Wholesale Order from Westland--Cheap Garb Shoes

[Scott]

Got my shoes in. Wore the viking toggle shoes this past weekend. I would have liked the toggles to be mounted a bit farther back so they could be tightened up more. I will probably end up punching new holes and moving them back. Other than that, I really liked them. If I were ordering more, and I probably will, I think I will ask Westland to make them two inches taller and give me three toggles per shoe. Also, I would ask him to not punch the holes and mount the toggles but to just include them with the shoe. That way, I can position them just right to fit my feet. With my most recent Bohemond shoes, I had to move the toggles as well.

I've worn holes in my fighting shoes (Jorvik from Bohemond - not his fault, I just walk off the insides of my shoes) so I will be swapping in a new set soon. I'll either order a new pair, as described above, or find some vibram and glue to the bottoms of some of the pairs I already have.

Thanks for putting this order together!

- Scott

[talaananthes]

I agree 100% about the toggles on the Viking shoes. I think custom placement is simply mandatory for proper fit. They fit a few people correctly right out of the bag, but most people need to reposition the toggles to make them fit right.

So, after a long week's hard use, a bit of a review:

Fuck. Yes.

Simply put, they're great. They're durable, they're comfortable, they work great.

I wore the 14th century laced boots all week for fighting in. Terrain was the Cooper's Lake battlefield in all conditions--so grass (and some gravel in the castle), wet and dry, as well as woods fighting back in some of the far back campsites behind the lake which we weren't using to camp in. My footing was as sure as anyone's (I slipped several times going into and out of the left corner castle turret, but so did everyone else), and they're at least moderately water resistant. I had absolutely no difficulties in the woods, and that included tramping through thick mud, up and down steep slopes, and wading through the streams. They will not keep out water if you're wading through a stream, but they do drain fairly quickly so, unlike if I had been in my combat boots, I wasn't sloshing around in boots full of water for the next three hours.

I also have a pair of the later period turnshoes for myself. They make great night-life/dress shoes/tent slippers, but I would NOT fight in them. They go on and off easily, but I never accidentally stepped out of them, even though they're most of a size too long. For what I use them for, I'm again very pleased. They're waterproof enough that my feet stayed dry walking on grass that had been rained on earlier and through mud and small puddles. Very comfortable, but because of seam placement these are NOT recommended for bare feet. Socks or pants/hosen with feet (I wore mine with both depending on outfit), please.

I delivered several other pairs to people at Rag, which were fought in all week, and having spoken to them later in the week they also seemed very pleased with the quality and comfort. The laced and buckled ankle boots were unanimously voted to be awesome to fight in (in a game where lower leg shots, grappling, and shield bashing are all legal and routine). There was also one girl who was fighting in the early period turnshoes and was completely pleased with their performance. The Viking shoes received mixed receptions--while the quality seems to be fit, the toggle placement seems to be very individual specific, and people who weren't prepared to adjust the fit of the toggles often were less than pleased with the fit. On the flip side, it seems to be a pretty easy fix, and they do fit some people right out of the bag. My girlfriend fought in hers all week without moving the toggles and loved them. She also had a pair of the early period turnshoes for night wear, and was equally pleased with them. Because of the different seam locations, they seem to be non-sock compatible, unlike the later style turnshoes.

One thing to note--the soles on the turnshoes are REALLY thin. You feel the ground through them, although it's about 50% "dampened", so while walking on small gravel that I couldn't do barefoot comfortably doesn't hurt, and you're protected from broken glass and the like, there were a few times that I stepped on large gravel and went "ouch". I like the thin soles, but YMMV.

tl;dr--These are great.

[Westland]

Got my shoes in. Wore the viking toggle shoes this past weekend. I would have liked the toggles to be mounted a bit farther back so they could be tightened up more. I will probably end up punching new holes and moving them back. Other than that, I really liked them. If I were ordering more, and I probably will, I think I will ask Westland to make them two inches taller and give me three toggles per shoe. Also, I would ask him to not punch the holes and mount the toggles but to just include them with the shoe. That way, I can position them just right to fit my feet. With my most recent Bohemond shoes, I had to move the toggles as well.

