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Long Term Field Test Updates – March 2011

March 11, 2011 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

Long Term Field Tests:  Timberland Boots | Todd Shelton Denim | Kenneth Cole Shoes

NOTE:  This is far from an exact science.  The way one person wears a pair of boots, shoes, or jeans, will most likely be different than the way another would wear the same.  These updates are meant only as a broad guide.  Each item has been worn through different conditions with a different frequency.  Expect one of these updates every few months.
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Timberland Earthkeepers 6″ City Side Zip – Purchased for $83.00 (reg. $170)


If you snagged a pair of these side zip Earthkeepers back around the holidays, then lucky you.  They appear to have mostly vanished from this Earth that they were keeping.  The biggest durability issue that the 6″ City Zips are rumored to have is a quick wearing outsole.  I haven’t seen that quite yet, and I wear these a ton.

The leather has broken in nicely and they’re still extremely comfortable.  No issues with the zipper.  The one part that’s starting to go bad are the laces, which are beginning to unravel into a DNA like double helix.  Like I said, I wear these a ton, and just about everywhere.  Even on a muddy trail a time or two.  They’re holding up real well.
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Todd Shelton Straight Leg Watts Fit Made in the USA Jean – $99.00


These feel and look as good as the first day I put them on.  The super deep blue color might have faded a small bit, but that’s because I wash these.  Not after every wear or even every week, but I can’t bring myself to dry clean my denim.  Come to think of it, looking at the wrinkles in the backs of the knees, they’re due for a wash.  Short cycle on cold of course.  I wear them at least twice if not three to four times a week.  They’re my go-to along with 501s.
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Kenneth Cole Regal King Dress Laceups – $103.30 ($148.00)



Unlike the Timberlands, these haven’t seen a ton of action.  Kenneth Cole’s quality doesn’t seem to be there for guys who wear dress shoes to work every day.  But if you don’t, and just need a pair to wear occasionally?  The brand seems to hold up just fine.  For my $80, the Regal Kings are doing very well.  The right shoe has wrinkled a little more than the left, and the interior is showing some bulge with the insole.  Other than that, they look new.  Pay full price and wear them every day and you won’t be thrilled.  Catch them on sale and use sparingly and you’re set.

Filed Under: Clothing, Shoes Tagged With: field test, Kenneth Cole, Long term field test, timberland, Todd Shelton

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Comments

  1. Vipermj9 says

    March 11, 2011 at 1:47 PM

    bought the timberlands last winter and they’re still great. wear them alot and broke in excellently.

  2. Anonymous says

    March 11, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    Timberland has a non-zip version ( http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4208884 ) but they don’t look quite as sharp

  3. St-Laurent says

    March 11, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    I’ve been looking for a sharp pair of boots, and those Timberlands are EXACTLY what I’m looking for. A real sewn leather out-sole is normally impossible to find in this price range. As far as I can tell, they can’t be found in that color – just the lighter brown in-store at Macy’s. As Tim seems to have ruined these with the redesign, I may have to buy those and try to darken them up a bit.

    Great site! After generally dressing like the typical slob, I stumbled upon this site while researching to by a suit – it’s been a huge help!

  4. Gus Simpson says

    March 11, 2011 at 3:35 PM

    I snagged the Timberlands a couple months ago after the sale was featured on Dappered. I got mine in the lighter tan color; they look great, but haven’t held up quite as well as I would like. I wear them often, and the outsole has begun to wear down noticeably under the ball of my foot. Also, the leather has become fairly scuffed up; a hit of saddle soap helped, but they still look pretty broken-in. It probably doesn’t help that I wear mine to work (which sometimes involves loading and unloading heavy sound equipment) fairly often. Still, I love them, just hope they last at least a couple of seasons.

  5. Elgeo says

    March 11, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    I love my earthkeepers, bought them in ’09 when they first appeared. I had to scour the mid atlantic region for them but it was well worth it. I used them during the snowpocalypse, rainy days and for the office. They’ve held up so nicely and i havent treated the leather (they may need it) and I still get compliments on them till this day.

  6. Anonymous says

    March 11, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    ok. I have those same Timbs too. I got them in black. While they did break in fit wise nicely, I have had some not so nice looking wear on them. To be honest I didn’t really do a good job protecting them though. I’m from Syracuse though also, we have the most snow in the country though (http://www.comcast.net/slideshow/news-americassnowiestcities/11/), so it probably wasn’t the same for everyone else. I really wish I would have gotten mine in brown. Black is great, but if you go black you have to baby them more.

  7. destroyideas says

    March 14, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    Stop. Don’t put your jeans back in the washer, on any cycle. Just fill your tub with cold water, drop in some Woolite Black, irritate the water a bit for suds, and put your jeans in there for 10 minutes or so. Drain the tub, rise the jeans, and then hang them to dry.

  8. Matthew Kent says

    March 15, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    I dropped the ball on the last sale and now Timberland doesn’t even list the 6″ side zip. I have spent the last month looking for a pair in either black or dark brown, but have come up dry. I really hope they fix their supply issue or whatever the problem is, because I really need a new pair of jeans boot/shoes.

  9. Anonymous says

    March 20, 2011 at 11:36 PM

    Hey Joe, Did a long term field test on the Earthkeepers myself. See here: http://tinyurl.com/4dll6ya

    The Good: The Earthkeepers were an excellent choice to replace my stylish, yet crappy-quality Steve Madden Juneau. Broke in nicely and women compliment them frequently (including the shoe cobbler I took them to.

    The Not-so Good: The reason I had to take them to the cobbler was because the leather on the cap toe dried out considerably fast. She recommended some Meltonian natural for these boots every now and then (or if they get wet).

    Also, for those that are hunting for their pair of these elusive boots. Try Macy’s. I picked up a 2nd pair today. I happened to walk into a Macy’s and spotted a pair going for $129. While they weren’t in my size, The sales person was able to track down every size in that color and found me a pair 10 miles away. The list she gave me listed a bunch of malls on the east coast with them and they offer free shipping to your area if you ask for them at your store. Finally, most Macy’s sale coupons will work with these boots. I got mine knocked down 10%, so play your cards right and you might find a pair to go with an upcoming 20% coupon 😉

    -Quetzal

  10. St-Laurent says

    March 21, 2011 at 4:09 PM

    I hear you on the burnished brown. Local Macy’s carry the burnished tan, all I could find, so I bought those and love them so far. But everything equal I’d love a pair of the brown. From my searching, Nordstrom’s does seem to list the brown – but at list price of $170! I guess it depend on how bad you want them. And these boots may be gone forever after old stock runs out – Timb dumbed-down the city boot – no side zip, no cap toe, looks very plain now.

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