Taylor Stitch Trench Boots - Whiskey Eagle Review

Album: https://imgur.com/gallery/PBDTMiH

I recently picked up these boots during the Taylor Stitch Cyber Monday sale. They were 30% off, so all said and done they were right around $250.

I had some questions about sizing, especially after finding out I wear a size 9 in Red Wings heritage boots vs a size 10 in most other boots (Thorogood, Dr. Martens, etc), so I chatted with one of their customer service people who recommended a 9.5. I realized these were definitely too small when I tried them on, so I exchanged them for a 10 (their exchange system was really smooth and easy, and they shipped out the new size before I even shipped the 9.5's back which was greatly appreciated).

I am no shoe expert, but I can compare them to my Red Wing Harvesters and my Thorogood steel toes. My initial impression is that they are a good quality boot. I haven't noticed any loose threads or asymmetry to the shoes or anything like that. The only things I have noticed is that the welt seam is not the cleanest, and that there are a couple nicks along the very top of the show where it meets the liner - neither of which you can notice when wearing them. The leather is a little thinner than both of my other boots, but those are both fairly heavy duty.

As far as style/appearance goes, the leather is a little lighter than I was expecting based on the on-line pictures - more of a honey color than a rusty medium brown. It looks really nice in person though, and after only walking a hundred feet or so, it is already showing the typical wear marks. Most of the other details checked all of the boxes I was looking for - speed hooks (although 3 would be better than 2), pull loop in back, mini-lug sole, and contrasting waxed cotton laces.

The one part of the design that I am a little caught up on is the welt. It is both much lighter and a little larger than I expected, at least compared to my Red Wings. The size isn't a big deal, but it is noticeable in one of the pictures, and I have found that I do like the Red Wing 270 degree welt a little more. I wasn't expecting quite the color contrast of the welt though. I was thinking of applying some mink oil just along the welt to see if it darkes a little bit. I'm guessing it will darken a little over time though.

Other details to mention...the sole is quite stiff out of the box compared to my Red Wings, but it will probably loosen over time. Also, they are on the shorter side of a 6" boot, only going up to my ankle but not above. Lastly, the insole feels pretty comfortable too. We'll see how it feels long term compared to the flatter, less cushioned Red Wings.

Overall, the boots look and feel nice. At $250 they seem like a good deal for a quality boot. I would most likely return them at $350 and save a little extra up for something a little more heavy duty. RIght now it's 90% that I'll keep them, but am open to advice on the welt coloring.