We’re starting the wind-down to 2024 strong, with two exciting Viberg pairs at Brooklyn Clothing, a second edition of the Rose Anvil x White’s Drifter, a trio of Color 8 shell at Alden Madison, and more, in this week’s Shoes ‘n’ Boots of the Week.
Previous roundups can be found here.
Brooklyn Clothing x Viberg 2040 Service Boot in Horween Wheat Predator Roughout: $794
Horween’s Predator is a hot-stuffed and heavily veg-retanned boot leather, and Brooklyn Clothing’s latest Viberg collaboration lets you have your choice of grain-out or roughout. The roughout model is a 2040 service boot with an (unstructured) cap-toe, a fully gusseted Wheat Predator tongue, and brass hardware on the ever trusty stitchdown construction and a commando sole.
Brooklyn Clothing x Viberg 2030 Service Boot BCT in Horween Wheat Predator: $820
The grain-out option is brogued (and structured) cap toe service boot with nine antique brass eyelets on the 2030 last. To match the sleeker, almond-toed last, the model is built out on a dainite sole instead of (subtly) studded ridgeway. Like the roughout model, it’s anchored by Viberg’s double row stitchdown construction.
Rose Anvil x White’s Drifter 2.0 in Black Double Shot: $650 (Made to Order)
The Drifter 2.0 is the “Bad Guy Boot” sequel to last year’s Drifter, which was dreamed up as a versatile and utilitarian boot that was western-inspired but didn’t make you look like you’d just held up a rodeo. Both use White’s hand-sewn stitchdown construction and 4811 Smokejumper last, which is higher arched and tighter fitting than the 55 last used on most of White’s casual boots. They’re paired with a Vibram 430 mini-lug, and on the 2.0, Black Seidel Double shot uppers in place of the 1.0’s Red Dog, along with black edge dye, black hardware, and even black sole stitching, along with a DIY pocket kit in matching black Double Shot from the Rose Anvil workshop. You can check out Weston talking about the boots here.
White’s Springdale in Burgundy Double Shot: $380
White’s C461 wasn’t always an easy last to come by. The sprung toe last, popular with the Japanese market, has generally been restricted to White’s Oxford pattern and to fully custom orders. That changes with the release of the Springdale, which is notable for a variety of other reasons, not least of which is the fact that it’s available in stock. In recent years, high demand and a shortage of bootmakers has driven up lead times across the Pacific Northwest, and White’s is no exception, but a Goodyear welted construction means the Springdale can bypass the bottleneck. From the last out (and the welt up) it’s a plain toed service boot on Christy wedge, available in a variety of Seidel leathers: various shades of Double Shot, including Burgundy…
White’s Springdale in Natural Double Shot: $380
…and Natural…
White’s Springdale in Tobacco Stampede: $380
…as well as Tobacco Stampede.
Limmer Ultralight in Grey Nubuck: $475 (Preorder)
Limmer is an old micro-brand that’s been cranking out some of the world’s great hiking footwear for the last hundred odd years (though they’re far from done evolving). At the moment, they have a new run of their Ultralight Boots in transit from their German partner factory Meindl. The Ultralight construction uses a 3.5mm leather insole on top of a full length nylon/fiberglass shank and a low profile composite rocker midsole/lugged outsole combo from Vibram. All of Limmer’s boots use a Norwegian construction, and here it sits underneath a 2.8mm grey Nubuck upper and a padded collar.
Russell Moccasin Pecos Backcountry Premier Build in Pecos Gaucho: $685 (Made to Order)
Russell’s steady expansion of its premier build line of MTO boots continued this week with the addition of a new backcountry model in Pecos Gaucho Leather, a water and abrasion resistant chamois. Like other Backcountry models it’s built with Russell’s double vamp construction (vamp + moulded sole) on a Vibram Roccia lug sole with a five eyelet/three speedhook hardware configuration.
Russell Moccasin Pecos South 40 Bird Shooter in Pecos Gaucho Leather: $725
Another Russell in Pecos chamois dropped alongside the Backcountry, and in stock South 40 Bird Shooter. It’s a boot that’s about as overbuilt as Russell makes them—the 10″ pattern on a triple-vamp construction conceals a heel counter (most Russells don’t have one), with a low profile but very-luggy Vibram 360-Force sole. If one was trying to find a boot that is to the South and Midwest what V100 Loggers are to the Pacific Northwest, this would definitely be in the running.
Alden Atom Blucher in Color 8 Shell Cordovan: $904
Alden Madison just unveiled a trio of new models spanning a range of patterns, which share a split-reverse welt, commando half sole, and Color 8 Shell uppers. The atom blucher model combines that platform with pinking and quadruple stitching on the upper panels and cap toe, all build around the Leydon last…
Alden Saddle Oxford in Color 8 Shell Cordovan: $904
The Saddle Oxford uses the monochrome shell on an appropriately sleek, Barrie lasted saddle shoe pattern, preserving some of the flair of traditional saddle shoes while remaining much more approachable than the traditional black-on-white contrast paneling. Brogueing abounds!
Alden Cap Toe Boot in Color 8 Shell Cordovan: $920
Also on the Barrie last is a sleek but sturdy looking Cap Toe Boot, and with the way Alden pattern’s their quarters that means plenty of uninterrupted surface area for some mirror level shell-shine. The whole trio is available in stock.