The Four Tiers of Boots! From Affordable to Expensive Boots

[@arindambasu9850]

Nice detailed video. Boot content is what i enjoy the most on your channel. Personally i think the 350-450 USD is the best value range and all my boits are from that - Grant Stone, Truman, Trickers mostly. Looking for some Parkhurst in the future , they are putting out some great makeups.

[@almostvintagestyle]

I would agree. You're getting a heck of a lot of value in that tier. Most people would never need to go higher than that

[@hpkntnw]

14:59 I started with nicer boots with redwing moctoe E width. You’re correct for the money they’re well constructed and they won’t let you down. My issue that made me look further is the feel under foot. They feel like you’re walking on concrete, there’s little to no padding. Where as you break in a pair of Nicks you get all that leather that compresses and provides a cushioned yet firm footbed.

[@parkermadison6368]

I think Wesco is the only one with 2 year wait times currently. The other pnw brands are anywhere from 2-9months

[@almostvintagestyle]

Thanks for that! 9 months is still a lot, but much better than 2 years

[@MrDavidchee5]

One thing I love about nick's right now is all of their last, sizing, and leather options. I think they have something like 2000 shapes, including thurman versions of both their hnw and 55 lasts, which I love. Sizing range from something like 4 A all the way to 15 FF depending on the make, and once you nail it down it really becomes almost like a made to measure boot. You can also get some really nice wickett and Craig veg tan leathers. So yea Nick's are my sweet spot right now.

[@almostvintagestyle]

That is quite a lot of options

[@MrDavidchee5]

Indeed.

[@davel2734]

Can’t complain about the QC on my whites cruisers. Pretty much impeccable finishing on them. Well done video Jake.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Glad to hear that! I'm getting quite a range of responses on whites qc. Some say great, some say awful

[@TxmmyBeats]

Would you say Thursday is worth spending money on?

[@waxedearth5425]

I’ll have to agree with you on PNW. My pair of whites came with a dried up piece of glue stuck to the vamp, stitching done by M.J. Fox and some weird stain on the side. Even the tag warning me of cancer causing chemicals in the state of california looked jacked up. Boots had a very strong, industrial glue smell too

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yeah that sounds quite bad. Sorry to hear that

[@HeritageCast]

8:00 I really want to start a company in the Baklans and make some high quality boots for around $400 I think there is a sweet spot there. Just takes someone to pull it off and rebuild the old factories.

[@AmarLaghari]

Hi Jake, In Australia it’s recommended that you violently shake your boot before sticking your foot or hands inside. If nick invites your to visit Australia, get someone else to shake your boot every time you access them 😢🎉

[@almostvintagestyle]

Haha yeah I can see why. I think Nick spends more time in Vietnam than Australia at this point haha

[@jgb0017]

Cost of labor makes bracketing by price a challenge. Certainly, other costs like exports and shipping lower the delta, but not enough to make up for the lower cost of labor.

[@spartanbike2260]

truman boots are superior to grant stone. main issue with GS is they use Chinese knockoff soles instead of the dainite/vibram/itshide. my brass boot lugged sole has worn off after 1 year of use.

[@HeritageCast]

2:45 I appreciate you mentioning this. Thorogood, tons of these companies using questionable labor. The descendants of Allen Edmonds need to take back over their company and move forward.

[@HeritageCast]

17:25 there is no excuse for the lack of QC. #1 you have all the aviation people in Washington. Tons of retired Boeing employees or people like Grant formerly from Nicks who was a Drone guy. The state of Washington needs to start investing in training programs and start a QC non profit dedicated to ensuring quality. And also sourcing in the PNW. If this doesnt happen, watch more outsourcing with indentured labor overseas and like Allen Edmonds plastic and carpeting material..

[@jociaszamora4561]

Great breakdown. Grant Stone really does have excellent QC for the price point

[@almostvintagestyle]

They really do

[@flybluephil]

Meermin is definitely way above mid-tier. They started as cheap alternative but by now they have an amazing shell cordovan selection and their main line rivals crockett & jones. Closed channel stitching and all that good stuff.

