Boots similar to Tretorn Oken leather, but better quality?

December 29, 2014 5:07 PM

I bought these Oken Leather boots less than a month ago, but the sole is separating at the heel. A bit of googling reveals quite a few complaints of that type,so I'm getting a refund rather than replacement. Are there any shoes with similar styling, but great build quality?
posted by Jon Mitchell to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

doc martens makes a very, very similar shoe now. i can't seem to find it on their site(it's a much more similar to what you had variation of this). but i saw it in two stores recently. comes in various colors and materials as well. i've had the same pair of not-the-generic-classic-style docs since just after high school and they're still in almost perfect shape. their stuff is very, very well made. i tried on some of the looks-like-yours version of those shoes when i was recently at one of their shops and almost bought them.

is there a specific reason you haven't considered just some plain old clarks? very similar styling, and mine have(along with a pair of docs) outlasted every other pair of shoes i've ever owned or purchased. I bought them at a thrift store, have had them for years, and the heel still hasn't even started to wear down. i don't understand how they actually make any money selling these.

i really think you couldn't go wrong with either of those choices, but i can especially vouch for the clarks in that style. i wear them probably 5 days a week in the fall/winter/spring... in seattle, and all i've ever changed is the laces. (...which are oddly cheesy and fray/fall apart hilariously fast, but eh, i guess they gotta cut at least one corner somewhere)
posted by emptythought at 5:29 PM on December 29, 2014

My son just bought a pair of wolverines from their 10000mile line. I don't see one with the same style but the quality is amazing . Beware they are very pricey but the internet raves about them!
posted by bluesky43 at 5:34 PM on December 29, 2014

It's been a while since I've had Camper shoes, but I recall the quality was very good and I'm sure better than Tretorn. Camper has a lot of styles fairly similar to the boots you like.
posted by belau at 7:31 PM on December 29, 2014

Blundstones are great. Scroll down to mid-page and there's a couple of similar colors to your shoes (dark upper, lighter sole).
posted by Klaxon Aoooogah at 10:36 PM on December 29, 2014 [1 favorite]

i don't understand how they actually make any money selling these.

Old school made-in-England Clarks are awesome. Depending on the line, new school Clarks are vary in quality from "good" to "holy shit, I paid $90 for glued-together shoes that fell apart within two weeks."

Camper has a lot of shoes in that style, and after the initial break-in period, they've held up pretty well.
posted by joyceanmachine at 7:16 AM on December 30, 2014