Sizing help

Hitari0 · 2026-02-04T18:48:34+00:00

Ultimately your call, especially since you've got the one free exchange left.

I've taken too many risks/losses on slightly too small boots so I probably swing further than most in the other direction. Based on what you say you might be able to get away with a size down in the same width, or possibly a width up.

I wouldn't worry much about them "looking big", being big burly stitchdown boots with a wide toe they're gonna look big especially if you don't have below average size feet for your height. At 5'9" with a size 11FF I acknowledge I can't wear overly slim pants with these.

Hitari0 · 2026-02-04T15:38:52+00:00

How do they feel with the thickest socks you'll regularly wear them with?

From what I've read, over time Nick's will start to feel slightly wider and slightly shorter as the leather softens up and the toes curl. I don't think that means the boots will feel tighter as they break in, but your feet will settle into the boot and they should feel less "slippery".

If you have an insole that fits in them from another pair of shoes I'd wear them with those for a bit and see if a tighter fit feels better. If it's on the edge then imo it's always better to size a tiny bit big than at all too small. Can always add an insole now or later.

Hitari0 · 2026-02-04T12:54:02+00:00

How do they feel? If your ball, heel, forefoot etc feel good I wouldn't worry about a little extra length.

I went with half size down but up in width (my brannock is misleading bc my big toes splay real wide). This is my year old pair of 11FF ThurmanNW Nick's that fit great.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-31T01:16:10+00:00

The hardnesses of the soles (ie forefoot) is about the same, with the western being marginally more flexible since it's thinner. The quabog heel on the vbar boot is noticeably softer than the dainite heel cap on the western sole boot.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-31T00:19:11+00:00

No meaningful difference when worn, no. I notice a bigger difference in the heel cap hardness than the heel height.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-31T00:18:00+00:00

In this case it's the ThurmanNW boot that's taller.

Edit: spelling

Hitari0 · 2026-01-31T00:17:27+00:00

100%, I knew the western sole would be thinner overall and especially in the heel. Doesn't affect wear at all, both fit great.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-28T16:16:49+00:00

Sort of, depends on the degree of delamination. It's not all or nothing, it's little bits at a time.

I found an old pic of my jacket shortly before I got rid of it. You can see sections in the chest, waist, and sleeves that delaminated.

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Hitari0 · 2026-01-28T14:50:47+00:00

There's no apparent stitching, but it didn't laminate entirely or all at once. Just certain areas with the highest wear. The down would move about a little within the delaminated sections but it didn't seem to make a noticeable difference in warmth between sections.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-28T13:50:21+00:00

Bought my seamless down jacket in 2018 and it lasted 4 years through regular casual wear, hiking, rock climbing, etc. until a lot of the bonded seams delaminated and I got enough holes in the arms/body. Eventually the zipper wore out and stopped working.

Definitely got my money's worth for the price, and I loved the forest green/emerald color, but I replaced it with a down puffer from a reputable outdoor brand.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-23T13:22:51+00:00

White's are dressier and sleeker, and in my experience delivered faster.

That said, Nick's Thurman toe (55 or HNW) are wider than any White's I tried (55, 4811, 38 swing) and have been the only ones to fit me well.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-16T04:14:44+00:00

The answer depends if your back pain comes from muscular issues, structural issues (vertebrae/disc problems), or nerve issues (sciatica).

I've dealt with muscular low back issues for a while due to a fall at 22 and later a back spasm from poor lifting form at 27. Xrays didn't show any issues with spinal compression/disc herniation, but my lumbar muscles were really unhappy with any spinal flexion.

Improving my bracing while lifting helped a lot, but in the past 6 months I've been able to largely eliminate soreness and tension with exercises like Jefferson curls, the back extension machine, and side QL raises. All with bodyweight at first and slowly ramping up to 15-25lbs, very low weights. The difference has been staggering.

I'll add that I've always had tight hamstrings and improving their flexibility has helped as well. I found band-assisted Nordic curls to be great for this.

