Category Archives: Wesco Boots

Wesco Boots — Gay?

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Someone visited the post on this website titled, Wesco Boots and Gay Culture and attempted to leave a comment on that post. The post was written on December 27, 2008, but continues to rank high in Google searches.

The person made a number of broad generalizations and asked a number of questions, so his statements fit best in an entire blog post rather than a comment on a post that is almost a year old. (By the way, the plural of “Wesco” is “Wescos” — in American English, one does NOT add an apostrophe to make a word plural.)

I shared that guy’s message with several straight and gay friends varying in age from 23 to 68 who like to wear boots. Following are some things this commenter said, and the responses I received from my friends. Interestingly, there really was not a difference in response or reaction between straight and gay men. Below, “SG” means “straight guy” and “GG” means “gay guy.”

I love these boots, but I don’t get a hard-on for ’em like all these gay fetishist that obsess over them.

GG: He’s correct in observing, and reinforcing the statement from your original post that some gay men have a fetish interest in boots and like you he appreciates the boots because of their style, function and quality workmanship. It’s funny how easily we think that what we see on-line and via YouTube is highly representative of current thought and practice. It’s been my observation that those who take the time to create video do so not from the perspective of showing life as it exists, but from a creative or artistic eye that is meant to entertain more so than to be instructive. Extremes get the most attention and in a sea of millions of videos, it’s the extreme that allows your video to be seen and not overlooked or ignored.

GG: He may see more gay men who have a fetish interest as the authors of the videos because by and large this demographic has been more exposed to role playing venues where the boots, leather, and Tom of Finland inspired scenes have been such a staple in gay culture. So, it’s easy to see how a creative medium like YouTube and web would have more gay men creating these images.

GG: Interest in the power these boots may represent can’t only be confined to those with fetish interest. Wesco boots are sturdy and come with lug soles, for the most part, and harness and engineer boot styles were originally worn by men who worked in professions associated with strength. There is also the association of power produced by 50s icons like Brando and James Dean that has clearly left a mark on our society’s perception of the boots. The characters these men created spoke to the personal power of the rebel who called his own shots. Taken in this context, the boots were seen as highly masculine and it’s this concept that many masculine gay men found attractive. There are just as many, if not more, straight men who were inspired by this image. Unfortunately, they’re not the ones creating the on-line images, for the most part.

My interest in these boots are for their function and style and quality workmanship.

SG: Many guys wear them for protection for their jobs/hobbies etc. With those guys, their boots are just another piece of gear and thats all they are. They don’t think twice about them.

I’ve never touched or seen a pair of these boss boots, only from the internet and your videos and everywhere I look, there are these “GG Allen” types licking them and being all gay with them.

GG: Who is GG Allen? [I think he means GG Allin, who died in 1993. He was a punk rocker, and was rather perverse in his antics on stage. I had to look this up, because I didn’t know who he was, either.]

SG: His past observations about one crazy punk rocker influence him now.

GG: He (the writer) watches too many YouTube videos. He should know that what he sees on YouTube isn’t what the majority of men who wear Wesco boots are like. Think about it: would a straight guy post a video of himself in a pair of Wesco Boots just walking around, riding his motorcycle, or smoking? Of course not. Guys who post on YouTube usually are showing some sort of fetish interest.

My concern, is how gay are the boots?

SG: My guess is if the guy is thinking Wescos and gay go hand-in-hand then something in his past caused that association. Also, when you see sites on the web showing the boots – as with most boots, they seem to somehow be connected to a gay or sex related site.

GG: I’ve never heard Wesco boots being labeled as “gay”

GG: If they are “gay boots,” I want more!

You say, “It’s all about the boots. Boot up. When I’m on my HARLEY.” Like the gay community stole the rainbow. And Hitler stole the “Chaplin” Moustache. The KKK stole pointy robes.

GG: He’s afraid of guilt by association. It’s only when we begin wearing something new that people take notice. By and large, in the real off-line world, after the first few weeks, gays and straights could care less about your choice of footwear. That’s not to say that some will leap to conclusions, but people will leap to erroneous conclusions regardless of what he chooses to wear and his point about co-opted styles can be easily said any number of clothing choices. Of course, all this gets thrown out of the window if he finds himself in the Castro or in a leather bar. LOL But, as you’ve pointed out on your blog, there are a good number of gay men attending leather bars wearing sneakers and jeans. Sometimes a banana is just a banana.

