Caswell Boot Company
x Fortis
Caswell Boot Company
Cost: 600 USD
I've worn these about 80% of the time I've had boots on over sixth months and the pattern of wear is a little unique even compared to my other waxed flesh boots. Just a handful of days where I was walking through brush or snow with a heavy crust established high wear spots and then pretty casual wear walking to grab coffee or kicking my feet up softened up the pattern and smoothed out the contrast
This tan waxed flesh is maybe the highest contrast I've seen? It turns from deep mahogany brown to something that looks like it's colored almost as light as natural. Evolution and contrast is dramatic, though it takes a lot more wear to get started than you might think at first. I didn’t do much to maintain these. I brushed them with a pig bristle brush every few weeks.
Munson last is great. Comfortable as heck. Fits me as well as it did all the dough boys in trenches, I imagine. It looks like a boot is supposed to look. It accommodates my high instep with aplomb.
Solid craftmanship here. Nice details on the leather sole, like brass toe taps and leather finishing toppy. No real complaints. I wish there were some stiffeners in the heel so I'd get a little more patina and wear there.
Great leather sole. Wouldn't hesitate to get another sole like this from Fortis.
These were mostly marketed as a shell MTO and wearing them for a long dome made me sort of wish I'd went that direction. You don't see many shell boots in this format and I think this pattern and shaft would work great for shell evolution.