# Leather Soled Boots, was it a mistake?



## BBQ King (Nov 4, 2011)

New member, first post

I have recently returned to the Northeast after a few years living in the midsouth. I live in town and walk about town often and I am bracing for the winter yuck around the corner.

Bought a pair of Wolverine 1,000 mile Originals. Very plain, but made in the USA and seem to be good boot with jeans and other casual clothes. (I work from a home office most days so casual is typical). 

But the boots have a leather sole. When the snow comes and I wear these will I regret it? There were other lugged rubber options but they were not made in the USA (trying to support domestic manufacturing when I can). Tried to go with Redwing, but could not find the ones I wanted in stock.

Assuming this was a mistake (Leather soled boots that will be worn in the snow) what types of spray, creams, etc are there to mitigate problems? Certainly could go lugged or at least rubber down the road, but it would be cool to stick with the leather.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

Not sure what you mean by "mistake." In my travels to the Northeast, I've normally worn leather soled shoes and boots to no ill effects (mostly walking on sidewalks, streets, etc.). I would think that you'd want more serious boots for slogging through fresh or accumulated snow, though.


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## BBQ King (Nov 4, 2011)

These boots will see some modest slogging. Will this be a problem? 

I am guessing yes. Would prefer to not have 2 pairs of boots, although maybe some sort of lined rubber something or other mgith be needed (for the rain w/o liner, and snow with)


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

You can have anything from Topys to lugged half soles added over your leather soles by any competent cobbler. Personally, I think the Wolverines would look good with some Cat's Paw half soles and top lifts.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

hardline_42 said:


> You can have anything from Topy's to lugged half soles added over your leather soles by any competent cobbler. Personally, I think the Wolverines would look good with some Cat's Paw half soles and top lifts.


Good point.

I'd be inclined to leave the Wolverines as is and spend ~$100 for some Bean boots to handle the messier days.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

smujd said:


> Good point.
> 
> I'd be inclined to leave the Wolverines as is and spend ~$100 for some Bean boots to handle the messier days.


I agree with you, except that I feel like the Wolverines should have come that way from the factory. They're neither fish nor fowl in that they have a workboot aesthetic and a Munsonesque shape with a dress shoe leather sole. I know there are other popular examples of this particular combination (Indy boots being the foremost example) but I feel that it really hampers their practicality. Otherwise, I'd say leave them and get the Bean boots. In fact, I say get the half soles AND the Bean boots.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

I've been wearing all-leather boots in bad weather since I was in college in Boston the '60s. I use Mink Oil, Sno-Proof, Bear Grease or a similar product on them every few weeks during the winter. I apply it liberally with a finger, brushing it it into the space between the welt and the upper. Rub it into the welt and onto the sole for at least a cm - the instructions on some brands say to rub it into the sole as well, but I rarely do this. Wipe off the excess and let it sit overnight before buffing with a brush or clean rag. Be aware that this will darken all but the darkest leathers a bit, though. I actually like the patina it gives them - but I wouldn't use it on any color I don't want darkened at all. And it's not for suede, nubuck or roughout.

My oldest pair still in use are these Fryes that I bought in 1968 and have worn countless times in the heavy rain and snow:










and here are the rest of them - several pairs are over 25 years old:


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

^^ That's quite a collection! The Sno-Seal is a great idea, though I think the Chromexcel leather on the Wolverines does a decent job on its own. I think the OP's main concern is the durability and traction of the leather soles on slushy and salt-covered surfaces.


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## BBQ King (Nov 4, 2011)

hardline_42 said:


> ^^ That's quite a collection! The Sno-Seal is a great idea, though I think the Chromexcel leather on the Wolverines does a decent job on its own. I think the OP's main concern is the durability and traction of the leather soles on slushy and salt-covered surfaces.


You got it.

Although the various sno-seal waterproof stuff seems like a good idea as well. 
I'm going to givem' a go w/o the soles for a bit and see how it goes, but I have already found cobblers near by that do cats paw or the vibrum equivalent.

