WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG!
Thanks for stopping by
I hope that everyone is enjoying the summer? Sorry readers in the southern hemisphere!
I thought it might be a good idea to sit down and share some of my thoughts on one of the latest additions here at GHC OUTDOORS. The FORESTA!
I’m not even going to try and be impartial. I love them. I honestly do. I was worried about these. They take a long time to be made and not getting the design ‘right’ first time would have been a real setback for me. When I took them out the box, I knew instantly that they were perfect.
I don’t want to bore you with specifications or the ‘origin’ story of the Foresta, you can find the product page and that information here FORESTA
What I’d like to do is tell you what it’s like owning a pair of these…
Firstly, I’d say it’s like owning a little piece of history. These are English heritage boots. They have a presence. When I take mine off and leave them by the front door, they look ‘at home’. There’s a built-in nostalgia with them, if it’s possible to feel nostalgic about a world you never knew? I can imagine a time when boots like these were commonplace, with synthetic materials yet to be discovered. Flat caps, pipes smoking, hard graft and folks dressed smartly on a Sunday. They are from a completely different and unrecognisable world. Yet, they ‘work’. What do I mean by this? They feel fantastic, they feel ‘right’. Something akin to a good fitting and well-made suite. I seem to be wearing a knowledge of how to do things ‘properly’ or rather how things were done properly.
It’s perfectly possible that heritage boots aren’t for you. The problem is that you won’t know until you try them!
I’m a keen hiker and an outdoors enthusiast. I’m in no way a fashionista! But owning a pair of heritage boots does compel you to consider your clothing choices with a greater degree of scrutiny. ‘You don’t want to let the side down’ as we say around here. For someone like me with a very ‘limited wardrobe’, I’ve found that the Foresta is easy to style. They certainly are versatile. I’ve yet to wear mine with trousers, it’s been too warm in the UK for that. I know some people are very against wearing boots and shorts, but I think these look great with them. Each to their own! They’ve put me in a completely different headspace when I’m walking too. I take my time; I appreciate the views a little more and I think back to a time when people walked those trails in boots just like these.
CARE AND MAINTENENCE
It’s easy. I spend a lot of time cleaning and retreating hiking boots and in all honesty, the Foresta makes for a pleasant change of pace. Part of the reason I went with C.F. Stead waxy commander was for this reason. So far, all I’ve done is treated the outsole/heel stack with Beeswax and brushed the uppers with a Horsehair brush every now and again. When the weather starts to become bleak again, I’ll run a little dubbin over them.
FIT, SHAPE AND SIZING
The Foresta stands 7 inches in height, that’s from the bottom of the heel to the top of the boot. These aren’t a ‘high leg’ pattern. This height has always been my preference; I know that it isn’t everyone’s. I’ve always felt that boots of this height feel far nimbler. Maybe the fact that I wear shorts so often and hike so much has something to do with this? SHAPE….. I hear a lot about ‘anatomical’ footwear. Too much if I’m perfectly honesty with you. With that said, the Foresta really is foot shaped. I’ve even advertised them as being ‘anatomical footwear since 1899’. What was I saying earlier on about wearing knowledge? As someone who has ‘Hobbit’ feet, I can tell you that the fit is roomy for the toe’s width wise and length wise. My heels feel snug against the leather lining in the heel. I’d say therefore, that the sizing chart provided on the product page is accurate. I am, however, always happy to discuss sizing with you. Fit and feel are very personal.
SUMMARY
As I said at the beginning, I was nervous about these boots. I also said that I love them and I do. The simplicity, the easy maintenance, the history and the looks, I love it all! I can’t wait to see how the Foresta will take on the winter. I know that the patina the leather will develop will be gorgeous, it is after all C.F. Stead. It’ just a matter of time. Owning a pair of these is special. You pay for the artisan craftsmanship, the history, the leather and the machine time. They are made by a team of 9. These boots are the very definition of slow fashion. I was patient and I’ve been rewarded. I know that your patience will be rewarded too. I appreciate that this is a short blog post, but less is more! I hope you found it useful and I’d love to hear your thoughts about the Foresta. They are a special boot and I’m looking forward to many years with them. So here’s to you slow fashion!
They are built on request for you. FORESTA
If you’d like to see more of the FORESTA or any of the other boots that I sell, please feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ghcboots/ or YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@GHCOUTDOORSLTD
I hope you all enjoy your summer and I hope you get outdoors in genuine handcrafted footwear soon!
UNTIL NEXT TIME!