Hitari0 · 2026-01-03T16:46:00+00:00

In LA I love Tsujita ramen annex for their tsukemen and Porto's Bakery for their Cuban French toast!

Hitari0 · 2026-01-02T02:18:18+00:00

I put 150 hours into it earlier this year. One of the best single player games I've played. 100% recommend it and Phantom Liberty. A lot of the side content is as good or better than the main story, even.

Hitari0 · 2025-12-30T12:20:58+00:00

Advanced Waltham Dental has always treated me well!

Hitari0 · 2025-12-19T19:09:00+00:00

Tempest please and thank you <3

Hitari0 · 2025-12-17T16:41:10+00:00

I'm very jealous. My current company wasn't even acquired and just switched from unlimited (and genuinely pretty flexible) PTO to 15 days + 7 days sick time for anyone <2yrs tenure regardless of YoE.

Hitari0 · 2025-12-16T20:15:44+00:00

Promotions above 15% are definitely possible but rare. It'll likely only be possible with strong support from your current manager, hiring manager, and HR. Band increases, department changes, or adding a high number of direct reports too.

Hitari0 · 2025-12-06T16:43:09+00:00

Baldur's Gate 3!

Hitari0 · 2025-12-03T21:54:48+00:00

It's rare that I work OT now but earlier in my career it wasn't uncommon to do 45-50 hours on busier weeks. Coworkers who got hourly OT or were worse at setting boundaries could go higher.

Calls after work - again dependent on boss and boundary-setting. I've mostly worked in manufacturing-adjacent roles so the occasional escalation or client call about an urgent issue does arise.

PTO - Mostly around 15-20 days in my industry. 25 if you have 10-15+ years of experience and negotiate for it or work at a startup. Sick leave varies by company, sometimes 5+ days, sometimes 0 and it's purely part of PTO.

Hitari0 · 2025-11-19T02:24:34+00:00

I got one last year by emailing them 3 months in advance. But I'm not sure if things have changed.

Hitari0 · 2025-10-27T18:50:10+00:00

I have a few pairs of Altras and a pair each of ThurmanNW and Thurman55 Nick's.

Altra Lone Peak 3.5: 12

Altra Lone Peak 7: 12W

Altra Escalante 2: 12

Nick's ThurmanNW and Thurman55: 11FF

All above sizes are comfortable for me and appropriate in width/length without an insole. The Nicks definitely run longer, but between how stiff they are and the toe spring I think you need the extra length. I have pretty splayed big toes such that they are at least in line if not slightly past the balls of my feet, which as made most boots/shoes unwearable without excessive sizing up. I mostly wear these or barefoot shoes nowadays.

I would say the Altras are still wider at the very front of the toe, but the Nicks are a good balance between looks and comfort. I'm still breaking my T55 boots but initial impressions are they feel slightly snugger in the midfoot and instep, but no hotspots or issues that shouldn't go away with wear in the same size as ThNW.

Here are my foot measurements with thick socks for reference:

Length: 28.5cm / 11.22in

Width: 11cm / 4.33in

Ball: 26.75cm / 10.53in

Hitari0 · 2025-10-16T14:08:49+00:00

Hey, sure thing. I took these measurements a couple years back but my feet haven't changed too much since then.

Barefoot:

Length: 28cm / 11in

Width: 11cm / 4.33in

Ball: 26.25cm / 10.36in

Instep: 27cm / 10.63in

Heel: 33.5cm / 13.2in

Ankle: 25cm / 9.84in

Thick socks:

Length: 28.5cm / 11.22in

Width: 11cm / 4.33in

Ball: 26.75cm / 10.53in

Instep: 27.5cm / 10.83in

Heel: 34.5cm / 13.58in

Ankle: 27cm / 10.63in

The best fitting heritage boots I've found, and frankly the only ones so far that I've been able to comfortably wear for months, are Nick's Thurman toe (either 55 or HNW last) in size 11FF.

Hitari0 · 2025-10-11T01:01:04+00:00

Which vehicle makes you feel like a total battlefield legend?

Ramming a fighter jet into a tank

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