The Taft Blog

Reviewing the Jack Boot - 28,000 Steps of Wear and Tear

April 15, 2020

image of jack boots with text "checking in after 28k steps"

Hey guys! We get a lot of questions about how the Jack boot stands up to the elements so we've really put it to the test. On our recent factory visit to Spain, I (Kory) wore the above sample pair of the Jack Boot exclusively. And when I say I wore them, I mean it. These shots were taken after the boot endured over 13 miles of walking, 28,000 steps, and getting caught in two rainstorms. I purposely wore these boots in strenuous circumstances, without caution, while I was gone so I could really see how they'd hold up. Typically I'm very cautious with my shoes, but I wore these boots really hard for testing purposes. I took some immediate pictures, fresh home from the trip, so you can see how they held up. The shoes are unpolished and totally untouched - I just took them off and took the shots. I also took a few additional shots at the end, showing what they looked like after about four minutes of TLC (a little polish and leather care).

Here's the nitty gritty, these shoes endured:

Over 13 miles walked (over 28,000 steps)
Traveling through three countries
Getting stuck in two rainstorms

The boots got absolutely soaked twice..unexpected rainstorms when we were out shooting. The wool and leather got completely soaked. The wool is water repellant so my feet were totally warm and dry through the whole thing.

The wool upper looks a little bit wrinkled because I tie my laces back behind the shoe (as pictured below) and because I wore them really, really hard. I can't stress that enough. The wrinkled look is more obvious when they're not being worn but it almost totally goes away when the boots are being worn.

close up of toe scratched with text "this is what happens when you slam a car door on the jack boot"

Yes...it hurt :)

close up of jack boots with text "you can see a bit of creasing in the toe... nothing my shoe trees can't handle"

image of bottom of boot with gum and rocks stuck in grooves with text "some souvenirs I picked up during my travels"

heel of boot with text "minimal sole wear (even after 28k steps)

I walk on the outside of my foot so the outer heel of my shoes typically wears down first. The soles show very minimal wear, which I am really happy about...nothing worse than a worn-out sole.

jack boots with leather cleaner and cloth

So you can see the boots (unpolished) above as well as some of my tools for quick touch-ups on my shoes. For the Jack Boot, I applied just a little bit of brown polish to the leather toe and heel, and then topped it off with some Leather Lube just to restore any blemishes.

Look brand new still.

The wrinkles in the wool upper are much more obvious right after removing the shoe, the wool actually holds it's shape really beautifully.

After being drenched in water, the leather still looks really great. Poor quality leather would be cracked after drying out but the leather held up really well, just like we knew it would.

If you have any additional questions, please comment below. I designed and produced this boot because it was something that I wanted to exist. Now that it does, I am so impressed with the quality, craftsmanship, and comfort. Thanks to all 450 of you that have pre-ordered this boot... literally couldn't do all of this without you.

Kory