Purchase
A couple of years back, I found these White’s Hathorn Explorer boots on sale on eBay and decided to bid for them. I know that White’s boots are hand-lasted and on par with Nicks boots, and that they had a second-tier production line with the Hathorn series. But they looked good and had positive reviews, so I went for it.
Breaking them in
These Hathorn explorer boots are a little bit larger than the Nicks boots, but nothing that thick socks couldn’t compensate for. After the grueling experience with the Nicks boots, these promised to be easier to break in.
But I never did break them in. They were relegated to the depths of my closet until this week.
Wearing them
My two pairs of Nicks boots are in need of a resole. The Packer boots are at a cobbler in Austria for resoling and that is taking a long time. The Ranger boots have almost worn through the soles.
And winter has arrived, meaning that there is some ice and snow on the ground, and I need some traction. So now I’ve returned these boots into service and am beginning to break them in.
Conclusion
I’ve been wearing them on occasion but not extensively. They feel comfortable, and had I not formed such a strong bond with my Nicks handmade boots, I’d probably lavish more praise on them.
