These are hands down my favourite pair of Docs I own and I just wanted to share this.

Picked these up while thrifting for literally 20 NZD and I honestly couldn’t believe what I was looking at when I noticed the made in NZ stamp inside. At first I just thought they were a cool vintage brown pair of 1461s, but after doing a heap of digging online I realised they’re actually a pretty unique part of Dr. Martens history.

These are Dr. Martens “College by Accent” 1461s, produced sometime between ‘80s to mid ‘90s (not 100% sure on the exact year). What makes them special is that they were the first Dr. Martens ever manufactured outside of the UK.

The crazy part to me is that they were made in New Zealand, specifically in Dunedin - my hometown.

From what I could find, the Accent Group obtained the rights from Dr. Martens to manufacture them locally out of Dunedin during the late ‘80s to mid ‘90s. They’re still genuine licensed Docs and seem to have become pretty impossible to find (at least online where I’ve looked. I’ve read that the NZ-made pairs are rated really highly because of the leather quality and overall construction.

Honestly, finding out these came from my own hometown made me appreciate them way more. Dunedin’s got a pretty strong history with manufacturing and old-school craftsmanship (but young to the rest of the world lol), so it’s cool knowing a small piece of Dr. Martens history happened in NZ of all places.

The leather on these is insanely nice too. They’ve got that worn-in look without being trashed, and they feel super solid compared to a lot of newer leather shoes I have. I took them to a cobbler and the soles still have heaps of life left in them and even the original markings are still visible underneath. I love all the little details like the old “College by Accent” branding and the translucent brown sole.

I also just think the colour is unreal. You don’t really see many vintage Docs in this shade of brown, especially not 1461s with this sort of shape and age. They look even better in person than in photos.

I’m definitely keeping these forever. Even if they aren’t worth anything, the combination of the history behind them and being made in my hometown makes them one of the coolest thrift finds I’ve ever had.

Also still can’t get over the fact these were sitting in a thrift store for 20 bucks lol.

Lace to toe, made to measure.
Navy vegetable tanned leather, grain and flesh side from the same hide.

I am a bootmaker based in Potsdam, Germany, about 15 minutes from Berlin. I build made to measure boots one pair at a time, everything by hand. This is a recently completed commission for a client in the United States.
The leather
The upper is a single hide from Conceria Lo Stivale in Tuscany, Italy. Lo Stivale is a member of the Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana, a consortium of Tuscan tanneries founded in 1994 to protect and preserve traditional vegetable tanning methods. The leather is full grain, full vegetable tanned using natural tannins from bark and plants. The process takes months, not hours.
The two tone effect is not two different leathers. It is the same hide used on both sides. The shaft is grain side out, smooth and slightly glossy with a deep navy colour. The vamp is flesh side out, the same leather turned around to expose the corium. The roughout surface is napped, matte, and reads as a cooler blue grey depending on the light. Same hide, same tannery, two completely different visual and tactile surfaces.
This is one of the things I find most interesting about working with high quality full grain vegetable tanned leather. The two sides behave differently, age differently, and take polish and conditioning differently. Over time the roughout vamp will develop its own character completely distinct from the smooth shaft above it.
The construction
The boot is built on a made to measure last, shaped to the client’s foot measurements. The fit is not approximated from a standard size. Every measurement taken, every allowance calculated individually.
The construction is Goodyear welted. The welt runs the full circumference of the boot, stitched through the upper, insole, and welt in one pass. The outsole is then stitched to the welt separately. This means the boot can be resoled multiple times without touching the upper. A well maintained pair built this way can last decades.
The sole
Cream DuraSole Super Grip from Dr. Sole. The cream colour was a deliberate choice to complement the natural leather welt and the overall cool blue tone of the upper. A dark sole would have grounded the boot differently. The cream keeps it light and ties back to the natural leather stack heel visible in the side profile.
The details
Solid brass eyelets throughout. Taupe waxed laces. Natural leather lining and collar, visible at the top of the shaft. White contrast stitching along the seams and welt. The stitching picks up the cream sole and creates a visual line that runs the full length of the boot.
This commission took approximately six months from deposit to delivery, which is standard lead time for my work.

Full album

I couldn't pass up this latest Viberg release, despite the insane price at $1,345. I know, I'm part of the problem. I know this isn't worthy of the price tag, and I'll explain why. But Horween Rowdy is one of my absolute favorite looking leather tannages ever.

