My 350 Cruisers been on every day at work in the office (watchmaker). We recently deformalised our dress code which allows me to wear these. Also wear them off work, for long walks on footpaths in rural England or just around home in the garden. I will be wearing them on holidays in a wide range of activities both urban and off track in Northern Norway.
My first experience with roughout has been a pleasure. Love the the warm colour on this leather. Having seen some great patina evolve on other people boots in same leather makes me hopeful about my own journey! My wear pattern is not ideal for quick patination, but I'll get there with time. Leather cleans up well with a stiff bristle brush. I've applied Saphir Renovateur on the inside to help with the break-in and Saphir super invulner spray on the outside for water and stain resistance. The break-in has been easy, the 55 last was a good fit for my wide forefoot and narrow midfoot/heel. I could have gone up a size in width from D to E, but fit is comfortable. After wear I fold the half gusseted tongue down the front to help with drying. Roughout is very tough and seems highly resistant to scratches, great feature as I often walk through brambles, bushes or kick into sticks. First pair of boots with an unstructured toe, excited see how this slowly collapses and take a shape over time.
Fit on this pair was true to brannock size, I did not size down and fit was snug with thin socks. Quite tight around instep for the first week, I softened the leather with some Saphir Renovateur on the inside and laced them as tight as I could for a couple of times to stretch out the instep region. This worked very well. Fit is now exceptional with room in the toe box and hugging midfoot. I really love the arch support, it was a little aggressive to begin with, but being leather it conformed perfectly within a week. Overall: they were comfortable from day one but very comfortable after two weeks of wear.
The design of the 350 cruiser is simple, but I can tell that the pattern is very well thought through. Seams are placed strategically to allow movement but give support and wear resistance. The heel pull tab isn't really necessary since the boot slips on easily. But it looks good I think. The White's logo is not very visible on roughout, something that doesn't bother me at all. The double stitched rolled welt is a big selling point to me. This construction has roots from my home country Norway, where it was used on hiking, work and ski-boots up to the 60's. Sadly the craftsmanship died out completely apart from some few, bespoke shoemakers and at White's Boots. In Norway this construction is called Beksøm, a word synonymous with durable footwear even today. The hand welted sole, leather arch support and double stitched rolled welt is the reason I'm willing to pay the rather stiff price for a pair of White's. And I will keep buying, already looking for my next pair! The finishing is as it's always been at White's, functional and decent. Not quite like modernised Viberg's, and I really don't expect that from heritage boots. I'm sure the loggers that bought them in the 30's didn't care either about a slightly misplaced stitch or a little rough edge on the welt. As long as it is functional and lasts a long time it's good enough. The hardware is solid and well attached. The heel pull nap on the left boot is a bit rougher than the right boot but I weirdly like it for some reason.
Great soles for my use, decent grip and sleek looks. I wish the stitches sat in a channel so they would last longer. 430 Vibram suits the boots very well.
Heel edge will round quickly, but this thick heel will last a long time anyway. Rubber seems great, balancing durability and softness. Quite good looking design. Traction seems good.
I would recommend the 350 cruisers to anyone who care about the technical makeup and history that went into these boots. They look really good and stand out from the crowd, with the logger heels and distinct lines, high arch and double stitched rolled welt. Comfort on the 55 last is great if you nail the sizing. Consider wider width than D if you have a wide forefoot. Leave at least an inch length in the toe. Soles go shorter as they bend over time and width increases with wear.