Wesco and Chippewa Engineer Boots

My partner had a good day on Wednesday and was able to go to his office for a few hours, which gave me a few unexpected free hours. I decided to make a video during that time. I can't make videos when my partner is at home, as he has a low opinion about YouTube and videos in general.

In response to a request, on my new video, I discussed my opinions (based on experience) about the similarities and differences between Wesco "Boss" engineer boots and Chippewa engineer boots -- both the tall and short versions of each.

For your convenience, the video appears below. Watch, learn, and enjoy!

Leather Gear Guide for Bikers

As readers of this blog know, I am a biker -- I ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I've been riding for some 30 years.

I also enjoy wearing leather. The motorcycle was the inspiration for getting a lot of my gear, and as I have aged and settled down, most of my leather these days is worn for protection and style while riding, not for fetish interests.

I have received inquiries about my recommendations about various items of leather gear for bikers. I decided to take my "Guide to (fetish) Leather Gear" and create one specifically for (straight) bikers. I left the fetish stuff out and wrote more about the design and function of leather that bikers may choose to buy and wear.

The full Guide to Biker Leather Gear is here.

I cover topics including:

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Replacement Wesco Boots?

Last week, I sold a pair of tall black Wesco harness boots. Those boots were very good-looking, and I liked them a lot. I received a lot of compliments on them when I wore them. However, they did not fit me any more and I agreed with my partner's assessment that keeping them would not be a good idea, as they would collect dust and make me feel sad because I couldn't wear them.

The boots sold at auction for a great price -- more than I paid for them originally. A couple people noticed that and sent me a message asking if I would replace them with a new pair, especially since the prices for Wesco boots are going up on April 1.

My reply?

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Justin Brands is Like General Motors? What?

Someone sent me an email recently that said:

First, let me say I love your reviews and videos on the various boots. Keep up the good work! I wanted to get your opinion on Chippewa's harness boots.

I was in a store today and almost bought a pair, but couldn't decide between the black or the bison.

The quality seemed to be good, but I notice on the box that they are now a division of Justin boots. Do you think they are still a good choice, or would Wesco be better in the long run?

I understand his concern. Within the last decade, we have seen some major boot brands leave the United States and source bootmaking by whatever methods and companies can do it cheaper, while simultaneously increasing the profit margin for the label owner.

Here is what I said in my reply...

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Amusing Internet Searches

Every now and then, I look at internet searches that bring visitors to my website. Here are some of the more recent and amusing searches. Some I can answer, some I cannot, and one -- I haven't a clue. Here goes:

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Evidence: Harley Riders' Footwear

The following images were taken from a photo that I took of a group of men and women who I went on a motorcycle ride with recently. These guys ride regularly and belong to the same group that I do. We ride together often (as often as my schedule permits, anyway.)

This proves beyond doubt that real bikers wear boots. See any sneakers? No? End of story.

Life is short: wear motorcycle boots when you operate a motorcycle.

What boots did I wear? I wore my Wesco combat boots for a little different style. Too bad the leather BDUs inflated with air and look kinda puffy. But the BDUs bloused into the boots looked and felt great while riding.

What To Wear When Riding a Harley Part III

To continue with this short series of posts about what to wear when riding a Harley (or any other brand of motorcycle), let me continue a little bit more about the boots part of the rider's attire.

My most recent blog post described why wearing boots is important, and talked about various kinds of motorcycle boots out there. The post before that discussed gear like jackets.

What I did not communicate much about is why boots are so much better than sneakers (trainers).

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What To Wear When Riding a Harley Part II

A couple days ago, I began this short series of posts on this blog with a posting on "what to wear when riding a Harley." I shared my observations that most guys who ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles dress the same way that other motorcycle riders do (for the most part... there are a few exceptions for motorcycle racers, dirt-bike riders, and kids who ride sport bikes), but I was referring to clothing and gear worn while operating a motorcycle on the street.

As promised, this post is about what to wear on your feet when riding a Harley (or any other motorcycle.)

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Wesco Boots -- Differences Between Harness and Engineer Styles?

I received the following inquiry about Wesco boots, requesting to know if there is any difference between the harness or engineer style of Wesco boots. I thought this was interesting, so I posted the question and my answer here.

You have informative videos regarding boots. There are two things I don't skimp on; firearms and footwear. I am new to the sport of motorcycling and decided on Wesco boots and so I am wondering for riding comfort, would you recommend the engineer or harness? For the costs, I would like to know if there are any differences or not.

My reply?

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Lern 2 rite

I received the following message via the hotboots website:

how many pairs of boots do u onw, i own about 7, i wonder if u can send me some pics of ur favs to my email?

How did I respond?

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Should I Wear Boots on a Motorcycle

These questions persist, and bring visitors to this blog and to the motorcycle boot section of my website.

Here goes, courtesy of google again:

"Should I Wear Boots on a Motorcycle?"

Answer?

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How to Wear Boots Untied

While I prefer boots that pull on or zip closed, I have some boots in my collection that have laces, and require tying. Boots with laces have a very rugged, masculine appearance -- provided they are worn correctly (that is, laced up and tied.)

But there goes Google again, directing a visitor to my website. The visitor entered the question, "how to wear boots untied for men."

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Best of Motorcycle Boots By Style

I ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and I always wear motorcycle boots while riding (never sneakers). I own a lot of different styles of motorcycle boots, and have worn all of them (one pair at a time LOL!) while riding.

Following is my opinion of the best motorcycle boots of each of these styles: engineer boots, harness boots, "shortie" or tactical boots, and patrol boots.

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Maintaining Shiny Boot Shine

One would think that with the extensive boot collection that I have, I may spend a lot of time shining them. Actually, I don't. Most of my boots are worn "as is" and perhaps the boots show a little dirt. To me, that is "character."

However, some boots are made to shine and be kept shiny -- Chippewa "High-Shines" and All American Patrol Boots are some examples. How do I maintain the shine on these boots -- especially if I don't have much time (or like to spend time) shining them?

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Wesco Boots -- Discount!

This post has been removed. The content on it is outdated and the discount referenced is no longer available.

Breaking In New Boots?

Was Santa good to you and brought you a new pair of boots?  Perhaps you're not accustomed to wearing boots that often, and want to know how to break them in?  Take some simple tips from a guy who has been wearing boots for well over 40 years as his exclusive form of footwear....

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Boots Make the Man

This is an expression in the boot community, "Boots Make the Man." There are various explanations of where it came from and who said it first. Regardless, I agree with it. When a man stands tall and proudly in a pair of tough, masculine boots, his confidence is evident.

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Stompers Boots Discount Code

This post has been removed. The content is out of date and the discount has been discontinued.

Not All Harness Boots Are the Same

A new pair of Double H Harness boots came into my life recently. These boots are pictured here on the right, next to a pair of favorite Chippewa Harness boots.

While both manufacturers make the boots in the USA, that is about the end of what they have in common (besides general design).

What are the differences that would affect a purchase choice?

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Comfort Rating of Boots

Those who have studied my cowboy boot collection or my motorcycle boot collection have noticed that I rate each pair of boots for their comfort (C), look/appearance (L), and for cowboy boots, how they sound (S).

Recently, I received an email about my "C" -- comfort -- rating. The question was:

I wanted to know about the C rating you have. When a boot has a low C rating, what makes them hard to wear for long periods? What gets uncomfortable about the boot? Is it they are too stiff? Too hard on the bottom of your feet? The insides are too rough (unfinished leather)? Just curious about your rating system as I am looking for comfortable boots that can be worn for a while without the torture!

My response:

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