Viberg has used this leather a few times years prior, always in the "Dachshund" color. It's a combination tanned, very waxy leather that is thin. Therefore, this is fully lined and has no gusseted tongue. According to the Horween tannages list, Rowdy is fat liquored, mill dyed, and vacuum dried. It looks even crazier than Cypress, which I included a few comparison photos of near the end. Very veiny looking with a somewhat loose break like Cypress, which I like here. Lots of pullup. It doesn't have a particularly unique smell.

So I now have my two favorite leathers ever used on the Viberg 310 (which is also my favorite Viberg boot), but unfortunately, both are on the recent, botched pattern. Photo #12 illustrates the problem - misaligned facings, which also come closer together than they should. This is far from a dress boot, we don't need really close facings like on the Navvy. I feel like the 310 peaked in 2023-2024.

The other big issue with this $1,345 boot is the deep gash highlighted in photo #3. This cow must have lived a rowdy life indeed. Leather that damaged should be sold as seconds. You don't even see clicking this bad on Thursday Boots. Viberg seems determined to use every bit of the Rowdy they got for this release.

Photo #6 also shows some wonky edge beveling on the heels - I'm nitpicking here, but for $1,345, the finishing quality of Viberg has fallen considerably behind some less expensive brands like Crockett & Jones.

I also don't quite understand Viberg's outsole selection. The 310 is the least formal, most casual looking service boot, yet it gets the dressiest outsole out of all of them - the Dainite studded half sole. Yet the dressiest, most "refined" service boot - the 2030 - gets the chunkiest, least dressy outsole - the Dainite Ridgeway. What's the logic here?

I also included some comparison photos with my recent washed waxed flesh 310, which has a noticeably taller heel because that one has a Dr. Sole #1100 original whole heel with the same sized leather heel stack. I prefer the shorter heel on this one, which is more typical of the 310. The two 310s are also half a size apart - I do like the 310 a full size down from Brannock, but this one is half down and I added a Nicks veg tanned leather insole to it.

I need to stop buying new Vibergs, but I knew that I'd have 0 chance of getting this one in an archive/warehouse sale. I love sprung toe boots, and this leather was a must have for me.

As I write this, Viberg has now just released a Horween black washed waxed flesh drop, also for $1,345, while the same leather but in brown is still on their site for $1,060.

Long time lurker, but first time poster. I went down a spending rabbit hole on Yuketen and wanted to highlight and provide information on my experience with the brand. Before buying, I had a hard time finding recent posts talking about them.

First, Footwear pictured:

Rob’s Loafer w/ Leather sole (had my cobbler put on a rubber toppy)- Dark Brown Leather - 11E - Made in Italy

Rob’s Loafer w/ Vibram Sole - Dark Brown FO - 11E - Made in Italy

Italian Land Barca Boat Shoe w/ Cortina Lug Sole - FO Tosca Maraca - 11.5E - Made in Italy (I believe a Huckberry exclusive)

Semi-Handsewn Maine Guide Ox Shoe w/ - FO Khaki - 12E - Made in USA

Sizing/Break In:

Yuketen sizing is tricky as it is difficult to lock down a size between styles, and options to try them on before purchase are limited. They list standard width on all footwear as E, however their E = US D width. On their website they recommend going with your New Balance MiUSA size, in which I take an 11.5D.

My brannock size is 11.5, with a higher than average instep, reaching E width. Most sneakers I take in 12, and GYW footwear in 11EE (laced) and 11.5EE (pull on).

I recommend going true to your NB MiUSA size, and 1/2 size down from that for loafers.

While the width on the loafers was initially tight, I started with thin dress socks and they broke in perfectly after a few days. On the boat shoes and the Maine guides the volume in the toe box felt low or small, however as I broke in the leather footbed and flexed the leather midsole they got much more comfortable. As I will wear the Maine guide shoes w/ socks I was okay having a little bit more room with the size 12. I did replace the leather laces with brown nylon ones so I could better tighten them on my feet.

I wouldn’t call these extremely comfortable out of the box - you have to break in all of the leather between your foot and the ground first. Once you do that these feel great on feet, and they strike a great balance between the firm leather that shapes to your foot and enough squish to be comfortable for all day wear.

Materials/Fit-Finish/Craftsmanship:

I have had experience with numerous different shoe/loafer brands from Allen Edmonds, Blackstock and Weber, Rancourt, Vinny’s and a few others.

