Briselblack The Kai Jodhpur

Jodhpurs or engineers? The debate was fierce. I even owned a pair of clinch engineers for a while while trying to decide - sadly they were sized wrong. Ultimately I decided that I wanted Jodhpurs, as they would be easier to sneak into my corporate office undetected. Given how hard it is to find Clinch boots that fit a size US12 foot, I decided to turn to an Indonesian maker I had been following for a long time. Their design was handsome and unique and checked all of the right boxes: flat toe box, Cuban heel, round heel cup, and potential for beautiful rolls. Also, using horsehide as a leather would ensure my boots would be absolute tanks for when I walked my construction site. Lastly, I wanted something that would teacore, so I went with overdyed black leather.

Sizing was tricky as Indonesian makers are notorious for sizing too small. I asked the Stitchdown discord for their experience and they recommended TTS brannock. When I then contacted Briselblack and told them what size boots I wear, they recommended the same so I took the plunge. When they shipped they fit perfectly.

Ordering was simple - just messaging the maker on Instagram. My only regret is that they used a different sole than I asked for - I wanted Dr Sole half soles in black and I received full soles in Jade. This was a minor detail so I did not try to make a return. Lead time was for them to arrive a month before the contest - they were one month late so just in time thankfully. Overall I am happy and would like to order from them again if the need arises.