Nicks x Parkhurst 602 V1 Collaboration Boot in Brown Chromexcel

 I love collaboration boots, especially when they’re between one of the great Pacific North West brands and one of my favourite brands of service boot makers. If you want to know how you take a comfortable, stylish last and build it onto a perfect chassis, read on!.

 When PNW brand, Nicks Handmade Boots announced this collaboration, they hailed it as the first-ever collaboration between two boot companies. They said that:

"We have combined the classic Falcon full leather stitchdown construction with Parkhurst's iconic 602 last to create a sleeker profile. This last has a slightly lower volume to provide a more comfortably snug fit and to help prevent heel slip while maintaining a rounder forefoot. Its features include a rounder, yet low-profile toebox along with a tapered arch and a snug heel. The instep on this last is more contoured to the natural shape of a foot's instep angle. The taper in the arch and heel may help to provide a mild, yet natural arch support."

Parkhurst making the announcement on Instagram showed a mouth-watering sample.

So what is a boot collector to do but to give in to his weaker instincts and immediately order a pair?

You can watch my unboxing by clicking on this thumbnail:

STYLE AND AESTHETICS

So this, in my hands, is the Nicks x Parkhurst collaboration, simply called the V1.

Looking at it, it isn’t actually that different in aesthetics from their classic configuration Falcon, except that the toe box profile and more pronounced almond toe shape is indeed, sleeker, like what you envision when you think "service boot".

It is more of a service boot design than a work boot design - whatever those perceived differences are -  plain toe, a shaft that's slightly over 6-inches, big leather pull loop at the back, low block heel, bright brass eyelets and speed hooks, and constructed with Nicks usual hand sewn stitchdown construction.

They came with super long leather laces, but I found the twisted brown and light tan look of the laces a little too distracting so, I swapped them for the White’s MP flat waxed cotton laces. I see no point in having a dressier lasted boot and be distracted by thick two-toned leather laces, even though I ordinarily like leather laces in the right boots.

You can see what they look like with the stock laces in this picture below, and you’ll probably see the bright white stitching on the stitchdown construction too. I brushed them with some brown boot cream to tone down the contrast, for the same reason as swapping over the laces - a little too stark and distracting.  

I’m still working out what outfits they best go with but I think at the end of the day, it’s going to end up being jeans mainly, whether in denim, black or earth tones like brown. Classic khaki chinos will also probably work and that’s probably as dressy as they’ll go. One thing I have found in the last couple of weeks wearing this around - the very big pull loops get in the way of my slimmer jeans, and even some of my straight-leg jeans. I tend to tailor my jeans and pants to break just on my instep. This means that even with looser-fitting pants, when I sit down and crook my legs, the hem of the pants rises to just about the top of the shaft and catches the pull loops.

I’ve been shaking my pants down a lot these last couple of weeks!

NICKS AND PARKHURST

Now let’s talk about the brands, Nicks (no apostrophe) Handmade Boots and Parkhurst Brand. Let's start with Parkhurst. 

Parkhurst was founded in 2018 as a small-batch, direct-to-consumer company, by Andrew Svisco, a former stock analyst who was motivated to make a quality boot for around the three hundred to four hundred dollar mark, and in doing so, try to keep the industry localised.

And one thing - Andrew was in his twenties when he put it all on the line and started the business. What were you doing in your twenties?

Parkhurst’s most iconic last is their 602 last, named after the Landing Ship Tank that Andrew’s father served on in the war. Building his foundational plain-toe Allen boots and cap-toe Richmond boots on them, he’s created some innovative makeups with really different leathers like Kudu, Mohawk and Moose, as well as trying out different oil or combination tanned leathers from tanneries like Seidel, instead of the ubiquitous Horween Chromexcel.

After COVID closures, Parkhurst was forced to move factories and through contacts from his former US factory, moved manufacturing to a Spanish factory Parkhurst has now successfully surfed the rough waves of COVID to emerge with a growing list of models and articles, including those in proprietary leathers and outsole combinations.

You can check out their expanding offerings - here.

The 602 last is applauded by Parkhurst fans.

A last is the 3D foot-shaped mould around which a particular boot is built, the design taking on the shape of the last. Andrew designed the 602 last himself, when often, bootmakers will go to last designers and license a shape to use as theirs. It’s a combination last in that it’s moulded with a narrow heel and waist, starting I believe, with a B-width heel and widening out to an E-width forefoot, combined with a rounded almond-shaped toe in an almost classic service boot design. This means that, while sleek and almost dressy, it grips your heel but offers comfort around the ball of your feet, and does not squeeze your toes.

This is the last that Nicks took as the collaborative piece.

But you can't say that all boots built on the same last will look exactly the same. It will depend on the factory, the weight of the uppers used, the character of the leather, and even the individual person lasting the boot. Below is a comparison photo of the 602 last as made by Parkhurst's former partner New York factory on the left, their Spanish partner factory in the middle, and this Nicks collaboration on the right.

