I recently bought a pair of oak street trench boots in natural CXL during sales. I have to say wearing that immediately made me stop plans to buy any other boots and just save up money for the next oak street discount. Not to mention Oak Street has many really nice limited editions.
My fav would be the Higgins Mill. The Diesels are second but only cause they are wider at the waist of the sole and the facings/panels come closer when tied but that's from my skinny ankles.
I have the same Grant Stone Diesel and the same Oak Street Field Boot. I bought the Field Boot during a recent sale and am wearing them for the patina thunderdome. Both very nice boots. With GS I have found they are reliably flawlessly finished (I have maybe 6 pairs). The OS boot edge staining was not well done - stained the upper in places and was not even applied to parts of the midsole. A nice boot, but if you want unimpeachable QA and attention to detail GS is the one.
I also got a Higgins Mill on sale for about 200, chromexcel leather with the lug sole. It was my first brand new, decent quality boot purchase. I'm not crazy about the look and feel of the lug sole, but I can definitely say, they are a handsome boot overall (if a little chunky) and I absolutely love the leather. AE may not be best at MSRP but on a sale they can be hard to beat value.
So I finally have some experience with all 4 companies & this is some of my thoughts. Thursday I say is a great beginner for people who want to get intro Goodyear welted shoes for almost the same price. Maybe you get into them & only purchase from them but the problem for me is that it isn’t consistent enough. They change different last & models so a Thursday u bought a couple years ago is not the same now, they recently changed factory so idk how that goes. Overall good starting point, unfortunately I don’t wear Thursday anymore due to the uppers looking bad even with polish/cream. Grant stone is high on my list, consistent offering & well made. Made in china but the materials are top. If you want something more then Thursday then GS is a good choice especially their sales. Their welts are pretty unique to say too. AE is somewhere in between. My HM is still going strong after the break in & XL sole still holding up. lean more to dress side so to me who more to rugged service boots find it off at first. As well the colour in the pics had more brown then red in it’s burgundy, still versatile which lead me to the colour 8 in OSB. OSB is somewhere in the middle too. I have their camp moc & they are surprisingly resilient to heel slipping so I like to wear that out on a hot day where boots are too much. Recently got their trench boot in said colour 8 which had that brown in the burgundy I was looking for. So far I wish this variation had speed hooks & a gusset or tongue loop for the laces but the laces length can be wrapped around to me makes the tongue slide less. So far I’m keeping the trench & Higgins in case for both versatility but I may switch the HM for the AE Liverpool Chelsea if that sole worn out. TLDR in terms of boots, GS, OSB, AE, THRU. I’m sure these 4 can fit someone’s needs but for me i think I wear my IR more but it’s nice to have variety from other brands.(sorry for long cmt)
One of the best deals I’ve ever had were the exact same OSB Field Boots you have. If you are patient, you’ll catch one of their sales, which they do a couple of times a year 👍
great comparison video -- I do love that natural chromexcel. I have a pair of Rancourt derby shoes in that leather and wear them a lot. Totally agree about the smell. Also, I have 2 pairs of Grant Stones (a moc toe and a chelsea) and love them both. Didn't have great luck with Thursday, personally, and ended up getting rid of them. But clearly most people love them. Glad you like yours.
I have a pair of Thursday Presidents, and they are really nice. Also have a pair of Grant Stone Brass Boots, which are also nice - nicer than the Thursdays, but you do pay extra for it. You didn't review the brand in this, but I was REALLY impressed by Parkhurst - and I think my next plain toes are going to be Allens from that brand. Loved your video - very interesting.
Hey, I am new to this game and I REALLY appreciate your description of the Allen Edmonds as light and sneaker-like. I have fussy feet and that is exactly what I am looking for.
@@tumbleweedconnection7906 They are extremely close, depending on the light. You might make an argument that they are ever so slightly darker in person.
