Nick's x Vermilyea Pelle boot in Teak Rambler

Album There are some bonus shots with my Viberg Scout Boots on the 2030 last and my Tricker's in Box Calf.

I've wanted a pair of Nick's x VP boots for a while, but I wasn't really into waiting 3 - 4 months. That's a shame, because the Nick's x VP Roughout boots are beautiful. And they still might not be off the table for me (though I won't be acquiring them anytime soon). So when I found out Dustin had some of these Teak Rambler boots ready to ship, I jumped at the opportunity.

I'm not an expert (and I'm quite lazy), so here's what I've got to share:

Purchase and Delivery These were $470 shipped and they took about a week to arrive. They came in a Nick's box, with no real aplomb or swag. That's fine by me, personally.

Leather This is what Dustin is calling Teak Rambler. It's a split suede from C.F. Stead in England. From what I've gathered, C.F. Stead focuses on suede, mainly. This is what Bobman955 reported back from Dustin on Teak Rambler:

The CF Stead is a split leather but might be tougher/more durable than waxed flesh. Its a shrunken tanned leather so the fiber structure is VERY tight. Cxl is trimmed very easily with leather shears but the CF Stead give quite a bit more resistance when cutting because of the different tanning method. It is a 4/5oz leather so it will need to have Nicks standard lining in the vamp and the blutcher (full lined).

I certainly wanted a waxed flesh boot, but the timing didn't seem to line up and these looked plenty interesting and similar enough to warrant a purchase. Upon purchasing, I can say that the leather is tough, but not overly so. I haven't handled waxed flesh, so I can't really compare the two.

Fit I got a 9D in these. These do feel a bit tight, width-wise, as others have mentioned, so it's important to be aware of your Nick's sizing. I feel that my instep is a little too high, thereby screwing up the lacing. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's not ideal. Otherwise, the boots fit perfectly.

I'm a 9 UK in Tricker's boots, and a 9 on Viberg's 2030 last. I think it's possible to squeeze into an 8.5 on Viberg's 2030, but the 9 fits fine with thick socks.

Heel, Sole, and Tongue The heel is a Quabaug heel, which appears to be sturdy, but I've not had too much experience with them.

The sole is a Vibram 700 V-Bar sole, which is decent for winter but nowhere close to ideal. It'll work for most days, however.

The tongue is black and I'm unsure of the type of leather it's made of-- Dustin doesn't list the provenance of the tongue on his webpage.

Concerns and Impressions

The only real concern I have is the issue with my instep. This is likely the reason why it's more difficult to get these on my feet, as well. I think a heel tab would have been very useful on these, though not as aesthetically pleasing.

Overall, I'm really happy with the Teak Ramblers and I can't wait to see how they age!