Experience with vintage soles
See specs
Maker
GREB
Model
1960s Kodiak Steel Toe
Leather
Last
Unknown Last: 8D
I customized the fit of them slightly when I resoled them by putting in a higher arched (riveted!) shank, that along with the tall logger heel definitely gives them plenty of arch, originally the arch was similar to a Munson last but now it’s much more 55ish
The fit and feel is very good, they have a moderate arch but a decently sprung toe, the heel is comfortably narrow giving a nice locked in feeling and the forefoot is nice and roomy making sure there’s absolutely zero pinching or anything from the steel toe caps even though they have a fairly low profile toe compared to some others I’ve worn
Sole
4 months, current sole
Worn for 9 months, resoled on May 14, 2025
Heel
Worn for 4 months, current heel
Worn for 7 months, re-heeled on May 14, 2025
Worn for about 1 month, re-heeled on October 3, 2024
Purchased from
eBay
More about this item
The kilties are from Canada West boots in Red Dog leatherSee background
Why I own this
I purchased these since as a mechanic I need to wear protective footwear but I also enjoy the heritage of traditional work boots so I sought out a vintage pair with a protective toe cap and was able to purchase these locally, I also really like the nylon corded biltrite soles because the grip you get on oily shop floors is honestly unmatched
How I sized
I based my size off of other boots I had worn from the same brand, but still ended up a little bit different (they actually fit me better than I expected)
Ordering process
I messaged the guy selling them and then came over to see them and try em on and left with a lighter wallet but I was the owner of a pair of boots I’m confident I’ll never see another pair of
Use & wear
I worn these all the time for anything short of a formal occasion, they went through it all
Leather
The leather remains beautiful and has remained relatively the same (in a good way, I don’t want my boots wearing out) my care routine has stayed consistent, mainly using snow seal or dubbin to keep them moisturized and water resistant, the colour has definitely darkened with wear but it has some pretty nice pull up so the places where it bends have stayed lighter
Fit
Fit is still great and as close to a perfect fit as I could hope for
Craftsmanship
The craftsmanship on these is excellent, definitely on par or better than vintage red wings, I like the unique vamps and counter cover. The only issues I’ve had with them have been as a result of them being around 60 years old, I had some stitching fail around the back stay (which is not uncommon for vintage boots) and midsole which was made from a leatherboard began to fall apart (I believe this is mostly from age) which spurred on my decision to resole them
Sole & heel
I really liked this sole and had wanted to keep it but when midsole started to fall apart I needed new soles, these are still some of my favourite soles because of their combination of traction, durability and oil resistance
I haven’t had much time to wear these new soles as of yet but they seem quite nice
I love the look of the vintage cats paw heels with the plugs and I don’t think anything could change my mind on that, but unfortunately compared to modern rubber compounds they wear much much faster, that being said, one must make compromises for badass heels
Again I haven’t had much wear on them yet but they seem comparable in composition to a vibram 100 (just around 70 years old)
