As a backlash to modern corporate culture and mass marketing, we’ve seen artisanal beer, artisanal booze and artisanal cuisine. We’re seeing the concepts of “small batch” and “locally sourced” finding their way into everything from cars to clothing.
Now, a small New York company wants to bring you artisanal boots.
The Thursday Boot Company states its goal as creating “modern classics that we deliver at the best possible value to our community.” From the first glance, it’s clear the small company is sticking to classic styling. But, once you get your hands on a pair, you can believe the Thursday pledge that they’re using the best materials available.
I recently had the opportunity to get my hands on (and feet in) a couple pairs of Thursday Boots to test how they hold up under daily wear. For the purposes of this trial, I received a pair of Captains (above) and Black Dukes (below).
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The selection was ideal for trying out both a laced pair and a slip-on design. The pairs arrived in two sizes so individuals of different statures could give them a run. In the end, after all that fuss and bother to make sure we got a good cross section of the Thursday Boots experience, it was all unnecessary. These are just good quality boots, and there’s not way they’re going to fail you or wear out anytime soon if you take proper care of them.
The Thursday promise of using the best available leathers, soles and other ingredients means the boots are immediately comfortable and stable. More importantly, they break in reasonably quickly and avoid the dreaded sore feet and blisters that often result from breaking in even the most loyal of boots.
To throw a little bit of s curveball into the testing, I wore the bigger pair of Dukes. A smaller pair of the Captains went to the size seven feet of a lady with the orders to scuff them up around Manhattan for a few days before reporting back. The straightforward, traditional styling choices by the Thursday Boot Company design team offer the advantage of creating safe options for men and women — making the footwear essentially unisex.
Comfortable, reliable and well made, the selections from this Thursday Boot Company aren’t necessarily inexpensive. You can safely estimate dropping around $200 on your introductory pair. That’s more expensive than the boots you’re likely to find in department stores or consumer shoe shops. However, it’s also easily less than most elite luxury brands. For that money, you get handcrafted boots made from top shelf materials. It’s money well spent.
If you want to try to win a pair from the Thursday Boot Company, you can enter the Dollar Boot Charity Giveaway. A cash donation of any size gets into a raffle for a pair of the month, and you can select the charity that receives your contribution.
