after your videos and wearing them to work pretty much every day for 2.5 years now. Twice the money 10x the quality. not that Thursdays are perfect, these are just that terrible.
I hate companies that are clearly educated on how to make great products and talk the talk, but choose to make junk. They know the features of a nice boot, they just fake them.
FYI the best boots on the market usually come with a lifetime guarantee, that's quality. 💯
Are the soles on boots nailed on or glued? Sewed? I have a pair of leather boots $200 range where the sole (heel) fell loose from the boot. And I dont see how it was ever fastened. There are no nails and I dont see any glue either.
Boots are like brand new and the heel is flopping around.
Well the meat of this video is basically saying that I can buy 4 -5 pair of these Portland boots in different styles for the same price as a single pair of higher quality. When I hit the shoe store and walk away with a $80 pair of Nikes or Adidas that disintegrate within a few months,it’s actually encouraging to see a boot priced just a bit higher with “good enough” quality.
I only buy echo boots. They are comfortable and they last. Worth every penny!
if it's advertising on social media. Junk, this is the new "as seen on tv" marketing
$100 boot should have a $100 quality right?
Seems fine to me.
The almost perfect is a fantastic buy.
What's a scam (if you want to call it a scam) is Thursday Boots. Cheap products with heavy marketing
Can you cut apart the Wolverine I-90 durashock, please? Thank you!
"I'm a digital marketing expert"
Oh. You're one of _those_ people.
Full on deceptive-Ginsu 2 boots!
That's so disappointing. I bought a simple leather bag from the company, nice looking, seemingly well made. I have been disappounted buying shoes on line because they never seem to fit right. To learn that these are scams is so disappointing.
I stick with my Red Wings. They are expensive and stand the test of time. Just wear my 12 year old Beckmanns, they are as good as new. Better, because they adapted to my feet. Cost me 300 € a pair and worth it. Good video!
There should be some sort of repercussions for companies that engage in deceiving advertising.
Curtis fired me back in 2021 after I made roughly 100 videos for him/Portland Leather. I was paid under market value for these cinematic videos. Dude came into work hungover and high on coke every single day. His creative director at the time thought he was insufferable and quit about a week after I was fired. Learned so much about how not to run a business. Hi Curits :)
So they’re pretty much a high top sneaker that looks like a boot?
They would not sucker me. I have a problem buying anything from Portland Seattle San Francisco LA and so on.
These boots hurt the hell out of my feet!!!
You know something funny? The best shoes I ever wore were surprisingly a rockport brand, and also the worst shoes I ever wore were unsurprisingly a rockport. The success of Portland Leather is clearly due to an unfulfilled demand for durable footwear on a budget.
I saw a pair at Good Will, on the 5 dollar shoe shelf. Looked brand new, probably rarely used. I passed on them. I don't like how they look.
The funniest thing about this is someone still thought "Portland" as a concept was marketable.
Shocker another company/corporation lied about their product
This was my favorite! Because I’m from portland I’m more than familiar with this tool. He’s your typical hipster portlander makin money of off a junk product. It’s all about image in PDX. No different than VooDoo donuts. Sheep love to follow the hype and he got their number.
My first pair of redwings (mid 1980's) were the worst shoes I have ever has to wear. my second pair (took me 30 years to forget) was off of a truck and fell apart in 6 months simply put Walmart shoes lasted the same amount of time. Trust is something no company will ever get from me again.
Came for carnage and was not disappointed 😂 So glad you're trashing the scammers.
Hahaha
Same :D
I'm inundated with their ads on Facebook. I'm wondering if I can get away with posting this body on their ads.
A bloodbath! Lol
Same 😂😂
Simple rule - if it's advertised to you a lot, count it against the product/brand
Never thought about it that way, but you have a point.
Because ultimately you end up paying for advertising and not the quality of the product. I was immediately suspicious of this brand when I was looking for boots, and I know a decent amount about apparel and construction and I could see some red flags right away. They do look decent though. I ended up buying a pair of hari mari on clearance for $100 and they are great. Full leather, no need for a lining. Excellent construction. To be fair the full price was 190 bucks or something, but even at that price they were pretty good deal.
