Footwear to go with our jackets

[mvilla]

Particularly, I don't find Dainite traction that horrid, but I find them rather uncomfortable... Vibram 700 is pretty meh in traction, and I wouldn't say it is better than Dainite, in my experience. I like Itshide if we're talking traction. The have a low profile and some nice lugs. Trickers use them from time to time. They have a nice history as well. I don't know why I don't see them mentioned more often, though.

 

[Observe]

As is the case with tires, soft rubber improves grip in soles. The dainite soles are extremely long lasting due to the hardness of the rubber used in them. This also makes them difficult to break in, uncomfortable and slippery under certain conditions. Softer rubber doesn't have these problems, and has good traction, but wears out faster. It's a trade off ultimately, but I'd take a sooner resole over falling and breaking something.

 

[mvilla]

As is the case with tires, soft rubber improves grip in soles. The dainite soles are extremely long lasting due to the hardness of the rubber used in them. This also makes them difficult to break in, uncomfortable and slippery under certain conditions. Softer rubber doesn't have these problems, and has good traction, but wears out faster. It's a trade off ultimately, but I'd take a sooner resole over falling and breaking something.

They are indeed long lasting lol I've been wearing my Vibergs pretty consistently for the last 5 years and still didn't need to resole... Honestly I really wish they would be gone by now, but nope... And I just cannot justify resoling a pair of stitch down boots before their time.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

The issue with Dainite is that there are better options. Vibram and Dr. Sole now both have more subtle options that have the same profile as Dainite, but offer more grip.

 

[Aloysius]

As is the case with tires, soft rubber improves grip in soles. The dainite soles are extremely long lasting due to the hardness of the rubber used in them. This also makes them difficult to break in, uncomfortable and slippery under certain conditions. Softer rubber doesn't have these problems, and has good traction, but wears out faster. It's a trade off ultimately, but I'd take a sooner resole over falling and breaking something.

Dainite long lasting? My Dainite soles have always worn down quicker than a single layer leather sole.

 

[Observe]

Dainite long lasting? My Dainite soles have always worn down quicker than a single layer leather sole.

I don't have much experience with leather so I can't speak to this.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Wearing my Trickers Bourtons in reverse Kudu and Dainite today. I love the Bourtons so much I have it in different leathers and different soles. And I gave them a close look last night, and realized that the Dainite could be the same rubber compound as the Commando and the Ridgeway, just my guess. The different treads do make a difference though. I believe if the Dainite had some horizontal ridges it would have more grip in wet conditions, but the side profiles would change. The Dainite has the most "leather" like side profiles and most OTR came in this configuration. To get a different sole sometimes means doubling the cost and that's just not worth it for me. But for my custom orders I only get either double leather sole for looks or Commando soles for grip, so there is that...

 

[Observe]

Wearing my Trickers Bourtons in reverse Kudu and Dainite today. I love the Bourtons so much I have it in different leathers and different soles. And I gave them a close look last night, and realized that the Dainite could be the same rubber compound as the Commando and the Ridgeway, just my guess. The different treads do make a difference though. I believe if the Dainite had some horizontal ridges it would have more grip in wet conditions, but the side profiles would change. The Dainite has the most "leather" like side profiles and most OTR came in this configuration. To get a different sole sometimes means doubling the cost and that's just not worth it for me. But for my custom orders I only get either double leather sole for looks or Commando soles for grip, so there is that...

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I think the Commando is made by dainite as is ridgeway. The whole company is owned by the same people as Crockett and Jones I believe, which is why you may notice if you have C&J footwear with dainite soles that they're actually C&J branded instead of saying "dainite".

Here's a couple quick ****py shots of my Vibergs I'm wearing today with Commando soles.

 

[Canuck Panda]

Cool. How do you guys get rid of the gravels in the Commando sole grooves? I mostly use pens to pry them out but some are lodged in there pretty good.

 

[Observe]

Cool. How do you guys get rid of the gravels in the Commando sole grooves? I mostly use pens to pry them out but some are lodged in there pretty good.

Usually use a nail to pry them out. It can be pretty annoying at times but I try to stay on top of it. Biggest drawback of the big lugs.

