FAQ

Hello, and thank you for your interest in Nicks Boots.  This is an attempt to consolidate Nicks Boots reviews and external content, organize it, and make it easily accessible.

This list is not necessarily comprehensive.

Some links to external sources of photos, videos, reviews are below.  We regularly monitor these sites.

Nicks Boots Official Subreddit  - A great community with product pictures and Q&A.

You'll see a lot of leather products and especially leather boots advertised as "oiled leather." It's a very common term, but because it's so generic you might not understand what a fuller meaning of the term actually is. 

It's very common material for leather work boots and heritage boot styles, so you might wonder if it's a good material or not. 

"Oiled leather" is something of a catch-all term, but it does have a general meaning that's important when it comes to the actual product it describes.

Obviously, leather boots are offered at multiple price points. Whether it's work boots or more fashion-oriented boots you're looking at, you're going to notice a bunch of different companies' boots that look the same at various price points. 

The best work boots will probably cost you $400 to $600. You might see some comparable boots in terms of how they look for a lot less...maybe even a tenth of that amount. 

So what's the difference? What sets the top tier of boot makers apart...and what do the low and middle-tier of boots companies compromise on to meet their price point? 

We can't speak for any one individual product, and we aren't going to say that they're ripping people off or giving anyone less than value for price paid, or that you can't find a very decent set of work boots that are affordable. What we can tell you is the differences in various aspects of construction and materials that are common to low- and middle-tier products.

Work boots that can be resoled are a better purchase than work boots that cannot. You can keep them longer, you'll spend less in the long run, it's better for everyone involved if you do. 

It usually means you get a better quality pair of boots as well. While price doesn't always have everything to do with quality, it's also true that there aren't many cheap work boots that are very good.

So why worry about whether a boot can be resoled? Why pay more or go out of your way to get a pair that is? Here's why…<!

The holidays are right around the corner, and if you are like me you haven't even begun thinking about gift ideas for family and friends. Luckily handmade leather goods are a great gift idea for just about anyone. Let's go ahead and break down our top picks for Nicks holiday gift ideas!

If you've looked at our different boot models, you've probably noticed some boots are made in roughout leather - if you don't know what it is, it looks a little fuzzy - or smooth. Some even have both. 

Is there a difference? Which should you get on your work boots? 

It depends on what you want in your work boots. Roughout leather is literally the same leather as smooth, so you aren't losing a thing by having a boot made entirely or in part with roughout. So what's the difference between roughout and smooth leather and why does it matter?

Roughout leather is literally the same as smooth leather. It just hasn't been split and is turned fluffy side out. 

Leather is made from

Resoling and rebuilding a pair of leather work boots are related, but are different. The former is a simple procedure that doesn't take too much time; the latter is much more involved. As you can guess...that also affects the expense. 

What's the difference? Which do you need? When should I have my boots resoled, and when should I have them rebuilt? Could I end up needing both?

You will most likely need your work boots resoled long before you need them rebuilt, but it depends a lot on what you do for work. Some people need a rebuild more often than others - we'll talk about that - and some will need their boots resoled more often than others. 

So...let's talk about rebuilds and resoles. 

What's used to tan leather? Generally, there's vegetable-based and mineral-based compounds for tanning. The tanning method does affect the end product, so that's why "chrome-tanned" and "vegetable-tanned" leathers can be very different in appearance and feel.

Tanning is just one step in the process of making leather, as the process in and of itself is just a chemical treatment of skin to preserve it.

But...what does this have to do you with you and the pair of leather work boots or heritage boots you want to buy? How the leather is made impacts how your boots look, feel and what you need to do to keep them in top condition.

If you're going to invest in a seriously great pair of boots, you should get leather that looks how you want, feels how you want, and that you'll be able to keep for a very long time. So let's learn a little more about tanning.

"Quality" is a funny thing to talk about, because everybody has different aspects of quality in mind for different things, including leather goods. What's the best leather for shoes or boots?

It really depends on what kind of boots or shoes you're making with them. If you took the absolute best leather for making work boots and made a pair of dress shoes, a lot of people would think they were hideous.

If you took the best leather you could possibly get to make dress shoes and made a pair of work boots out of them...they wouldn't work all that well and no one would buy them.

That said, there are certain things that anyone in the leather goods industry agrees on as far as the best quality leather for making footwear or anything else.