SG: What does he mean by you wearing Wesco boots on your Harley and then immediately say that the gay community stole the rainbow? What do these two things have to do with each other? This guy doesn’t make any sense.

No comparison to gay people, I’m just talking styles, that have almost become like their proprietary ‘uniform’ in a sense.

GG: If Wesco boots have become the “uniform” of gay people, then this guy doesn’t know many gay men. I think he watches too many videos on YouTube which are causing many misperceptions in his mind.

GG: The gay friends who I hang out with never would wear Wesco boots. Heck, most of them won’t wear boots at all.

SG: He almost makes it sound as though without support from the gay community, Wesco would go out of business. How ridiculous. That is like believing that companies that make colored handkerchiefs are dependent on the gay community for their existence or Doc Martens depend on restless teens and rock stars to survive.

You seem friendly and nice, and flaming homosexuals are free and fun, but many of the Wesco Boot Fetishists seem pretty hardcore. Like, I wouldn’t want to hang out with most of them.

GG: I’d venture to say that he wouldn’t find himself at places frequented by the Wesco Boot Fetishists as he terms them. Any one of us runs the risk of unwanted attention because someone perceives we are like-minded because of what we’ve chosen to wear. Even the most confident of us have periods of self-doubt about our appearance. We are conditioned to believe that appearances are important. It’s a way we try to make sense of things. But, at the end of the day, we all have to ask ourselves if we can not just live with our decisions, but with our regrets created by giving in to our insecurities and deciding against wearing what we like.

GG: He is making assumptions based on some of the more “active” videos he is seeing on YouTube.

SG: I guess he saw too many pictures from Folsom Street [Fair in San Francisco]. While I can’t imagine wearing some of that leatherwear in public, on the other hand my curiosity could ask what it might feel like to wear it, just as I am curious what it would be like to don a full set of football gear (from pads to cleats) or professional ice hockey equipment. I also wonder if, in that sea of leather-clad men, any of those men are straight and how well they might be accepted.

SG: I am a hardcore biker. I wear Wescos. You think he thinks I am going to challenge him to a fight?

So is wearing these super-gay boots the equivalent to a girl wearing a slutty dress, in your eyes? Like, If I was wearing the uniform of these GG Allen Leather Boys, Is that asking for gay trouble?

SG: Where did that come from? Yes, many gay men may enjoy wearing Wescos or any other boots for that matter but so what. Many straight men wear boots and possibly for the same reason that gay men do. It is what the boots feel like, the appearance they give (Masculine) and perhaps sexual stimulation. Can a straight man be “turned on” (sexually) by wearing boots or seeing other men in boots. Absolutely. It is the boots, not the gender of the person wearing them.

GG: You are asking for trouble from Gay Guys by holding such narrow, incorrect, points of view. [BHD] did not publish your comment because you refused to identify yourself. Would you dare say something like that in public? I doubt it.

SG: Wescos are not “super gay”. This guy is way off base and has jumped to a lot of conclusions, again probably from what he is seeing on YouTube.

Would I have to constantly explain myself to “booted men” that I’m not into sodomy, I just like gay boots? Thanks for taking the time, and I really hope you can shine some light on this.

GG: You would only have to explain yourself if you opened your mouth and stuff like this fell out of it. You’re way off base.

SG: This guy said that he doesn’t even own a pair of Wesco boots, and he probably never will because he is so obsessed over perceptions about them, and jumped to conclusions based on observations from what he has been seeing on the Internet.

SG: He has to realize that most straight guys who wear Wesco boots — linemen, cable guys, and so forth — don’t post information about their footwear on the internet. Guys who do post about Wesco boots on the internet, including youtube, are giving him a false impression.

GG: As long as he keeps referring to Wesco Boots as “gay boots,” he has much to learn. He probably should not get any, because he is so far off base and it seems that he has already made up his mind.

BHD says — Life is short: Wear your Wescos (if you’re man enough!) Thanks to my friends who provided review and feedback for me. Out of respect for them, I am not revealing who they are — even their screen names — which would be recognized by many who frequent “Boots on Line.”

Combatting Snow

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No, not really. The weather weasels were correct, though, when they told us that we might get our first accumulating snow yesterday.

They made their prognostication on Friday morning. As usual, everyone in the DC area freaked out, and flocked to the grocery stores to buy everything, including the requisite milk, eggs, and diapers (even if they don’t have infants at home.)