Not always true. Big brands advertise alot
They claim to cut out all the cost of the middlemen by going DTC, then spend all that money on social media marketing 😖
Facts
I bought Portland Leather boots DAYS before this video came out. I wish I had known! I’m at least comforted in knowing that I didn’t overpay, but I’m disappointed that I spent money on a dishonest company. Thank you for making these videos!
If you haven't gotten them yet, just reject the shipment and have them returned and get your money back. Then look into a pair of Thursdays for not a lot more money and more than twice the quality.
I know you like the boots but I would try to return them and take recs from channels like these to invest in a better made pair of boots.
When I was in HS, I bought top of the line motorcycle mid-calf boots that I wore and my mother also wore. She would take them every few years to the shoe cobbler to change the soles. When she passed away, I inherited the boots back and I am wearing them today.
She taught me to look for expert craftsmanship in classic styles that you can wear for a lifetime. You can take the $100-150 spent here and buy a higher but better made boot from a reputable company than spending that same amount every couple of years and end up spending more over time.
Cost per wear, a very overused concept, but very true in terms of buying more expensive but better made items that will pay for themselves over time. Best.
Even if you recieved them, you can return if you want to. Usually, there is a 30 day return period. However, every store/brand is different.
Return them. Show them this and say they weren't honest.
I've been wearing Portland Leather boots for less than a year and the stitching is falling apart, of all things. My previous boots lasted over five years so this is pretty disappointing.
Great work! Full grain leather is the full hide of the animal and is usually very thick and therefore expensive... and it ages well with a lovely patina (horse saddle for instance). It is a shame that these companies lie about their products and make genuine companies look like they are over charging people. I have $300 full grain boots that are over 15 years old and totally worth it. Thank you for the good work that you do.
I was passed down a genuine leather jacket from my friends mother. The jacket is older than me by about a decade and it’s still looking fantastic. It could use a bit of repair I haven’t gotten around to, but it’s just the lining coming undone and fraying, but the leather itself has absolutely no issues.
Are they still comfortable?
More importantly imo if you kick something sharp full grain will stop it from slicing your feet and ankles open.
Hey - Something I can comment on... I interviewed for a position @ Portland Leather earlier in the year. I knew something was up during the second interview when I met Curtis himself because he crashed the interview!! He was incredibly crude, unprofessional, and cocky. He said "We want to get rid of the employees that fucking suck" and it felt super off-putting to hear that in a job interview. He would ask me about my interests and then immediately challenge me on everything I brought up, trying to one-up me at every point. I like basketball? Well he sits courtside all the time. I enjoy live music? He was backstage last week. That kind of BS.
When I was shown the Patina line of products, I asked a few basic questions about construction and he became visibly frustrated, took them out of my hands, and left the interview. Funnily enough, I got offered the position by HR, but turned it down because the CEO was so unbelievably unpleasant. Wasn't the kind of guy you want to work for.
Smart move! The interview goes both ways. Just like dating!
Dude's a clown, en evil clown like most of the rest of "Rich America".
Was that here in Portland? Yikes. The guy sounds like a piece of work. Wise move to not take position. I've met the owners of deek & Brian's outdoor adventures and they are pretty cool dudes.
Yikes
I had a feeling something was off about Curtis. I watched a few podcasts with him as the guest and he seemed to make outlandish claims and to me he seemed disingenuous. I kept wondering if anyone else saw what I saw, because the hosts of these podcasts just glossed over all of it. Anyway, thanks for sharing, it validates how I felt.
I bought a beautiful leather handbag from Portland Leather about five years ago and still love it and get compliments on it all the time. It's sad to see they're not putting the same quality into their boots.
Yeah. Tanner Leatherstein has positively reviewed their handbags.
Same! I was surprised to see the company associated with scams because I REALLY like my purse. I've been using it for 2 years and it still looks great. I'll stick to leather Doc Martins for boots.
@@jennamars80 Doc Martins aren't really a reputable brand anymore either. Super uncomfortable and newer models have super cheap soles.
I came to the comments to see about their purses and totes. I’m glad to see positive reviews. I am being flooded with their advertising and have considered purchasing one.
I bought one of their totes and had terrible color transfer issues onto my clothes. When I asked them what to do about it, they were completely unhelpful. They just expect us to ruin our clothes to break in a bag.