A Secondhand Shell Steal

These were fastidiously cared for before I picked them up through a Discord transaction. I'm not sure why the previous owner decided to let them go, but I'm glad he did: I ended up with a beautiful pair of boots at an absolute steal of a price. I, stupidly, never took any "before" photos when they arrived. They came on fairly worn leather soles with a pronounced toe spring, so I immediately sent them off to Unsung for a V-Bar resole. My hope was that a fresh sole and new cork filling would correct the spring and help the boots mold better to my feet. Unsurprisingly, the guys at Unsung knocked it out of the park: they came back looking practically brand new (minus some set rolling in the upper). If I could do it all over again, I'd probably opt for a midsole. I wanted to preserve the low profile and stance of the original design, but skipping the midsole left their aesthetic sitting somewhere between a sleek European slip-on and a side zip with a hint of Western Americana. To me, it kinda-works-kinda-doesn't. Horween's Bourbon shell ages beautifully. It darkens over time, developing a rich depth of color that makes these one of the first pairs I reach for when I want something in that caramel shade. The dull glow which shell picks up after a few minutes of brushing seems almost exaggerated here: they shine with next to no effort. The pattern and clicking were executed beautifully by Carmina too, as the vamp and shaft rolls have developed in a way that leans the whole boot into a well-worn/character-rich look. As far as I know, this particular makeup isn't even available through Carmina's custom design program. So... yeah... a total steal in my book.