I had to take two elderly friends grocery shopping early yesterday morning before any snow was falling. I was prepared for a mob at the store, and was pleasantly surprised to see rather light activity. I asked a manager at the store about it, and she said, “just wait… whatever they didn’t buy yesterday, they will come back to buy the minute they see a flake of snow.” And she was right. I was not surprised to find that many of the store’s shelves were picked clean. As we were leaving, it was just beginning to snow, and the cars were queuing up in the parking lot. It never fails.

We were right on the rain/snow line for this minor storm, so what we got was wet goopy gunk. Not good for snowballs, sledding, or making snow hunks. By this morning (8:30am update), there remains a couple inches (5cm) of snow on the ground, but the driveway and sidewalks are clear (we shoveled off the goop yesterday afternoon.)

Oh well, I donned my Wesco Combat Boots with some camo BDUs to combat this fierce event! I went out to feed the critters in the back yard when my partner took this photo. That was about it for my snow adventures. My partner and I spent several happy hours watching the snow fall outside our large windows in our kitchen while we did some more batch cooking. We even made some sugar cookies from scratch. We also began to decorate for Christmas. The snow put me in more of a Christmas spirit.

Life is short: grin and bear it!

Thanks to Lug Soles

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It was a very nice day yesterday — sunny and unusually warm for this time of year at 64°F (18°C). I got out the Harley and went for a ride.

I had plotted a potential route to lead for my club, and wanted to check it out. I am sure glad I did.

A nice back road as it appeared on the map ended at a T-intersection. Turn left at the “T” and continue on another nice back road. Or so it seemed.

Unfortunately, the map has no details as to hills or terrain. It turned out that the intersection was on a steep incline! I later determined that it was a 15° upgrade. The road did not level off at the top of the hill — it just ended. When I stopped at the stop sign at the end of the road and top of the hill, I was pointed to the heavens. Heavens to Mergatroyd! (don’t know what this means? I date myself, but see this explanation).

I have never been adept at handling a manual transmission. For the life of me, I could not manage to get the bike revved enough while letting the clutch out to get the bike going without rolling back or potentially stalling. Heck! I was stuck!

Thank goodness for lug soles. I was wearing my tall brown Wesco harness boots that have a thick Vibram®100R lug sole. They are like snow tires for the feet. I was able to hold my very heavy motorcycle on the hill by the sheer pressure on my boots planted firmly on the pavement (and an assist from my brakes) while I was trying to figure out what to do. I couldn’t maneuver forward, as I couldn’t get the bike going without rolling back, potentially falling over, or stalling. I tried and tried and just couldn’t do it.

Fortunately, few cars came up behind me while I was stuck there, and I was able to signal to them to go around me while I was stuck in this predicament. Then, most fortunately, another biker on a big Harley like mine came up from another direction and asked if I needed help.

“Yep, I’m hillshy. I can’t go forward.”

He realized that I was stuck, and drove past me to the bottom of the hill to block traffic while I slowly backed up, turned around, and went back from the direction from which I came. As I passed him, I gave him a big thank you shout and a thumbs up. He waved. Thank goodness for the good samaritans out there in the biker community. I’m not quite sure what I would have done if he had not stopped to help.

BTW: I am not going on this route to lead a ride! I have learned my lesson.

AZ: This is precisely why I would not take you up on your offer to borrow your manual-transmission car while I visited you in Phoenix. If this happened to me while I was operating your car on the hilly terrain of Arizona, things would have gone to heck in a handbasket quickly, as I could not stick my boot out of your car onto the pavement to hold me while I was trying to rectify the problem. And, my dear AZ, this is precisely why I LIKE lug-soled boots. They saved my butt, big-time! Other than a bruised ego, nothing else happened. I did not drop my Harley as I was slowly backing up and turning on that huge incline. The boots held me and my bike firmly as I was maneuvering.

I am not skilled at using a manual transmission. My inability to use a stick-shift skillfully has a lot to do with being a klutzy, uncoordinated guy. This is why my family gave up trying to teach me how to dance. It’s just not within my skillset to learn how to handle such a situation.

Life is short: wear lug-soled boots when you operate a heavyweight motorcycle!

Purpose of Buckles on Tall Boots

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I received an email recently with some questions about boots with pull-tabs vs. buckles. Within my answer, I explained the purpose of a buckle closure on tall boots, such as Wesco harness boots. Here is what I said:

There are three reasons for a buckle at the top of tall boots.

First, the buckle closure allows the leg opening at the top of the shaft to be expanded to accommodate the calf. On most men, the calf circumference 6 – 8″ below the knee is one to two inches wider than the circumference just under the knee (which is the height at which you want tall boots to be). Thus, you can open the boot shaft as you pull boots on over jeans or leathers, then buckle the top to tighten the fit under the knee.

