Craft and Glory, Initial Impressions, Stitched Footwear

Craft and Glory Trooper: New Offerings

Price: $252-299

Why Buy?

The Craft and Glory Trooper offers a lot of classic design elements with high quality construction at an affordable price.

Why Avoid?

The Craft and Glory Trooper could use a larger heel, and while you can do one exchange, returns are not available.

Specs

ModelTrooper
Height8″
Size12 US / 11 UK
Weight998 g / 2 lb 3.2 oz
MaterialsBuffalo Leather, Veg Tanned Leather, Rubber
ConstructionStitchdown
Country of OriginIndia

History

Craft and Glory is a relative new comer to the space of stitched boots. Starting just a few years ago with a focus on more typical leather goods like bags and watch straps, you can tell by their Instagram posts that they are increasingly focusing more complicated construction. Most notably, stitched footwear. Though – they have not stopped the other products. I particularly like the “Other Cool Stuff” section, which is a topic I’ve long felt I should add here on this website.

This evolution has led to their lates, and most expensive, product launch yet – the Heritage Collection. Craft and Glory’s Heritage line is designed to offer something a bit more premium and customizable.

More specifically, today’ we’re going to be looking at the Craft and Glory Trooper. While most of the Heritage line is built using more out-there styles like Engineers and Lace-To-Toe options, the Trooper is built on a standard pattern and offers by far the most choices.

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Let’s dive in and see if the Craft and Glory Trooper is worth the upgrade.

Disclaimer: Craft and Glory provided this pair for the purpose of review; however, this is not a sponsored post. They were not able to review anything shared in this post before it was live. Everything below is true to my own opinions.


Looks

Upper

When it comes to the upper of the Craft and Glory Trooper, overall, you’ll find a classic open eyelet pattern. That means separate heel cap and rear stiffener panels over quarters with no cap to. Though, the brand did put their own twist.

First, they added a rolled top – a feature that is typically found on more premium models. Next, they went with 11 eyelets, no hooks. This is a pretty high density, even after you consider the higher 8” cut of the boot. This is my personal preference – no speedhooks, high density – but you might prefer speed hooks. They are an unlisted customization option that is no cost, just let them know before you place your order. Or you can do what I do – never actually lace them more than half way up and keep the eyelets because they look better.

The boot is unlined in the shaft and heel, but is lined with a fairly thick lining from the midfoot forward. Again, my personal preference in design. The tongue is also half guessetted. Or, in other words, it’s attached from the bottom to around half way up. It’s a good compromise between protection and actual wearability.

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This particular boot is made in their “vintage brown” leather, and it’s a pretty handsome leather for a rugged boot. It’ll definitely show nicks and scrapes, though. If that’s not your preference, I would consider getting the Saddle Tan or Black options.

You get two lace options. A classic work-boot tan-and-gold and a brown that closely matches the upper. I personally find the brown a visually better fit, though included pictures of both.

Mid- and Outsole

When you take a look at the bottom of the Craft and Glory Trooper, you’ll find one of the biggest changes to this model compared to their others, the stitchdown construction. There is some cool stuff going on here, though, more on that later.

The stitching, which runs through the contrast natural-colored veg-tanned midsole, is done well. Especially considering the price point.

On the very bottom of the boot an unbranded Ridgeway-like outsole should offer good grip. A leather stacked heel in a logger pattern finishes everything off.

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While the heel is clearly well made by hand, this is really the one area where I wish I had made some changes to my boot. In the pictures online, which I assume are in a smaller size than mine, the boot looks very well proportioned. On this fairly large size, however, the heel looks slightly undersized with this outsole. In a large boot, with an 8-inch height, additional visual heft in the heel would help balance everything out.

If you are like me, however, Craft and Glory does allow you to swap out which outsole they use at no charge. It’s not listed as an option on the order page, but if you shoot them a note you can find something with a bit more visual weight to it before you place your order.

Summary

Overall, the Craft and Glory Trooper is about as standard a boot design as you can get. Especially in this Vintage Brown color. And that’s not a bad thing!

Sure, if you have 6 other pairs and are looking for something a bit different in your rotation, you might want to consider a different leather or a different pattern from this line, but for most guys the best thing for your outfits is going to be a matte brown leather open laced boot. It’ll go with jeans or chinos, hide dirt, clean up easy, and look better with wear.

I do think that, in the larger sizes, the heel could benefit from being sized up, but that’s obviously entirely subjective.   

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I should also note, changing the outsole isn’t the only limitation on customization for these boots. You can change the eyelet style, add a loop, or other similar changes. These are done a la cart, so easiest to ask Craft and Glory if they can do what you want.


