Source
r/goodyearwelt•
casterfield

Viberg Service Boots in French Calf (Sample Sale)

So I decided to get on the Viberg hype train and see what all the fuss was about. I'm still a student, with limited funds, so the Sample Sale was the right route for me to explore Viberg as a brand. And at $400 (plus $25 shipping), the price was right.

I got the Service Boots in French Calf, however, so I don't think it's a boot that is entirely representative of what Viberg is about. But I still came away impressed with Viberg's quality and will certainly consider purchasing another boot in the future.

Here are the photos (sorry for the poor quality)

I've broken down my review into separate sections for ease of reading:

Defects

Viberg said that the defect was a glue stain on the left vamp of the right boot. It's easy to spot, and it's a bit of a bummer to have on calf, but it's not that big of a deal. And I've found no other defects on the boot, so I'm happy to have gotten off relatively lucky!

Leather and Last

The French Calf here is gorgeous. It's a beautiful color, which I definitely do find versatile. However, it's calf. It's a dressy leather, so there are concerns it may be difficult to pull off.

In addition, it's not exactly on the sleekest last that Viberg offers: the 2030. I think the 2030 last would have been a better choice for the French Calf, as it would be easier to wear it in a dressier fashion, but I enjoy the shape of the 1045 last. It's a nice round toe with plenty of room in the toebox. And I'm sort of a #menswear person, so I think I have what it takes to wear a hybrid workboot/dressboot. Haha.

Eyelets

There are 10 eyelets on the boot, which are too many, in my opinion. I mean, aesthetically, it's a pleasing sight, but I have found it difficult to get the boot on and off. It basically requires me to unlace the boot down to the 4th or 5th eyelet. So, if anyone has a better lacing style for me, I'm all ears!

Leather Sole and Dainite Heel

I really enjoy the dainite heel. On the other hand, I generally dislike leather soles on boots. I will say that the leather sole feels really substantial, but I will probably still end up getting them topied in the near future.

Concerns and Impressions

I'm mainly concerned with the lacing style and difficulty getting the boot on and off. I'm also concerned about how it will hold up in adverse weather conditions. I did wear it outside during some light rain yesterday, but I'm wondering if this is going to be a pair that I'll be putting away for half the year.

Concerns aside, I will say that I am absolutely satisfied with my purchase. I likely would have chosen the Natural Essex Service Boot over this pair, but I'm very happy with it. Having said that, I don't think I would purchase a Viberg boot in French Calf for full retail ($750), so $425 seems right to me. I would consider, however, paying full retail for a boot that possesses all of the characteristics I want.

Posted Aug 21, 2014, 6:31 AM UTC · edited

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burratacheesealden:rancourt:quoddy•

Looks great. I always love the way a tan calf skin looks with dark jeans.

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CordrotoViberg,Tricker's, NEOC, Alden, Rider•

These look great, love the color of French calf. I noticed that both colors of French calf have 10 eyelets. I wonder why they chose that for this leather?

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

Oops, I said there were 9 eyelets in my review! But yeah, there are 10 eyelets on it and it's just too many. It's really been quite a pain getting them on and off.

I will say that I like the look of it once they're on. I just find this aesthetic quality to come at the expense of convenience.

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300andWhatQuoddy Ugg Moc•

a bit off topic, but thats a really weird selvedge seam on your jeans

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

Haha. Weird in its placement or just the selvedge line itself?

I got them hemmed recently and I regret it. They're probably too short to truly cuff. But habits die hard!

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300andWhatQuoddy Ugg Moc•

more, it looks a bit ironed on, like what gap and I think uniqlo tried to pull off on pants that weren't actually selvedge haha

who makes these?

but it might be just me

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

Ah interesting. These are the Bloke jeans from Rising Sun, they're a small denim shop from LA. They make all their clothing in-store, so it's awesome to go see them working on it.

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300andWhatQuoddy Ugg Moc•

oo ok, that might explain it, it's just a very unique stitch line! coolio!

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CalgaryRichardI love Chelsea Boots•

We have a stocklist for Rising Sun here in Calgary. They seem like a cool little outfit from what I have seen. What are your thoughts about the jeans?

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Neurophil9.5D, LLBean, Rancourt, RW, Rider, Meermin, Frye, need mo' shoes•

the uniqlo selvedge is not false, it's true selvedge.

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[deleted]•

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glyoung10D/E - Vass, C&J, EG, AE•

Unless you're really strapped for cash, in which a hobby like this is probably not financially feasible to jump into yet, it's really about how compartmentalize and prioritize your spending habits. If you are really keen on owning a pair of $400 boots, create a savings plan for it. $40 a month for 10 months, which is $10 a week, give or take. Just cut down on 1 cocktail a week when you go out drinking/ordering delivery or however you make random purchases.

At the end of your goal, you'll have the $400. Then you'll just have to make the difficult choice of whether to put that towards the shoes versus paying off loans/books.

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

I should note that I'm a grad student (in law school), so I spent some time working before school. That means I have some funds saved up. Also, my expenses are fairly low, with loans and a scholarship and being in a city where you can get some decent value for your money.

Now, does that mean I should buy the types of shoes that I buy? Probably not. Haha. But I make it work.

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

Haha. You're absolutely right. I'm applying for firm jobs, and that will help me sustain my hobby, though I plan on going on a cop freeze now. I sort of have all the shoes I want at the moment, so hopefully I don't venture out into the world of St. Crispins or anything else!

And thanks for the recommendation for personal finance. I'll definitely check it out.

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Love_to_run•

Everyone's circumstances are different, but the answer is that if you have an interest in something, you'll either budget for it/work a few more hours/eat out for a few less meals/skip a few other purchases or whatever to afford it.

Also, just because someone is a student doesn't mean they are broke, even if they say limited funds, that could just mean they are limiting how much they spend.

And last, your final sentence is a great example of varying circumstances. One person may say the same thing about RW or wolverines for $150, that as a student that seems too much, but while everyone's financial situation is different, we usually like to apply the same rules to them as we do to ourselves.

TL;DR :

but what kind of income/support do you have that you can afford $400 boots.

decent jobs/scholarships/parents/gifts/credit cards/savings/etc

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Love_to_run•

but there aren't many circumstances where incuring $400 in debt for something like the Viberg boots makes good financial sense.

Except no where did OP say he was incurring debt for the purchase.

I didn't mean to come into this thread to argue, but unsolicited advice over spending habits just rubs me the wrong way, especially when you start linking to a personal finance sub as if he might learn something

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OhanianIsACreep•

FWIW I'm a student and get paid for it, albeit not much. My partner makes the $$$

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OhanianIsACreep•

its called mommy and daddy!

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LIMBERLION•

I just got mine. Do yours squeak when you walk? My tongue rubs against the eyelet part and makes a squeaking sound. Also totally agree with the ten eyelets looking sweet but being very inefficient

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casterfieldOPNorthampton 4Ever•

I've not noticed that, but I normally walk around the city while listening to music. I'll listen for it, though. And I hope that the squeaking ends soon for you!

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