Nicks lasts tend to be high arched and with a more consistent width up and down the foot, mostly with a rounded and higher-profile toe box. You can see why that is, being grounded on work, logging and fire fighting boots, their lasts offer comfort in the field and for standing up in, all day.

Nicks Robert Boot:

Nicks Handmade Boots was founded by Russian immigrant Nick Blahuczyn ("The Original Nick") in 1964. He eventually sold the company to co-worker Gary Myers in 1980 before retiring. In 1991 the company was sold again to Nick Petrilli, who in turn, sold it in 1999 to Dick Hoesly, and then in 2013 it was sold again to current owner Steve Mowe.

To show you how interrelated the Pacific North West boot companies are - The Original Nick worked for White’s Boots before he started Nicks. Nick Petrilli’s brother Frank who also worked at Nicks left to start Frank’s Boots in 2016. John Khadzi, who worked for Nicks in the late 90s for a few years, also left Nicks and started JK Boots. It’s interesting to me how the US Pacific North West is so well known for work and heritage boot making, but so many of its best known companies have totally interrelated roots and they’re all within a relatively small geographical footprint.

Nicks mainly operates on a Made to Order model where you order a boot before they start making it to your specifications. Current wait times can be very long at well over 12 weeks but they also offer some boots as Quick Ship options with wait times below that time.

Nicks is primarily a work boot manufacturer specialising in outdoor work boots for builders and trades and people who work in the logging industry, linemen and so on. American bush firefighters are regular customers as well. They entered the heritage service boot type boot world in the 2010s with their Robert boot. They now offer what is potentially a confusing array of articles but basically classify them on their website as work boots, heritage boots, and Fire and Duty boots. The Falcon and a few other work-boot-leaning-toward-service-boot styles are in their Heritage section.

CONSTRUCTION

These boots are constructed using Nicks hand stitched stitchdown construction method.

Basically, the leather pieces making up the uppers are stitched together and lasted -and then the front of the uppers are flared out in readiness to stitch to the midsole. Inside, the insole is assembled and stitched on, then the flared-out uppers are stitched down onto the leather midsole, and through the midsole to the outsole which is previously glued on.

As you can see, it’s a double-row stitchdown, and both stitches go through the uppers, midsole and outsole. The midsole is a solid 5 millimetres thick, and the rubber outsole is about 8 millimetres thick - so this is a solid raft this boot sits on.

The outsole is Vibram’s 700 rubber outsole or often commonly called the V-Bar sole due to the V-shaped pattern on it. It is low profile so befits a casual dress boot, but it is reasonably grippy on everything except the wettest and slickest stuff.

The back half of the boot is glued, sewn and nailed to the insole construction. The heel block is made up of stacked leather pieces and topped by a Vibram Quabaug heel top lift.

As it’s built the Nicks way, I think the inside of the boot, under the arch, is built up with shaped leather pieces and a leather shank to build up the arch, similar to Nicks usual HNW moderate arch support. You can feel the level of the arch inside the boot come about half way up the inside arch area and there is a slight bulge under the arch where the leather shank pushes in. It feels superb and I’ll expand on that when discussing fit and comfort.

Moving on up, I chose brown Chromexcel for the uppers because it was a Quick Ship option and I didn’t have to wait - although even then, Quick Ship meant a wait from May to August. 

Chromexcel is tanned by Horween Tannery, the famous Chicago tannery that started in 1905, inventing the combination tanned Chromexcel in 1911. It’s a pull-up leather and is used by almost every quality boot maker out there. Used here, it’s hard to see the famous pullup where you can see the oils and waxes infused in Chromexcel move and lighten as you apply pressure and flex the leather - this cut of Chromexcel used is so damned thick at over 3 millimetres thick where I can measure it.

The brown Chromexcel will lighten over time, even if you regularly condition the leather. As it patinas, it shows the wear and use through darker and lighter areas, as you can see in the photo below with the oldest boot going from right to left.

From right to left: Alden 403, Allen Edmonds Higgins Mill, Viberg Service Boot, Nicks x Parkhurst V1

The structured toe puff is a thermoplastic called Celastic, but the external heel counter is veg-tanned leather, and it’s tough - I cannot depress it with all my strength. There’s a two-piece backstay protecting the heel counter, with the central piece moving up and protecting the Achilles tendon and attached to that is the beefy pull loop.

The stitching on the uppers isn’t going anywhere. It’s triple stitched in the bottom backstay, multiple chevron stitched in the Achilles back stay, and quadruple stitched at the quarters. For as big as the hand-stitched stitchdown stitches are, the stitching on the uppers are small, consistent, and clean.

