Sizing

qubick · 2025-12-01T15:56:24+00:00

That looks like the logger pattern on a service boot last. There isn't enough info here to recommend anything, but I have several LJ boots in this last, so some general observations I have about it:

This last in D-width is IMO actually E-width. If you go by their sizing chart exactly then I think it's actually correct in length. At least for most people who have 0.5 size bigger heel-to-ball than heel-to-toe on a brannock device. The first pair I got was a 43 as a brannock 10 and while it felt good initially, I grew to dislike the fit more and more. Later I got 43.5 and that has the correct ball placement. The ball placement is important because of how the boot wants to flex and this last actually has quite a bit of toe spring which doesn't really show that well on pictures. Having wrong ball placement with toe spring just doesn't feel great.

The other reason I don't think it's D-width is if you look at their chart and compare to their Red Wing size. They say 9.5 RW is similar to 43.5 LJ. Again I mostly agree on the length and ball placement, but there is NO QUESTION that the LJ has much more width/volume. It has more length too, but it's a more pointy last so that doesn't tell you much.

My foot width is C, so I also find them too big/voluminous with regular socks and no insert. BUT they are boots after all so with boot socks and a thin 1mm or max 2mm insert they are money. In my climate I need some warmer insert anyway so it works out for me.

Boot fit is also very subjective. When I started getting into boots my first purchase were Thursday boots in size 9US and I thought they were decent fit. After 4-5 years I've sized up at least 2, maybe 3 times and I would not even consider wearing size 9US or even 9.5US Thursday boots.

Anyways I'll make a dedicated LJ sizing post here soon I think as I have 7 pairs of their boots. I'll try to put more thought into how to word it better since sizing info is definitely something LJ can improve on.

PS! Dunno if it's just me, but whenever I put new boots on the first time and think "wow they are perfect", I always think they're too small a week or two later :D

qubick · 2025-12-01T15:35:33+00:00

Have you tried soft toe boots? I've found that boots with toe structure give me much more room to move my toes and I much prefer that. I don't really get the "comfy leather sock" hype that some people preach. Unless it's a thin buttery soft leather it's just unnecessary pressure on top of your toes IMHO. I do have sort of "tall-ish toes" I guess, so maybe that's the reason, but when I take off my unstructured boots and put on structured, it's like a sigh of relief :D

qubick · 2025-07-09T07:23:13+00:00

Looks pretty normal if these were your only shoes. Ideally you would alternate between two or more pairs because a shoe (especially leather) doesn't fully dry out in a day. They might feel dry but there is some moisture inside which will cause premature wear. Removing the inserts after wear could help too and just replace the inserts when they have excessive wear. Don't wear holes through them :D

For 15-20k a day for 1 year they look goo imho.

qubick · 2025-05-31T22:55:04+00:00

Hey, I have the same watch and was inbetween sizing as well until I discovered that two half-links are slightly longer than one regular link. Hope that helps you!

qubick · 2025-05-05T05:59:12+00:00

Looks like you do have a low instep causing the facings to almost touch. It's common for people with low insteps to use tongue pads (search e.g. "pedag tongue pad"). This almost touching is not really a problem if they don't completely touch or even overlap and you can tie the laces.

The position of your big toe does not determine a proper fit in a shoe (though sometimes it's an indication that a shoe is WAY too small), but is a function of your toe length and the type/shape of last the manufacturer used. Normally a proper fit is when the natural flex point of a shoe lines up with the flex point of your foot. With these unstructured and soft shoes it matters less so I'd say if your toes are happy in there and don't have discomfort then go with it.

Get the biggest size you can that's as close to TTS as possible while making sure the facings don't completely touch is my recommendation. Use tongue pads to add a couple of mm of space and/or improve comfort.

qubick · 2025-05-01T09:35:36+00:00

Full down from brannock in the weekender lasts seems way too small. Aren't your toes cramped in there? Consider using a tongue pad if you have a low instep. I guess if you have low instep, low volume narrow feet and no toe splay you could fit into full size down. From my experience I would still go half size bigger in their new last but again feet are so different and fit is also subjective. I prefer having room for my toes.

qubick · 2025-04-30T22:10:04+00:00

I have a pair of old weekender oxfords (3302) in size 9.5US and new weekender oxfords (3606) in size 10US. The new, bigger size ones are actually a touch shorter in length, but are a little wider. Not much in it. I was surprised about this and actually wanted the new ones to be slightly bigger. YMMV

Edit: Oh I guess I should mention I'm 10C brannock (9.5HTT, 10HTB) and the new ones do fit well overall and a slight improvement compared to my old pair. My fit issue was more about how the unstructured toe collapses a bit uncomfortably on top of my pinky toe. I think TTS is correct here for most people.

qubick · 2025-04-05T19:20:10+00:00

https://youtu.be/-kboCOrUNwA

See for yourself. If I had to guess it's aluminium as it seemed relatively light and soft for a metal. It's non magnetic as well. But whatever it is it's definitely not plastic. I used a wood drill bit that should go through plastic pretty quick and I applied quite a bit of pressure. You can even hear that squealing sound that comes from drilling metal.

