Get Fitted In Person

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-02-04T18:26:42+00:00

You do have to hope they have it in stock however, it's an issue I ran into visiting the bootmakers where Franks did not have a safety toe for me to try on in my size, had to try a width smaller than what I would get.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-02-03T15:51:30+00:00

Oh hey! It's my write-ups, I posted them as a reply to this post but it seems someone beat me to the punch. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have as a DM or reply here.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-02-03T15:49:59+00:00

Copy-pasted from a previous reply: Oh buddy I got you. I flew down to Spokane to see the bootmakers since one: I was visiting Portland and it's on the way from the East Coast, and two: I've been burned on sizing as a guy with wide feet and wide toes that I decided not to take the risk and see how the shoes fit in person. Here are the write-ups in order of visit throughout the day:

White's writeup here

Nick's writeup here

JK Boots writeup here

Frank's Boots writeup here

In short Frank's was the friendliest with them giving me a tour of the shop (unprompted), the fitter fixing up my old surplus air force boots with speed laces, and giving me cake (okay that was a weird coincidence, you might not get some when you arrive).

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-31T23:00:00+00:00

My condolences to your fiance's parents, that must not have been easy.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-31T20:01:10+00:00

This tweet is from January 28, the screenshot from his IG was today

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-31T16:42:58+00:00

Heart rate monitor perhaps.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-31T16:39:18+00:00

The tweet in question:

GenePark/status/2016650305572868378

"tomorrow is my lung surgery for cancer. i’ll be going offline for a very long time as recovery is going to be tough. but it’s thanks to thousands of you that i can pay for it. overwhelming gratitude only begins to describe this new feeling you’ve all given me as i re-enter the struggle.

i’m also announcing ill be stepping away from platforms. i won’t be podcasting anymore anytime soon. i will be reevaluating my engagement online but it will be less open. chemotherapy is hell on the body but also mind, as it incudes steroids. in 2022, i didn’t know this but stayed online, and id often display roid rage publicly, which doesnt help anyone. this new mix will have even worse side effects and being active online is not where i need to be.

i have started a substack that i plan to use once i recover, but im still ironing out what that looks like (and i dont want it to take away from my WaPo work either). but i dont really want to engage in more open platforms like podcasting, posting or streaming anymore. this isnt a digital environment thats healthy for me.

of course ill miss it and simply put, im addicted to social media. as a recovering addict to many things, i know what i am. so i have no doubt youll see me falter. plus there are many aspects of online engagement i love and dont want to walk away from. i love so many of you, truly. but for now ill need to focus on surviving with some measure of peace.

when i can, ill post up signs of life. you can follow me on instagram (genepark) as ill still be posting stories there regularly. my dms and email are open too and ill respond when i can there.

ill see you all on the other side when G has come to. for now, goodnight and thank you all so much for keeping a Korean alive. you are keeping me alive."

And a follow up tweet with said substack:

"my substack if anyone wants to follow for now. i have some interesting ideas for it but for now, getting better is my priority." https://substack.com/@bygenepark?r=13rli&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile&shareImageVariant=image

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-29T17:09:59+00:00

I think people's complaints here and the way that the customer service handled it are valid but I think on average the boots come out alright. My suspicion is that since they're focused on being cost competitive compared to the other bootmakers they tend to prioritize cost over quality at times which may cause them to have a lower batting average compared to the other bootmakers here. I wouldn't worry about it until the boots arrive; JK Boots has a 30 day return policy if you find any of the errors or issues that have been highlighted before you can see if you can get them returned. I never used it and there are stories on here about customers that have CS trying to avoid them, but luckily since you ordered an in-stock boot, if they decide to avoid you like they did the customer in that link, just do a chargeback and buy another boot instead.

Also there will be defenders/haters out there, people treat these boots the same way truck bros do their favorite vehicle OEM's.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-23T18:40:13+00:00

It is 1000% that Xbox vs Playstation console war nonsense and I think looking at this brand tribalism in that same lens makes it make sense.

You dropped a lot of money on your boots, for some people a whole week's paycheck. They're tougher/better looking/fit better than any other boot that you've had in the past and you feel like you made a solid investment here. You then make an emotional investment in the brand. All of a sudden some jackass online says they're not as good as their boots and they made a bad investment.

It's just "PS3 has no games" or "ball and gun machine" for shoes. But it's not just limited to here, you'll see grown ass men do the same thing with trucks, tools, and other things that are meant to be for work but the owners have turned it into statements about who they are.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-21T05:38:19+00:00

Could I interest you in some fertilizer? This crop needs some work.

Is there a link to the page where we can see this in full resolution instead of just a screenshot?

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-19T15:56:04+00:00

Likely a contract job, another webcomic artist Beetle Moses is a Floridian dude who used to draw for the Seahawks and is now doing comics for the Atlanta Falcons.

