Over the course of the Thunderdome, these shoes got eighty days of wear. This was mostly suburban life and office work, but I walked in the woods from time to time for variety.
There was basically no break-in needed for the black Chromexcel. One shoe developed an admirable roll at the break, but the other shoe creased in a less attractive fashion. My feet are slightly different sizes, and Chromexcel can be inconsistent, so this wasn’t a surprise. Ultimately, despite all the days of wear, the leather looks almost brand new in many places. This is a testament to the quality of Chromexcel, but not great for a shoe-aging competition.
These derbys were comfortable from day one. The soles have molded to my feet admirably. I think the last could be a little narrower around the heel and a little wider at the toe, but that’s specific to my feet.
The construction and finishing quality are excellent, especially at this price point. As for the design . . . these are slightly odd shoes. The toe is fairly pointy to pair with a wedge sole, so the outcome is something of a Frankenshoe. It’s a dress shoe with a workwear sole. It’s a fun choice if you are into heritage footwear and live a lifestyle in which you can wear what you like most of the time.
The Vibram Cristy is a name brand. It is comfortable and needs no break-in. My gait finds me striking the outside of the heel as I walk, and I wore about a centimeter off of the soles on the outsides of the heels over the eighty days I wore these shoes for the Thunderdome. They are not very durable, but that is part and parcel with the soft comfort.
Black Chromexcel isn’t the best choice for the Thunderdome because it maintains its shine stubbornly for a long time. It is a teacore leather, and with patience the brown undercoat will reveal itself. These shoes are also part of Rancourt’s Dirigo line. This means they were made out of scrap material that would otherwise have been discarded. I’m proud to have rocked these shoes for the Thunderdome. This was an intersection of high quality, American made heritage footwear with sustainability and affordability.