As for the second pair of boots I did not want to buy but I am starting to think I should; I think I have seen those now "in-style" rain boots (Hunters?) that can come with a furry lining. For as little as I will need use them they seem like a nice 2 for 1


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

There's a long thread on this over at Style Forum: https://www.styleforum.net/t/163864/wolverine-1000-mile-boot-review/60

Look for the postings by a man with the user name "Crane's", who both sells the boots and seems to have a hobby that consists of torturing them. He goes into great detail about how he sno-seals the boots and wears them on long hikes in the back country in the winter.

The consensus seems to be that the boots will be fine in the winter, although if you're worried, go ahead and have some rubber half-sole applied. See here as well: https://www.styleforum.net/t/163864/wolverine-1000-mile-boot-review/750

Or just do a search of posts by Crane's.

I've been in love with those boots for a while but have never pulled the trigger since ultimately they serve no place in my wardrobe. I need a dressier boot to wear to work, something like the new Allen Edmonds Dalton.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

BBQ King said:


> As for the second pair of boots I did not want to buy but I am starting to think I should; I think I have seen those now "in-style" rain boots (Hunters?) that can come with a furry lining. For as little as I will need use them they seem like a nice 2 for 1


I think that knee-high rubber boots for walking around town are a bit much. They're not comfortable for long distances, they're heavy, they don't breathe and they smell like a chemical soup (unless you get the more expensive natural rubber boots).

I do own a pair of cheap LaCrosse boots that I wear when walking the dogs in muddy fields with tall wet grass, when fishing etc. Pretty much, anytime I expect to be ankle-deep in something.

My wife, who's ship is easily tossed about by the ever-changing winds of fashion, has a pair of Le Chameau boots I bought for her that she wears any time it's cloudy out. Until Kate Middleton was recently seen sporting a pair, she often voiced her desire for them to have been Hunters instead. I'll let you draw your own conclusions .


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

hardline_42 said:


> I think the OP's main concern is the durability and traction of the leather soles on slushy and salt-covered surfaces.


The brown pair at the near right corner of the picture spent a week in the White Mountains on a ski trip, hiked the Galatin National Forest and the Beartooth Wilderness, strode Michigan Avenue in blizzard conditions, and never missed a step. They're so beaten up because they've been worn around the world from sub-zero winters to 100+ degree walking tours to days of constant rain to...

I routinely wear leather-soled boots in winter weather and haven't fallen yet. Just don't do it until the soles are worn enough to give you some traction. I've sanded the really slickly finished ones with coarse (~40 grit) sandpaper before wearing them for the first time.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

bluesman said:


> I routinely wear leather-soled boots in winter weather and haven't fallen yet. Just don't do it until the soles are worn enough to give you some traction. I've sanded the really slickly finished ones with coarse (~40 grit) sandpaper before wearing them for the first time.


You're a braver man than I, bluesman! I remember putting on my Dad's old roper boots as a kid to purposely slide down the driveway when it snowed! Sounds like you and your boots have had some great times.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

The heel is probably important for snow traction. I only have rubber risers on my boots, and I can see how leather heels could make the going treacherous. Also, most of my boots are western style and the heels are a bit higher than standard shoe heels, which also seems to aid grip in snow and slush.

Yes, I've had some great times in these! I wear a 12A, and boots simply stay on my feet better than most shoes do. My wife finally talked me into trying a pair of Italian shoes about 10 years ago, and I have to admit that she's right - the lasts are generally quite narrow, and I finally have shoes that stay on my feet and don't gap much when I walk. Even my Alden and AE 12As are a bit loose in the heel. This is why most of my boots are so old - I've been making up for lost opportunity.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

hardline_42 said:


> I think that knee-high rubber boots for walking around town are a bit much. They're not comfortable for long distances, they're heavy, they don't breathe and they smell like a chemical soup (unless you get the more expensive natural rubber boots).
> 
> I do own a pair of cheap LaCrosse boots that I wear when walking the dogs in muddy fields with tall wet grass, when fishing etc. Pretty much, anytime I expect to be ankle-deep in something.
> 
> My wife, who's ship is easily tossed about by the ever-changing winds of fashion, has a pair of Le Chameau boots I bought for her that she wears any time it's cloudy out. Until Kate Middleton was recently seen sporting a pair, she often voiced her desire for them to have been Hunters instead. I'll let you draw your own conclusions .