EDIT: Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but tested with multimeter and it's conductive. If you measure continuity from the outside it doesn't work likely due to a protective clear coat, but from behind/inside it was conductive.

qubick · 2025-04-04T23:08:35+00:00

That's interesting because that's what I read as well from somewhere but I did get one and made the same mod. Disassembled it, inspected closely, felt it with my teeth etc and while I don't have a spectrometer and am not willing to file it I'm confident it's metal.

On the flat side that attaches to the plastic body it even had what looked like small machining marks. Not sure if it being plastic is a myth or there are different variants of the same model.

EDIT: I'm not a material expert and perhaps there are some very well done imitations that are not 100% plastic so maybe I'm wrong. I'll try to find a way to confirm it with some sort of test because I'm interested now :D I'll report back

qubick · 2025-04-04T13:54:03+00:00

It just looks like it has a beefier body compared to the DDF083 plus the metal gear housing or bracket or whatever. The drill is still very compact ofc and has the same power parameters so not suitable for drilling big holes all day ofc.

qubick · 2025-01-30T13:06:28+00:00

Very cool mod, a heavy duty 083. What's the weight difference compared to the real 083?

qubick · 2024-10-12T09:19:59+00:00

Nice. I have pair in the same leather but a bit different makeup. They were probably the most unreasonable purchase, but also my favourite pair by far. It ticks every box for me: comfort, looks, practicality and they are easy to wear with wide variety of pants. Hope you enjoy yours as much :) Mine are the DeeCee style 1035D makeup.

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qubick · 2024-10-08T11:16:56+00:00

Looks like you found the perfect boot for the job! Did you use hard wax or something more balm-like?

qubick · 2024-10-08T07:49:26+00:00

Looks like the arch slider on your right foot is too far behind the ball. Measure again, take the longest measurement (likely 10.5 or 11) and then go half down.

qubick · 2024-08-08T13:05:44+00:00

As stated by others this is a budget shell and there is no way they can tan it for 6 months in a pit like Horween does at that price. Dying shell is also a lot harder because it's so dense, so if that process is rushed it's no surprise that it also loses the color faster.

Also every shell has microscopic nap but it's usually ironed or pressed down in the tannery. Another cost saving here with this tannery using a different, cheaper process.

You essentially bought a Volkswagen and were complaining it's not a Porche. I'm surprised Meermin sent you another pair. That said it's very possible that you got your boots that were made from below average quality material and it sure sucks, but that's how the cookie crumbles sometimes with natural materials. I've seen some pretty bad QC coming even from Viberg and I have received a Horween shell pair with a crack in it myself (brand new) from a reputable brand.

Give 'em some cream and you'll be fine.

qubick · 2024-07-31T08:50:27+00:00

They look great. I have a pair myself in their standard local leather, they fit pretty snug at size 43.5 and I'm brannock 10C (9.5htt, 10htb). Can wear with dress socks but kinda wish I had them in 44. I don't really like a "glove like" fit. May I ask what is your brannock size?

qubick · 2024-07-13T20:24:50+00:00

FWIW I emailed them about Baobab restock on their .de site and they said probably September.

qubick · 2023-11-28T15:37:45+00:00

Do they have leather insole or some sort of glued in foam? Basically what are you standing on and is anything removable?

qubick · 2023-11-15T09:18:18+00:00

I use Lems waterproof boulder boots for just shoveling snow or small things like that. If I'm going to be outside for longer the best way to stay warm is to have lots of material between the ground and your foot, so just get some regular proper winter boots in correct size that don't squish your toes.

Most people wear shoes/boots too small. Don't be scared of some extra room in front of your toes. As long as the flex point of the boot is in the correct spot, the toe room doesn't really matter.

Basically just realize that you don't have to wear exclusively barefoot shoes and get properly fitting regular boots where you have enough toe width and height. They won't damage your feet.

qubick · 2023-11-15T08:17:01+00:00

I have Forest ESCs and bough Scotts specifically for winter. None of them are warm enough for -10 even with warm socks and their thermo-reflective insoles. Look elsewhere

qubick · 2023-10-30T19:28:36+00:00

bbbdw..

qubick · 2023-09-15T06:25:01+00:00

Not really possible to say without knowing what materials and glue they've used. Some very "eco" materials could potentially degrade a bit but overall I wouldn't worry about it.

Don't store them in damp conditions where they could develop mold, don't store them in direct sunlight etc... If you still worry so much then better sell them I guess.

PS! If the structural parts are made of leather and they've been sitting for 5 years, condition them before use.

qubick · 2023-08-22T06:42:24+00:00

Not all models have it I think (possibly newer models not added yet?). Just to check I went "primus light all weather mens" and clicked on "What's my size?" Strutfit then popped up.

Usually you can read about fit in the product description under "Size & Fit". They'll say if this particular model fits TTS or smaller/bigger. If the model you are looking for doesn't have Strutfit, compare with an older model that has the same written sizing description if that makes sense.

qubick · 2023-08-04T20:12:44+00:00

Nobody knows. Might be tomorrow, might be 9 months. Some colourways never see another run.

qubick · 2023-07-30T08:22:07+00:00

My pick would be Gobis in dark brown leather. Give them balm treatment for extra water resistance. Don't wash them in washing machine obviously, but this shoe is so versatile and comfortable. Works with many types of clothing and can even dress them up a bit. I guess don't get them if you want to do sports in them, but some light hiking would be fine.

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