A lot of people always ask me for advice on which boots to buy if they have never purchased Godoyear welted shoes or boots before. Today we are going to compare two low price ranged Goodyear welted boots.
The first boot is from Berwick 1707 and they are Cap toe boots. The second one is from Thursday Boot Co. with the name of Captain boots. To briefly explain about the brands, Berwick 1707 is a Spanish brand and their boots are made in Almansa, Spain. Thursday boot co. is based in New York, but their boots are made in Latin America. Berwick’s production lines are mainly focused on the formal side of the shoes, including oxfords, derbies and dress boots like these, They do not have Cowboy boots like Thursday. Thursday’s on the other hand, is more focused on producing casual boots, cowboy boots and they do not make any shoes or anything in the formal section.
I want to say these two brands are great boots for anyone who wants to get into collecting boots or good for anyone who wants to try Goodyear welted boots out.
The reason behind this is mainly because of their price and quality. I cannot say that these two brands produce the finest shoes and boots in the world, but they will get the job done. Meaning these two brands are durable in a sense that you can probably wear them for a longer period of time compared to a pair of regular cemented shoes or boots.
Price range for Thursday Boots and Berwick Boots
Let’s first compare the pricing of these boots. Berwick cap toe boots are currently priced 200 GBP, which is around $250, but they are often on sale. I purchased these at 140 GBP (around $171). On the other hand, Thursday Boots costs around $200 online on their website, but they do not go on annual sale due to its cost already being super low to produce. So I would say, on average, these are both in similar price ranges.
Where are Berwick Boots made?
Berwick shoes are made in Almansa, Spain and Berwick is based in Europe, therefore, it would be easier for Europeans to purchase these. Berwick also exports a lot to Asian countries including South Korea, Thailand and Japan and other countries near Europe such as the UK and Russia.
Thursday boots does not seem to do this, there were some European retailers carrying Thursday boots, but it was hard for me to find a business that is importing Thursday boots. So people from outside of the USA have to buy from their website directly. I guess this is in relation to Thursday’s motto to decrease the unnecessary middleman cost as possible for their customers.
Comparison of the upper construction
Now on the boots itself, the first thing I noticed right away was the stitching on the upper leather. The stitching on Berwick seems to be much less compared to the Thursday boots. Berwick Boots have single stitching all over its upper.
Have a look at the neck and the eyelet part of the boots, they are single stitched and the stress areas like the vamp and the cap – toes are double stitched.
On the other hand Thursday boots have more stitching going on, The neck and the eyelets are single stitched but The heel counters are double stitched But the vamp and the cap-toe areas are triple stitched. The Thursday boots have an extra panel, not another layer, because it feels like it’s a fake layer from the inside. But they have stitched it with double rows.
So It could look like Thursday Boots have better overall stitching, however, the stitch density is a bit higher with Berwick Boots. It seems like the ratio is around 4:5 on Thursday to Berwick. Meaning, every 4 stitches on Thursday, there are 5 in Berwick. So it’s a bit more dense.
In the end I wouldn’t be too worried that for your everyday use, neither will break, unless it is used for some other purposes. But in the end It will be a pretty trivial difference.
Outsoles Comparison
They both use Stud outsoles as their main outsoles. The Berwick one has a Dainite mark on it, but Thursday does not. but they look identical, so it seems like it’s from Dainite. I mentioned this before, but I have changed my mind with Dainite soles and now I feel like there are other better outsoles that companies can use. They are both Goodyear welted which means they can be refurbished. They both have a leather midsole with a cork bed so that it infuses to your feet after wearing them for a while.
One thing that I did not mention in the video is that Berwick boots are storm welted and Thursday boots are just flat welted. Storm welts are designed to be more water resistant during the rainy season.
Upper leather Comparison
The Upper leather is made of Waxy commander with Berwick, The leather is from C.F stead, very durable and hard wearing leather. Also has a very soft leather lining. They also have grained leather versions of these.
The Upper leather with Thursday boots on the other hand is what they call Terracotta leather. As you know, Thursday boots come in many different leather.
Which one is more comfortable?
To be honest, the Berwick requires a lot of breaking in period. I think this is from the leather itself being very stiff. Waxy commander is almost like Waxed Flesh from Horween and requires a bit of time for it to break in. Gave me a bit of blisters but it worked out in the end. It’s still breaking in and I am sure like any boots, it’ll be comfortable in the end.
For Thursday boots, I did not require any breaking in and it was comfortable right off the box. The cushioned insoles were comfortable too. I think that Thursday’s intention is to give initial comfort with the cushioned insoles and then once this cushion flattens out, the cork bed will mold to your feet and give you longer lasting comfort.
Sizing Comparison
One last thing I wanted to compare is the sizing. Sizing on the Thursday boots is US11.5D and Berwick boots are UK11.
I have to say that I have noticed Thursday boots sizing is a bit tricky. Berwick boots fit really well. Have not tried yet, but I think I could have gone down to 10.5 if it wasn’t for my pinky toe. But it does not bother me at all. I chose US 11.5 for Thursday as their website recommended, but the boots are really long. Someone told me that going down a size and to a wider width may not help either. So there is a bit of trouble with Thursday boots.
The last used on Berwick is 207 last and it’s more almond shaped compared to the Thursday boots.it’s a bit more spacious and wider. Thursday does not really disclose the last used on the boots. I did hear a rumor that they may have changed their last. So I guess we could try their new last.
Which one do I like more?
I have to say that I like Berwick boots more. This is purely because of the length of the Thursday boots and It’s easier to wear Berwick boots on a daily basis.
But do not get me wrong Thursday boots have really good construction and the leather is great. Also the boots are really comfortable as well.
If you are looking for cheaper ranged boots, other recommendations include Sanders & Sanders boots from the UK or Dievier from North America.