I've worn holes in my fighting shoes (Jorvik from Bohemond - not his fault, I just walk off the insides of my shoes) so I will be swapping in a new set soon. I'll either order a new pair, as described above, or find some vibram and glue to the bottoms of some of the pairs I already have.

Thanks for putting this order together!

- Scott

Scott,

Thank you for your kind review and comments. We will be happy to adjust toggle for you. Also now we are offering these viking boots in three toggle version. Pictures coming this weekend.


Regards,

[Westland]

I agree 100% about the toggles on the Viking shoes. I think custom placement is simply mandatory for proper fit. They fit a few people correctly right out of the bag, but most people need to reposition the toggles to make them fit right.

So, after a long week's hard use, a bit of a review:

Fuck. Yes.

Simply put, they're great. They're durable, they're comfortable, they work great.

I wore the 14th century laced boots all week for fighting in. Terrain was the Cooper's Lake battlefield in all conditions--so grass (and some gravel in the castle), wet and dry, as well as woods fighting back in some of the far back campsites behind the lake which we weren't using to camp in. My footing was as sure as anyone's (I slipped several times going into and out of the left corner castle turret, but so did everyone else), and they're at least moderately water resistant. I had absolutely no difficulties in the woods, and that included tramping through thick mud, up and down steep slopes, and wading through the streams. They will not keep out water if you're wading through a stream, but they do drain fairly quickly so, unlike if I had been in my combat boots, I wasn't sloshing around in boots full of water for the next three hours.

I also have a pair of the later period turnshoes for myself. They make great night-life/dress shoes/tent slippers, but I would NOT fight in them. They go on and off easily, but I never accidentally stepped out of them, even though they're most of a size too long. For what I use them for, I'm again very pleased. They're waterproof enough that my feet stayed dry walking on grass that had been rained on earlier and through mud and small puddles. Very comfortable, but because of seam placement these are NOT recommended for bare feet. Socks or pants/hosen with feet (I wore mine with both depending on outfit), please.

I delivered several other pairs to people at Rag, which were fought in all week, and having spoken to them later in the week they also seemed very pleased with the quality and comfort. The laced and buckled ankle boots were unanimously voted to be awesome to fight in (in a game where lower leg shots, grappling, and shield bashing are all legal and routine). There was also one girl who was fighting in the early period turnshoes and was completely pleased with their performance. The Viking shoes received mixed receptions--while the quality seems to be fit, the toggle placement seems to be very individual specific, and people who weren't prepared to adjust the fit of the toggles often were less than pleased with the fit. On the flip side, it seems to be a pretty easy fix, and they do fit some people right out of the bag. My girlfriend fought in hers all week without moving the toggles and loved them. She also had a pair of the early period turnshoes for night wear, and was equally pleased with them. Because of the different seam locations, they seem to be non-sock compatible, unlike the later style turnshoes.

One thing to note--the soles on the turnshoes are REALLY thin. You feel the ground through them, although it's about 50% "dampened", so while walking on small gravel that I couldn't do barefoot comfortably doesn't hurt, and you're protected from broken glass and the like, there were a few times that I stepped on large gravel and went "ouch". I like the thin soles, but YMMV.

tl;dr--These are great.

Ben,

Thank you very much for such a detailed review. This will help us to continue our best services for AA members.

Also now two version of turn shoe soles are available. First is the 1-2mm thick and second is 5-6 mm thick ( with some additional charges )


Regards,

[Catarina]

Ah, sadness - I was hoping to have the shoes for my husband's anniversary present on 6/23. Oh well - I suppose I'll have to go with plan B, and save the shoes for his birthday in August!

I'm really sorry, if I had known I would have put you on the pre-Rag shipment list along with people who were going to Lillies War, West Crown, etc.

I'll see what I can do, it might still be possible to get them to you on the 23rd.

Everyone else--All remaining shoes will go in the mail this week.

Aw, thank you! His shoes arrived in the mail on the 23rd - AFTER I had already given him his backup present. I was going to save them for his birthday in August, but decided *I* was not patient enough to wait that long. So he got two presents.

The shoes are WONDERFUL - very well made, and fit perfectly. I'm looking forward to ordering more in the future.

thank you!

