These vintage boots got put to work

These 60+ year old boots have been my daily drivers as a self-employed carpenter. It felt right to put them to the work they were designed to do. I did my best to keep them away from anything too hazardous like concrete or paint, but if you squint you can find a little primer on there. I’ve done my best to keep them clean, the sawdust brushes off mostly.

This old leather is chock full of wax. The color has only gotten less consistent over time, I thought that one heel counter would lighten up, but it never did. They started remarkably soft, and held up very well through the winter, only needing one conditioning so far. For old boots, they smell pretty good, no funk to report.

This modified Munson last is the best fitting thing I’ve ever worn. It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth to think I’ll probably never find another pair in my size, but I’m glad I had the excuse to really put some miles in these last six month instead of trying to preserve them for another 60 years.

The Bone Dry Shoe Company operated out of Tacoma Washington from 1920 to approximately 1970. They made a wide selection of work and sporting boots, with their Paul Bunyan loggers one of the more popular models. These were, in many ways, a lot less exotic piece in their time. Some concessions to speed from a world where cheap imports didn’t exist are clear. On this pair the, welt is sanded right to the stitching, and they might be made from two hides looking at the leather consistency. But these soles have held up twice as well as any leather sole I’ve ever worn, I’m astonished. My favorite part has been watching some eyelettes get polished up from wear, and others continue to green.

🥰

💀

Too hard.

Too soft.

This was fun. I might not have worn these so hard without the excuse of the Dome. I’m glad I put these boots through the work they were built to do, they took it like a champ.