Oleg Kaderly, Author at stridewise.com

By now, just about everyone who owns a pair of boots has heard of Thursday Boot Company, thanks to their influencer marketing and aggressive online/ social media campaigns. With their flagship Captain boot at the helm of their collection — widely considered the best entry-level boot, due to its impressive makeup of Goodyear welt construction, quality materials, roaring comfort right out of the box, and attractive $199 price point — it is no wonder that they’ve gained the immense popularity amongst first-time boot owners and seasoned enthusiasts in recent years. Thursday has manufactured boots, shoes, and sneakers for men and women in various styles, leathers, sizes, and widths, making it one of the most worn and reviewed direct-to-consumer footwear brands to emerge in the past decade. Most of their footwear, including the Captain and President models, are produced abroad in Mexico, but there are a handful of styles made in Arkansas, USA. These are sold at a slightly higher price point, with a strong emphasis placed on American craftsmanship, heritage pride, and attention to detail at every step in the production process. Amongst these USA-made models is the Logger: a rugged frontiersman-inspired boot that sits 8” tall and features all of the beloved and sought-after elements of quality footwear: fully-lined supple glove leather interior, cork-bed midsoles, Vibram outsoles, Kevlar laces, and of course, Goodyear welt construction for many years of service. To date, there have not been too many reviews on social media for this particular model, so I recently took the plunge and ordered a pair of these boots, to check them out for myself. Below are my thoughts after a month of wearing them almost daily. You should buy Thursday Boots Logger if: You want to enjoy a durable, stylish, USA-made boot that doesn’t cost a lot of money You appreciate rugged look that will not be found out of place in an urban setting You want sneaker-like comfort in a boot form You like tall, 8” shaft on your boots You’re a fan of grippy, luggy outsoles You shouldn’t buy Thursday Boots Logger if: You prefer the versatility or comfort of shorter boots You want to choose from many leather options You prefer leather or Dainite-esque outsoles You want a business casual-to-dress boot Initial thoughts: Purchase, Delivery, Unboxing I ordered Logger boots off Thursday’s website, using regular (non-expedited) domestic shipping option, which is free for every purchase over $100. The boots took under three business days to ship from Thursday’s MA warehouse and they came in a large black Thursday Boots-logoed box in which each boot was carefully enclosed in a separate plastic bag. Many people talk about the “intoxicating” leather smell from Thursday boots when they arrive and are taken out of the box, and I must admit, the leather smell is pretty potent — and not in a bad way. There was a quality inspection card, hand signed by a warehouse picker who was the last person to have physical contact with the boots prior to their departure from the warehouse. No additional laces, shoe bags, or any other accessories were included with these boots, which is not a huge deal to me given the price, but it may matter to you. Thursday Boots Logger Aesthetics Slim, handsome silhouette Substantial, but not overly-chunky sole Durable Vibam Fighter outsoles with Cuban stacked leather heel Very versatile, though not ideal for dressy outfits The Logger boot is the tallest boot in the entire Thursday collection, measuring 8” tall. Additionally, there are no speedhooks included on any of the 3 leather makeups, so lacing them up can be a somewhat time consuming effort — but that’s to be expected with an 8-inch boot. The laces featured here are Kevlar-reinforce (yes, as in the material used in bullet proof vests) and what’s nice about them is their resilience against coming untied, even when the boot is submerged under water or worn aggressively for a number of hours. (Yes, I wore them in hard for this review.) Despite its aggressive height and lumberjack DNA, the boot’s profile is surprisingly slim, which adds to its versatility. I believe this boot fits in equally well on unpaved trails and urban settings. However, I do not recommend this boot to be paired with a pair of dress chinos, let alone a suit. These definitely fall in the “casual lifestyle boot” category. More controversially, I don’t really recommend these to be used in an actual industrial or work setting since it does not contain a steel/composite toe and it is not, to the best of my knowledge, rated as a work boot. This isn’t a “con” as there’s nothing wrong with versatile daily beaters, just don’t expect them to withstand electric currents or anything. That said, if you need boots for your work because they offer great ankle stability and prevent foot pain after a long day on your feet, these boots will do you fine And they are indeed handsome. After one of my hikes, I stopped at a local Panera for a quick bite to eat, and did get a few people comment on my “cool-looking boots”. This is footwear that turns heads and garners compliments. As noted, these are tall boots, and special boot socks should be worn with them in order to avoid chafing/ blistering, especially if worn for prolonged periods of time. While I got mine from my local Tractor Supply Co store, Thursday offers different sock options on their website. Two other leathers on offer: Black Matte and Cacao Waxed Flesh Thursday Boots Logger Leather Three (3) leather choices are currently available This Arizona Adobe leather is Thursday’s proprietary oil-tanned leather Looks better with more frequent wear The pair I ordered were in Arizona Adobe Rugged & Resilient leather, while other two choices currently include Waxed Cacao (Horween’s waxed flesh) and Black Matte leathers. Ostensibly, Arizona Adobe and Black Matte leathers are two of Thursday’s most popular leathers, as of 2020-2021 calendar year sales, so my take is, that is the reason why they picked these two makeups for Logger model; the dark brown waxed flesh leather from Horween tannery in Chicago is a very