[@almostvintagestyle]

I'll have to double check on them then

[@stevenkoppelkam643]

Ive got a couple pairs of nicks and a couple more on order. I just love how they fit. A few wonky stitches which is unfortunate but not bad enough to send them back. Also nicks currently only have a few months waiting, unless theres a sourcing problem

[@almostvintagestyle]

I was told higher than that by a couple people, but if it's lower, that's great! I'm glad to hear that. And yes if they fit you really well, then you can live with some flaws

[@subhasish-m]

Man, I think you're missing a lot of nuance in Tier 1. - Clark's are definitely different from Thursday/Helm/Beckett Simonon, and belong in a lower tier. It's essentially impossible to resole Clark's. - Meermin uses name brand leathers, leather insole, leather midsole, goodyear welted construction, closed channel stitching on leather soles, and has many interesting lasts. I think they're not really a Tier 1 shoe, despite their price. - I don't know how a Blake stitch is harder to resole than a stitchdown, every cobbler I've talked to would much rather resole a Blake stitch. - There are also many other brands, such as still a few Indonesian makers, Blkbrd, Bridlen, that come in below (sometimes well below) that 300 dollar price point and have hand welted footwear and super interesting patterns/designs. Even Thursday has many different patterns. In Tier 2, I'm biased here, but I'd love to hear what objectively makes a Viberg better than a Parkhurst or even a Grant Stone/Truman. I have a pair of Vibergs, but I prefer my stitchdown Parkhursts which are less than half the price - unbelievable! Finishing is great, lasts are comfortable, clicking is neat, high quality materials and leathers. Grant Stone/Truman are also great.

[@almostvintagestyle]

I do agree with the Viberg point. Especially with their standard casual boots, I agree they are highly overpriced right now

[@almostvintagestyle]

Also yes I've had a few people say meermin has gotten much better

[@cheekibreeki9155]

If you're from Asia like I am, more cobblers here are equipped to resole blake stitch rather than GYW or stitchdown simply from the fact that 90% of the shoes worth resoling they will encounter will be a blakestitch. GYW and stitchdown are virtually unheard of. They have the machines for it. GYW and stitchdown they have to do it by hand. In tier 2 and above, the difference is going to be in all the things you don't see on the outside of the boots, like cork filling in tier two brands versus full leather construction in PNW boots. And once you go even higher, it's going to be holdfast construction versus GYW canvas gemming in the lower price points which translates to amount of labour that goes into the boot. My personal winner for tier 2 is Bordon (but wait time), followed by Truman. I like OakStreet Bootmakers personally for their leather selection but they're not worth the full price if I compare construction quality with the other 2 brands I've mentioned.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Ah that's interesting. Here in the States it seems to be different. Also of course these tiers aren't set in stone. I tend to differentiate a lot based on construction method myself

[@RLSteffler]

Imagine explaining your shorts fixation to people who don't dress like they're in a western film.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Haha I've done it. They don't agree with me often, but sometimes they actually surprisingly do

[@HeritageCast]

dunn er dunn dun dun dun.... Tumbleweed comes across the screen lol... Stick em up There Partner.....

[@toneohm]

Hey Jake,, would you mind doing a video where you talk about all your favorite tanneries? I know you're into Badalassi, horsehide anything, and Cordovan.. I'd like to hear if you could directly compare stuff from Rocado vs Shinki.. things like that.. or a video all on Shell like you suggested in your White Kloud video/review,, thanks for your time n efforts

[@almostvintagestyle]

Great suggestion. I will have to look into that. I'm trying to get another pair of Horween shell to compare more to my White Klouds

[@toneohm]

​@almostvintagestyle awesome : ) I'm gonna release a video on some cordovan Julian Boots i got the other week soon,, and all your engineer boot videos prompted me to really admire the style,, have some Shinki Lofgrens in route 🙂 very excited.. that was alot of $cheddar for me hah

[@chinatownboy3368]

Affordable? It all depends. I wash dishes at Panda Express. I'm not able to spend a week's wages on boots. Same way I can't spend a year's salary on a car. All that I can do is Florsheim.

[@Ikari777]

But If you saved up to get a better quality pair that you could recraft it would be much better value for you.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yea that's totally true. I started off scouring ebay deals.

