When we say that a shoe has seen 100 wears and 100 miles, what do we mean?

In short, the shoe has been put on, worn at least a mile, and taken off 100 times.

More specifically, we try to wear the shoes in the environment they were meant to be worn. While something like a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes will see mud and dirt, a pair of suede loafers with leather soles might never see rain at all.

Each shoe is going to have it’s own story but in general this is how we test our shoes:

Business Oriented Leather Shoes:

For business oriented shoes, such as Oxfords, Bluchers, and some loafers, we generally would wear them to office-like environments. This means most of the time these shoes are on carpet, but there is a mix of concrete sidewalks/parking lots and tile flooring. These shoes are worn rain or shine, unless there is a material on them that is obviously intended for dry weather only.

Boots:

For boots, including service boots, work boots, etc., we generally wear these in harsher weather. These will see hikes, farm work, and snow. We still try to be respectful to the design. For example if there is 3 inches of standing water it isn’t fair to take the Dainite soled boot. They may also just run to the store on a cooler fall day.

Sneakers:

For sneakers, we use them for most casual environments. This could be walking the dog or running to CVS. For modern sneakers focused on performance, they might be used on a treadmill, a basketball game, or for a run around the block. The only time we keep sneakers out of the weather is if they come with a tag specifically stating they need to be kept dry to avoid bleeding.