Category Archives: Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots

Rain on the Chippewas

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Yesterday morning, the local weather weasel said that it would cloud up, but remain dry all day, then perhaps rain a little in the evening, if it rained at all.

Considering that it was 50°F (10°C), I put on my red-piped leather chaps, favorite leather jacket, and a pair of warm gloves. I had already put on my Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. Those boots are just comfy and good-looking as heck. I find I am wearing them often when I ride the Harley to Metro and then walk to work in the city.

Long about noon, the weather weasel was proved wrong, wrong, wrong. It began to rain. The wind picked up. The temperature dropped to 42°F (5.5°C). Ugggh… I hate riding in the rain.

When I left work and arrived at the Metro station where I parked my bike, there was a steady, but gentle, rain falling. It was windy and cold. I wore my Harley jacket to work, so I had it on and it was warm (enough).

I walked to where I keep my Harley locked up, shook off as much rain as I could from the cover, and put it in a saddlebag. I got my chaps out of the TourPak, and put them on, along with the gloves. Thank goodness I had the forethought to have my full-face Shoei helmet, which provides better protection in wind, rain, and cold. I put it on and adjusted it.

I brought the bike to life and slowly walked it backwards to the exit drive. I also thanked myself for having lug soles put on those Chippewa boots. They were providing excellent traction.

Using only the rear brakes when it was necessary to slow down, I rode slowly home. Made it safely. Not a problem. I just don’t like to ride in the rain, cold, and wind. But those are the risks you take when you are cheap (I don’t have to pay for parking the motorcycle), when you like to ride as much as you can, when you have the gear that provides proper protection, and when you have had training in how to handle a big, heavy, motorcycle in the rain. I reduced the risk as much as possible. That’s what the gear and the training is all about.

Keep riding as long as you can — but don’t trust those weather weasels!

Leather: Boots Make the Man

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A guy getting into leather must have boots. Tall, black boots are most common, and look best with leather gear, especially when the gear is tucked into the boots and you can see the boot shafts.

It may be an obvious point, but must be made, as quoted in my Guide to Leather Gear: Boots are essential for anyone getting into leather. Sneakers worn with leather just look silly — even black ones. But you do not have to spend a fortune. Usually those first starting out get a pair of plain black harness boots, which are readily available from a variety of on-line retailers. You may want to consider a pair of engineer boots, which have a more “tough-look” style. The best and most affordable choices are made by Chippewa, Carolina, or Red Wing. Some guys just wear plain black combat boots that you can find at any Army-Navy surplus store. All are fine — but the point is that if you are going to wear leather, you must have boots and no substitute.

Usually someone who is interested in leather already has boots, but just in case you don’t, this is where you must begin. I know from reviewing the logs of my website, many are looking at the tall cop boots that I have. But also, many look at the simpler black harness boots, too. And plain ol’ harness boots will work fine with leather. That style of boot gives a masculine “biker” appearance.

It is not necessary to buy a pair of Dehner Patrol Boots. While boots made by Dehner are legend, unfortunately, the legend has worn thin as the stock boots are made for pencil-thin-legged guys and the shafts of the boots are made with a plastic material called “Dehcord” which cracks and breaks. In order to wear Dehner Boots with leather or a uniform, you likely will have to have them made custom to fit, which can be done, but at a cost of about US$800 when made of European calf leather (a much better, longer-lasting option). Don’t get them for your first foray into the leather community. Invest wisely in alternatives with which you will be happier and more comfortable.

Instead, for cop-style boots, consider Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots which have a classic, masculine design, are made of all leather (including a leather lining), are exceptionally comfortable, and are affordable. (It’s easy to order from them on-line from anywhere in the world.) Consider this: if you intend to wear them with leather, order them one size smaller but in EE width. A wider Chippewa Boot has a wider calf circumference, which will accommodate leather more comfortably (as I am wearing, photo right).

There are a number of decisions one can make regarding the types and styles of boots to get and wear. First off, you should plan to wear them often, rather than just once a year to a leather event. Therefore, the boots should fit well and be comfortable. If you have not had your foot measured for shoe size in a while, go to a shoe store and get measured. Feet tend to get wider and spread as one ages. Sneaker sizes are not equivalent to boot sizes. Go get measured!

