These were my daily commuters (2-5 mile average/day) and have seen snow, sleet, rain, humid climates, beaches, mountains, light jogs running late to work, multiple continents, countless stairs, three weddings, crouching in wine cellars and numerous cat thwacks. They’ve truly been through it all. In month three I decided to consult the assistance of Unsung repair house to make two minor tweaks that catalyzed development in the leather and dramatically increased the joy felt when wearing this pair. GS tongues are known to slip, and while I tried to ignore the minor inconvenience, I started developing blisters on my ankles where the facings would rub when the tongues slipped to the inner part of my foot, and I knew I needed to make an adjustment to get through the rest of the dome. So, since I was already sending in this pair for a partial gusset, I also decided to have the toe structure removed. Over the years in the Stitchdown discord, I have seen many folks in the Grant Stone channel muse about doing this. So, I figured I could serve as good of a guinea pig as any and went through with the removal. Upon doing so, these Garrisons really began to take on slipper mode. The Waxy Commander leather molded to my feet over the coming months, and the boots took on a sleeker, albeit less dressy, profile with the flattening and rolling of the toe box. I personally love the results and feel that the incredibly skilled surgery (removal and relast to original soles) performed by Unsung took these boots from good to great. All this to say, I do not want to my personal tweaks to take away from the incredible work done by Grant Stone. The Waxy Commander/Ridgeway combo of these Garrisons was the first model that finally convinced me to pull the trigger, though these on the new Dr. Soles would also be amazing. The Leo last is super comfortable, QC impeccable, and the boots versatile, durable, and enjoyable enough to make everyday wear a non-issue no matter the weather. I love(d) wearing this pair and can’t wait to see how they continue to develop.
Waxy Commander is seemingly bullet proof. Easy to break in and stands up to any weather. Loved it unstructured—super comfy and molded to my feet while still feeling durable enough to be put through anything. Brushed 1-2 times/week. Once a month light wipe down and bi monthly condition. Felt like a slow burn, but darkened and roughened up nicely by the end.
Leo last is super comfy. Plenty of room in toe box in standard widths. Recommend the tried and true half size down. Listen to anyone in the grant stone channel on the discord for sizing advice. Volume was no issue even with unstructured toes.
Grant Stone has these dialed in. Though, do feel that this model on their new Dr. Soles would be absolutely incredible. Only further comments are that, for me, stitching the tongues and taking out the toe structure took me from liking to loving this model. I would highly recommend a partial gusset (thank you Unsung) to anyone that buys this pair and has issues with the tongues sliding. Nevertheless, impeccable QC by GS as per usual, and thanks for the extra pair of laces! First pair broke in the last week of the Dome and I was grateful to have backup.
Ridgeway was way more comfortable than I thought it would be. I usually blow through heels and these were very durable. Great traction in snow, too.
This was my first pair of Grant Stones and I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m glad that I took the risk in having Unsung remove the toe structure. It was awesome to see how the boots and leather took to the change and it really made these boots turn a corner (at least in my mind) from good to great. If anyone in the future has more detailed questions about the process, fit, durability, etc., I’m more than happy to chat! Can’t thank GS and Unsung enough.