I bought the Cordovan Ocean looking for a unique, attractive boot built to last. I used the web page and took note of and used the 10% off coupon for first purchase. I was contacted almost immediately by Sandeep who informed me that the coupon was not accepted for Shell and Seamless boots. I was very disappointed that he did not honor this but went ahead with the order. Originally I had ordered a 9 which is what I wear in other boots, but after sharing measurements and a trace of my feet as requested he informed me that I needed a 9.5, which was not selectable on the web. I was hesitant as these were coming from India with significant trouble if I had to had to have an exchange.
I asked for an estimate of the delivery and he told me Jan 20. I was ordering Dec 22. On Jan 19 he told me that it would be 2-3 weeks as he was out of stock on the Cordovan. Feb 3 he told me that it would be mid-February. I was getting nervous. But on Feb 13 I got a notification they were shipped and I got the boot on Feb 18. Plenty of tracking info through the various systems the package went through to get to me.
I eagerly opened them and they were as perfect as any hand made leather product I can imagine. The Cordovan leather is very attractive, well made, stitching is perfect especially for a hand welted boot. I was amazed that the 9.5 which they are marked is definitely right for me, I'm so happy Sandeep corrected my size. There is no way I could have worn a 9. If I have only 1 minor complaint it's that the leather pattern on the tongues don't match, one is almost solid blue and the other has some pattern. Of course these really don't show when laced up.
They come with thin leather/foam insoles which I am not using. One video I saw a full length sock liner but these only have a 1/2 sock liner I assume to cover nails, and I prefer that. There was a shoe HORN which I asked Sandeep about and he confirmed it is a true Bull horn and it's very attractive, functional and pretty fun! A second set of laces was included but I do have large flat feet and laced up pretty tight the stock laces are pretty short, so I will be replacing them. There were also very nice black BLKBRD dust bags included which is appreciated.
From what I can tell BLKBRD is still a small operation, so annoyances like slow production and material shortages are sort of expected, but that is part of building a business and I am sure they will work through it.
I do plan to buy something from BLKBRD in the future, they are exactly what they appear and I for one do not mind taking a chance on an up and coming company. Best wishes to Sandeep and Pradeep and the whole BLKBRD family.
