Raland Bootmaker
Engineer Boot
Bockara Last
US Men's Brannock: 8.5E
Bockara Last: 8EE
MTM order with custom last to accommodate my bunionettes
Sweden
Raland Boot is a relatively new brand then but from the few pictures from the IG page I attracted to the rustic yet classy styles. Adam is pretty much a one-man show and reminds me of the humble beginnings with the likes of Brian (Role Club) and Peng (Flamepanda). He makes boots purely out of leisure and passion and I can connect to that - having made one very amateur attempt myself and we clicked from the beginning. Placed my faith (and deposit) in him and it turns out much better than expected. This happens also to be my first pair made in Sweden with leather sourced locally from the famed Tarnsjo tannery so thats extra special.
Made to measure with multiple adjustments and fine-tuning. Adam spares no efforts to lock in the sizing and that shows his commitment to his work - even had a friend try on the initial sample to make sure the passthrough area (especially for Engineers) works for me. I am genuinely impressed at such close attention and truly sets the bar for bespoke cordwaining.
Very pleasant experience and accommodating to work with. I am difficult to size as I have skinny feet, low volume, but wide ball width due to bunionettes from military conscription days. Adam makes extra effort to retain the silhouette he thinks looks best and I appreciate that.
2-3 times a week to office and the occasional holiday and errand trips. This boot has brought me to many firsts places that im deeply attached to
Helped named this last ‘Bockara’ after his late grandfather. Ive owned multiple pairs of Engineer boots but few has the arch support and of course being made to measure - fits me good with little heel slip. Easily the most accommodating pair. I also learned how a proper slip-on boot should fit as Ive always been sizing up for more room.
Adam clicked the more attractive parts with visible grains and texture on the vamp and the leather is just beautiful. I have a soft spot for vegtan leather and at point of ordering he only has enough of Tarnsjo horsehide for 3 pairs (so im a proud owner of 1 of 3 pairs worldwide as of now). Tarnsjo typically produced cowhide or other tooling leather so this horsehide batch is a limited run
Rubber topy goes well with double midsole at the forefoot - reducing bulk and maintains sleekness.
Highly recommend Raland for the personalized experience but Adam very deservedly had more orders since and is working with a Spanish factory to release more culturally-Swedish designs and I am very glad to be a part of that journey. Everyone has different metrics for value (durability, construction integrity, finishing etc). This pair’s value to me is the stories Im able to share to my family and friends of how it came about, where it has brought me to, the good and bad experiences along the way, chasing sunsets, and how it accompany me throughout all of that - over and over and beyond.