I have shoes from almost all these brands except oak street & not all plain toe. I have the Thursday duke in honey suede when I was starting out, still surprised they are around 190-ish. I have these like 2/3-ish a year maybe. They are a good beginner for those who wanted to start wearing Goodyear welted shoes. I recommend their boots more then their shoes, the “weathersafe” suede will be less water resistance and I have to apply waterproofing. I still like these boot butI want a more higher quality then I got another pair of grant stone, a suede Chelsea from their last chance section, I also have a suede loafer from them before which changed my mind on high quality goods can be made everywhere as long their willing to put effort. I haven’t broken them in yet but we’ll see how they do. I’m still gonna hold on to the duke but might not wear it as much and it’s in my junk cabinet unless I get another or bigger shoe rack for more. I too have the Higgins mill with a lug sole in burgundy during their sale. AE might have QC problems but I have a store near me to make returns easier. It’s ok, definitely squishy because of the sole, need more break in time to see if I like it. While I would love to get another shoe maybe from oak street I need to restrain myself from buying more foot wear, I already have a pair of shoes in mind to purchase to complete my wardrobe.
You scooped them up at that price either because the boots are seconds OR more likely they were on clearance. The snuff suede have been on clearance for a while now. Are around $249. However as seconds they are $199 right now but take the 20% off right now as they are on sale, that second price drops down to what you paid or close to it.
I used to be a huge Allen Edmonds buyer. But when they were purchases by Caleres (an American company) their quality control dropped significantly. I ended up returning their product. I have Grant Stone boots now (from China) and the quality is flawless. I pay for quality that helps my bottom line, not companies that expect me to salute them and hurt me financially.
I highly recommend the Thursday Presidents. But they unfortunately do make my feet look big, and I'd never wear them during summer, or if I lived somewhere very humid.
I like the Oak Street's & the Grant Stone's, even if they're made in China. They'd be about double if made stateside made with the materials & constructed as they are. Great video very well made.
They would not cost double. They use inferior imitation Dainite soles. The rubber they use costs them pennies and is horrible to walk on. Then add the fact that they are built by slaves, GS is WAY overpriced. Should be a boot that sells for ~$150 at Macy's.
For first time quality boot buyers, Thursday is the way to go. I have three pairs of Thursday boots and love them all. Price is right and quality is pretty dang great. It's nice to be able to buy three pairs of boots for the price of one pair from some other company. I also own some Jim Greens, Redbacks, Ariats and a few others. My Thursday boots get the most wear out of all of them and they have held up very nicely.
Seems like people rag on AE boots. I know my Higgins Mill aren’t the best of the best but you can get a pair of factory seconds during a sale for about $260 and I’ve gotten my moneys worth. I’ll be the first to admit I wouldn’t pay $495 + tax though. I’d probably buy the GS if I had to pay full retail. $260 is what I pair for my factory seconds Brown CXL (Memorial Day Sale)
I bought a pair of Thursday Captains some years ago and they just didn't fit right - to narrow in the toe - My understanding is that the new last is wider - did you notice a difference from previous versions?
My head says Oak Street and Grant Stone, my wallet says Thursday, but my old aching feet say Allen Edmonds. It sounds like they might be the most comfortable.
Buy Oak Street or Grant Stone but get them a half size bigger and a size wider and put Ortholite insole in them and you will love them. I have a pair of GS and Nicks that I did this way and couldn’t be happier.
I don't understand why you include Thursday boots in the comparison of quality boots. They are cheap, low-quality shoes with an unattractive shape, very similar to those offered by fashion brands and large retail chains.
You never pay full retail for AE. There are so many sales through out the year and resellers that if you’re not getting $80-$200 off, your buying AE footwear the wrong way😂
You clearly don't get it why you should not buy things from China, besides the usual quality concerns (I believe this brand is actually of high quality), do you pay attention where their weapons are pointed? I am not saying they are a certain enemy but for sure a high chance potential enemy!! You build your enemy great by buying their stuff!! it is already too late almost!
Good points, Mike. I think the part that I scratch my head about most is how many Chinese made products we buy every day. In most American homes, if you removed all the stuff made in China, the house would be half empty. It's possible that the phone or computer you used to comment on this video was made in China. Keep in mind that phones and computers can potentially spy on people. Yet, a pair of boots is where people draw the line. Why is a Chinese made TV okay, or a car filled with Chinese parts, but a pair of boots is not? Anyway, just some musings on the frequent comments I see about Grant Stone being bad because they're made in China. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Where would you expect China’s weapons would be pointed at with over 30 US military bases surrounding its east coast while at the same time china does not have one single base near the US coast? Just don’t get me started, Ok!
Yet strangely, nobody that owns a pair of Grant Stones cares. Take your inferior Red Wings or Wolverines, you know what to do from there. Make sure to toss out all of your Made in China stuff while you're at it. Let us know what's left! 🤣🤣🤣
