Lands' End Desert Boot

Welcome back. Good weekend? Yeah me too. I mean duh, I just partied and made out with broads the whole time.

Okay so Friday I introduced you to Lands’ End Canvas (LEC, as I’m calling it). During their sale, besides this plaid poplin shirt, I also snagged a pair of suede desert boots. They were only $40, so again, what the hell, especially considering I could return them. 

This picture from LEC

I have mixed feelings about the desert boot. On the one hand, it’s no Clarks. I’m not big on the suede, because it’s not a great all-weather option. The crepe sole is sticky (I’ve never dealt with a crepe sole before), so it has the tendency to track some shit around. And my biggest complaint, and this is purely from an OCD/stylistically point of view, is that the toe is too big/boxy/chunky. It’s kind of snub-nosed, whereas I feel other desert points come to a rounded point, which I prefer.

Frankly though, those are all kind of nit-picky points. I mean, they’re all things to think about if you’re considering LEC’s desert boots, but on the other hand, I got exactly what I paid for. I knew they’d be suede. I could tell from the pictures that the toe was boxy. But the thangs were only $40, and at that price, I think they’re pretty damn good. I got what I paid for, but I’m comfortable with what I got for what I paid. If you’re considering desert boots, I’d probably recommend saving and grabbing a pair of Clarks. But if you’re pinching pennies to the max, and who isn’t these days, the LECs are a viable option at their price point. (By the way, went to Nordstrom Rack in KC this weekend. They had multiple pairs of Clarks' Beeswax Leather Desert Boots for around $70.)

As far as fit, I normally wear an 11.5 in Nike, which is like my go-to size barometer for shoes. I went with 11s here, because the reviews said they tend to run a bit big. The 11s fit fine, so going down half a size is probably a good idea.

Oh, and another thing. I wasn’t happy with the cotton shoelaces the boots came with (although I think these types of laces are common to most shoe companies, so it’s not unique to LEC). I ran down to a local shoe store, and for $7 I was able to get a pack of raw leather laces. I cut them to match the length of the provided shoe laces, then slipped them in to at least add a little upgrade. There’s always little shortcuts (tailoring, shoe repair, etc.) you can use to upgrade/extend the life of the clothes you already own. A small fix can be better than buying a whole new piece. 

More news as it develops,

MD