Where to find discontinued shoe, or very similar style

A few years ago I bought a pair of Clarks Shaler boots in brown.

Here is a link to see what they look like:
http://www.bullrunboots.com/closeou...-mens-casual-shoes-82177-in-stock-p-8338.html

I love these boots. They go just above the ankle, and are great for everything. They don't look too much like a work boot, so they wear great with a good pair of jeans and a button down for a nice casual style.

Up until a year ago, the company I worked for required steel toed boots everywhere in the plant. They paid for them. I wore the Clarks at home, but wore work boots to work, even though I mostly sit at a desk (graphic design). My new job does not require or pay for steel toed shoes, so I've been wearing my Clarks every day. Dress shoes would be out of the question since I work in more of a production environment. The Clarks are starting to show more wear, although they are holding up very well.

I started looking for a 2nd pair online so I could rotate as to not wear out one pair too much. It seems that this boot is discontinued. A few places have them, but none in my size (9).

Any suggestoins on where to look that might have this boot for sale? If not, any suggestions for a replacement? I go to shoe stores every once and a while, but have never found anything I like. It took me about 2 years to find this boot. Basically an affordable ankle height all leather work/light hiking boot that can easily be dressed up. I have brown now, but am looking for black this time.

I would really discourage getting two of the same type of boots or shoes. Something might work well, but it's always good to have rotation in your wardrobe so you're not looking like you're wearing a uniform all the time.

What's your price range? Clarks aren't exactly high quality boots. You could do worse, but you can also get some better quality boots if you spend a bit more. These will last longer and look better. I actually remember seeing the Shaler model in DSW some years ago. It had pretty mediocre quality leather if I recall. Notice all those stitches and seams? It's not really a stylistic choice, so much as it is because they use the "good" scraps from other shoes. In general, the more seams, panels, and stitches you see on a leather shoe, the lower quality the leather it was made from.

If you're looking for something that can transition well between office, casual, etc. I'd look into a good chukka boot. If you REALLY do like the look of the Shalers, might want to upgrade to something like Wolverine's Montgomery model:
http://www.wolverine.com/US/en-US/P...0/Mens/Montgomery-1000-Mile-Boot?dimensions=0

I'm really not a fan of it, but if that's the look you're going for it's a quality boot.

Also, nix the black idea until you have at least two decent brown/burgundy boots in different shades. Brown and tan, or burgundy and brown, etc. It's good to have at least one pair of black dress shoes, but a pair of black casual boots should be maybe 3rd or 4th on your list.

I heard it is a good idea to buy two pairs of the same shoes, especially if they are full leather shoes. It's good to give leather shoes a day off. And they will last twice as long.

Toothpick said:

I heard it is a good idea to buy two pairs of the same shoes, especially if they are full leather shoes. It's good to give leather shoes a day off. And they will last twice as long.

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Glad to hear that if you wear them half as often, they will last twice as long. Just kidding!

If you buy good quality leather upper and you're not in an environment that is hard on uppers, the soles will give out much more quickly than the uppers. Carpeting is especially hard in soles.

Simply having a quality pair resoled will almost infinitely extend the life of those shoes. I have a pair of 15 year old Birkenstock dress shoes on their third sole.

Toothpick said:

I heard it is a good idea to buy two pairs of the same shoes, especially if they are full leather shoes. It's good to give leather shoes a day off. And they will last twice as long.

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Two pairs of shoes, yes. Two pairs of the SAME shoes? No, unless you really just like wearing the exact same thing every day, and have loads of money and closet space to hold the duplicates. If you have two pairs of casual boots, you might want to have a chukka, a "work boot" like the Iron Rangers, or a chelsea. That would give you greater range to dress up and dress down.

LogisticEarth said:

Two pairs of shoes, yes. Two pairs of the SAME shoes? No, unless you really just like wearing the exact same thing every day, and have loads of money and closet space to hold the duplicates. If you have two pairs of casual boots, you might want to have a chukka, a "work boot" like the Iron Rangers, or a chelsea. That would give you greater range to dress up and dress down.

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If I wear the same shoe to work everyday why not have two of the same pair and alternate them? I look at my beat up work shoes now and I think if I had a duplicate pair they wouldn't look half as bad.
I'm not suggesting buy two pair of every shoe you own. But if you wear the same shoe everyday to work or for some other reason why is it not a good idea to have two pair?

Toothpick said:

If I wear the same shoe to work everyday why not have two of the same pair and alternate them? I look at my beat up work shoes now and I think if I had a duplicate pair they wouldn't look half as bad.
I'm not suggesting buy two pair of every shoe you own. But if you wear the same shoe everyday to work or for some other reason why is it not a good idea to have two pair?

