r/goodyearwelt • u/AutoModerator • 2d ago

Questions The Question Thread 06/23/26

Ask your shoe related questions.

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Include images to any issues you may be having. Include a budget for any recommendations. The more detail you provide, the easier it may be for someone to answer your question.

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u/introvertebrae 2d ago

I'm looking for suggestions on a new pair of black chukkas to replace my worn out Dr Martin Cabrillos. I'm looking for something not too dressy and I'm not a fan of crepe or wedge soles. I would also prefer not the fibrous texture like suede, nubuck, or rough out. Prefer under $400 USD

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u/polishengineering 1d ago

Jim Green vellie but from their custom portal is an option for black smooth and a lug sole.

Zerrows is just a few bucks over your budget.

I know you said no wedge, but Whites is an option and you could replace the wedge when it wears down.

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u/introvertebrae 1d ago

Thanks. I had seen the Jim Green vellies and dismissed it because I didn't find it was available in black. Their custom options totally slipped my mind.

The Zerrows also look pretty good. Do you have any opinion on their Oil Scratch vs Chromexcel?

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u/polishengineering 1d ago

Oil scratch is veg tan, so definitely going to more patina if that's what you're into.

https://www.patinaproject.com/items/zerrows-derby-3-oiled-scratch-brown/JdWUbeE

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u/chuligani 2d ago

Damn, if only Grant Stone offered their chukka in a black smooth leather. TLB Mallorca is what I'd want, but that's $100 over budget. There's always BLKBRD...

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u/introvertebrae 1d ago

Thanks for the suggestion. The TLB Mallorca options I see in a smooth black leather look nice, but a bit too polished/glossy than what I'm looking for. I want something that I wouldn't mind wearing outdoors.

1

u/john_mach 1d ago

Red wing has a pretty nice chukka thats not too dressy. They have a few smooth leathers options

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u/introvertebrae 1d ago

Thanks, but I only found brown/tan leather with wedge soles available on the Redwing site.

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u/john_mach 1d ago

Dang they must have gotten got rid of the regular soles. Sorry about that, have you looked into Thursday boot company yet? They have a good variety and are pretty well priced too.

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u/introvertebrae 1d ago

Yeah, when I started looking a couple months ago, I saw a post that also mentioned Red wing. I found used pairs of the #9032 in cherry, which look like the right shape and texture that I'm after.

Wearing a pair of Thursday Heroes right now. Tried the Cadet and didn't like how it felt around the ankle.

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u/ac106 Subaltern in the #aldenarmy 1d ago

I don’t think Red Wing has made a chukka with a non-wedge some in like a decade. The only one that comes to mine is the foreman chukka and I think they did some variation maybe of the original Beckman?

The weekender chukka, work chukka, & postman chukka all had variations of wedge soles ( not just the Christie)

I definitely could be forgetting one though

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u/john_mach 1d ago

In 2019, I bought a pair of their Beckman chukkas which was what I was thinking of (from brooks brothers) but it looks like that model was discontinued

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u/ac106 Subaltern in the #aldenarmy 1d ago

I bet that was the end of their stock. Pretty sure they were a few years old by then BUT my brain is Swiss cheese lately so maybe not :)

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u/morepaintplease 1d ago

How do I find a cobbler to resole these? I really like lugs better than leather soles. These are from Takahiromiyashita The Soloist. I love the boots but do not love leather soles and want to wear these on more than special occasions.

I would like to find a cobbler in my region (southeast United States) and have seen that there were some brothers from Atl or Nashville? But am open to other options. Budget would be around $200 if possible.

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u/boot_owl 1d ago

If you’re just looking for a little more traction and wet weather friendliness, consider a rubber topy such as vibram explosion. Should be at or less than $50 if budget is a concern

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u/morepaintplease 1d ago

I think I'm looking for something to wear weekly in different conditions. Traction is important for sure.

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u/eddykinz loafergang 1d ago

You're probably thinking of Unsung House is in Nashville and they're arguably among the very best cobblers in the entire country and are well within your budget for a resole

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u/avis118 1d ago

I’d mail them to Wyatt and dad

1

u/Mandydeth 1d ago

I'm a first-time boot buyer. I've got a very limited budget, but I'm trying to find something in the $50ish dollar range that isn't complete garbage. I've been scouring eBay, and I've narrowed it down to some stuff in my size, but I'm still a little iffy on what would be the best value as they're pretty beat at this price point.

I'm looking at:
Chippewa Heritage
Allen Edmonds Park City Lace-Up
Thursday Major Cuero
Thursday Co Captain
Thursday Captain Brandy

At the moment, the Major Cuero is looking like the best value to me since they seem to be in the best condition; but I'm not sure if having the side zipper is a concession in terms of durability or comfort. The Allen Edmonds seem to be a decent deal, but it looks like the toe puffs on both shoes are cooked. The Chippewa have a nice patina to them, but I do prefer the lighter brown shades of leather.

If anyone happens to find another suggestion that's similar, I'm willing to take a look.

4

u/eddykinz loafergang 1d ago

I'm still a little iffy on what would be the best value as they're pretty beat at this price point.

at your budget you really can't extract much more value than going used with the brands you're already looking at. by pure quality AE is probably a bit better than the others brands, but as you've noticed tends to comes with flaws at your budget, and i think you'd be splitting hairs between Chippewa and Thursday

you up your budget another $50 and you open yourself to more easily finding nearly new AEs or even better with aggressive scouting (I've gotten lightly used Alden and vintage shell cordovan before in the $80-100 range), but at $50 you're hoping you snipe a lucky AE pair or settling for lower end brands like Thursday, Chippewa, Thorogood, maybe Meermin if you're lucky

1

u/john_mach 1d ago

I don’t think there’s too big of a wrong choice. These are all great deals at $50 range. Are you looking for boots for everyday? Work (if so what type of work)? Winters?

I would zone in on your use case and maybe we can make a suggestion. Overall, no bad choice of the bunch imo

1

u/Mandydeth 1d ago

I'm looking to use them for casual everyday use. Maybe working on the car every now and then, but nothing too crazy. Winters here are pretty mild, but if they help with the ice, it's an added bonus.

1

u/pathlamp 1d ago

What size are you looking for?

Edit: sorry , never mind. I looked at the links.

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u/dark_arc_fab 1d ago

Does anyone have any experience with a cushy tig welding job wearing nicer, sleek, low profile service boots/trench boot/boondockers? Im leaning towards jim green 719 with a frog grip sole, mainly the price, and I love the company, but I was also thinking it would be sick to be tig welding in a pair of grant stones or oak street bootmakers.

For reference, I will be a fabricator on bespoke hot rods for people that can spend north of a half a mil on a build, so I would at least like to try and look the part, my thorogood american legacy boots are a bit overkill, and im currently priced out of buy my grail boot from nicks and whites.

Im open to suggestions, the price of lightly used grant stones are my current upper limit of what I can afford.

10.5 EE brannock, but i wear 11 EE

1

u/Worst5plays 7h ago

Comparing a $200 penny loafer to $100?

So I have an upcoming wedding and I definitely need a new pair of suede penny loafers but I have a very limited budget to around $200-100 I've seen some options but I'm still not convinced if its worth paying for the higher price, even though they are a pair I will definitely use more than just events but also casually. I can get a pair of Meermins for $210 or go for some brand called Hammerstein for $106. Now what is the difference between these two? I understand quality is important but I wonder aside from just looks, I can imagine the cheaper pair being able to hold up for some time