Frank's Boots
Type 1 Commander
Baker's Boots and Clothing
I love the look of the taller #4 toes on flat soles, ala Farmer/Ranchers. I tried to replicate that with these, but my initial ask of a leather toe puff ended up being celastic, and they arrived the day before the late entry, so I let it ride. They ended up being that much more unique amongst my collection.
I have long skinny feet, which allows some room for error. I took the same size as other similar lasts that I have, worked out great.
Ordering an MTO through Baker's is always a pleasure. They were great about interfacing with Frank's to get my order processed quickly.
I work from home full time, at a desk. However, I have multiple hobbies and a dog to entertain, so they still saw some intermittent abuse. Barely made a dent, with how solid these are.
This is an uber teacore leather, packed with oily goodness. I haven't needed to hydrate them at all, just a biweekly brushing brings them back. The high/lows of the leather are great, which is why I chose this leather. Break in was easy and was completely molded to my foot within a week. The leather had similar breathability to CXL.
Fit is perfect, similar to my pair of Smokejumpers. The toe box was a little narrow at first, being celastic, but stepping on them a bit flattened them out and felt great after that. Great arch support, hasn't collapsed at all.
They aren't the most aesthetically pleasing pair I have, but they're beautiful in their own right. They have a classic work boot look once on foot. The finishing is top notch, being Frank's; perfect stitching and clicking. One slight issue that was subjective was the heel profile, coming with a crescent curve. I sanded them down and redyed them myself, to more closely resemble a White's pair.
Vbar is the GOAT for a reason. Overall, no complaints; comfortable all day with adequate traction. Weird separation of the thin outer layer on the bottom, but it isn't structural.
These weren't exactly what I had pictured in my head when ordering the custom, but I came to love them. They served me well and look pretty good at the end, though not as drastic as others in the comp. Frank's is one of my favorite makers, will be getting many more pairs.