[@ΛεωνιδαςΑργυρος]

Find it weird that there's no mention of the great English brands like Crockett & Jones, Trickers, Church etc!

[@xF1revolution]

I have a Gaucho Moose Richmond from Parkhurst that is the bees knees. Great last and a super sick leather.

[@ricklsd]

My wedding boots were second hand soft toe Carolina engineers.

[@almostvintagestyle]

That's pretty amazing!

[@Tudorguy-zw1ik]

Best KZbin channel

[@88sstraight]

Thanks Jake! Any chance of dropping links, or at least a list of the mentioned makers?

[@almostvintagestyle]

Any you're particularly interested in?

[@88sstraight]

@@almostvintagestyle I guess the ones in the top tier that don't have obvious websites.

[@skeeter2136]

I think PNWs get a pass on their sloppy stitching and other details because they’re all “handmade”

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yeah and that's always the lamest excuse. My most handmade boots are also my most perfectly made boots.

[@HeritageCast]

Exactly I want to see @RonRiderBoots start a third part QC company that audits the PNW companies. There is no reason also the State of Washington cant invest in a training program since all of them are in one place... There is no excuse...

[@jgb0017]

Without wanting to comment twice… well, I will…. Agree with you on the PNW finishing. I have two pairs. I love them both. But the finishing ain’t great. Their classification as “rugged” or “heritage” has never struck me as a sufficient rationale. If you’re selling shoes for $600 or more, you should finish them at that level.

[@jamesrice9412]

What are the thought's on british and European boots like crockett and jones or trickers etc. Excellent quality control and leathers etc

[@almostvintagestyle]

I'd put them both in that second highest tier with Lofgren, PNW, etc with better qc than pnw of course. I've had trickers and they were solid. I haven't owned Crockett and Jones, but I've handled them and they're nice as well.

[@Bluerig-qf2xc]

Dont get this guy started on PNW boots 😂

[@almostvintagestyle]

I wouldn't talk about them so much if people acknowledged the issues more readily. I don't dislike the makers, but I think the information needs to be shared

[@SidW-l4z]

My Red Wing experience has been terrible. TERRIBLE! NOT

[@almostvintagestyle]

Sorry to hear that!

[@YouCanChangeYourWorldToday]

How do you feel about BAREFOOT BOOTS? Like Jim Green or Vivo Barefoot, etc etc ?? Any interest?

[@almostvintagestyle]

It's definitely not my thing personally, but I can see why people like them

[@Banzai431]

Hi Jake, I hope you don't mind a question. I was wondering about your thoughts on Zerrow Engineers. Have you seen or tried on a pair? Any thoughts?

[@almostvintagestyle]

Haven't tried any, but some of them look nice to me. Some are a bit too out there though for my taste

[@Banzai431]

@@almostvintagestyle Heh I know what you mean, some of their lasts are definitely a little... Strange. The one with the upturned toe is definitely... Out there. I do find their semi-chisel and flat toe lasts quite attractive though.

[@1985zebulon]

What are your thoughts on the cordobes engineer?

[@almostvintagestyle]

I wish they refined the design more, fixed the buckles, and did a half sole instead of a full sole

[@bhyat]

Check out Jim Green boots please. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts

[@stevecrawford7814]

Nicely done.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Thank you very much 🍻

[@TheGoodeLife1975]

Craft and Glory sells monkey boots in your tier 1

[@TheGoodeLife1975]

And technically they sell engineers in this same tier too And I'd be willing to go on record saying they're better than Helms

[@TheGoodeLife1975]

Also, if you want some red wing moc toes look into the 10875, instead of the 875. You can get those in different widths

[@TheGoodeLife1975]

*better quality than Helms

[@almostvintagestyle]

Good to know thanks! I'll have to check them out

[@juanramirez6251]

I didn’t get the name of the green monkey boots. It sounded like Flay Pang.

[@almostvintagestyle]

The blue ones are Flame Panda. The green ones are Monroe Heritage 👍

[@juanramirez6251]

@@almostvintagestyle Thank you!

