This week, and without further ado, we eagerly bring you 2024’s first Super-Mega-Roundup, featuring eighteen boots, including handful of brand new models and other firsts—all we ask is that you read it yourself to decide if those extra adjectives were worth the nine letters and two hyphens.
We’ve got some V-Day Red Wings (PinkWings?) for your bootiful solemate (nailed it), Iron Boot’s Ticho-sen One (starring our very own Shoecast Co-host Ticho The Blanco), a brand new Jim Green Heritage Boot, and entire Viberg drop, and lots more in this weeks: Super-Shoes and Boots of the Megaweek!
Check out every roundup ever here.
[Ed Note: while we never choose anything specifically because of them, some of these recommendations contain affiliate links—the price is the same for you, but Stitchdown gets a small commission if you make a purchase. It’s essential to keeping the site alive, so we really, really appreciate it.]
Caswell Carver II Lace to Toe Boot in Wickett & Craig Chestnut Oiled Latigo: $370
Kevin Wilson’s brand Caswell has been driving in an impressive number of directions over the last few years, but to the LTT lovers over here, none may be more crucial than the Carver II. Kevin ran a sample a while back, took feedback, went back into the lab, and laid out a slightly sleeker-than-usual lace-to-toe boot in a Wickett & Craig latigo leather that suits the rugged, logger-inspired pattern. Fantastic work on this one, and can’t wait to see more.
Iron Boots Tichosen One in SB Foot Roughout: $575 (Made to Order)
Shoecast co-host Tichoblanco’s fantastically named Chosen One in S.B. Foot roughout is open for MTO orders, tricked out with your choice of brogued, un-brogued, or absent cap toe, structured or unstructured toe, and all eyelets or 4/3-eyelets/speedhooks. These use the softer construction that Iron Boots pioneered, with felt filler in place of cork and a leather shank in place of steel, with 270˚ handsewn stitchdown construction.
Viberg 2030 Chelsea in Dark Olive Janus Calf Suede: $1,000
Viberg’s second release in their Spring/Summer ’24 collection just dropped, and it’s full of great calf and some top-notch Chelseas which—like this Janus Calf Suede model—utilize the 2030 service boot last instead of the more typical 2050 high instep last, and we’re a fan of the silhouette. The outsole is brown Lactae Hevea, and there’s a 360˚ scalloped welt that almost disappears into the uppers.
Viberg 2030 Chelsea in Gobi Regency Calf: $900
We’ve got back to back Chelsea spotlights, because these releases have been really strong—the second is in dark brown Gobi Regency Calf, with a contrasting natural scalloped welt (360˚) and tan goring and pull tabs on a Ridgeway outsole.
Viberg Halkett Boot in Rawhide Waxy Commander: $900
Okay, finally some laces: These Halkett boots, with their dressy blind eyelets and french bound quarters, look really cool in scuff-happy Rawhide Waxy Commander. They have a 360˚ split welt and a Dainite outsole.
You can check out the rest of the collection here.
Viberg 2040 Service Boot in Brown Nut Cypress:$880
Viberg’s also been putting out some one-offs. We’ll let Phil from Ashland (who makes some excellent wallets out of the stuff) explain Horween’s Cypress: “a full grain, drum-dyed, vegetable retanned leather finished with a tough wax coat and intense grain character.” Thanks Phil! This is from us: Viberg’s broad-toeboxed 2040 last and brogued cap toe that chonks things up even more works just wonderfully with a Dr. Sole Supergrip half-sole, making for a lightly tamed beast of a boot.
Viberg 2030 Service Boot in English Tan Cypress: $880
The sleeker but still half-soled 2030-last Cypress brethren is a handful of ticks lighter in shade, and should provide an excellent patina canvas.
Viberg 145 Oxford in Brown Waxed Flesh: $800
The most recent limited release from Viberg is a combo of two reliable classics: Horween’s Brown Waxed Flesh and Viberg’s chunky 145 Oxford (yes, the 110 last is a triple E), fitted out with the appropriately chonkmaxxing Vibram 2021 wedge and double row stitchdown. The coffee hardware matches the upper, leaving the contrast to the glorious waxed flesh knap that’ll show up when these start to take a beating, which is pretty much what these are built for. Size 8 left only!!
