William Lennon boot review

I’ve always been a fan of military footwear due to its robustness and no frills construction. In fact my go to boot for most of my activities is the US army jungle boot.  However, I did want to move away from big old army black boots and so a couple of years ago I started a search for a new boot.  The reason I like army boots, is the amount of options you have available in an UN-LINED boot. Now lining is fine and very comfortable and lots of variations exist such as unlined desert boots, lined desert boots, thermal boots, goretex lined boots etc. Years ago I had a pair of unlined German para boots and they were the toughest boot I’ve ever used, no matter what abuse they had, they remained water proof and odour free. With proper care an all leather boot can be kept water tight and the absence of the lining means no man made materials are absorbing sweaty foot odours!  I’d got myself some brasher boots and they still get used a lot being nice and light, they’ve never leaked, however, they smell. It’s the lining! So, criteria was simple, all leather construction, no lining, not in black. Well it turned into quite the quest, nobody makes them, I struggled for a long time to find anything that fit the bill, I was after something a bit like the old British army DMS boots but well built and not the card board leaky affair that afflicted our troops for so many years! After a lot of searching I found a company called William Lennon. They still make boots the old way, from a stone built factory by hand. I had to send an outline of my foot and discuss sizing with them. They then used a traditional last to model the boot I had chosen. It was an ankle boot with a stitched toe cap, in brown, unlined, and with a vibram sole. I did a lot of digging around for reviews and all were complimentary on the standards of construction.

They took about 8 weeks to arrive and when they did I was blown away. Sturdy, faultlessly constructed boots made of excellent leather. They are very much in the style of the hobnail army DMS boots.  Put them to work. They have trudged across fields, through woods, and have been cleaned up and worn around town. I’ve had them  for a year now, and I can report no leaks, no blisters, and no signs of significant wear! Now I haven’t set out to abuse them, I want them to put in some work yet. What I have found is the boots are quite generous in the last and a little slippage inside the boot is experienced, an extra pair of socks solves that. And the screws at the front of the sole scrape on the floor when an enthusiastic stride is employed. I’ve used an oil to treat initially. They are a robust boot with some weight, easily heavier than a high leg army boot, but fatigue is minimal and I have enjoyed using them so far. These are my go to winter field boot. I can say without a doubt I would order with confidence another pair from William Lennon.