[@thejonesexperience]

🩳 & 🕷️ Noted…

[@almostvintagestyle]

Haha🤣

[@Faux_59]

I think Oak Street is trash in terms of quality and materials and belongs in the sub $250 range.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Interesting. I've heard others say that

[@benhall3888]

PNW boots are sturdy as shit but my goodness they are sloppy as hell for the price you pay. I understand handmade, but the sloppiness is not what you expect for paying nearly $700 by the time they get to you

[@cadencramer2747]

I’ve had Nicks, JKs, and Whites and from my experiences it seems like the Nicks are the best price to quality ratio out there. Whites has almost the same quality but tend to be slightly more expensive, and JK are the same on price but the quality and consistency isn’t there. Also the JK fire boots aren’t technically NFPA rated but they still sell for the same price as Nicks, if that matters to anyone. Their customer service has been good though.

[@LaymensLameMan]

I’m sorry 4-6 YEARS!?

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yup and there are a couple brands with that wait time

[@rpow6861]

Waiting 4 to 6 years!!! WTF?

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yup! Boots have gotten crazy

[@richardichard4237]

I think I saw that spider crawl into your ear dude...!! I'm serious....they eat the ear wax to get bigger n stronger then burrow through the ear to brain barrier, and slowly live off eating the brain tissue until either the host dies or their eggs hatch, which is normally between 60-100 hatchlings. They'll either then live inside the host's brain for their entire lives, or leave through the nasal passage ( mouth or nose ) at night when the host is sleeping.... Sweet dreams....

[@almostvintagestyle]

Lol

[@VivekSingh-hy1dk]

Can you do a student series too?

[@almostvintagestyle]

Like student priced boots?

[@VivekSingh-hy1dk]

@@almostvintagestyle I mean styling tips for students coz most of the cool things that you are not cheap but that doesn't mean we can't dress well in a budget so something along those lines, and I get it for higher quality products we have to pay higher.

[@almostvintagestyle]

Ah ok yeah thats a good idea. I did a cheap t shirt video, I could look into something like that for footwear and jeans

[@VivekSingh-hy1dk]

@@almostvintagestyle you are the man🕺

[@DMorgan77]

I’d certainly be interested in Jake’s picks, but thought I would make a few recommendations. Dave, over at The Vintage Future channel, did a wrangler’s jeans video, I think they’re the 13MWZ, on how to remove the tags and back pocket stitching and you have a pair of straight fitting raw jeans for $40. I’d also recommend the Chuck 70’s in whatever color you prefer. Jake has the t shirt video where he compares several brands so that’s a great resource. Carl Murawski’s channel also has a few videos on “Good, Better, Best” for a few different categories of apparel, so that might also be worth checking out.

[@tomeralef2116]

Great video, on the higher tier I think kings boots could also be considered along side fp, I have both and the stitching/finishing/clicking/qc is absolutely flawless on both

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yes you are right. I think they would be in that same category

[@VivekSingh-hy1dk]

Good stuff! Need video on cowboy boots too

[@almostvintagestyle]

Yeah I need some cowboy boots first though haha

[@danielchen1813]

🎉🎉

[@miguelb911]

SoCal weather is not boot weather. You need to trade all them boots for flip flops.

[@michaeledwardlenzi]

Flip flops! The worst option always.

[@LeonardJasonGusilatar]

Don’t go around telling people what to do, what to want. Learn to just appreciate

[@subhasish-m]

@@LeonardJasonGusilatar lol meanwhile Jake's whole schtick is telling people what to do and what to want

[@LeonardJasonGusilatar]

@@subhasish-m he tells us what he wants what he does tho

[@almostvintagestyle]

There is no such thing as boot weather. You csn wear boots whenever you want. Also. It does get pretty cool here. People who think socal is always hot are incorrect

[@stephenbaron5681]

For a guy who doesn’t actually own any P&W boots you seem to make a lot of generalizations. Whites qualify is more work boot, Nicks is far better in the dress boot direction. Love my Waco boots. You failed to mention Sagara which make extremely high quality and sizing was spot on spider boy.

[@almostvintagestyle]

I've actually owned several pnw boots including 2 Nick's, a Wesco pair, and 2 Vibergs. I've also handled several White's boots. Your statements are incorrect in my experience.

[@almostvintagestyle]

I should have mentioned Sagara. I liked the Sagara boots I owned.