[Heath B fraychef]

i got mine as well.
1 pair for me and 1 for the wife.
her shoes just dont fit her right.
she had odd shaped feet that are about the same size as mine so i now have 2 new pairs of shoes.
they are great.

[arg]

My order has arrived, and i'm very pleased with the shoes so far. I will be putting them through the paces at events on the next two weekends.

Many thanks to talaananthes for putting this all together!

Arg

[talaananthes]

I just put labels on roughly 98% of the remaining orders today. Expect them to go into the mail tomorrow to arrive by the end of this week. There's a couple that I didn't have the right boxes for, but I have them now, and those should be in the mail no later than Tuesday.

There are also a couple of issues that will take a little bit more time to fix, but I'll be contacting those people individually later today to let them know what the deal is.

[-Matthew-]

I would really like to see a picture of the three toggle Viking boots.

Two questions.

1st is there enough space in the boots to slip some sort of arch support?

2nd is anyone putting another bulk order together?

-Matthew-

[Westland]

I would really like to see a picture of the three toggle Viking boots.

Two questions.

1st is there enough space in the boots to slip some sort of arch support?

2nd is anyone putting another bulk order together?

-Matthew-

3 Toggle Boots Prototype is ready. Picture will be uploaded within next 24 hours.

Yes there is enough space in Boots to place arch support.

"talaananthes" is interested to organise 2nd bulk order for AA memebers.

[talaananthes]

Westland, have you seen my most recent email? Can you respond, please?

[Westland]

Ben,

Yes and all articles are on your way through DHL.

Regards,

[Seved Ribbing]

I would really like to see a picture of the three toggle Viking boots.

Two questions.

1st is there enough space in the boots to slip some sort of arch support?

2nd is anyone putting another bulk order together?

-Matthew-

Matthew, Talaananthes is wrapping up a previous order but he said that once he is done with that, he will be setting up another order. There are a bunch of us who are interested in getting some of these shoes. Just keep your eyes open for his announcement.

[talaananthes]

Thanks, Westland!

Yeah . . . might as well go ahead and get around to that, I guess, now that nearly all the work on this first batch is (nearly) done.

[Mike Garrett (Orc)]

Also now two version of turn shoe soles are available. First is the 1-2mm thick and second is 5-6 mm thick ( with some additional charges )


Regards,

Price on thicker soled turn shoes?
(And a reminder of the price of the regular turn shoes)
Thanks!

[wcanne]

I got my turnshoes today. Thanks!
I will wear them for a week or so and see how they fit over time. My feet are slightly wider that average, so it will take a little shoe training. Thinking about it, I should also have had vibram soles added upon ordering, but for some reason I didn't think of it. I will have it done locally - unless I can find someplace that sells sheets of the stuff to do it myself. That would actually be handy, since I have a few other pairs of shoes that need soles.

[KyleKurth]

I got my shoe's also. Very nice quality and fit my foot perfectly!

[Eamonn MacCampbell]

Got my order in today and was suprised by the thickness of the sole....These things are gonna be better than the ones I currently own for walking in rocky areas. The fit is good(I ordered a size bigger to accommodate my high arch and wide ass feet) and I'm thinking these will be no problem on the battle feild.

The color is awesome(I ordered the blue) and is well dyed into the leather..I don't think there will be much loss of it for some time even if I wear them in wet conditions...Which I will, this is Montana and I wear these for fighting in winter as well as summer.....

These things rock, not sure if I am gonna put a rubber sole on them yet...Might just have to keep them as is for a while and see how the bottoms scuff up....

[Randy W]

Got mine today also, nice quality, nice fit, nice color well worth the cost of getting in the wholesale deal for 2 pair

[Keegan Ingrassia]

Mine as well. Been wearing them most of the day. Very comfortable, great fit, excellent color, solid quality.

Also was suprised by the sole thickness, but they wear great, and once scuffed a little, and damp, give plenty of traction.

[Agnarr]

Mine as well. Been wearing them most of the day. Very comfortable, great fit, excellent color, solid quality.

Also was suprised by the sole thickness, but they wear great, and once scuffed a little, and damp, give plenty of traction.

Recieved mine today. they don't fit.

[sha-ul]

Mine as well. Been wearing them most of the day. Very comfortable, great fit, excellent color, solid quality.