Fit & Comfort

Fit

When you order a pair of Craft and Glory Troopers, you can just pick from a drop-down list. But if you’re not sure, you can send them measurements and tracings of your feet and they’ll recommend a size.

I did so for my pair, and ended up with a pair of US 12s. I’d say they fit generally true to size, if maybe slightly on the smaller size. I think most people will end up with their standard Brannock, but if you find that you just barely fit the size you go with, you might want to consider going up half a size.

The good news on sizing is that the last is very accommodating. Unlike some boots, which won’t fit certain foot shapes, I think that just about everyone will be able to find a size that works for them. Even better, if you’ve got really wide feet, they have a EE width as well.

Craft and Glory does offer an exchange if you get your size wrong, though you will be on the hook for shipping.

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Comfort

When you place your order for a Craft and Glory Trooper, one of the choices you’re required to make is if you want a foam insole or a leather insole. This will impact how your boots feel both new and with wear.

I went with the leather insole, which is a bit stiff out of the box but will conform to your foot with wear and long-term be more comfortable. However, if you don’t want to deal with the break in, you can also choose a mostly foam insole. This will obviously be more comfortable on day one, but will break down over time. The insoles are removeable, though, so you can swap in a new one if you change your mind.

In either case, the leather midsole will require some break in.

The upper leather, at least this vintage brown leather, is on the softer side vs. the supportive side and should do a good job not rubbing your leg raw the first few times you wear these.


Materials & Construction

Materials

You have to give Craft and Glory credit; they are pretty good at offering details on the materials on the Trooper. It also makes my job on this section really easy.

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The upper, unless you choose the Chromexcel or Ramber options, is made of 5 oz / 2 mm thick buffalo leather. The lining is 3 oz / 1.4mm bovine leather. Between that leather and the lining are veg tanned heel and toe stiffiners. The midsole is 10 oz / 4 mm veg tanned bovine leather.

Included in the boot is a metal shank, and then a rubber ridgeline style outsole. The heel, while not mentioned, is clearly veg tanned leather as well.

If you opt for the leather insole, it’s another 10 oz layer of leather.

Construction

The Craft and Glory Trooper, like the rest of their heritage line, can be made in two ways. The base model is done using goodyear welting, but you can also opt for a stitchdown construction – which is how this pair was made.

Either way the pair of boots you get will be hand lasted – where they stretch the leather over the last by hand instead of machine. However, the stitchdown does offer some interesting patterns. First, the upper of the boot is flared out and stitched to the midsole using one row of stitching. Then, unlike most stitchdown construction, the midsole is stitched to the outsole in a full 360 pattern. This should offer a better grip than just nails and glue most people use.

Not that I’ve ever had midsole glue fail before, but it’s nice to have.

Further, while I don’t touch on it too much, I am a big proponent of knowing where what you buy is made. In the modern world, many of the products we made might not come from where you think they do. Craft and Glory puts all of their cards on the table here.

Not only do they say they are made in India, but they give the actual address for the manufacturing and packaging on the product page.  


Pricing & Value

The Craft and Glory Trooper Boots start at $252, basically the same as their standard line boots. That being said, I’d consider the stitchdown construction ($35) and the veg tanned insoles ($12) as almost must-get customizations, so really the price of the boots is $299. I don’t think that nice round number is a coincidence. My guess is that these were designed to be $300 boots and the customizations are a way for people to cut down the price if they want.

It would also align with Graft and Glory’s aim of the Heritage Line being their premier offering.

There is the option to get these boots in CF Stead’s Rambler or Horween’s Chromexcel, but that adds 40% to the price. The base option for these is $417, add the stitchdown and insole and you’re looking at $464. You do get an upgraded outsole as well, but that is certainly a steep jump for branded leather.


Are the Craft and Glory Trooper Worth It?

The Craft and Glory Trooper offers a classically designed boot with a lot of high-quality materials. Even better there are a number of customization options you can make, with limits really just being what you and Craft and Glory can agree to.

Again, I would mostly ignore the $252 price point. It isn’t that it’s misleading – Craft and Glory will happily sell you a boot at that price – but unless this exact make up is what you’re looking for, you might as well choose from their larger offering pool in their standard line. If you really want to get what they are trying to highlight with their Heritage Line, you should click all of the options.

If you do, you’ll end up with one of the most affordable pairs of this style of stitchdown construction anywhere in the world, without much in the way of compromise. Sure, the heel is a bit small in the larger size. And sure, the price jump from standard to branded leather seems higher than is needed. But I’m sure they’ll adjust the heel size, and you don’t need the upgraded leather anyway.

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