Resurrecting the Lost Wellington Riding Boot | First Fitting with Dominic Casey

In today’s video, Kirby Allison is again back in London, this time meeting with bespoke shoemaker extraordinaire Dominic Casey to review the progress on the creation of a pair of bespoke Wellington Boots! This long riding boot was invented in the mid-19th Century by the late Duke of Wellington, revolutionary the fashion of the day and way gentlemen of the Military wore their boots.
Through this project, Dominic Casey is resurrecting the lost art of not just long boot making, but pulling out of the history books of shoemaking (and using some forensic shoemaking) how to make a pair of proper Wellington boots!
This is an extraordinary project that, in its completion, will document for the first time ever the entire process of creating bespoke Wellington Boots, preserving it for all future shoemakers. Please support our work by visiting our Patreon at Patreon.com/kirbyallison.
🔍 For more information about Dominic Casey:
🔸 Website: www.dominiccasey.com
🔸 Instagram: @dominiccaseyshoemaker
📽️ MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
📍 • The Incredible History...
📍 • Why English Boot Makin...
📍 • Choosing My Next Bespo...
🎞️ Mentioned Videos
▶️ Unboxing $5000 Mystery Shoes from Dominic Casey + Shoe Shine
• Unboxing $5000 Mystery...
▶️ The Incredible History Of The Wellington Boot With Dominic Casey | Kirby Allison
• The Incredible History...
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🎞️ Dominic Casey Bespoke Shoemaking
00:00 Epic Animation
00:18 Introduction
00:52 Down the Rabbit Hole of Bootmaking
01:50 A Historical Example of a Wellington Boot
03:10 Origin of the Wellington Boot
09:25 Differences of a Riding Boot
16:00 Riding Boots vs Dress Shoes
19:34 Kirby’s Trial Boots
23:25 The Fitting!
28:00 Review of original measurements
30:19 Boot Trees
🧺 Dry cleaning provided by Rave Fabricare: bit.ly/3ery0FU
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INSTAGRAM / kirbyallison

[@Jim58223]

Best intro in Kirby Allison history.

[@kirbyallison]

Haha. Thanks. The studio likes to show off from time to time with a serious flex like this… 😅

[@txborn668]

This video was so enlightening. The way that Dominic explains how the boots are made and the explanation of the difference in the lasts is great. It makes so much sense now. If you compare the Wellington Riding Roots and the Justin Roper Cowboy Boots, they are so similar. That might explain why they were so popular. I loved my Ropers back in the day, especially with the low heel, it made boot scooting so much easier.

[@kirbyallison]

One day in the near future, I’m going to get Dominic Casey and Lee Miller in the same room together and film them discussing the similarities and differences between their crafts!

[@mikewingert5521]

Lovely boot…..nailed heal. I’m sure if Kirby was to contact HQ Household Division at Horse Guards Parade, London, SW1; specifically the Major General commanding, he would find some similar boot gems. Boots passed from father to son amongst the current officer corps. The Major General still sits at Wellingtons desk in his office at Horse Guards.

[@Javi_C]

Always enjoy videos with Dominic Casey.

[@kirbyallison]

He’s the best! Always knowledgeable and entertaining!

[@robertroddy8925]

It’s great to know we still have enthusiastic artisans in England, great video Kirby and Dominic, it always makes me think even in may Father’s Day this sort of tradition would have been the norm and now it is the luxury choice

[@PerWendelboe]

Epic animation indeed, well done - another lovely series

[@kirbyallison]

Thank you! Credit to the studio and our team of editors!

[@barafosteelfounder]

Great video Kirby lad. The boots shown here though should not be confused with modern Wellington boots, or wellies, that are made of rubber and predominantly used as rain boots. They are also used for basically any outdoor purpose, too.

[@kirbyallison]

Haha. Definitely not be confused with the rubber variety of Wellies!

[@alibabafurball]

So much attention to the details and explaining the details thoroughly really has helped me understand the build somewhat of thee boots. Thank You for getting Mr. Casey on again . I will be happy to see them being made.

[@kirbyallison]

Glad you enjoyed it! Dominic is the best! Always so much fun to film with him!

[@willunderwood7326]

Great video gents! Walmer Castle is in Walmer, Deal - my hometown

[@kieranorgan4189]

Thanks for the videos, valuable information. Going to download these for the next few years for when i move on from being a cobbler to having a crack at making my own pair of wellington boots. Thank you again so much for these videos

[@loveja1234]

Lovely experience watching this!

[@kirbyallison]

Thanks!

[@willsimmons6401]

Are you still planning to finish that ASMR video with Dominic making a pair of shoes? I love how that video started out and would love to see the rest!

[@kirbyallison]

Yes! We are going to get down there to do this sometime in the fall!

[@nigelbarker8726]

Wellington was also Prime Minister on a couple of occasions.

[@kirbyallison]

And an unpopular Prime Minister, surprisingly, as well…

[@BullyBoxer]

Fascinates me, the integration between two countries Great Britain and America has. Especially when it comes to things like boots .

[@kirbyallison]

Also fascinating how distinct cowboy boots evolved to be! If you thinking about it, by the late 19the Century, hardly anyone was wearing riding boots in Great Britain anymore while in America, Cowboy Boots were prolific.

