I have some Saddle Soap that I used in the past. But now it’s just shoe polish.

Fabiano boots were kind of bombproof. I opted for Danner hiking boots myself. Put a lot of miles on them. Hard for some to understand the love affair with worn old boots if they are living in them and appreciate the aging patina. I can well imagine a crash that pressured the ankle would cause a person to be protective in the future!

I’ve been a bit lax on footwear, especially when commuting to work, but most of the time wear boots. I did fall for the mystique of “real” boots, especially when I found some that fit my size 15s. The Aerostars are nice and all, especially if I want to look geared up. However, before them, and even now, my go-to boot is a pair of Fabianos, (made in Boston) that I used to wear in my hiking/rock climbing days. They have nice, padded ankle protection, and have been resoled at least once. Even though my feet have expanded a bit over the 40 years since I got them, they still feel great. Maybe I’m cheap, maybe I’m nostalgic, but I like them. They should last another decade.

Since a minor crash a year or so ago in which my ankle was pinned by the edge of the floorboard, I tend to cheat far less often. Luckily I mostly had to grow back a patch of skin on that one. May not be so lucky next time.

That’s family heritage!

I suppose by today’s standards he wasn’t exactly politically correct. I remember when I was growing up and a bunch of guys from the mill would come over for a picnic or to work on something — different ethnic groups and races. And it seemed to my young ears that they just constantly taunted and insulted one another. Perhaps that’s just how they interacted.

That boot project is completely different than this post. It will show up when the boots arrive.

Boots are tough to find. Not nearly as many shoe stores selling boots.

I never worried about boots for shifting. Just to protect my ankle bone if I was ever sliding along the pavement…