The Gustin Boot

I actually don't mind high cuffing when wearing low top sneakers and denim in the summer. Gives a nice breeze to the ankles, helping to keep cool.

I can also highcuff when very hot. I never highcuff to showoff my shoes.

Sometimes you guys gotta wait for the price to drop before getting pissed off.

Taking you inside how your garments are made is a huge part of our company. It’s what got us hooked on this industry ten years ago and what kept us at it when Gustin was nothing more than a single style of denim worn and known only by Josh.

We’re extremely proud that we’re able to make our boots in the USA. Of all the garment trade, footwear manufacturers have been hit among the hardest. Given how many man hours are required to make a pair of shoes, most companies go to countries with extremely cheap labor. It’s an absolute privilege to be working with a factory that has survived all the ups-and-downs, been able to adapt and continues to make boots for the most respected names in the footwear industry from Red Wing to Frye to Wolverine.

We hope that by seeing the precision, devotion and artistry involved in making our boots, you will be absolutely blown away by the fact that we can offer you a product like this for only $199. Producing the highest quality garments and offering them at radical value embodies what we believe in.

To us, this is art. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Cutting
Precision cutting sets the stage for a perfect boot. It starts with the right leather. We only use full-grain leather which is the outermost surface of the hide. It's the strongest and most valuable part. Since no two sides of leather are the same, each hide is carefully inspected.

Below are metal dies that serve as the markers for cutting the leather.

The hides for our boot are cut one-at-time. Careful cutting without any stacking ensures only the best sections of leather are used across all the hides. The resulting pieces, which include the leather quarters, vamp, tongue, and backstay, will be sewn together to form the upper. The white material is reinforcement that will be covered by the calf skin lining.

Constructing the upper
The upper includes all parts of the boot above the insole. The flat leather pieces come together to begin forming the shape of the boot. Constructing the upper may be the most labor intensive step in the process. Our boot goes through 18 different work stations.

Before sewing the pieces together, there are a number of steps, including skiving the edges of the leather to ease the sewing process and adding reinforcement to the heel, toe and around the eyerow. Once the sewing is complete, the eyelets are punched, speed hooks are installed, and the calf skin lining is applied.

You can see the upper taking shape as the leather pieces are sewn together.

Speed hooks are installed and the the eyelets are punched.

Finally, we see the emergence of our boot. Temporary laces are used to help hold the upper in place.

Lasting
Lasting is what brings the shape and the fit of the boot together. Within this step, the upper is pulled over the boot last giving the shoe its final shape and form.

Before lasting, the upper is frozen (below) and subsequently heated to help hold it's shape.

Next, the last is inserted into the upper and the leather is pulled around the last.

The boot is sealed onto the insole board. The machine pictured below is calibrated according to the the specific shape of our boot.

The technician is now checking to see if the leather has been pulled correctly. Using pliers, he adjusts around the heel before tacking down the upper to the insole with nails.

Goodyear Welt Construction
Goodyear welting calls for a leather welt to serve as an attachment point between the upper and the insole. It is a time consuming and expensive process utilized only by the most respected shoemakers in the world. It is highly regarded for reasons including being relatively waterproof, the ease in replacing the sole and its durability.

The first step in the process calls for cleaning up the bottom of the upper. The technician below is skiving the edges.

Below is Lamar installing the welt. Lamar is a total legend and is the longest tenured factory employee.

Cork is used to fill spaces on the insole board and serves as additional shock absorbency. A fiberglass strip is installed for reinforcement.

Bottoming
This is the homestretch of our boot making process. In this step the leather outsole is stitched to the midsole, and the Vibram heel is nailed on.

Below are our leather outsoles before they are stitched to the midsole.

The outsole is carefully stitched to the midsole.

After the Vibram heel has been installed, a technician cleans up the excess rubber.

Finishing touches
The final steps include cleaning and lacing by hand. After one more final inspection, the shoes are wrapped and boxed.

Everything that goes into our boots is the result of accuracy and attention to detail. You too can experience the precision craftsmanship beginning Wednesday, August 19th at 9 AM PDT.

If you're excited about our next step forward, we'd love it if you shared this email with a friend.

Guessing the pricing is dependent on the leather used though, with Chromexcel/other Horween leathers being pricier than others (as with the belts and the sneakers).

So could go up to $250; still good value nonetheless though.

*Edit

Having said that you can pick up Thorogood boots with pretty much the exact same specs for $230 delivered now from Huckberry.
Hard to distinguish yourself in this kind of field if not through price.

I suspect Horweens will be $299 or $319.

What types of leather do you think they're using? Isn't it just going to be three different shades of the same boot?

Who's making them? I say Allen Edmonds. I think they look pretty darn good for $199.

I don't know - $199 for a goodyear welt boot with a vibram sole seems pretty good to me. That's assuming the one's for $199 will have the same details as the more expensive leathers. Of course, it has to look good.

AE has workboots -their new Normandy line - shop.nordstrom.com/s/allen-edmonds-normandy-cap-toe-boot-men/3989795

I'm tempted by these. I would like to know the leather. I've been a pretty good bargain hunter for my boot collection. I haven't paid over $200 for my 1ks or IR and it wasn't too hard. But I love me some boots!