I tend to get boots that fit my measurements, which is a standard 9-1/2D. However, in the past few years I have been getting a 10D because I plan to wear the boots for a long time, and anticipate that my feet will get wider as I age. I don’t want to end up with boots that I invested in purchasing that I can not wear. Meanwhile, I use gel insoles and thick cotton-wool combo socks to accommodate the extra room and absorb sweat.

Another major concern about fitting boots correctly is the measurement of both the lower leg and the calf circumference. Here is what I say about it in my Leather Gear Guide:

Lower leg: Custom gear may include custom boots. If you order custom boots, a critical measurement is the distance between where your knee bends down to the heel across the back of the leg. You don’t want boots that are so tall as to rub the back of your knee when you sit down, else suffer a terrible sore.

Calf circumference: Also called “calf width,” one very important matter to ensure custom boots fit right is knowing the circumerference of your calf. Stock boots may fit okay in the foot, but if they are too tight on the calf, you will be uncomfortable, or you may not be able to pull the boots on tall and straight. If you plan to wear boots with leather or cloth uniform breeches inside them, get that gear on first, and then have measurements taken over what you are wearing to accommodate for the thickness of the leather or fabric. Wrap a tape around the calf about 4″ below the knee, and again about 8″ below the knee.

Custom Boots are made to measure not only your leg and calf, but also your foot. A quality custom bootmaker, for example Wesco Boots, will have a form for that purpose. Have a friend trace both feet onto a template that is sent to the company from which you order the boots and that is used to make a pair of boots that will fit you perfectly. (BTW: DON’T order custom or stock boots directly from Wesco or Dehner; you can save 10% – 20% on exactly the same product if you order them through a boot specialty retailer)

I have much, much more information on how I choose boots on this page of my website. Have a look!

Now, if you’re serious about leather, start with the boots. Check back tomorrow for more on essential leather gear.

Finally Figured Out Chippewa Hi-Shines

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One would think that a Bootman like me ought to know these things, but I have to come clean — I learn a lot from experience.

This morning as usual, I was using my website to determine what boots I wanted to wear today. (I often use my website to facilitate my boot choices.) I will be on my Harley as usual to get to the Metro, then at work in some meetings. After work when I get back to where I parked my bike, I will be riding again to attend another meeting at our local police district station. This is a regularly-scheduled meeting in which I am involved as a civic leader.

So, bike cop boots were on my mind. So was the weather: very hot and very humid again. (It was 80°F [27°C] at 5:00 this morning, and predicted to reach 95°F [36°C] again today). I wanted to wear good-looking boots that would work for all these activities: riding my Harley, meetings at work in a professional environment, and then meeting with the cops in my district at home.

Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots were the answer. An easy choice. But as I was looking in my boot closet, I pulled out both pairs that I have: my older pair that I got in the mid-90s, and the pair I got for my partner in 2005 and to which I had lug sole plates added a month ago. The older pair still look nice, so I decided to put them on.

Why were they feeling so tight on my legs? Why did my feet seem to swim in a cavern in the foot of the boot, but the shafts were literally sticking to my legs? Since my legs were already sweaty, I had to use a bootjack to yank the boots off my legs. I looked at those boots very closely.

They are standard size 10D. That’s what I usually wear. I looked at my partner’s boots (now mine) and they are size 8.5EE. I pulled them on. They felt GREAT! I had more room in the calf, so they weren’t sticking to my legs or feeling tight, and my foot felt comfortable — not too tight, not too lose.

So, I finally figured it out without really thinking about it. Chippewa Engineer Boots run large. But for those of us with a muscular calf, we need the size in the shaft, not in the foot. So a wide boot provides a wider shaft. Duhh… it figures.

I wonder who else figured this out, and why I am so dense as to figure it out only now. I’ll have to discuss it with my friend Mike after he recovers from the “Up Your Alley” (Dore Alley) fair this coming weekend in San Francisco.

Life is short: wear boots!

