My Truman Journey

I bought my first Truman Boots in early 2022 and since then, have accumulated five pairs. Truth? I like them, but I don’t love them. Watch my Truman Journey from that time to now.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:22 Welcome
01:37 Truman Boots
05:11 My Truman Journey
11:31 I like them but…
14:11 Summary

Who Am I?
I am a Management Consultant in real life but in my Bootlosophy channel, I make videos about boots and all things boot related. This channel posts reviews of boots, unboxing of new boots, and follow-up reviews, and in doing so, may explore the philosophy of the brands and makers as well as the collectors!

In this channel, I will give information found in my research about the brand, the construction, and the materials, but I will express my personal opinions about how I feel about the boots reviewed.

Full Disclosure
If any video is sponsored, I will declare it clearly in the video and in the description. Even if a video is sponsored, I will review the product openly and honestly giving you my personal opinion, warts and all, of the product.

The following links (and any links I place above) to products I regularly use may be affiliate links - buying from any affiliate links will not cost you any more, but I may receive a small payment from the platform.

Care Products - conditioners and polishes

Care Products - cleaners

Care Products - water repellents

Care Products - Brushes

Care Products - shoe trees

[RustHawk]

Teik,

I genuinely appreciate your videos! The format coupled with delivery, history, information and your own experience against other boots in your collection are invaluable. Many other boot reviewers these days seem to be bought and paid for their "honest" reviews. You've got a subscriber out of me! Cheers.

[tony_r_pierce]

Truman is really a success story. The company persevered through its relocations, product design changes, and the covid challenges that killed many a small business. The company is taking their next steps beyond the MTO model, introducing new machinery and modifications to their production processes. And all the while making very good boots. This video resonated with me in terms not applicable to just Truman, and not only to just boots. No manufacturer can be all things to all people. I have a pair of the cognac bison Truman boots that I recognize as among the nicest and highest quality boots that I own. There's no objective reason why I don't yet have more Truman boots. Like Teik, I like my pair very much. I like wearing them. I have no criticism at all. For me personally, I just seem to gravitate more toward other makers these days -- influenced by my preferred style, cost, and maybe something peculiar to me and what my "heart" tells me. Maybe that will change. Another very interesting and spot-on video, IMO.

[cradd]

I grabbed a pair off ebay for a good discount, barely worn. They're solid boots, and the oxblood is subtle but can pop in certain lighting. Theyre breaking in nicely

[tobygoen]

Teik
Great content, as always. I appreciate your honest assessment. It must be hard to find something new and exciting enough to justify adding to your collection.

[apathyboy]

Best boot channel on the Tubes! Plus another west Aussie!!

[MRIVERA]

Hey Teik I enjoyed your video and your honesty. I happen to be a big Truman fan, I love the 79 last because I think it fits my foot the best. I also love the choices of leather that Truman offers. I own Java waxed Flesh, Oxblood Double Shot, Moss waxy Mohawk (awesome CF Stead leather) and the SB Foot Wooly Bully Roughout. I will continue to purchase them and get different leathers and different models. The craftsmanship is excellent, they are a couple notches above all my other boots (Grant Stone Red Wing and Jim Green’s etc) honestly I feel the same way as you do but about other boots in my collection. For me Red wing doesn’t do it for me, I have one pair of 1907’s and I think I’m good after that one pair, it just doesn’t do it for me🤷🏻‍♂️. I still plan on expanding my collection into Nick’s and White’s just to experience all brands. As of right now though, Truman are my favorite. Keep up the good work brother!

