I picked these in anticipation of rushing out the door more often this year and knowing I'd be taking them off a lot in Indonesia. Since wearing them, there have been fewer close-call doggy accidents. I also like to zip it. Or tell people to Zzzip it. Stop rushing me, they're boots but I just needa zip it. Zzip it. Started out with countless dog walks and hikes in drizzly Seattle before driving down through Oregon and SF to reach Los Angeles's dry cold. On the way down and back up, I wore the boots through every rest stop (since my wife and I were rating as many as we could). Ended up in mud, ice, and dust. Out in LA, I wore them to the sandy beaches. Flew out to Taiwan for family gatherings and squeezed in a bunch of sightseeing. Then I was off to humid and hot Indonesia in the same boots and started climbing onto rooftops to help move equipment for solar panels. Wore them into offices, on more mopeds--even ventured into a hidden cafe underneath a freeway. Back to Taiwan, I stepped in countless hospital liquids taking care of my grandfather. The boots mysteriously stayed pretty clean without much more than quick pat downs and the occasional wipe for mud and liquids on the soles. I don't let mud stay on my boots overnight .
Eco Veg Suede did not degrade as far as I thought it would. I thought the Eco- meant it would biodegrade (and patina) much quicker, but maybe Eco should stand for eco-resistant. Care was insanely easy. Any water or dirt spot was easily rubbed off with my finger. Sad for patina. I added no product except for a cleaning for the internal liner. In Indonesia, I did a quick brush and touched up the edges with conditioner. Break-in: I only needed to break in the boot shaft--it started out tight enough that I could wear dying socks. They'd be held up by the shaft all day. Made me feel good eco-wise since I got to wear socks I had already deemed rag-worthy. Near December, all the shaft creases had set in and I no longer had any issues zipping the boots up all the way to the top. Durable for all the countries and environments I've been in for both America and Asia. No problem in rain or mud. Soaked a few times and dried just fine. No breathability problem unless I wore wool socks in Indonesia--but that's a sock problem. Patina and Color Change: Not as much as I thought there'd be. I think the shade has changed into a warmer shade. Nearly no crocking except for the backstay and part of the left shaft. The direction of the nap changes the look a lot day to day. When I look down, there's a shimmer of white on parts of the upper.
11c Brannock wearing a 10.5d Viberg 2030. There is currently some minor slip when I am using lighter weight socks but overall, the shaft keeps my foot secured. I'm sure the slip is from my narrow foot. Ball placement looks good. There are no hot spots and I can squat and kneel perfectly fine since the start of wearing them without my toes hurting. Squatting tippy toes has always been my "check" to see if a boot is too small. I did have trouble with heavy duty socks at the start due to the shaft tightness. I had to lift my heel slightly, zip, then set my foot back down. Right now I can do any of my socks (I wear anonymousism, darntough t006, kirkland wool, uniqlo). I'll consider a janky light insole in the future if my foot sinks into the shoe or there's more slip as I keep wearing it. But right now it's my most wearable boot.
Heh. Love it. But Heralds are extinct as far as I know. I like the wood blocking detail that created a light toetrack. Stitches were all good; but also, it is a wholecut boot. Not much stitching to begin with. I personally really enjoy Viberg's GYW offerings because of their channeled insoles. I like the extra effort and the use of older machinery. Everything held up pretty well throughtout the competition.
Started out pretty rough. Seattle drizzle and city streets means I pass over a lot of metal grates and covers. I slipped a lot in my first month on those, especially walking my australian sheperd. Traction and comfort has all evened out now. i'm not sure I'd pick dainite for when I resole, though. I'll probably rebuild the heel with cured and smoothened shoegoo later this month.
Brett Viberg should re-recruit the handblocker that made these heralds so I can have the chance go get another one of these. These are the fitst Vibergs I have worn consistently. Boot friends know that I have never bought during a sample sale either in-person or online since the first year in NY chinatown. Maybe I'd break that if Brett brought back Heralds. But probably not -- my commitment and addiction to used-first would probably override it.