Astorflex Dowelflex Ankle Boot Review
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- Опубликовано: 7 авг 2024
- I admit to being a fan of the casual, relaxed boots made by Astorflex from Italy. This Dowelflex Boot is a fun variation of a service boot.
Links
Huckberry Astorflex page bit.ly/BootLDowel
Helm Boots bit.ly/helmweb
Red Wing Iron Rangers bit.ly/BootlosophyRedWing
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:55 Welcome
01:52 Style and aesthetics
04:05 What to wear
05:05 Astorflex
06:45 Construction
13:32 Leathercare
14:51 Sizing, fit and comfort
16:18 Value
17:27 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
Bick 4 amzn.to/36gBdnd
Ecco suede conditioner amzn.to/3rOU9BN
Fiebings Liquid Mink Oil amzn.to/34FigtO
Leather Honey amzn.to/3uWepDH
Red Wing Heritage Leather Cream amzn.to/3sK5dzi
R M Williams Leather Conditioner amzn.to/3JkgQno
Saphir Greasy Leather Cream Polish amzn.to/368FlW9
Saphir Renovateur Medaille d'Or amzn.to/36jNIP3
Saphir Renovateur leather balm amzn.to/3uS23wa
Smiths Leather Balm amzn.to/3oPcBbC
Tarrago shoe cream amzn.to/3sK2hCM
Tarrago Nubuck Suede Renovator Spray amzn.to/3oLLSgc
Venetian Shoe Cream 3oz amzn.to/3uS1oLc
Care Products - cleaners
Ecco foam cleaner amzn.to/3gM61hO
Ecco Nubuck and suede eraser kit amzn.to/3LCzf0L
Fiebings Saddle Soap amzn.to/3sFlNAo
Leather Honey Cleaner amzn.to/3HShN64
R M Williams suede cleaner amzn.to/3sIoIYZ
Timberland dry cleaning kit amzn.to/3GNXAwP
Timberland Renewbuck Foaming Cleaner amzn.to/3sJQAvN
Care Products - water repellents
Saphir Suede Protector Spray amzn.to/34FWAhi
Tarrago Nano Protector Spray amzn.to/3oLxPXF
Care Products - Brushes
Kiwi Horsehair Brush 3-pack for different colours amzn.to/3oPUvpL
Kiwi Horsehair Applicator Brush amzn.to/3uUZHwu
Welt Brush amzn.to/33kKMQP
Care Products - shoe trees
Florsheim Cedar Shoe Tree amzn.to/3sJXVf5
Stratton Cedar Shoe Tree amzn.to/3JqNVy3 
Хобби
Good day. How you goin? Love that you chose to review a boot that isn't normally on peoples' radar in the bootosphere. I think this is a solid addition to the niche that thursday has carved out for themselves as an entry level boot lover boot. Love the silhouette of it and the character of the leather, just wish there were options for different soles.
I recently bought my second pair of Astorflex shoes, the Nimflex moc toe chukka, incredibly comfortable and easy to wear, really nice footwear
Thank You for sharing!
I got 6 pairs of their Chelsea's. I wear them almost everyday. Very sturdy and comfortable.
I bought these boots back in August and have been my go to boot for casual day in the office or just around town. I unfortunately did not size down so they feel pretty clunky while being reasonably comfortable. I would not say they feel like a slipper. The toe box immediately developed a giant crease after only a couple days of wearing making them look even more clown shoe/duckbill looking. Because of that these will be mostly just beater boots. I recently conditioned them and they are several shades darker which I think looks way better and makes the creases toe box slightly less noticeable. I’m a 10 in sneakers and hiking boots and 9.5 in dressier boots and dress shoes. I got a 10 but probably should have gone with the 9.
A really nice pair of boots that I never realised I needed...
Says me for nearly every boot I see on RUclips 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Teik. Might need a pair of their chukkas or chelseas. Not sure the service boot pattern on crepe is my jam.
Yeah, something not quite right about that!
Nubuck leather now seems to be the most widely used leather type for most casual and semi-casual footwear. Even premium British brands like Crockett and Jones and Trickers are now using nubuck for their boots, even if they don't always describe it as such.
I suspect this is partly due to the on-going scarcity (and subsequent high price) of good quality hides now that the luxury Asian designer goods market uses so much top tier leather. That is not helped by the best European calfskin tanneries now being owned by the luxury goods conglomerates.
