Business Builders

By the time the dome was happening, I had just started my first, small restaurant. What a whirlwind! These boots have seen everything. The dome itself was a way for me to take some time and slow down a little. Sitting for a quick 5 minute break and appreciating the beauty of these boots was always a real treat. The boots have mostly been worn indoors on concrete floors. Speaking from the USA Northeastern region, they did see quite a bit of use this winter. From shoveling snow to salting parking lots, I’m surprised they’ve made it through with hardly any water or salt marks. These boots have made it through days of grocery shopping, prepping food, hours of service, overnight hauls, testing recipes, scrubbing floors, climbing ladders, and taking out garbage. On the nice days that I didn’t work, I liked to sit outside for a few hours in the sun by a little campfire. This has been a dome to remember!

The leather started out very stiff, and is still pretty stiff. However once it warms up with the heat from wear, it becomes easy enough to move in. I believe I’m still breaking these in, but the process of getting it comfortable enough to easily walk in was short. For care, I would wipe them with a damp microfiber cloth and then brush with a horsehair brush every week or two. Or I would spot treat as needed when food or other liquids splashed me. To gear up for the winter, I wiped them down and rubbed in some venetian shoe cream with a horsehair brush. Then, once I believed any chance of snow was over, I used saddle soap to clean off any remaining salt on my boots and conditioned them with venetian shoe cream. The color has changed from the color of beach sand to a rich, brown. The striping in the leather was fun to see come through and darken with age.

The PBD Last is mostly comfortable. The arch support (which looks to be built into the heel pad) was good and the boot gripped my heel well. I have wide, duck feet so my pinky toe is always a problem area. However, the fit for the rest of my foot was pretty spot-on. The rest of my toes fit comfortably and the instep was neither too tight nor too loose. Thus, it feels a shame to say that my pinky toe rub was so bad on some days that I’d find it difficult to walk. Which is very bad for a restaurant worker! And something about the boot transfers all the shock of walking on concrete right up my back. I added some heel orthotic pads under the leather heel pad (which looked like it was supposed to stay glued on, but had peeled off) of the boot. I’ll definitely enjoy these boots for years to come, but maybe in shorter bursts of wear.

The design of the boot is great! I fell in love with the look of the boot at first sight! It’s the best part about it. The construction is also top notch. However, it’s not perfect (which is a little hard to swallow at the price I paid for it). When I put on the boot, one side looked and felt a little skewed. But it wasn’t a huge deal, and I still loved it because I knew it was lovingly and carefully made by hand. The leather itself feels very durable as does the hardware on it. The stitching is perfect and beautiful.

The sole was good for indoor and outdoor use. I’m not sure if it has great durability considering how much of the heel has worn down from 7 months of use. It was absolutely atrocious in the snow and was the cause of my slipping quite a few times this winter. My family and I got a good laugh seeing me wipe out in our driveway a few time. Eventually, I started wearing grippier shoes to get to my car before switching into these boots. Wet tile can also be a hazard. However, it worked well on most indoor floors. It also was good in most outdoor environments as well.

If you have normal shaped feet and live somewhere without snow and ice, I would definitely recommend these or any boots like them! They’re show stoppers, and were an all around pleasure to wear if just for the fun of looking at them. I look forward to seeing how they’ll age from now on.