Motor Officer Boots: Alternatives

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Continuing this week’s series on motor officer boots, I begin by exploring alternatives to the boots I blogged about on earlier days:

  • Chippewa Motor Patrol Boots
  • Dehner Patrol Boots

    • and

  • Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots


    • There are several alternatives available. Shown here are patrol boots     offered by Intapol Industries of New Jersey. One of the interesting features of these boots is a zipper along the seam of the boot shaft to facilitate putting them on and taking them off. They also offer various widths from stock, but do not offer custom sizing. They insert a plastic back stay to ensure the boot doesn’t “break bad” at the ankles. The “Amazonas” sole is about as goofy as the sole found on the Chippewa Motor Patrol Boot, in that it must have a low melting temperature and leaves black marks on hot motorcycle pipes. The boots shown here were made in Brazil. The current boot in production (with soft lug soles) is made in India. My opinion: a nice affordable alternative for a bal-laced boot but not really good for regular duty wear on a motorcycle. Quality is questionable. Fine for BLUF events when used with leather breeches.

    Another nice alternative bal-laced boot is the H-D Police Enforcer Boot which is made by Wolverine under the Harley brand. These boots were discontinued probably because motor officers wouldn’t think of going to a Harley store to buy boots. Also, the boots are made in China and it‘s unfortunate but true: Chinese-made boots lack a lot in quality. However, these are the most comfortable of all the patrol boots I own. The insole that comes with the boots is outstanding. They are also a bit wider naturally, so they accommodate a larger calf size well, including being able to have leather tucked inside them comfortably. The soles are somewhat soft, but haven’t left black marks on my bike’s pipes. I really like these boots, but since they were discontinued, they’re not available any more.

    Another beautiful boot is the Hartt Strathcona. It was made in Canada, but the manufacturer, the Hartt Shoe and Boot Company, went out of business. This boot is also exceptionally comfortable, and has a rugged, durable, lug sole. I got these boots in Vancouver, Canada, back in the ’90s and still enjoy wearing them. They have the widest calf of all of my motor officer boots, so I can wear them with the thickest of leathers. I am considering now looking at boots made by Rino of Toronto. However, because the U.S. economy is such a shambles due to mismanagement by this Administration, I’ll have to wait. Canadian prices for their products haven’t come down just because the value of the U.S. dollar declined by half in the last few years.

    The last boot I’ll blog about in this series is the Wesco Motor Patrol Boot. A photo of the boot from the Wesco website is shown here. I have a pair of boots that is sort of a hybrid between the Motor Patrol Boot and the Wesco Boss. That is, it has the design of a motor patrol boot but the sole of the Boss boot. These U.S.-made boots are rugged and work exceptionally well as designed. There are absolutely no flaws in construction. The leather is thicker than all other patrol boots I have seen, which is why the few cops I have seen wearing them have complained that they get hot while worn on duty. They are expensive, as well, competing in price with Dehners.

    There are other manufacturers of boots, too. I have yet to see a pair of All American Boots or some others, and I’ll keep looking.

    Hope you enjoyed this series on motor officer boots. I’m not sure what’s next. Tune in….

    Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots

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    Continuing the series of blog posts about boots worn by motor officers on duty, here is a photo of a pair of Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots with a (new) lug sole that I just had applied to them.

    Chippewa Boots have been around for years, and are now part of the Justin Brands group (a company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, whose owner Warren Buffet continues to profit from the diversity of his empire.)

    “Chip Shines” as they’re often called are 17″ tall and are made in the traditional Engineer Boot style, with a strap and buckle across the instep, and another strap/buckle on the top of the shaft to adjust the width.

    Some cops I know and ride with have been skeptical about adopting Engineer Boots for wear with a duty uniform. The old perception of “bad-ass bikers in boots” aka Jimmy Dean style goes along with it. A couple cops told me recently (blogged about here) that their old-school sergeant didn’t like Engineer Boots. The boots weren’t considered “traditional” or “appropriate.”

    But nowadays, if you closely inspect the galleries on my website featuring motor officers, you will see that many more than half of today’s motor officers (at least on the East Coast) wear Chip Hi-Shines.