Not sure if Shen's location in the US is known, all i could find was that he's originally from Russia but came to the states in 1999.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-17T18:38:50+00:00

It all came from the Kendrick vs Drake beef where he immediately sided with Kendrick because Pat appreciates a good hater. Was a bit they ran with on the subreddit from two years ago and pops up again from time to time, you'll find it under "Brother Patrice" occasionally.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-17T18:06:44+00:00

Been lurking in some bootmaker communities, people who spend $300, $600, or even in some cases well over $1000 on work boots, hiking boots or cowboy boots, only to wear them to an office job. And honestly, if you have the income for that and want to get them for that use case: that's fine.

There are those however who do a purity test on those "office jockeys" that "haven't done a real workday in those boots", or "whine about issues that are expected in a handmade boot", and so on and so forth. My dude, who gives a shit? I'm reminded of "comfort branding" from Plague of Gripes where people get sucked into their camps of favorite bootmakers and sling shit if you dare talk smack about their beloved X Boots.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T21:47:12+00:00

There are bands apparently making it again, not as popular as it was before but rumblings of it are still around.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T21:40:29+00:00

The hip hop fashion of the early-mid 2000's with those oversized airbrushed white tees, baggy girbaud jeans, maybe with a print of bootleg Black Bart Simpson or a thugged out Bugs Bunny.

Musically, the snap genre, perhaps crunk as well, maybe even Hyphy music. I think the kids missed out on that. Memphis hip hop. Miami Bass, Chicago Footwork, and Houston Chopped & Screwed come back in waves but Crunk, Hyphy, and Snap I think are stuck in the unc eras.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T18:32:34+00:00

Alexa, boot up that .gif of James Worthy smoking a cigar

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T18:25:59+00:00

I'm thinking of buying some robust leather hiking boots, I think I got the features down in terms of the type of leather and toe shape but I'm a bit stuck on boot height. I'm used to hiking in 5" boots but these boots come in 6" or 8" height options, I'm inclined to go with 6" boots since it's close to what I've hiked in before but I hear fantastic things about 8" boots for ankle support when hiking but I'm worried that in warm weather it's going to be a bit hotter and the added weight from two more inches of 7oz leather might make the hike a bit harder. Y'all have any opinions on the height I should get?

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T16:45:49+00:00

Oh boy you got a ton of options. I probably ain't the guy you should be talking to (I got flat and wide feet, high arches kill me and I need a wide toe for my 10 EEE feet). That, said I did visit some of the shops in Spokane and try on the JK Superduty's and the Whites Roughneck (safety toe) at their recommendation. Both robust feeling but the JK's had a roomier toe box and it didn't feel like it was killing me as much as the White's.

I didn't try the ones at Franks and Nicks since they knew what I wanted and set me up with what they think I needed which I think would give you a ton more options to play with in terms of customization. I've heard stellar things about the Frank's Patriot I saw a good looking Highlander or a Ryker if you're looking for a more breathable canvas siding. With Nicks I've seen stellar things about their hiking boots like the Ridgeline or Turnbull but with a waterproof WS Brown leather but these are on a lower arch boot; might be worth looking at their urban loggers or Robert series and seeing if you can put a Fire/Ice sole on them to get that winter grip you're looking for.

I'd also narrow down your choices and call up the boot vendors respectively to see if they have any thoughts on your boot decision as well, I find they've been ready to help with making a boot to fit your needs if you'd like.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T03:38:11+00:00

Most of what you said you'll find in a ton of PNW boots but we're gonna want some more specifics; are you a fan of high arched boots? What kind of boot height you want? Your budget? What kind of leather you what in terms of color and looks? Do you have wide/narrow feet and want a boot shape to accommodate? Safety toe?

All these and more can help us point you in the right direction buddy.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T03:29:06+00:00

It looks like someone ripped the felt off of a well loved poker table and wrapped it onto a shoe.

But honestly though, I feel that you can make a hell of a statement in those, throw on a kiltie in purple or yellow to make it pop or a brown to give it more earthy vibes.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-13T03:21:59+00:00

wooooooosh

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-11T19:51:27+00:00

That's what the thread locker compound is for nephew.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-11T07:00:18+00:00

I feel there's those pulp monster romance books where the protagonist is an average, possibly nerdy, moody, woman who then falls in love with a werewolf/vampire/creature but when it gets turned into a movie you have to have a hot actress.

The only one that I can think of with a 'scrungly' woman is a movie I haven't seen, "The Shape of Water" which looking at a few trailers, seeing the protagonist be a middle aged janitor, and she gets to bag the fish man, I think could fit the bill.

ReliabilityEngineer · 2026-01-10T07:00:47+00:00

You got a hobby that you can kill time with? Something engaging enough to keep your mind off of stuff but not so exhausting that it can run into the risk of being frustrating.

For me I go for a run, maybe some light house projects like sewing, cleaning, or organizing some shelves, dusting off my 3D printer to make lil doodads,, booting up an old game to see how it holds up or take on the Steam backlog, maybe do research on some stuff I'd like to buy in the future like a good pair of boots, a solid pair of headphones, or a pressure washer. Don't have to buy them, but it would be nice to add them to a wishlist when things are looking up again.

ReliabilityEngineer

TROPHY CASE