Second, the buckle closure will hold the boots up high on the leg and they won’t sag (too far). Boots that sag a lot can cause folds of leather that can rub against the ankle and cause sores. It’s best to have boots that are held up by a mechanical method (such as buckles), so they won’t sag.

Third, when closed snugly, top-buckled boot shafts will hold jeans, leathers, or breeches inside the boots so when you sit down then stand up, you won’t have unsightly bulges of fabric or leather above the knee. That is, it keeps the lines between the fabric or leather and the boots “clean” and have a neater appearance, as shown above. That appearance is desirable by those who wear jeans, leathers, or breeches inside boots. Seldom, if ever, do you see a motorcycle officer with baggy breeches at the knees.

Buckles at the top of boot shafts to hold jeans, leathers or breeches inside them is important if you ride a motorcycle. A motorcycle operator frequently bends and extends his or her knees when stopping, starting, and riding. (And buckles are far better than a laced boot shaft closure, because laces can easily come undone when blown in the wind, and are a pain in the butt to keep re-tying.)

Warning! I see that Wesco now defaults to offering only boot pulls, not buckles, on tall custom-made harness boots. If you want buckles as shown in the photos of some of my Wesco Harness boots here, you have to specify that you want buckles as a special instruction, and be prepared to pay more. This is why I strongly recommend working with and through a competent, quality Wesco Boot reseller. They know what real Bootmen require, and know how to explain it to Wesco so they get it right when placing an order and save you money, too, by giving a good discount on the MSRP.

I hope you find this information helpful if you may be considering buying a pair of tall boots and are wondering about having a buckle (or two or more) on the shaft, instead of pull straps.

Life is short: wear your boots!

Best Value Motorcycle Boots

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I am writing this in response to several Google searches that continue to end up on this blog, on my post about “best motorcycle boots.” There is a difference between all the “bests”:

  • Best quality motorcycle boots
  • Best motorcycle boots for long-day comfort
  • Best value motorcycle boots

Let me offer some of my opinions for each of these qualifications. Remember, these are my opinions and yours or your Uncle Pete who has been riding since forever may be different. I have been riding a motorcycle for more than 30 years, and have tried and worn probably over 200 pairs of boots while riding during that time. I summarized this experience along with some research in my Guide to Motorcycle Boots that has won rave reviews and upon which this blog post is based.

In my post on “best motorcycle boots,” I commented on the durability, sole, comfort, fit, and value of Chippewa Firefighter Boots. I still believe that Chippewa Firefighter Boots fit all of those criteria exceptionally well.

But in the three categories listed above, here are some more of my opinions.

Best quality motorcycle boots: By far, the best quality motorcycle boots must be Wesco Boots. Currently I have 11 pairs of Wesco Boots and I find that their quality and durability is second-to-none. You can tell that by the construction and attention to detail, as each pair of boots is “built” individually by skilled bootmakers working at their facility in Scappoose, Oregon. Their “Boss” and harness motorcycle boots are of exceptional quality, and will last well beyond the lifetime of the wearer.

Features of quality in a motorcycle boot that I look for include:

  • All leather construction (no plastic anywhere)
  • true Vibram soles (not cheap rubber, “nitrile,” or similar knock-offs).
  • stitched, not glued, soles. Boots with stitched soles can be resoled if necessary.
  • leather lined boot shafts.
  • Materials and craftsmanship that shows in every detail of construction. There are no blemishes in the leather, and all stress points are double-stitched.

By all means, Wesco Boots are the best quality, but they are about the most expensive of the “biker boot” variety (motorcycle police patrol boots can be equally as costly, but that’s for another blog post.) However, Wesco boots are also the heaviest of all biker boots, and boots that are heavy to lug around on the feet can become uncomfortable on a long day’s ride.

Most comfortable motorcycle boots: Face it, a long day in the saddle means that you have to accommodate anything that can cause discomfort on a ride. The feet that begin to hurt if the boots you’re wearing are too tight, too loose, flimsy, or heavy. You can’t count the number of times that you have to bend and flex your knees and put your boot down on pavement while stopped. You put pressure on your feet when operating a motorcycle and when taking breaks, and certainly when you arrive at your destination by walking around. Sometimes destinations involve hiking or walking on rocky terrain, so a comfortable motorcycle boot will do double-duty, serving both to provide protection to a motorcyclist, but also as a hiking boot.