 

[NZJono]

Wearing my Trickers Bourtons in reverse Kudu and Dainite today. I love the Bourtons so much I have it in different leathers and different soles. And I gave them a close look last night, and realized that the Dainite could be the same rubber compound as the Commando and the Ridgeway, just my guess. The different treads do make a difference though. I believe if the Dainite had some horizontal ridges it would have more grip in wet conditions, but the side profiles would change. The Dainite has the most "leather" like side profiles and most OTR came in this configuration. To get a different sole sometimes means doubling the cost and that's just not worth it for me. But for my custom orders I only get either double leather sole for looks or Commando soles for grip, so there is that...

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Might be worth getting a resole if you know a good local cobbler who can do it for a reasonable price?. A while back I sent a couple of pairs back to the UK for a resole which is kind of ridiculous sending them that far. Almost as cheap to but a new pair from the Trickers Outlet. Anyway, I’ve got enough pairs… at the moment.

 

[mvilla]

I think the Commando is made by dainite as is ridgeway. The whole company is owned by the same people as Crockett and Jones I believe, which is why you may notice if you have C&J footwear with dainite soles that they're actually C&J branded instead of saying "dainite".

Here's a couple quick ****py shots of my Vibergs I'm wearing today with Commando soles.
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This is Itshide Commando, it's not Dainite. Different companies

 

[Observe]

This is Itshide Commando, it's not Dainite. Different companies

Ah damn you're right, my bad. Itshide does seem to have their own version of the dainite soles.

 

[mvilla]

Ah damn you're right, my bad. Itshide does seem to have their own version of the dainite soles.

I believe, in this case, that Itshide came up with this design. They issued Commando soles to the British army during WW II https://www.itshide.com/heritage

https://www.itshide.com/history
their site is pretty ****, and it is hard to dig anything

 

[mvilla]

https://robbreport.com/style/footwear/commando-sole-history-1234785674/

"Aside from its country-weekend utility, there’s another reason why English shoemakers have long championed the style. It was developed in the 1930s by English rubber maker Itshide, who at the outbreak of WWII switched from producing toys and brushes to churning out tank treads and pieces for torpedo systems. Among its martial output was a new kind of rubber sole used for army boots, which soon earned the name “commando.”"

https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/mens-style-commando-soled-shoes-boots-loafers-derby

"Developed in the 1930s, the ‘Itshide’ Commando sole was the first of its heavy-duty kind — and was adopted by the British Army as a way to keep troops tooled-up and kitted-out for even the most hostile landscapes. Thanks to its thick, knobbly tread and oversized look, the style has fashionably forged its way into the 21st century, and today can be found on all manner of footwear, from loafers to Chelsea boots."

 

[mvilla]

As I said before, I don't understand why they're not as mentioned as Dainite or Vibram... Itshide is a legendary century old company...

 

[lina]

My understanding is that the studded Dainite/Itshide sole was made for traipsing fields in England. I imagine they’re perfect for that, but you can see why they’re not so good on concrete or, worse, linoleum floors.

 

[Drzdave58]

When it comes to footwear I've almost exclusively been wearing boots for the past decade or so. I do own a couple of loafers and derby's but those are reserved for the office. Most of my boots are 'dress boots' made by one of the many great European shoemakers, think of Crockett & Jones; Edward Green; Gaziano & Girling; Carmina; Santoni or Silvano Sasetti.

Lately I've been exploring some more casual styles like engineer boots, cowboy boots or combat boots. These American style boots are much harder to come by than dress boots here in Europe. Especially when you're looking for premium quality boots.

Of course there are European retailers like Burg & Schild, Stuff or East West apparel which stock American made boots but import fees on shoes are harsh. A pair of suede plain toe Alden's will set you back €800 while the exact same pair will cost a couple of hundred less in the US. At €800 they're simply not worth the money imo. The same money will buy you a much nicer European made dress boot.

But I don't want dress boots, I want something more casual. Well, there are Northamptonshire makers like Trickers or Cheaney which offer some more casual styles but since the UK is no longer part of the EU footwear from those makers is now subject to import fees too. Also, they don't offer American styles like Engineers or Monkey Boots.

But then there's Bright Shoemakers, a Danish footwear brand that was founded in 2015.

As you can see on their website, they offer casual style boots and shoes, some of them with a Western/cowboy twist. Bright is not actually a maker, it's a brand which means they design the shoes and have another company make them. Their footwear is "handmade at a family run shoe factory in Spain with more than 100 years of experience in artisanal shoe making". If I'm not mistaken that factory is Sendra.

I've handled boots from another European brand that has their boots produced by Sendra but I wasn't too impressed tbh. Materials and construction quality were mediocre at best. I guess brands are able to select different levels of material and construction quality even though the boots are made at the same factory.