I was just about to post much the same. Your last paragraph actually made me laugh out loud.

Hunters are pretty cheap, low quality boots. I have a pair of Le Chameau for wet/muddy hunts. They are worth the price of entry.


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## sargeantpepper (Mar 27, 2011)

hardline_42 said:


> You can have anything from Topys to lugged half soles added over your leather soles by any competent cobbler. Personally, I think the Wolverines would look good with some Cat's Paw half soles and top lifts.


Those Cat's Paws are the bee's knees :smile:


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## Angeland (Aug 24, 2011)

I passed on the Wolverine 1000 mile boot as a traveling shoe, opting instead for the Red Wing Beckman chukka, for the very concerns informing the OP's question. I have found that a leather sole doesn't give enough traction if one has to walk in snow, sand, or marshy ground. The Beckman has a commando sole (combination of leather and mini-lug), which makes it much more viable if you are asking the shoe to perform in tougher conditions while still looking sufficiently dressy.

The suggestions to modify the sole are, to my mind, perhaps throwing one kind of good money after another kind of good money and potentially resulting in something bad. The 1000 Mile boot is not a mistake but a great versatile boot for mostly urban situations. Modifying it may, however, be a mistake. It is an expensive boot but not a particularly expensive boot, and the OP might consider if he isn't better off simply buying another $300 boot rather than dropping at least 100 bucks or more into trying to make the 1000 Mile boot something it's not (and potentially sacrificing the dressiness that makes it so versatile). You can get an AE Malvern with a Danite sole for $300 or so, and the Beckman costs about that, too. Alden of Carmel is famous for making popular Alden models with a commando sole, but at a higher pricepoint. White's semi-dress are also more versatile, and about as expensive as the Alden variants.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

I would not wear leather soled shoes in snow. Traction is horrible and snow proofing them is a lot of extra work, and not foolproof. Slippage on ice will be a problem.

Also, I would view using leather soled boots in snow (not in the city) as some sort of fashion statement rather than something remotely functional.

Also, leather does not provide enough thermal insulation from ground cold. Leather soled boots in cold or wet or muddy weather is just a horrible idea, with lots of chances for mishaps, added maintenance and very limited returns.

Lundhags sells some very competent winter boots. Not sure if they retail in the US. They have a webpage at www.lundhags.se. Boots built similarly to those are what you should be looking for, IMO.

I have some Maine hunting shoes from ll bean that work well for slush, and with a thicker sock work ok for weather around the freezing point. Below that I would opt for real winter boots.


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## Walter Denton (Sep 11, 2011)

For under $200 you might consider a waterproof leather Paddock boot from Ariat or Grand Prix. Such as these: *
*They are meant for riders but my wife swears by them for walking in the winter up here where we typically get over 65 inches of snow each winter. They have rubber soles, a cap toe and a bit of a heel. When I'm walking about on the ice and snow I don't worry so much about fashion and usually wear vibram soled, Gore-Tex hiking boots unless I happen to be in deeper snow in which case I wear Sorels. I really don't like leather soles on ice. When going to work I seldom encounter ice and deep snow so I can wear my normal dress shoes.


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## BBQ King (Nov 4, 2011)

Wow, an outpouring of "boot-thoughtfulness" (TM).

Many of the suggestions were considerations but I usually do not buy unless I can try on and even here in Philly many of the styles mentioned were not in stock. (I bought one pair of Church's without trying on, it worked out but I do not like living so dangerously).

The 1000 miles have seen the pavement and are not returnable at this point. 

Let's see what the weather is like here this winter and maybe some thin rubber additions will be needed. Although leather soles are not ideal, it seems there is some modest ability to handle some light winter yuck. The various "cheaper" rain/snow options seem like a worthwhile investment.


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