Viberg Service Boot 2040 in Brown Waxed Flesh: $880
If thats just not enough waxed flesh (we get it), Viberg’s also got some new plain toed 2040’s on Dr. Sole half soles and heels. The #2 eyelets are on the finer side of Viberg’s spectrum, and balance out the chunkier last and half-sole combo. Another nice touch: the contrast semi-gusset tongues in brown Chromexcel.
Jim Green Numzaan Boot in Walnut Veg Tan: $249
South Africa’s Jim Green has been stalwart supplier of affordable work boots since they hit the U.S. market. This week, they dropped their first heritage boot, the Numzaan. The uppers are 2.2mm veg-tan, with a leather lasting board and midsole, and a steel shank. There are two proprietary options in the outsole department—a unit lug and a chevron tread design–and the construction is 360˚ stitchdown. You can get them in Walnut…
Jim Green Numzaan Boot in Natural Veg Tan: $249
…and Natural.
Division Road x White’s Boots MPM1 in CF Stead Stone Rambler: $785
It has been far too long since new White’s landed at Division Road, but they’re hitting the ground running with some reliable classics. The MP is one of the archetypal modern service boots, and the duo that just dropped are in interesting but highly wearable leathers from C.F. Stead. Take these MPM1s in Stone Rambler: a strongly textured but approachable leather with hand-sewn stitchdown construction, a Vibram mini-lug sole, and an all eyelet hardware configuration. While these are built around the MP last, they come in an E width by default. There’s also a model with identical specs…
Division Road x White’s Boots MPM1 in CF Stead Sepia Brown Buckingham: $785
…in CF Stead’s Sepia Brown Buckingham.
Parkhurst Deleware in Natural Horsebutt: $488
Parkhurst just gave a handful of their core models the Maryam Horsebutt treatment, and admittedly I’m going to be a little surprised if we don’t see one or two of these Natural Horsebutt Delawares in next years Thunderdome (which would still be an impressive feat of patience). They’re a perforated cap-toe service boot on Parkhurst’s 602M last, a combination last (with an E-width toe box) like the regular 602, but with a little extra depth and width in the toe. Then you’ve got five brass eyelets and three matching speedhooks, with a 360˚ split welt and unbranded rubber outsole with some inset lugging…
Parkhurst Deleware in Dark Brown Horsebutt: $488
…you can also get them in dark brown horsebutt. There are a couple other models (the Bidwell 2.0 derby and Allen service boot) and colors (Oliva and Asfalto) here.
Russell Moccasin Co. Zephyr in Red Maple Oil Tan: $625
When Luke Kolbie and Joe Julian took over at Russell Moccasin, they narrowed down the brand’s expansive offerings in order to keep up production and cut into their backlog. One of the core models that never left production? The Zephyr, which is also the third model to break into the newer “Premier Build” Made to Order line. Now, the ready-to-wear version in one of Russell’s core leathers, SB Foot Red Maple Oil tan, in a 9″ shaft height with handsewn, double vamp moccasin construction.
Oak Street Bootmakers Cap-Toe Field Boot in Cognac Shackleton: $536
The leather explorers Oak Street just rolled out a new waterproof Horween Tannage named for arctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, currently on use on a Trench Boot model and the Cap-Toe Field Boot shown here. Both models use a 360˚ flat welt and a Dainite outsole, on Oak Street’s Elston last. We don’t think wearing these will get you stranded on the arctic ice flows for 18 months, but if that’s something you’re worried about you can always reach out to Oak Street’s customer service and ask. At the very least you’ll have dry feet.
Oak Street Bootmakers Field Boot in Cognac Ness: $556
And last week’s limited release: a new flat-welted Field Boot decked out in Cognac Ness leather (from Badalassi, not a loch in the Scottish Highlands), a tannage that shrunken, dyed, and hand polished to produce the heavy texture that compliments the Itshide commando soles. In our humble opinion these could stay in heavy rotation a lot longer than most equivalently show-piecey leathers.
Red Wing Classic Moc in Dusty Rose Abilene: $319
The Japanese market is absolutely spoiled for choice when it comes to Red Wing Mocs, but we westerners are getting a little taste with these SB Foot Dusty Rose Abilene leather. You’ve got the standard classic moc specs: Traction Tread Wedge, full grain leather insole, 360˚ flat welt, seven nickel eyelets. It’s probably for the best that heritage brands don’t do huge, LVMH style press shoots, but damn these would look good in a pinked out Valentines day spread. You definitely don’t need to rush out and pick these up–there will always be more boots—but, for those interested, it’s worth noting that these are a limited run.