Anyway, let's see the 'Bright shoemakers' boots I ordered, A pair of suede Jodhpur's.

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They are Goodyear welted (270 degrees), double stacked sole and have a stacked Cuban heel. As you can see the finish is really clean. When compared to dress shoes I'd say the finish is much nicer than Carmina, nicer than bench grade C&J but not as nice as handgrade C&J or Edward Greens. Which makes sense as boots from those makers are two or three times more expensive. These Bright Shoemaker Jodhpur's were 'only' €500. Which is a lot of money of course but not nearly as expensive as a pair of imported Alden's or Vibergs which are of lesser construction quality. Were they flawless? No. One of the boots had a small piece of plastic material stuck inbetween the outer sole and the upper (during construction the upper is protected by a plastic layer) but luckily it was easy to remove with a pair of tweezers. Sloppy but no biggie.

I really love the last which is a bit more sleek than these Rios Mercedes boots for instance. Perfect for the style.

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In terms of sizing, they do run big. I was advised to order my regular size which is 42 but I feel like a 41.5 would have been better. Anyway, I put in a leather insole and now they're a perfect fit. Talking about the insole...They come with a memory foam insole which felt kind of weird, bouncy when I just got them. Luckily after wearing them a handful of times the 'bounciness' is now gone so I can't really say it's a negative I guess but if I had the choice I would prefer a regular thin leather insole.

The overall verdict? I absolutely love them, have been wearing them pretty much every other day since I got them. I might order another pair in black if available. Half a size down though.

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Good looking boots. Their engineer boots look pretty nice too.

 

[Edward]

Wearing my Trickers Bourtons in reverse Kudu and Dainite today. I love the Bourtons so much I have it in different leathers and different soles. And I gave them a close look last night, and realized that the Dainite could be the same rubber compound as the Commando and the Ridgeway, just my guess. The different treads do make a difference though. I believe if the Dainite had some horizontal ridges it would have more grip in wet conditions, but the side profiles would change. The Dainite has the most "leather" like side profiles and most OTR came in this configuration. To get a different sole sometimes means doubling the cost and that's just not worth it for me. But for my custom orders I only get either double leather sole for looks or Commando soles for grip, so there is that...

View attachment 518528

This Dainite style of sole is a definite favourite of mine. I do buy a lot of leather-soled shoes, and typically quite quickly have a thin, rubber layer glued over the front sole in order to prevent excess wear in part, though mostly as it helps somewhat if it is particularly wet underfoot. I do like however to have a couple of pairs of shoes around with a sole like this for wet days in the Winter, definitely a plus for that. Never had a problem re grip with them in regular use, though I'd quite likely somewhat prioritise having to be a little careful for the look of it if I did. Commando style soles are fine for outdoor usage, with country tweeds and such, but I find them a little on the crude side for the office. The only rubber soles that ever posed me much of a balance issue were a pair of red eva soles on some Saddle shoes when worn in the rain. A different pair with a hard-rubber, Dainite style sole - no problem.

My Iron Rangers have the older, flat profile soles; I wish I could get nice dress shoes with that material sole on them.

Cool. How do you guys get rid of the gravels in the Commando sole grooves? I mostly use pens to pry them out but some are lodged in there pretty good.

An old, British-military style knife with a Marlin Spike:

Ah damn you're right, my bad. Itshide does seem to have their own version of the dainite soles.

It's easy to get confused: one of those situations where technically Dainite and Commando are TMs that belong to specific companies, but they inevitably end up getting popularly used to refer to all soles of a particular design - c/f all vacuum cleaners get called 'Hoovers', all clear sticky tape gets called 'Sellotape' (or 'Scotchtape' in the US).

 

[Drzdave58]

Apart from 2 pairs of Wolverine 1000 miles boots, I usually wear casual shoes or sneakers (usually Paciotti, but I recently discovered a repair shop in Milan, "Maestri Ciccone", which makes very comfortable shoes, where I bought a pair of really good blue leather sneakers).
I recently pointed to the Grant Stone boots, model "Edward": does anyone have experience in those?

Grant Stone make very high quality boots for the price. I’ve had 3 pairs of boots from them, haven’t tried the Edward yet but they are the same last as the diesel and Ottawa. The only thing I don’t like is the studded soles, but they have other options. Their Edward boot in rust Kangaroo on commando look nice.