cool leather option as well that's known for its toughness and great patina. (You can see the same leather on an old pair of Truman boots here.) One thing about Arizona Adobe leather, is its way of aging extremely well, and actually looking better on day 100 than it does on day 1. The oils in it begin to move and shift around, taking on unique characteristics, based on the manner and frequency of their owner’s wear. Any scuffs and scratches are noticed quickly, but not in an unwelcome manner — instead, they tell the story of journeys the boots have gone on, and they do so extremely well! Deeper scuff marks, however, can be buffed out pretty well, using Cobbler's Choice or Venetian Shoe Cream, if one chooses to do so. But overall, one of the most appealing properties of this leather to me, is its ability to take a beating, smile, and keep on going for a long, long time. After some wear Thusday Boots Logger Sole Vibram Mini-Lug outsole Rubber insert at the heel for extra traction / support Poron antimicrobial shock absorbing insole The sole on Logger boot is perhaps one of the most distinguishing features about the boot; it is the only model in Thursday lineup that offers Vibram Fighter mini-lug outsoles; majority of other models, with the exception of Diplomat Moc toe, come with Thursday’s proprietary studded rubber outsoles. Vibram Fighter outsoles are known to be featured on a number of outdoor/ hiking footwear options with other brands, as they provide very good traction. I can personally attest to it being true, after taking these boots on a few low-to-moderate intensity hikes, ranging from 0.5 to 5 miles. I trekked through gravel, mud, wet rock, and shallow water; not once did I lose footing. I had a lot of fun taking these on trails as mentioned above; the poron insoles make these boots extremely comfortable right out of the box, and combined with Vibram outsoles can very well combat my actual hiking shoes. The break-in period in these is virtually non-existent. One other thing that is worth adding here, is that these boots give their wearer a noticable boost in height (at least 1-1.5”). Perhaps the most noticeable/ distinguishing feature of this boot is the tall, stacked Cuban heel, which is often seen on typical logging boots, thus granting the boot its name. With it, however, one thing that is worth mentioning that leaves more to be desired, is the heel pad. It is very slim, and I can see it needing rather frequent replacement with continued wear, in order to not wear into the stacked leather portion of the heel. Thursday Boots Fit & Sizing Fits true to size Great all day comfort Excellent shock absorption No wide sizes are currently available Thursday recommends going 1⁄2 size down from your typical sneaker size in these. As I don’t own any sneakers, I can honestly say that I went true to size in all of my other Thursday boots, as I did in Logger, and it worked out well for me. At one point, I did decide to go down 1⁄2 size in Vanguard boots, and ended up regretting/returning that pair back, as they were rubbing my feet raw. So, assuming you have normal width, go ahead and try your regular Brannock size and see how it goes. Most customer reviews rave about Thursday’s amazing comfort and for a good reason. I’ve worn my other models of their boots for 8-9 hours, while in the office, and the comfort level is seriously remarkable. Walking on park paths, I barely felt rocks and other debris under my feet, and climbed over raised tree roots with ease. My feet do not fatigue, bruise, or sweat excessively, as they do in some other boots I’ve worn for hours and hours on end. I can only imagine that Logger model lives up to the same potential as its “brothers”. Unfortunately, if you have wide or extra wide feet, you may be out of luck with this particular model, as it currently only comes in D/regular width. Some reviews I’ve seen recommend going up in size to allow for additional volume inside the boot, however, I would advise against that, as it messes with other fit factors of the boot, and therefore does not present the best ergonomic option for one’s feet. There are many other boot brands and models that can accommodate wide feet, so my recommendation would be to seek out those, instead of forcing your way with Logger. Thursday Boots Logger Price As of this articles date of publishing, a pair of Thursday Boots Logger is sold for $285, and Thursday is partnered with Sezzle payment solution company, which allows consumers the freedom to buy now and pay later over the course of four (4) interest-free installments. This option is great, and I personally have taken advantage of it on multiple occasions. There are almost never any sales/ special promotions on any of Thursday’s footwear, and they do not sell used/ B-Grade shoes on their site. You may be able to find gently used articles of their products on auction sites like eBay, or used goods sites like Grailed, Offer Up, or on Facebook Marketplace. One other matter that’s worth mentioning, is Thursday’s simple, hassle-free return policy. If you are unhappy with your purchase for whatever reason, you can generate a return on your own within minutes, upon conclusion of which, a pre-paid UPS label will be provided to you to send unwanted item(s) back to Thursday free of charge. If you opt to receive refund, it will be processed back to your original payment method within 5 business days of items’ receipt by their warehouse, or you can get a replacement shipped to you immediately after UPS drop-off site scans the return label into action. Wrapping up After wearing Logger for a month, I found them to be sturdy, comfortable, and well-crafter pair of boots. I would not go as far as comparing them to the likes of Nicks, White’s, or Viberg boots, as those would be unfair comparisons due to a myriad of reasons, but I will say, that Loggers present their wearers with a great value, combining handsome looks, comfort, and versatility right out of the box. They are easily capable of taking a healthy beating, and then brushed off with a wet cloth for a night out on the town!

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