Wore them a lot when I went out with my girlfriend to the mall and diner, had a few rainy days and generally wore them around the house.
I loved how the leather aged and performed, supple and supportive. The Metta catharina was a great idea for the side panels because of how sturdy and supportive it was, overall loved the shell cordovan. The black tea core didn’t change color much but that’s okay, still looks great and feels great around my feet. Haven’t had to condition or clean anything, the boots have a smooth and almost gleam to them when the sun hits as if it were made from full shell cordovan.
Overall very comfortable because I made these myself so sizing was going to be good from the start. Arch support is good but I do have to add heel support insoles because of heel pain I have now.
I went with a single row stitchdown to give it a sleeker look since I have a wider foot already. I did mess up when lasting, the leather was more fragile than anticipated and ripped. I was able to give it a stitch and now I love that it has that on the side, makes it look more unique too. Used a thinner heel counter that was preformed to make it easier but also didn’t want anything bulky. I will say though I should have put a rubber toppy on because I have slipped a few times and fallen.
Comfortable and breathable, I really like how a leather sole looks on boots and shoes. Would be better with a thin rubber top though.
I like the patina thunderdome experience, I didn’t get to wear my boots as much as I wanted to because I walk all day for work and when I come home the last thing I want to do is walk haha. The use of a softer upper combined with more rigid side panel was a good idea rather than full horsebutt. I would recommend people make their own boots if they can afford to get into the hobby and go through the trial and error. It is so fulfilling to make something with your own hands and see that others are giving it a try, going through the same steps you did and learn together. I love what I made and I can’t wait to make more and hopefully improve more.