Wesco - Hendrik (Horsebutt) (Brand New)

Over a decade ago, I purchased a batch of Strips from Horween. These come from horsebutt after the two oval cordovan shells are removed, making them thicker than the front portion of the hide. Nowadays, they’re widely used, but at the time, hardly any brands were making footwear with this material. Since I’ve always enjoyed doing things no one else was doing, I sent the Strips to Wesco and had two pairs of boots custom made, just to see how they would turn out.

The 1339 last is one of Wesco’s narrower lasts, which is why I chose EE width. The Hendrik is one of Wesco’s more refined models, paired here with a brogued toe cap - a relatively newer design in recent years. Back when I placed this order, I had to start from the Packer model and modify the details to achieve this look. Now that it has been separated into the Hendrik line, it’s much more convenient ( the Warren model followed a similar path ).