Another Patina Thunderdome in the books! Thanks to Stitchdown and the craftsmen at Whites.

I don't have anything exciting to add here. I did travel to Nevada for a few days though! 😆 Most of my boot wearing is done at work as a delivery driver. On the weekends I may go on a hike or kick around town doing chores and such. This pair has been a fine companion on my daily grind in the PNW. We had a mild winter here in Portland. No snow or ice...just rain. 🫠 I'd say most of their days have been spent in SE Portland in the neighborhoods between the waterfront and SE 82nd ave. Typical urban environment with some excursions to the surrounding suburbs and a few days at the Oregon coast. My work requires retrieving/organizing parcels in the back of the truck so some wear is acquired behind the bulkhead door. Sidewalks, asphalt, stepping stones, concrete, gravel, grass, mud, dirt, steps, ramps, wooden decks, moss covered decks 💀, stone, and every other surface imaginable in a PNW neighborhood...these boots have been on. The last two Thunderdomes I competed in the work category, but this year I wanted to run in the Open. I felt like the style of boot lent itself more to the Open category and wanted to rub shoulders with some patina legends! I want to be forthright about how I wore this pair and be sure the judges know I wore these at work as well as in my off time.

Has been a great leather for the upper half. It has held its shape and provided support for my ankles after break-in. Some of the wax has rubbed off revealing a light brown rough out in the high wear areas. Rolling in the flex points and conforming to the shape of my ankles. A wet rag here and there followed by a quick brush has been the only care this leather has needed. Easy to care for and durable. Break-in was fairly quick, but I did have one trouble area on the right boot that didn't fully work itself out until month 2. The famous "Whites bite" area. After month two everything was settled and comfortable. I love the waxed flesh leathers and look forward to them revealing more of the lighter rough out.

This leather is a tough nut to crack IMO and I didn't think I was going to see much of the tea-core at all during the dome. Once it got a few scuffs here and there it really started to give it up a bit easier. It's a slow moving leather and if I didn't wear them as much as I did... they'd probably still be dark Brown. Keeping the tea-core was a whole other chore. It must be kept clean and well cared for in order to enjoy the lighter tones under the armor coating. Wet rag and brushing almost daily and a deep clean monthly was necessary. Followed by a conditioning. I had a phenomenon I've never experienced with any other leather to this level. On wet days in particular I'd sweat through the vamps. I'm not sure if it was 100% sweat or if it was wax/oils from inside the leather or a combo of both. This required more boot care than any other pair of boots I have. Ultimately settling on the above routine after some wisdom from Ben's salt staining Instagram post. The vamps have rolled and the bump toe has held its shape despite these being an unstructured set of toes! I'm really happy the bump toes persevered to the end. Break-in was a breeze and no issues in the vamp area at all. Comfortable from day one.

I really dig this last and was really happy to have been able to dome a pair of Whites made on it. The arch support is mild and the toe box fits my foot shape very well. The heel may be slightly wide for me, but I don't experience any heel slip. Ball placement and toe space feels good but I'd like to try it in a 10.5 as I brannock between a 10.5 and 11 brannock. Oh the joys of getting older... Despite that, these in 10D are very comfortable and easy to wear all day putting in thousands of steps. The sprung toe has a different feel, but it does make walking feel really nice. Smooth. The arch support mellowed out considerably after break in for me. I think this may be due to the single leather sole and no midsole. Not a lot of support under that arch to keep it from easing up too much after break in.

I spec'd these out for walking lots of steps and crouching a lot during the day. I wanted the flexibility from the single leather sole, the smooth walking feel of the sprung toe last and 9" tall for solid ankle support. Overall, these deliver all of that. Whites boots make a solid boot. They are meant to be worn a lot and worn hard. I know I can depend on these boots to stay intact and get me through the day. Bulletproof construction that is proven time and time again. This is my third dome pair. Clicking was ok. My right vamps have deeper creases than the left vamps. Almost all my boots are this way. Maybe from my wear habits moreso than the clicking. A few loose stitches upon arrival that a lighter fixed up real quick. All the stitches have held up fine though. Finishing wasn't perfect, but nothing that I was really concerned about. The hand rolled welt has a certain look to it that I enjoy, but others find ugly. Whites have a certain vibe that other PNW makers just don't have. It's a combination of the patterning, construction, and finishing that achieves that IMO.

Raptor half sole provided good traction through the dome and helped the boots weather the rain we get in the PNW. Initially it was kind of slick, but after a couple days they became grippy. After month 5 it's due for a replacement. Starting to peel up a bit around the edges and there are some bald spots. Overall a good half sole/topy for inclement weather. I think it provided a small amount of cushion as well, but not much.

This is the new heel Whites is using as a replacement for the Quabaug heels they used in the past. It feels softer and has worn down quickly compared to the Quabaug heels I have used in the past. It's a comfortable heel though and provided good stability/traction. I ended up having to replace the heels during the dome and opted for a Quabaug heel replacement. Both the Quabaug and the Vibram branded heels aren't particularly thick...so if you're a heel dragger like myself you may have to replace these heels more frequently.

I love my Whites boots. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend their boots to anyone. They're expensive boots, but worth every penny in my experience. Functional, durable, comfortable and they just look awesome. Lacing them up gives me a sense of connection to my family's past. Loggers, lineman, and military in the family and even though I'm just a delivery guy, putting on my Whites just feels right.