[patrickmiao]

My favorite boots are my Grant stones, Truman, Redwings and Parkhurst. What I like about my Trumans is that they are heavy duty but not as heavy as a pacific northwest boot. My Parkhurst, Grant Stone and Redwings are not as heavy as the Truman and definitely a pacific northwest boot such as Nicks, Wesco or Drews. I find that which boot I prefer to wear depends on what clothes I am wearing. For my chinos, I usually wear a Grant Stones, Parkhurst or Red Wings. For denim, I usually wear the Trumans, Redwings, Jim Green African Rangers or Wilcox Kern. For winter snow and really cold weather, I wear Drews PNW roughout or Danner 8"rainforest. For rainy days, my Redwings and Wilcox Kern. When I travel on vacation, it is Parkhurst Niagara (my Indy boot) and Grant Stone Chukka that I wear the most. As a side note, I really love my Truman Java waxed flesh in the 20 last, such a comfortable and rugged boot, one of my favorites for loafing around with friends. Since I already have 17 boots and will not own more than 20, I want a brass boot, another parkhurst Niagara in tan and probably one more rugged Truman boot. The PNW boots are too heavy for my tastes, will keep my Drews just to have it but that's it for PNW boots regardless of what Rose Anvil says.

[albertmanuel]

Great video; I have a good sized boot collection and one pair of Trumans, an MTO storm kudu moc toes. They are absolutely beautiful and get a lot of attention. I’ll definitely buy another pair in the future.

[AJ-bypd]

I have the same feeling about Parkhurst. I like them, but I don’t love them. I don’t like their outsole pairings and i feel their traditional leather lineups are quite stale.

[Sandblstr]

I bought the Java Waxed while waiting on my Cinnamon Waxed White's MP 5050 last to arrive. Both are my first PNW's. Since November the Patina has really started to come through on the Java. As a 10D brannock, I ended up going true to size on the Truman and they feel fine and 9.5E on the 5050 MP.

[harrykekgmail]

wow. so knowledgeable and so well explained. thank you

[alexvonborstel]

Thank you Teik. We all have journeys to make and hopefully we can wear a good boot. Your program is one of my favorites because you give honest and heartfelt reviews. Shame we only have two feet. With more we could wear more boots. Take care and be safe.

[Adamscommabrett]

Truman boots were my (relatively recent) entry into higher end boots and I absolutely love them barring one thing: the Eugene sole. The sole has absolutely no wet weather grip, which is unfortunate because I live just north of Eugene in Portland, and it's famously wet here quite often. It's a disappointing downside to otherwise great boots. I'll get them resoled eventually but in the meantime I'm walking carefully. Great videos!

[sstraight]

Thanks for your honesty! I think your necklace was bouncing against the mic…

[jjlove]

I had to size up a half in Truman to really appreciate them. My first pair rubbed my big toe so I sold them and kinda wrote Truman off for a while. I just got some new brown waxed flesh 79 last Trumans with the flat soles in a half size larger and they are amazing. They're in between the Nicks Americana and the Viberg 2030 in terms of build. Not too heavy like the Nicks but almost as rugged, and the last fits me better than the 2030. Truman really surprised me with the quality and fit.

[Forester]

Pleaseget a pair of the Jim Green Numzaan, they look great, well made and affordable!

[Nathan-zwnq]

The way you feel about Truman is how I feel about Red Wings. I had a pair of blacksmiths and iron rangers for a while before selling them. Nothing wrong with them, they fit well and are very durable, well made boots. It’s just after I broke them in and the initial wow factor of having new boots wore off after having them for a month, I just didn’t care to wear them anymore. I had them each for about a year before I gave them to a buddy of mine, and I wore them maybe 1-2 times a month? Far less than my White’s Cruisers, my Grant Stones, or my Jim Green African Rangers.

I just didn’t vibe with them. But they’re now being worn just about everyday and appreciated by my friend who loves them so at least they went to a good owner deserving of them. And I would still recommend anybody look into Red Wings if their budget for boots caps at $400. They’re great boots, just not for me.

[eagleeyes]

Something of interest is the upcoming rerelease of Oak Street Bootmakers’ N-1 Field shoe… in natural cxl roughout it’s almost identical to 1943 👏

[randynovick]

I have a pair of double-shot color 8 cap-toe service boots from them. They're nice. I like how roomy they are in the toe. I hope they keep offering interesting leather choices as they go.

[JonathanHParker]

Hi Teik - love the structure and attention to detail in your reviews. Must be the management consulting background! 

How would you compare the Truman 79 in Java Waxed Flesh to the Grant Stone Brass Boot? Yes, the are different styles but similar prices, and both share rugged casual aesthetic.