These Pullmans have been in every environment I could put them in. From daily wear in the hospital to walking the streets of NYC to snowy solo hikes throughout the winter they’ve stood up to it all. I started medical residency this year and I bought these boots as a bit of a gift to myself for taking the next step in my career. I also bought them knowing I would be wearing them daily in the hospital. I quickly became known as “the boot guy” both among my coresidents as well as the hospital staff and my patients. Even though I wear a mask most of the time people can identify me by the footwear. Not only did these boots support me physically on my feet daily but they also became a bit of a part of my identity, at least in the way that others could pick me out easily. Being daily work boots for a new physician, these boots have been in a lot of tough situations this year; they were there when I introduced myself as a physician for the first time, when I discharged my first patient after watching them recover under my care, when I had difficult conversations with patients and their families about tough diagnoses, when I have seen people through their final moments, and when I have been parts of emergency life saving situations. As silly as it may sound, through all of these new/scary/difficult situations, these boots have helped me feel grounded and solid through it all. They help me stand tall even during the longest work hours of my life and they help me crouch down to speak eye to eye with my patients when they can’t get up out of bed. These boots have also been part of some of the happiest times of my life. I got both engaged and married this year. I’m one of the lucky guys whose wife actually beat me to it and she proposed first. Even so, I proposed to her a few weeks later and these boots were on my feet when I got on one knee. These boots were also on my feet through the entire process of setting up and decorating our wedding venue and they were on my feet while we hiked the blue ridge mountains while on our mini-honey moon. I’ve been glad to have something that has linked all these occasions that I can continue to wear and cherish for years to come. Every time I slide these boots on, I know a new memory can be made.
The 64 brown double shot immediately caught my eye when it became available from Nicks. I’m a sucker for a mid brown and this shade is a sweet spot for me. It has a deep rich brown with some hints of deep reds/maroon that keep it interesting depending on the light. It started off satisfyingly stiff as expected with a PNW boot but quickly molded perfectly to my feet. After about a week of daily wear I felt the leather softening nicely and rolling in the right places. The leather had a beautiful buttery finish right out of the box and honestly kept that nice feel with minimal effort/care. I was surprised at how well the leather kept my feet warm and dry even when I took the boots out on 4+ hour hikes in 6-8 inches of snow. I feel like the 64 brown double shot is a perfect blend of luxurious and elevated that can be polished and dressed up and rugged and tough that can take anything you throw at it. In terms of care, I honestly didn’t do much. I would brush the boots with a horsehair brush once or twice a week. I wiped down the boots with a damp rag when they got muddy or salty. I conditioned the boots once around January after a few particularly snowy/slushy/salty days out and about. I just used a bit of Bick 4 and the leather soaked up the conditioner and was restored to a beautiful luster. As for the patina process, I knew I wouldn’t get as much rough and tumble exposure as some of my fellow Domers as I live in an urban area and have limited time to get out and really crush the boots in the wild the way I’d like. The boots took dings and scuffs beautifully and oftentimes they would brush out or fade quickly given the oils and waxes in the leather. I love the contrast of every lasting scuff and scratch as it reveals a new lighter under color of the leather.
Funnily enough this was my biggest question mark for the boots. I bought these from a fellow Nick’s enthusiast who put them up for sale brand new as they didn’t fit him. I took a gamble because I had never tried the HNW last and I had already come to love the high arches 55 last for which PNW boots are famous. I felt like the HNW last ended up being perfect for the main use of these boots as I spend most of my time walking the smooth floored halls of the hospital rather than climbing inclines in the forest. The HNW last was more sleek and low profile which fit in easier in the hospital while still being very supportive and keeping my feet feeling fresh after hours of standing. While I have concluded that I prefer the 55 last for Nicks boots overall, I now have a fondness for the low profile of the HNW last and am glad to have a boot with this profile in my collection. The fit started out with the perfect proverbial firm handshake. The first several times putting the boots on was a bit of a struggle but once my foot slid in, it always felt right. The on/off process with an engineer will always be a fight at the beginning but over time this became easier and easier. I prefer a more snug fit overall with my boots and I felt that these gave me that feeling. The toe box was slim without being suffocating which is what I look for. The instep strap actually did help with cinching down the boot when I needed it; I will say that Nicks could make the strap a bit longer to accommodate more fits. I felt the heel was well sculpted and molded quickly to my heel so that I had very little if any heel slip by the one month mark. Overall I’ve been extremely happy with the fit and I look forward to sliding these boots on every time.
I feel that the design is definitely a middle ground between a tougher work boot and a slick style boot. Nicks is known for their signature overbuilt PNW style and the Pullman definitely fits into that ethos. It’s not going to have the sleekest toe or narrowest shaft but it’s also not going to be clunky or bulky. I love that it can fit into both categories effortlessly. The construction and durability is impressive. Every panel, every piece of hardware, every stitch feels bomb proof. I loved this fact as I don’t like when I have to think about whether or not my footwear is suitable for the day; I like the security of knowing that I can throw on a pair of boots and go about my day whatever may come. Nicks definitely lives up to their reputation with this boot. Finishing is good but not stellar. I think when you choose a boot like this you make the choice to have extremely sturdy materials and construction methods at the cost of a bit of finesse that may come with other methods/brands. That was totally fine by me as I’m not one to stare too much at the little details (I’ll never be one to comment on SPI) as long as the whole package is beautiful and tough as nails.
I have always felt that the 430 sole is one of the most well rounded soles out there. It’s sleek and low profile while also giving you enough grip that you feel confident stepping on almost any surface. It may be a bit firm for some surfaces for long periods but I think overall it’s worth the bit of cushion you lose. The 430 sole is also very very hard wearing and even though I’ve been on some rough surfaces it barely even shows signs of wearing thin. The 430 sole was able to handle everything from hospital tile after a recent floor polish to city slush to rocky snowy hikes and I felt comfortable tackling it all with that sole underfoot.
I’m relatively new to the heritage boot scene and while I still have so many brands I’d love to explore/handle/own, my time in these Nick’s Pullmans has made me a lifelong customer and fan. It helps a lot that Nick’s has such accessible folks working there who respond constantly on their subreddit. I’ve found a cool group of people over there and the community has definitely only added to my experience with these boots. While I may not be wearing these Pullmans every day anymore, you best believe that these will get their fair share of love for years to come.