The James Dant x Mark Albert Boot Has Arrived.

 

The Process

We started this project back in February 2017. Mark Albert has just finished a Kickstarter campaign, and was working with one of the longest-standing boot manufacturers in the country from his backyard in Pennsylvania. I was impressed with that, and I knew we had to have his work in the shop come fall. We didn’t intend to design a boot of our own, but after Mark send me photos of a 10 eyelet boot that had been out of production for decades, I had to bring it back from the ashes. The leather sole and the ten eyelets along the height of the boot were the foundation of the design, reminiscent of an earlier era of craftsmanship and something I absolutely wanted in my collection.

 

The Design

The 9” Pursue Boot fills a gap in my collection. Chukkas are a given. A classic 6” is a must-have. But most boots 8” or higher are moc toes or hiking boots — not this bad boy. This boot is for the daily rider and the city explorer, the perfect blend of a riding boot and a casual boot. The upper is the perfect weight for you to slide your tapered selvedge denim easily over the top, but won’t expose your ankles when you lift your feet on the pegs. The low profile of the cap toe gives you extreme control when shifting, and for guys who don’t ride the sleek box-toe lets them take these boots from work to play just as easily. You can get used to a chunky boot with time, but why deal with that when slipping this boot under your shifter arm is a breeze?

It’s also a great design for cuffing your denim high. If you like to cuff high, you either have go wide or let them sit on top of the boots — which is irritating, and looks like shit. With the 9” Pursue Boot, you can cuff your denim 3-4 times and still have them sitting below the cusp of the boot.

The Materials

We chose our leathers for their beauty-over-time factor. The upper of The Golden Brown 9” Pursue Boot is a beautiful brown shoulder from Wycus that’ll age like fine wine. It’s sleek, but hearty, and the golden-brown pull-up makes for an incredible break-in process. The second leather we chose, for the Crazy Roughout 9" Pursue Boot, is from Crazy Horse. The hair on this leather is unusually long, which is a hell of a time in production but 100% worth the work. It’s unbelievably plush to the touch, and will age well no matter how you wear them. You can keep them clean, or beat the crap out of them for amazing results: your creases will darken, the indigo from your denim will soak into the uppers, and the pile will smooth out. They’ll be completely unique to you, and probably the most unique boot in your collection.

The 9" Pursue features ten antique gold eyelets that run the height of the boot, providing ankle-hugging structure and support. No quick laces here! These are designed for all-day wear, so lace them up good and slow.

For you fanatics, we'll lay it all out. The mid-sole — a Honey EVA. The outsole is double oiled 9 iron butyl leather. The sole is leather goodyear welt, the heel is a stacked leather with a rubber tacked grip. We finished off the boot with an EVA comfort insole and cougar leather laces.

A few details are still to be ironed out with the production of our final pair. The boots will feature a slightly different color of stitching on the upper, to more closely match the boot, and we’ll also be reinforcing the upper to the vamp with triple stitching. Minor details, but the die-hards will notice and it makes a huge difference in stability and overall polish.

 

The Fit

We recommend ordering a half-size down from your usual size in athletic shoes. A test fit is always a good idea, though — because these boots have a similar fit the Red Wing Iron Ranger, we can help you find the right size with a quick test fit in the shop. If you already know your size in the Iron Ranger, you’re all set to order.

 

The Fine Print

The 9” Pursue Boots are available for preorder from September 1st through September 30th at a discounted price. On September 30th, your credit card will be charged and your boots will go into production. Production time is three to five weeks, and the item will be shipped to you for no additional cost.

These boots are made to order, and for that reason we cannot offer returns. However, we are able to offer exchanges if the item is unworn and unsoiled.