Also was suprised by the sole thickness, but they wear great, and once scuffed a little, and damp, give plenty of traction.

Recieved mine today. they don't fit.

were the too big, or too small? if others order, which way would you advise them to order?

[Agnarr]

Mine as well. Been wearing them most of the day. Very comfortable, great fit, excellent color, solid quality.

Also was suprised by the sole thickness, but they wear great, and once scuffed a little, and damp, give plenty of traction.

Recieved mine today. they don't fit.

were the too big, or too small? if others order, which way would you advise them to order?

width

[Misguided]

Got my shoes as well. They are lovely!

As with Agnarr, my feet are on the wide-ish side and the shoes are a bit tight that way, but I think with some training they'll do fine.

Looking forward to the next order... my wife wants in this time.

-M

[kenrickb]

Received my shoes as well. They look great. My feed are wide too and while they are tight, they aren't any tighter than other hand made shoes I've had int he past. They'll stretch a bit and be fine.

Out of curiosity, what's the smallest size of these you make? I'm thinking about a pair for my daughter.

Thanks
Kenric

[Westland]

Received my shoes as well. They look great. My feed are wide too and while they are tight, they aren't any tighter than other hand made shoes I've had int he past. They'll stretch a bit and be fine.

Out of curiosity, what's the smallest size of these you make? I'm thinking about a pair for my daughter.

Thanks
Kenric

Children sizes: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,1,2,3

[Jestyr]

Got my shoes in. Wore the viking toggle shoes this past weekend. I would have liked the toggles to be mounted a bit farther back so they could be tightened up more. I will probably end up punching new holes and moving them back. Other than that, I really liked them. If I were ordering more, and I probably will, I think I will ask Westland to make them two inches taller and give me three toggles per shoe. Also, I would ask him to not punch the holes and mount the toggles but to just include them with the shoe. That way, I can position them just right to fit my feet.

I had the same problem with the toggles.

[talaananthes]

Agnarr--I'm sorry. They do stretch quite a bit with wear, especially when wet. Try getting them soaking wet and then try to put them on, or get shoe stretchers the width of your foot and put those in. It's worth a try at least?

Jestyr, Scott--A lot of people, especially men with larger feet, seem to be having the same problem. I know several people who have successfully fixed the issue by punching a new set of holes a few inches back.

[lorenzo2]

Got my medieval turnshoes today. They fit great and look nice. It looks like they will need some breaking in but I expect that with leather shoes. I will add some more after I have worn them for a while. My feet are average width size 10.5 so I got the size 11 shoes.

[William Frisbee]

Got my turnshoes in natural leather last night.

Fit me perfectly when wearing hosen.

No complaints at all.

[Agnarr]

Agnarr--I'm sorry. They do stretch quite a bit with wear, especially when wet. Try getting them soaking wet and then try to put them on, or get shoe stretchers the width of your foot and put those in. It's worth a try at least?

Jestyr, Scott--A lot of people, especially men with larger feet, seem to be having the same problem. I know several people who have successfully fixed the issue by punching a new set of holes a few inches back.

No need for an apology, i was just buying a pair to check them out.

[Owyn]

I got mine today. Had the same problem as Agnarr. I ordered a 10 (usually wear 9.5), a little big "just in case". Ended up a bit big around the calf, and *way* too tight around the toes. Like, "fits my wife who is a size 8 women's shoe" too tight.

Luckily, the shoes actually do fit my women's-size-8 wife pretty well, so she's thrilled.

Other than the size issue, they are nice, good quality shoes. I imagine she'll get years of wear out of them, and she's got a big smile on her face right now, so all is good.

[Agnarr]

Ok, i got the size 14 buckle ankle boots with thinner socks they are a bit better. the only problem is i can keep the "tounge" from popping out. if there is another group buy i would like some buckle boots, as i think they will work better for me.

[Tancred de Lanvellec]

I received two pairs of the 14th C side laced ankle boot. I am very impressed with the fit and look (And price) !!!!!!!!!!!!

Tanc

[Marco-borromei]

Just got my sz 14 Turnshoes... very well made, but VERY narrow. I ordered a size UP from what I usually wear, so they fit ok, but I'd rather see them 1/4" wider.

Thanks for handling this order!!!!!