Best Reviews2025
Best of Patina Project
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Best reviews of 2025
Funky strapless wedged engineer
Nicks StationMaster in Seidel Brown Double ShotBy northsouthdenimguy • April 2, 2025"This was/is my every day work boot on construction sites, at least five days a week 10 to 12 hour days. Up to my ankles in mud, concrete, Georgia Red Clay and tons of gravel...."Read the full review
Day one pains.
Red Wing Roughneck in S.B. Foot Briar Oil SlickBy matthewhansen • January 9, 2025"Work at a car dealership… outside chores, take out the garbage cans, etc...."Read the full review
These have held up even better than expected. The bison leather has been fun to watch patina!
Nicks LTT BuilderPro Shrunken Bison - Classic Configuration in Law Tanning Brown Smooth Shruken BisonBy ImaGoat • April 6, 2025"Used almost exclusively for work in a refinery these past 6 months. They've been all around the plant, in and out of vessels, and handled all the weather here pretty well...."Read the full review
One week review
By Sober_And_Faded • November 16, 2025"I have used them primarily at work in a hospital. I do a lot of walking and needed something waterproof. The Shackleton brown caught my eye as it has a lot of red in it. I love the color. They match everything. I go for a 1.5 mile walk every day at lunch also. There’s a really nice walking path around the hospital. It goes through the woods. I’ve been wearing my boots to go on those trails.
After one week of wear I am addicted to the heel stack height. They make me about 2” taller and it’s hard to wear normal shoes. Lol..."Read the full review
1 Year update
KIND TENDER Moctoe Boots in Italian Veg-Tanned LeatherBy Phil_ejac • November 12, 2025"They are still quite stiff in the sole, toe, & vamp. The crease around the 2nd eyelet is the only area that really softened up so far. It took several months & many slav squats to get that crease to finally form. They still have much less ground feel than my other boots, and can almost feel clumsy sometimes...."Read the full review
Great Boot… Good Looking and Damned Comfortable.
Jim Green Meander – Moc-Toe in Bronco Brown - Oily Pull UpBy sigben59 • November 9, 2025"Everyday wear: hiking, yard work, chilling on the deck, etc..."Read the full review
I was jealous of my wife's 3375s, so I got these.
Red Wing 877 in S.B. Foot Oro LegacyBy Kismetatron • October 31, 2025"Pretty much used as a general purpose boot. They are still newish to though I've had them for a week. Mainly wore them shopping, walking around, or travelling. Today is the first day I've worn them on the office. I plan on putting them through their paces this weekend...."Read the full review
for the first time I joined an open Dome
JanSewn Boots JS-200 in indonesian Tan Pull UpBy januardwijuang • October 13, 2025"I only wear these boots indoors..."Read the full review
My first impression of the Briselblack Engineer Boots Queen Lekha X Briselblack was pure exclusivity
Briselblack Enginner Boots Queen Lekha X Briselblack in Badalassi Carlo overdyedBy juliusagungs • October 7, 2025"I’ve been wearing my Engineer Boots Queen Lekha X Briselblack during various motorcycle rides and photo sessions. They’ve been with me on long-distance journeys, daily rides, and creative shoots — perfectly matching my rider lifestyle. The boots feel sturdy, stylish, and comfortable, even during long hours on the road...."Read the full review
So far so good
Drew's 8-inch Contractor Toe Cap in Brown CycloneBy AndrewsBoots • October 7, 2025"My feet lock comfortably in as I put my boots on and they stay there till I take them off...."Read the full review
Winter Patina Warriors
Nicks Urban Drifter in Wickett & Craig Slate Double StuffedBy Stuville77 • October 4, 2025"Just got them today. Will update as time goes on..."Read the full review
Combat Boots That Will Never See Combat
Enzo Bonafe Military Derby Boot in Horween Black Shell CordovanBy nikolanottesla • August 29, 2025"As I understand it, before his passing, Enzo himself lasted every pair of shell cordovan shoes/boots at the Bonafe workshop in Bologna. These were constructed during that era, and while I really love them, the craftsmanship leaves something to be desired... and it makes me lean toward never buying another pair of Bonafes.
Within three months of receiving them, the welt on the right boot started separating from the upper, and I had to send them back to Italy. The repair was adequate, but it also left minor tearing on the interior lining that hadn't been there before. Nitpicky, maybe - but at this price point it feels pretty reasonable to expect a greater level of attention to detail.
Since then, the same welt-separation issue has slowly started to develop on the other boot. The stockist I ordered through refused to raise it with Bonafe, insisting it wasn't a real problem......"Read the full review
The Elegant Athlete: Bourbon Shell Chukka
Vass Hungary London Chukka Boots in Horween Bourbon Shell CordovanBy Huntsman • August 9, 2025"Chukkas are capable.
Chukkas compete in almost any role without hesitation — pairing with denim on a lazy Sunday or anchoring a tailored suit on a brisk Thursday in the city. They cross seasons with the ease of a practiced traveler, never out of place, never overdone.
Their roots in sport and saddle remain, lending them the quiet confidence to tackle cobblestones, pavement, or the creak of a wooden floor. They’re a boot for workdays that spill into dinners, for travel days that turn into discoveries.
Chukkas are, as such, beautiful — because here, form is function.
Their clean lines and ankle height aren’t style accidents, but the distilled result of purpose: enough coverage for support, enough openness for freedom.
Then comes the material — Horween Bourbon Shell Cordovan...
It is leather in its most storied form: dense yet supple, a mirror-like surface born of months of tanning, hand-oiling, and slow curing. Its color holds depth like a glass of fine whiskey — amber and chestnut tones shifting with the light, developing a patina that tells the story of its wearer’s miles. Shell doesn’t crease so much as ripple, a testament to its tensile strength and longevity.
Vass Hungary manufacturing process is nothing short of obsessive.
Hand-lasted so the upper conforms like sculpture to the last. Hand-stitched welt, its white thread an artisanal contrast against the bourbon leather — each stitch placed by eye and awl, every pass a deliberate act. Beneath, natural antiqued JR double leather soles with closed channel stitching and steel toe taps speak of durability dressed in elegance.
These things are elegant athletes.
Poised, balanced, built to move — yet executed with the grace of a handmade instrument. The bourbon shell chukka doesn’t simply accompany the wearer; it becomes part of their stride, aging into something rarer and more personal with every step.
In a world that mistakes noise for luxury, this boot whispers — and those who know, hear it clearly.
I am fortunate to have these and grateful when I take the pleasure to wear my bourbon chukkas...."Read the full review
Challenge your expectations with the Thursday Challenger. An attainable Urban Logger.
Thursday Challenger in Maryam Natural Horsebutt Overdyed BlackBy ZelieDad • July 9, 2025"I wore these boots nearly everyday since I got them in January 2025. They've been in snow, rain, mud, and ice, and have held up better than I expected. Walks through my neighborhood, hikes in the woods, and general everyday use...."Read the full review