And also partly due to changing tastes where matte finishes and patined and distressed leather is now far more popular. Now we all want our footwear to look like it was made for peasants whereas when most of us were peasants we valued polished and highly finished leather.
On the positive side, it means that far more good quality leather can be used as upper material when minor cosmetic flaws are buffed away.
Cheers from a new subscriber! Love your practical approach to reviews, and really appreciate the comparison videos (both of which I've watched several over the last couple days 😅).
That said, damn... these were very nearly EXACTLY what I've been looking for, but looks like they've been discontinued along with the Bootflex line. Anything you can recommend that is similar? If I could pay $100-200 more for slightly better construction with the same overall properties, I'd be all over that!
I've had a pair of Thursday Presidents in size US10 for a few years now and wear them several times a week. They've held up fantastically, but where I am we get both very dry, cold winters far below freezing, and really hot, humid (subtropical) summers. They're just too much boot for the heat and humidity to wear casually; I typically bale hay in a pair of Redwing Dynaforce 8" steel toes, but that's different, obv. lol.
Years ago I had a pair of cheaper Chukkas that were perfect through the summer and built almost identically to these Dowelflex--approx. 2mm unlined leather that breathed/dried well, natural rubber sole, shankless, etc, but I do much prefer the "service" boot look and ankle support.
I definitely agree with your points on comfort too. They weren't great for working on concrete floors for very long, but in a professional, carpeted office or going out for any casual thing they were the perfect combo of weight and flexibility. Dainite outsoles are great... but they are loud, heavy, and rigid in comparison lol. I basically want tennis shoes but in boot form 😂 Jim Green's vellies/shoellies are alllllmost right.
@@sentinel7122 Take a look at the Golden Fox Boondocker
@@Bootlosophy Thank you for the recommendation! Those were on my list, along with Thursday Vanguards & Cadets, Trumans, Wolverines, Grant Stones, and Parkhursts. Stetson Chukkas (that aren't chukkas in any way lol) were another option I found, but they were really tall and relatively unknown for lace up boots.
In the end, I went with a pair of Oak Street Field Boots in Natural Chromexcel Roughout!
The Boondockers may be something I try out in the future, but i decided I wanted to try something a little nicer this time (after a lifetime of farm and industrial work in sub-$100 boots lol). I REALLY liked some Trumans, GSs, and Parkhursts in some of their natural and tan colors, but there was always some combo of not having my size in stock, the color being too close to my R&R Saddlewood Presidents, or having the commando sole which seemed like it would be a little out of place in nicer casual settings, and also similarly rough/heavy like my Presidents.
I think these will be great... for the most part though summer I'm wearing near-Western (US) wear: light wash jeans, tee/Henley/v-neck, and a cotton/linen open button up. The bright sand color will go with a lot of hot-weather clothing better than my now-darkened brown Thursdays, MUCH cooler in direct sunlight, and still look nice enough for a laid-back office environment thanks to the vibram 700 sole and 270 degree welt. That "cork" sole also checked off my wish for a little more softness and flexibility over Dainite.
Thanks again for all your vids breaking down the brands and their boots! It was a huge help. I'm absolutely certain I'll own at least one pair each of Trumans and Parkhursts. Out of all the others, I liked their variety and styles quite a lot. Can't wait for my Oak Streets now too! Kinda neat to also get to wear something so similar to the N-1s my grandfather wore in the Pacific theater in the 40s.
Cheers!
You better be walking on immaculate ground with crepe soles in my experience. Walk through a asphalt parking lot with oils and you will smudge oil on any surface inside. Not saying other soles can't pick up oil but crepe seems to absorb and redistribute like a felt marker pen. No go for me.
Hey Teik. My original comment has disappeared. I'm guessing email addresses might not be allowed in comments. So not sure how to go about this, but take 2...I love these boots! However, no mention of them in Astorflex's website and Huckberry only offer size 10! So, if any chance you'd consider letting them go and shipping to NZ, I'd be willing to pay a premium for the honour.
DM me on my Instagram account @TeikOh
"Service boot" is a recent fashion term. See also "heritage". They mean whatever sells more when a company advertises them as such. Don't feed the marketeers!
Too pricey for what you get. Just get Clarks.