These blow everything I’ve had out of the water. The materials are top notch in every regard - the suede is butter soft out of the box, the lining leathers are smooth and supple on your foot. As for construction, they have what they call a “9 layer bottoming unit” and the insole itself is made “including Leather Insole + Leather Tuck + Shank + Memory Foam + Arch Support”. Even in the Rob’s loafer w/ leather sole, they have gone to the trouble of covering up the Blake stitch - making for a perfectly smooth sole. In each of these shoes, the welt fudging, stitching and attention to detail is as close to perfect as it gets. Small touches such as a rough out strip on the loafer’s heel lining leather to help with grip show that everything single part of these shoe’s construction has been thought of.

Cons:

Extremely pricey - especially when purchasing through the Made to Order program where pricing starts at $650 and can stretch up to $1100+ on boot models. There is no made to order option for the Made in Italy lines that I can find.

Stock on the website is limited and released in small batches. Of the few US stockists that carry their product, each one only carries a few sizes and 4-6 models per season. To my knowledge, many of the models carried by stockists are exclusive to those stockists and cannot be ordered via the MTO program.

Weight - these things are built like tanks and you feel it. Weight is normal on the loafer models, but on both the Maine Guide and the boat shoe it is noticeable. Especially the cortina lug sole is just overly weighty and heavy for a boat shoe.

Conclusion/Opinion:

Yuketen footwear, in my opinion is damn near the pinnacle of quality, materials and craftsmanship. For the money I would take these over other luxury/designer options and most of the heritage loafer/boat shoe world. Simply put, it is worth the extra cash to upgrade if you can dial in sizing and find what you want in stock. Material quality and attention to detail are simply a notch above the rest.

Picked up this pair of moc-toe work boots for $50 with the goal of turning them into daily motorcycle riding boots for my 2019 Triumph Bonneville T100.
They were in pretty rough shape—paint splatter across the uppers, heavily dried out leather, and worn wedge soles. Structurally they were still sound (no major stitching failures or separation), which made them a good candidate for restoration rather than replacement.

Initial Condition:
Significant paint and grime buildup on the vamp and quarters
Leather was stiff, dry, and lacking any oils
Outsoles were worn down with reduced traction
Visible creasing but no deep cracking or tearing

Cleaning & Conditioning Process:
I started with a full surface clean using Lexol cleaner combined with mild dish soap and a natural luffa sponge. The goal here was to break down surface contaminants without aggressively stripping the leather.
Once clean and dry, I applied multiple light coats of neatsfoot oil over time. The leather absorbed it quickly, which confirmed how dry it was. After allowing time for absorption between applications, I followed up with Red Wing leather cream to restore some suppleness and surface finish.
To finish, I used Saphir neutral cream to even out the appearance and add a light protective layer while preserving the existing patina rather than trying to fully recolor the boots.

Resole:
I sent them to a Red Wing store for a full resole, which took a bit over a month. They installed a new wedge sole (Traction Tred style), and the work was excellent—clean stitching, good alignment, and significantly improved comfort and grip.

Results / Wear:
The boots are now fully wearable and comfortable for daily use. The leather has softened considerably, and while the cosmetic imperfections remain, they now read more as patina rather than neglect.
I’ve been wearing them regularly on the bike, and the wedge sole has actually worked well for stability at stops and general comfort.

Planned Modifications:
Adding a kiltie/false tongue, potentially fringe style, to provide additional protection from the shifter and help distribute pressure across the instep
Switching from nylon to leather laces for improved heat resistance and longevity

Context:
The saddlebag shown is a Saddleback Leather large briefcase (10+ years old) that I use daily and strap directly onto the bike. Between that and the restored boots, I’ve leaned into keeping older leather goods in rotation rather than replacing them.

Takeaways / Lessons Learned:
Even heavily neglected leather can come back with patience and gradual conditioning
Multiple light applications of oil > one heavy application
Cleaning thoroughly before conditioning makes a big difference in absorption
Resoling is absolutely worth it if the uppers are still structurally sound
Overall, I’m into these for ~$50 + resole cost and some time, and they’ve turned into a pair I actually prefer over buying new.
In retrospect I probably would have used a hard brush and would have cleaned with olive oil for another day to remove more of the paint splatter.
Will probably tackle that again another time

Curious how others here would have approached conditioning something this dry—would you have gone heavier or stuck with lighter repeated applications?