The hardware is bright brass - 4 eyelets, 3 speed hooks, and a top eyelet. They’re evenly spaced and feel very solid in the brass material, and in the way they are fixed.

The tongue is a fully gusseted tongue, made of a much thinner hide, that's only about 1.5 millimetres, and so is quite malleable. This is great because you need to fold it over itself - in the recommended S shape - since it is fully gusseted.

The boots come with Chromexcel kitties - false tongues - to protect the softer real tongue from being scratched by the hardware and keep dirt off the folds of the real tongue.

The top of the shaft is reinforced by a piece of Chromexcel that’s very nicely rolled for comfort and looks very nicely finished.

It’s a beautifully constructed boot, all sturdy and solid. So solid in fact, that with all that leather, it weighs in at a hefty 1.07 kilograms per boot.

It’s very heavy, but that’s not something to dislike because the heft feels right. You feel protected when you put the boots on and it feels like, you know, you’re wearing something substantial and….important.

LEATHERCARE

As for leather care, It’s Chromexcel, so as usual, firstly, just keep it clean of dust, dirt and gritty things which are the enemy of leather. Second, condition it now and then with a conditioner of your choice.

The boots come with a small container of boot grease with the Nicks logo on it, but which I’ve been told is Obenauf’s. Some people (like myself) may not like putting Obenaufs on Chromexcel because it will darken the leather. I can see why you would if you use this as a work boot as the Obenaufs grease would help the moderately water-resistant boot become a much more water-resistant boot.

If you have to wash the boot and it dries out as a result, I’d prefer conditioning it with some neatsfoor oil, which doesn’t darken the leather. But if it really isn’t dried out and all you’re doing is regular conditioning, I recommend Venetian Shoe Cream in neutral - a thin smear, let it haze and absorb, and then brush it off with a good quality horsehair brush.

Venetian will also give it a soft polish.

SIZING, FIT AND COMFORT

Now, let’s take a look at sizing and how the fit of this collab boot feels as against a standard Parkhurst 602 boot.

When I bought my first Nicks, I took an educated stab and chose my usual size in heritage boots, 8 D, which is a half size down from my Brannock size of 8 and a half D. That fit well, so I did the same sizing here. 

It’s a good fit. 

There was hardly any break in - in fact, on the second day I went for a 6-kilometre walk with no bad effects. The heel and waist lock in, the arch support is great, the ball of the foot is snug like a firm handshake, and there’s enough room in my toes to wiggle but not so much I have to find grip with my toes.

When these arrived and I put them on my Instagram account, Andrew messaged me and asked how they fit. I told him what I still feel now. The fit is good but a tiny bit more generous than in one of his boots. The arch support is much more apparent, and the length visually looks longer, but I don’t think it is. I understand that as all that leather under my arch settles down with my weight on them, my foot will gradually slip down the slope and fill the toe box more. Right now there’s a little more than thumbs width in front of my toes so I expect that will settle in.

There is no sense of these being a loose fit.

The sturdy feel of the build - the arch, the firmness of the uppers - all combine to keep you reminded you have a pair of boots on your feet, and that they are sturdy and real boots and…important.

I can’t describe the feeling any better than that!

VALUE.

These boots cost US$599 when I ordered.

That’s a lot of money in Australia, especially the postage cost that came with it - wait for it - US$123!

That added up to a total of AUD$1,134!

Even as avid a boot collector and as big a fan of Parkhurst as I am, I have to admit that was a lot but US$599 - about AUD$940 - for the boots has to be separated from the highway robbery that is US$123 for postage. Come on, USPS, really?

At US$599, these are incredibly well-built.

Viberg Service Boots are US$700 and White’s MPs are US$600, so all in the ball park.

Would you pay that much?

It depends on what you get, I think. To me, these come well made and feeling, well, important, so yeah, value seems to match price.

SUMMARY

So, what is it I don’t like about these boots?

On the pro side I put firmly the fit and comfort, definitely the sturdiness of materials and construction, the arch support is worth a mention, the look and aesthetics of a casual dress service boot that feels like a work boot is up there as well.

And the feeling when I put these on. The feeling that I have something important on my feet! Ph yes, that's definitely in the pro column.

On the con side?

One and only one thing I really dislike about these boots.

They’re called the Nicks x Parkhurst V1 for a reason.

There’s going to be a V2.

That means I’ll have to buy the V2 when it comes out.

God, I hate that!

Yeah, of course, I'm kidding. I will almost certainly buy the V2 when it comes out - if it comes out because in an interview with Andrew, he was in a wait-and-see mind, and I guess he and Nicks will just assess how the orders and reviews went and discuss what they would improve.

Until then, now that the orders have closed, you cannot order these anymore, so you'll have to keep an eye out for the V2 as well.

Happy waiting!

And while you wait, maybe take a look at my full review of these beautiful boots - click on this thumbnail below: