Viberg Halkett

When I first considered entering this year’s Thunderdome, I wasn’t considering shell. The more interesting colors are rare, it seemed like it would look too dressy for my style, and it’s way too expensive. When Viberg’s email about the Bourbon Shell Halkett came through, I was on the patio having drinks with my wife. She had been interested in the concept of the Thunderdome and had been encouraging me to enter. “These could be some kick-ass Thunderdome boots, but not an option,” I said, showing her my phone. “Gorgeous! You should totally get those.” My eyes narrowed. “You should totally look at the price,” I said. She scrolled, and then laughed. “Holy shit! You weren't kidding,” she said. “They are beautiful though. If you wear them for the Thunder-whatever thing, we could do half family money for them.” This was quite an offer. “Half family money” meant that only half of the purchase would come out of my clothes and shoes budget. She went to go make another drink, and I hastily impulse purchased a pair of shell Vibergs. I was doing the Dome! When they came, I opened them up and they were, in fact, gorgeous. They smelled heavenly. They fit perfectly. Sadly, they went right back into their box while I waited for October. Having never worn shell, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the patination process. I work three days in an office and two from home – not a recipe for the kind of patina that turns heads. Much to my surprise, the boots changed noticeably after less than a month! And I was worried about shell being too dressy? The boots were looking appropriately casual after what seemed like just a handful of days. After a few months they were practically downright rustic. Here we are at the end. I love how my boots look at the end of the process (shell cleans up almost miraculously well), and I’m excited to see how they continue to develop over the coming years. It’s also been a lot of fun seeing everyone else’s pairs patinating over time in the app.