[@russ9921]

@@kirbyallisonThat’s because in the US, Kirby, you successfully evolved cowboy boots (along with the cowboy hat) to be a fashion accessory, echoing American heritage too, even more so than as a practical piece of clothing. I think an opportunity was missed here in the UK because men’s and women’s riding boots still look incredibly sexy and stylish when worn, elongating the appearance of the legs and flattering the figure too. It’s odd that in winter, British women will wear high boots in and about town even if not riding, but for British men the practice seems these days to be only for those who ride.

[@saxman7131]

It’s ironic that in shoe/ boot making you start first with the last.

[@kirbyallison]

The last shall be first, as they say at John Lobb!

[@joelarkin8781]

Really cool boots, love them

[@gavindadds4414]

Dominic has clearly been a shoe/boot nerd for a long time. A historian as well as a master artisanal craftsman, he reminds me a lot of Lee Miller. Could you imagine the conversation between those two. I don't know where you find them Kirby but Dominic is another person I could listen to for a lot longer than 35 minutes. Good luck getting Bianca to pull your boots off, sounds like a job for the kids.

[@kirbyallison]

Ha. You should have seen the effort we had to mount the first time I went to get those Lee Miller boots off! I thought we were going to have to wake up the entire house! 😅

[@dr.goloberanek7565]

What a great video. Someday I hope I will come around to commission a bespoke boot as well 👌 You are showing me new goals to aim for 😁

[@paulmcgee1867]

Don’t forget the Duke of Wellington was a famous wearer of trousers like an early introducer.

[@Johnysh9]

I need some boots like these

[@Idk-dd2gn]

Wellesley's life was interesting and very nuanced, he was a successful war leader but an unsuccessful politician. He was born a minor noble into a family which was relatively poor as far as aristocrats go. However, he died as a duke with his own peerage. I've heard at the time of his death he wasn't quite as revered as he was when he was a war leader due to his political blunders. But today, on the whole, we remember him just as a mighty hero. Which I see no problem in.

[@silvioalves5727]

👏👏👏

[@mudassirhasan7799]

Kirby makes me want British should colonise half of world again, #MakeGracefulAgain

[@johncas1]

All gentlemen should have a pair pf traditional british hand made chelsea boots like i have i lasp have 2 pairs of solovair hand maxe in england boots so comfortable when walking all day

[@nestormaceda1]

Look into Dehner’s of Omaha, excellent excellent boot. Sadly out of style but easily the best-fitting custom boot I’ve ever had. Custom boots are not 10k these days. As an equestrian professional, the only boot you see at those prices are the English bookmakers, and no one uses them aside from some fox hunters. The best English boots where the Maxwells btw, those will still go for $10k used.

[@jkranites]

Kirby, Do bespoke shoe makers make shoes for people who need arch support? Thats one thing that has always intrigued me.

[@kirbyallison]

Yes. One of the best parts of a bespoke shoe IS the arch support.

[@theoisaac9948]

👍👍💯

[@seijiroukikuoka5975]

I'll have one made out of reversed waxed calf.

[@krollic]

would you wear the trousers over or under these boots? either maybe

[@kirbyallison]

One of the things that differentiated Wellington Boots from other riding boots of the day was that they were designed with a narrow leg to be work under the trousers. This was the first time this had been done and became the prevalent style in the late 19th Century.

[@BulletProofBrain]

Kirby: Hey Baby, I got an new idea for a business model. Wife: What’s that Sugar? Kirby: I’m thinking about just flying round the world wearing the best suits money can buy, smoking the finest cigars, drinking the best malt whisky and basically living like an 18th Century English Duke. Do you think that would work? Wife: Sure honey, go for it! I love these videos. Keep up the great work!

[@kirbyallison]

My wife isn’t that generous with my “work vacations,” but I appreciate the sentiment!

[@freedyorozco8451]

🥃🎩

[@MrAtticus555]

Another corker! X

[@TheTerryE]

What's the name of your horse?

[@the_lost_traveller]

What about John lobb? Do they not still make these boots?

[@johncas1]

No sanders do there made in England they are officially suppliers to british army

[@kirbyallison]

We are actually working on a different - and very exciting - project with John Lobb London! We also have a video with them we have already published reviewing their collection of historic riding boots!

[@alibabafurball]

@@kirbyallison I hope it a re-do of those Victorian era boots they have in their case. If i remember right they lace up at the front and oxford tip?

[@kirbyallison]

@@alibabafurballWe actually pulled a pair of those boots out of the case and spoke about them in this video: 2023 World Championship of Shoemaking | The Best Bespoke Shoemaker In the World | Kirby Allison kzbin.info/www/bejne/aH_Jd36dgaijg7M

[@mikewingert5521]

John Lobb Bespoke London, (not to be confused with John Lobb, a factory made ready to wear outfit owned by Hermes) will make you any boot, shoe or slipper. Obviously not vulgar trainers lol.

[@penguin_edits]

link to video is not in desc

[@kirbyallison]

Which video?

[@penguin_edits]

@@kirbyallison The first part of the series where you and Dominic talk about Wellington boots

[@stephenbest4924]

Dominic is a really cool guy.

[@adam3873]

Please upload the Cuban series.

[@kirbyallison]

Haha. We’re working on it!!