A comfortable motorcycle boot will have built-in high-quality insoles, and the boot will be lined with leather or specialized fabrics (like Cambrelle). The boot can be short or tall, but no taller than the back of the knee while seated. (If the boot is taller than that, it will grind against the back of the knee and cause sores.)

Also, a comfortable motorcycle boot will “break well” at the ankle. What I mean by this is that the bend of the boot in the back where the shaft meets the foot — often right at the height of the soft tissue at the back of the ankle — is straight across and doesn’t bend sideways. A “bad break” is all too easily felt when the inside of the boot rubs against the ankle and causes blisters or bleeding sores. Good “shortie” boots have a padded ankle collar which prevents this problem from happening. Good tall boots perhaps need some “training” at the ankle before wearing them regularly.

Personally, I have found that Chippewa oil-tanned Engineer Boots are about the most comfortable of the traditional “biker boots” I have worn. They are well-constructed, have replaceable soles, and are durable. I have had one pair of these boots for over 20 years and they are holding up fine, even when they have tromped through mud or water.

Best value motorcycle boots: So this brings me to what I think are the best value today in motorcycle boots. Sometimes it is easier to say what is NOT the best value: Boots that cost less than US$100. There is a reason for that — poor quality materials (including blemished leather or leather feet and plastic shafts), workmanship that may include child labor in poorer countries, glued soles, and soles made of soft material that will leave black melt-marks on hot motorcycle pipes. Unfortunately, most “Harley-Davidson” and “X-element” brand boots fall into this category.

What, to me, composes good value for an investment are boots that will be able to withstand the typical uses that a motorcyclist will subject them to: lots of flexing at the ankles and a need for “grip” by the sole on pavement when stopping and starting a bike. The soles should be replaceable, so they should not be glued on. That’s why the cheaper boots referenced above are not a good value, because they have glued soles. Also, often cheap boots are unlined, which actually makes them hotter on the feet, and less comfortable.

Boots with good value will last for years of typical regular use. That’s why I continue to go back to Chippewa Boots for both value as well as comfort. You can get them short or tall, and know they will last a long time. They are not expensive when you consider that you are making a long-term investment. Think of it this way: spend US$89 on a pair of boots and wear them for a couple years, then they fall apart or you need to replace the soles and you can’t because they are glued, not stitched. So in one or two years, you have to buy another pair. Alternatively, spend US$200 on a pair of Chippewa boots, and they will last ten or more years even with heavy use. Annualizing the cost, the Chippewas “cost less than half” as much as the cheaper boots cost. That is how you compute value. Don’t go for cheap — go for “relative expense” compared with “a boot’s lifetime.”

My two cents. What are yours?

Life is short: wear your boots!

It’s All About the Boots Part 2: Biker Boots

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I am an avid motorcyclist. I have been riding motorcycles regularly for 32 years. Currently, I have a Harley-Davidson Road King Classic, which I bought new last year (2008). I had the handlebars replaced so the bike fits me better. I also had the instrumentation changed to have a combined speedometer/tach. Otherwise, the bike is stock.

When it comes to boots for the bike, my three favourite pairs of biker boots are:

  • stock Chippewa Firefighter boots
  • custom tall Wesco Harness boots
  • stock Chippewa oil-tanned Engineer boots

Tall boots usually need to be made custom to fit my muscular calfs. However, tall Chippewa Engineer boots are made with a rather wide calf, so no further adjustment is necessary. (That’s good, since you can’t get them made custom, anyway.)

Wesco Boots are by far the most durable boots I have ever worn while motorcycling. The only challenge I have with them is that they are very heavy, and sometimes get hot out in the sun when riding all day on big Harley with an air-cooled engine. On those days, in particular, I prefer to wear my Chippewa Firefighter boots, which are durable and exceptionally comfortable.

Meanwhile, enjoy the video titled, “It’s All About the Boots Part 2: Biker Boots” to see these boots closer up and in action.


It’s All About the Boots Part 1: Patrol Boots

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A couple weeks ago, I sent a message to subscribers of my YouTube Channel to say that I was going to have some free time during my past week’s “staycation” and asked for some suggestions for videos that I might create.

I received a few responses with rather odd video suggestions, but such suggestions were not unexpected from the boot fetish community. Sorry, fellas, you aren’t going to see me lick boots or do other things that are unhealthy. However, I received one reply from a fellow boot blogger who suggested that I keep the videos focused on the boots. He said, and I agree, “It’s All About the Boots.”