    Why? Well, first of all, the boots are inexpensive (especially compared with Dehners). They have a leather lining. They are durable boots, and are very comfortable. Best thing (from my perspective) is that they have a naturally wide calf, so guys with a muscular calf can wear them over pants or breeches (even leather breeches) without a problem. These boots can not be custom-made, so perhaps that’s why they make the boots with a wider calf to begin with. It’s always easier to tighten the top strap to make them tighter than to have a cobbler do major work on someone else’s product to make them fit.

    These boots also break in well, and don’t tend to sag or “break badly” at the ankle like calf-leather Dehners and similar boots do. The boots maintain their shine easily, with just a damp cloth every now and then bringing them back to their shiny appearance. And while these boots have a patent leather plastic top coat, they just don’t get hot like their brothers (Chippewa Motor Patrol Boots) about which I blogged the other day.

    Many cops like these boots, and more cops are having lug soles applied to them (according to my cobbler). While the Vibram® rubber sole that is supplied on the boots by Chippewa is quite good, a lug sole provides even better traction and durability.

    While one opinionated person who posted a message on “Boots on Line” didn’t like the soles I had applied to these boots, the majority of opinion rules: real cops and real bikers do.

    Cop Boots: Ankle Breaking Decides It

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    Yesterday, I had the pleasure of continuing the ongoing, in-person conversation with a group of motor officers who are considering recommending that they change the boots they purchase and wear on duty. I blogged about this before.

    Currently, these officers wear Dehner Patrol Boots with a dress instep. The boots look great. However, the stock boots use cheap plastic “Dehcord” (made by Clarino) which cracks and breaks. So most of these officers opt to buy the more expensive but much more durable European calf leather Dehner Boots. The problem is that the boots are very expensive and their uniform allowance doesn’t cover the expense of the uniform (breeches, shirts, belts, etc.) AND these very expensive boots as quickly as they go through them with duty wear-and-tear.

    Yesterday, they booted up in different boots offered by Chippewa, Intapol, as well as Dehner. The rode their Police Harley motorcycles on a skills course and put their bikes and their boots through the paces.

    I could describe a lot more, but what it all boiled down to was what began as a side discussion, but became the major issue: boots that “break” (or bend) at the ankle badly are unacceptable (see photo above). Unfortunately, calf leather boots tend to do that. So it’s not only the expense, but also how the boots break in that make a difference, and these guys are so busy that they’re not all that interested in taking the time to “train” their boots to break a certain way. They just want to pull ’em on and ride!

    Some of the cops wearing Intapol Boots thought that they had the same “breaking” problem that they had with Dehners. Those who tested the tall Chippewa Hi-Shine boots didn’t seem to have the same problem. Besides the cost, this is also probably why so many other motor units around the country use these boots for duty wear.

    They will make their recommendation to their superiors: Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots it is. The discussions and the chance to observe yesterday’s trials was interesting. (I didn’t bring my camera to take pics yesterday. It just wasn’t something I could do in this particular situation.)

    Lined or Unlined Boots?

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    One major area of concern about choices of motor officer (bike cop) boots that I haven’t yet discussed in this blog, but I did discuss with motor officers who I am advising on choices of boots they are making is the advantages and disadvantages of getting lined or unlined boots.

    Tall boots are sometimes lined with leather. A leather lining, such as shown my Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots makes a boot more sturdy and durable. Lined boots will stand upright when you take them off. Leather is often selected for the lining because it will breathe, thus ensuring the boots do not feel too hot on the feet. A leather lining will expand and contract with changes in temperature the same as the leather used for the shaft. If, for example, cloth or other fabric were used, it would stretch and quickly lose its firmness, thus not doing much for the boot.

    Unlined boots, such as my Chippewa Oil-Tanned Engineer Boots, have a rough leather interior of the shaft. They are durable boots on the outside. However, they do not stand up well on their own when removed. But because there is no lining, they do not get hot, even when worn in warm weather. Unlined boots tend to sag or crease more at the ankle simply because there is not much there but soft leather.