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Well, yeah if you have a uniform or something. Or wear work boots. But if you're in a white-collar or non-labor job and dressing without strict requirements, then why get two of the exact same thing? I mean, unless you're some fashion eccentric like Einstein or Steve Jobs who created a personal uniform and could get away with it. But your average dude can't (and shouldn't) do that.

LogisticEarth said:

Well, yeah if you have a uniform or something. Or wear work boots. But if you're in a white-collar or non-labor job and dressing without strict requirements, then why get two of the exact same thing? I mean, unless you're some fashion eccentric like Einstein or Steve Jobs who created a personal uniform and could get away with it. But your average dude can't (and shouldn't) do that.

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I disagree. For the sake of the thread I'll just leave it at that.

LogisticEarth said:

Well, yeah if you have a uniform or something. Or wear work boots. But if you're in a white-collar or non-labor job and dressing without strict requirements, then why get two of the exact same thing? I mean, unless you're some fashion eccentric like Einstein or Steve Jobs who created a personal uniform and could get away with it. But your average dude can't (and shouldn't) do that.

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I'm pretty awesome. You'd be surprised.

For work, my requriements are pretty simple, and its really no big deal if I have the exact same pair of boots. I manage a prepress, mailing and digital production at a printing company. I could be behind a desk all day, or be running around moving skids of paper, working on a press etc. All floors are concrete. I wear slacks (usually more casual flat front chino style) and a tucked in button down shirt every day, but need to wear boots as dress shoes would be inappropriate in my work environment. I don't really need hardcore boots as I'm not down a mineshaft, or out in the woods. Just all leather lace up boots that go at least up over the ankle bone.

No tie, but I've considered a bow tie...they are cool after all.

Toothpick said:

If I wear the same shoe to work everyday why not have two of the same pair and alternate them? I look at my beat up work shoes now and I think if I had a duplicate pair they wouldn't look half as bad.
I'm not suggesting buy two pair of every shoe you own. But if you wear the same shoe everyday to work or for some other reason why is it not a good idea to have two pair?

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I've been thinking about this for my Alden Indy boots because they are by far the most comfortable shoes I own - and I have a pretty big collection. I wouldn't wear them every single day, but sometimes it breaks my heart to leave them in the closet because I wore them the day before.

Edcculus said:

I'm pretty awesome. You'd be surprised.
No tie, but I've considered a bow tie...they are cool after all.

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Bow ties are super cool!

After looking at another thread, the Chippewa apache look really nice. I like the iron rangers too if I could find a good deal on them


So do those Alden Indy boots, but I'll never afford them....also a previous poster said a lot of stitching and panels indicates inferior leather...well those Indy boots look to have a very similar construction to my Clark's. Am I missing something?

Edcculus said:

After looking at another thread, the Chippewa apache look really nice. I like the iron rangers too if I could find a good deal on them

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Chippewa is a fairly solid brand for the price range. Poor mans Redwing kinda. I've seen people getting new Iron Rangers on sale for ~$180, so keep an eye out. Not common though and you should make sure they fit right. They run a bit large normally.

Also might want to consider L.L. Bean's Khatadin boot, which is similar to the Iron Ranger and is a bit more affordable:
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/49464?page=mens-katahdin-iron-works-engineer-boots

So do those Alden Indy boots, but I'll never afford them....also a previous poster said a lot of stitching and panels indicates inferior leather...well those Indy boots look to have a very similar construction to my Clark's. Am I missing something?

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Compare the two together. Alden Indy is on top, Clark's Shaler on the bottom:



On the Alden, you're looking at four pieces of leather. The vamp/tounge, the moccasin-toe cap, and the side panels. There is also a reinforcing strip on the back, so technically five, but that is extra structure and not something patched together. The stitching on the heel is somewhat decorative and holds together the reinforcement inside. The stitching around the top is to reinforce the top liner. Also note the more robust thread, and leather welt.

On the Clark's, I've highlighted a bunch of "extra" patching that's really not necessary and likely indicates inferior quality. You have 7-8 pieces of leather, plus the rubber heel-cap. They sell the rubber caps as sort of a "reinforcement", but in my experience, both in well-used work boots, and casual shoes, it usually is just a cost saving measure on leather, and the shoe often fails there first.

Also, having handled both these shoes, if you were to compare them in person, the superior quality of the leather on the Alden's would be immediately apparent. Again, Clark's aren't trash, and I'm not saying you wasted your money on the previous pair. But they're only an "OK" shoe company that relies on their name and market share, and they do put out some stinkers. You'll get more mileage out of your money if you step up a notch.

Ah , thanks for the explanation.

These aren't bad boots really. I've had them for close to 3 years now, and have been wearing them every day for the past year. They aren't worn out or cracked and should last a good bit longer.

I do think it makes sense to save and make my next purchase one step up though. These boots should last a good bit longer, and a re-soeable boot as my next purchase will last me a lifetime with some simple care