I got out six pairs of my favorite boots and created two videos. The first video features three of my favorite patrol boots:

  • Bal-Laced Dehner Boots
  • Wesco Motor Patrol Boots
  • Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots

By the way, I still really like my All American Blue Knight Patrol Boots but I blogged about them recently already so I chose some others to feature today.

I put the patrol boots that I picked out for the video on my feet, showed how to keep a good shine on them, and walked around a bit. Enjoy!

The Downside of Natural Fertilization

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Yesterday, after attending the unveiling of a portrait of my close friend and mentor (an elected official who died in 2007), I returned home to work with my partner to paint our master bedroom ceiling. It wasn’t difficult, nor took a long time. I was a good boy: nary a complaint nor a whimper. We just got it done and hopefully, my partner will pronounce it completed after a closer inspection later this morning.

Then I got busy with work outside. I commented in May that we have about the greenest lawn in the neighborhood because we use compost as fertilizer. It is a bit more work to prepare the compost and spread it on the lawn. But it is well worth it, in both saving the environment from spreading more chemicals to the cost savings from not buying chemical fertilizer in the first place.

The only down-side is that the compost makes our sidewalk out front really dirty. It gets brown spots on it, and then an general “overwash” that makes it appear soil-brown. But think about it — what I am observing is what washes off the lawn after a hard rain. That could be chemicals. But it’s not.

Every now-and-then, I have to clean that gunk off the sidewalk. I pulled on my tall Bama-ized Wesco Harness Boots (which have a liking of things wet) and got to work using the powerwasher to clean the sidewalk.

It took a while, but was fun. The boots worked great and while the outer leather got a bit wet, my feet remained dry. Some neighbors who were walking to an illegal meeting down the street saw me and the boots, and just waved (or tried to act invisible, since they knew that I knew that their meeting was held in violation of state law).

After I was done, my partner and I relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. See, Tef: I can relax. It’s not all work 24/7!

Life is short: enjoy it, both at work and after!

Wet Boots and Bike – Updated

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I can now completely validate that Wesco Motor Patrol Boots are watertight. While on a motorcycle ride on Saturday, the GPS merrily led me along on a road that appeared as a connection between two main roads. However, the road that the damn GPS led me on became progressively more narrow until we came upon a ford! Who woulda thunk our ritzy county still has roads in it with fords?

Heck, this would have been fun had I not been attempting to lead a ride with others behind me. Out I plunged, almost dropped the bike, made it through, along with one other. But the rest of the riders turned back, and I don’t blame ’em. What a friggin’ dumb idea!

Oh well, the boots performed admirably! Never lost my footing, nor got my feet wet.

Life is short: try to have fun, even if lost!

Update: My friend, Bamaboy, is a whiz with Photoshop. He created a revised version of this photo, just for me. It is below. I am ROFL!

Welcome to My Blog, Wesco

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Apparently a search tool triggered a visit to this blog by someone at the West Coast Shoe Company of Scappoose, Oregon, USA. The visit was from my tongue-in-cheek post about people who add an apostrophe to a singular word to make it plural, as in “I have ten pairs of Wescos” (note, no apostrophe, I can’t do it.)

Ten pairs, say you? Wow… that’s alot. (Check ’em out). Yep, I have had some of them for 30 years, and some were acquired much more recently. They are rugged as a rock, and hold up to all sorts of wear and tear. But that’s how the boots are advertised, and live up to their reputation as the “boots that can take the gaff.” Sure can.

I do not wear my Wesco boots during the hot and humid days of summer. Just won’t work. They are made of the thickest leather and my later Wescos are all leather lined. That just makes the boots too heavy and hot to wear during typical Washington summers.

But I do wear those boots often while riding my Harley in the Autumn, Winter, and Spring. The boots present a commanding appearance, work exceptionally well for motorcycling, and are comfortable. I should mention that all of my Wescos since my first few pairs are made custom to my size. That’s really the only way to get tall Wesco boots to fit right, and then be worth the investment.

Would I get any more Wesco boots? Probably not … I mean, really, ten pairs is enough. But would I sell any? Well, maybe. I’m thinkin’ about it… I have two pairs that just don’t fit me any more, and they may find a better home with someone else.

Meanwhile, I welcome visitors from the West Coast Shoe Company, and commend the hard-working Bootmakers of the company for their fine craftsmanship. It is one of those rare companies where its reputation lives up to its product, each and every time.

Life is short: enjoy your Wescos!