    Tall motorcycle boots come both ways, lined or unlined. Some unlined tall cop boots are made of stiffer leather, or leather look-alike plastic products such as Dehcord used on stock Dehner patrol boots. I definitely don’t recommend boots made with such a product, because while they are less expensive (but still overpriced) than an all-leather Dehner boot, you get what you pay for: crap that will not hold up while in regular use.

    Other unlined boots, like my very comfortable Harley-Davidson Police Enforcer Boots, are made of all leather. The leather selected for these boots, though, is treated to be very stiff, so they stand up well and don’t crease badly at the ankle.

    Well-made boots from reputable manufacturers like Wesco may be purchased with or without a leather lining. I have a number of pairs of Wesco Boots, and have them both lined and unlined. I definitely prefer the lined boots, because they hold up better and don’t sag as much.

    How does this matter affect the choices that the motor officers I am working with will make? I did not mention it in my previous blog post, but I know that they definitely prefer a boot with a leather lining, but haven’t ruled out unlined, stiffer all-leather boots such as are made by Intapol. Check back with this blog in the future to find out what they decide. I will be meeting with them again in a couple weeks for a demonstration from a couple manufacturers and more discussion.

    Most Popular Bike Cop Boots

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    All websites have logs that show how many visitors look at posted pages or images. I look at my logs from time to time to see what others find most interesting, which I determine by the pages and images with the most views.

    Pictured here are the boots that have been viewed more often than any others from the recently posted galleries about Law Ride 2008.

    They are, not surprisingly, Chippewa Hi-Shine Engineer Boots. The boots look good, and were worn on about 3/4 of the officers who were at Law Ride.

    Life is short: admire cop boots!

    Law Ride: Boots for the Biker

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    At Law Ride on Sunday, May 11, I took a lot — I mean A LOT — of pictures of boots, cops, and cops in their boots. It was a great event because I got to hang out with law enforcement officers and ride with them, and thank them for their service. But it was also enjoyable to attend as a Bootman who particularly likes tall black boots, as there were so many to see.

    I spotted these Chippewa Engineer Boots on a cop. They ARE Chippewas (see the Indian Head imprint on the side), but have a solid lug sole, which appears to be a Vibram 100. Man, I really like Engineer Boots with a Vibram 100 sole, and haven’t been able to find tall ones, especially made by a reputable manufacturer like Chippewa. Every time I tried to talk to this cop about his boots and where he got them, or if he had the soles added by a cobbler, he was involved in a conversation with other cops. I didn’t want to intrude or seem strange walking up to a cop to ask him solely about his boots.

    UPDATE: DECEMBER 2008: I GOT MYSELF A PAIR OF THESE BOOTS! See them here.

    I’m draggin’ this morning. I was up way too late last night, ’til after 10pm, celebrating the win of my candidate for our County Council who was in a special general election on Tuesday. I worked most of the day turning out the vote, and was pleased that he won by a 2/3 majority. He will assume office on May 23 or thereabouts. It was a pleasure to work on his campaign as his webmaster and among his legion of civic activist volunteers. I am especially pleased because he is the husband of my very close friend who was in this office for 17 years. He will carry on her work of constituent service and fiscal prudence with integrity and independence.

    Even though I was out partying (defined as hugging everyone in sight, eating chicken nuggets and drinking a Sprite) until all hours, I still naturally awoke at 4:00am. I’m gonna’ crash tonight. Fortunately, I don’t have any more evening meetings this week.

    Life is short: wear your boots!

    The shiniest motorcop boots

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    Oh my goodness, my boot visions were realized today when I rode on Law Ride, a ride led by motorcops from all over the U.S. They ride from RFK Stadium to the Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial. Us supporters follow.

    I spoke with several cops, including the one whose boots are shown here. Man, what a nice guy. And his boots were gorgeous! These are Chippewa Hi-Shines, which are selected more often now by cops than any other boot, including Dehners.

    I had a great conversation with this officer, who has visited my website. He already knew my interest in boots, and asked several good questions. He gave me a hat from his motor squad. What a nice guy. What a GREAT DAY!

    More will follow. I had a terrific time and took a lot of photos as the ride was organizing. Ummm, ummm, ummm… my hopes were realized, and the boot beauty was in abundance.