Frequently Asked Questions | Wohlford Boot Co.
Here you can find the answers to frequently asked questions about your handcrafted Dayton Boots.
If you have any questions about your boots or the status of your boot order, please email us us at orders@daytonboots.com or call +1 604 253-6671. Toll-free in North America: 1 844 Gr8 Boots (478-2668).
How long does it take to break in a pair of Dayton boots?
Depending on the specific leather utilized in your Daytons, it could take anywhere from 2 hours to 3 months. For example, the chrome leathers used in the Black Beauty Collection or the Classic Engineers are selected for durability and require a significant investment of time and wear before they are broken in. On the other hand, the oil tanned leathers utilized in products like the Rebel Series may only require a few hours of wear before enjoying years of comfortable use.
What is a last?
A last is a stylized foot form made of wood or plastic on which a boot or shoe is built. The leather of the shoe is stretched around the last giving the boot its shape and size.
What do I use to treat my boots? Can I use polish?
We recommend our OK Oil to ensure the long life of your boots. Alternatively, anything that contains all natural ingredients. Please don't use shoe polish, animal fats or silicone-based products.
Shoe polish clogs the pores of the leather and leather needs to breathe. The only exception to this rule is on our boots that have a "Chrome" finish like on the Beauties, Drivers or Parade/Police boots. These will welcome a good paste or wax and should polish up to a great shine.
You should oil your boots about every 4-6 weeks, depending on the extent of the wear and the elements.
What widths do your boots come in?
C, D, E, EE, EEE (Not all styles come in all widths)
Can I use insoles in my boots?
Yes, just be sure to remove your insoles from time to time to allow your boots and insoles to air out and breathe.
How do I dry my boots once they get wet?
Do NOT put your boots in front of a heater, fireplace or direct source of heat. Lay them sideways and let them air dry naturally. You can also use silica gel packets placed inside the boots to aid in drying any accumulated moisture. A couple of hours in the sun may also help, but don't forget about them as too much time may damage the leather and compromise its integrity by drying it out too much. Sunlight also mitigates antibacterial growth.
How waterproof are my boots?
The leathers used in Dayton Boots are naturally able to help withstand the elements and if properly maintained and treated with OK Oil, on a regular basis, they will repel water. However it is important to note, that unless your Daytons have a waterproof designation (usually requiring a waterproof membrane), they will not be totally waterproof, but resistant, rather.
Can my boots be re-soled?
Yes, one of the principal advantages of a genuine welted construction is that your boots can be re-soled as long as the leather stays well conditioned. Our shoemakers need to be able to pull the leather over the last (mold). If the leather is dry and not conditioned, it will crack and deteriorate leaving little material to attach the new sole.
Do your boots have a warranty?
A lifetime warranty — till death do us part. We stand behind how the boot is built for as long as you own it, and we are generous about it rather than stingy.
Soles and heels are the exception, and barely an exception at all: they are wear items, like tyres and brake pads. When they go, we resole. Everything else, bring it to us.
The full terms are on our warranty page.
Are there boots available for women?
Yes, all of our boots can be sized down for women. Dayton will also continue to develop styles exclusively for women.
Do you have a CSA approved work boot?
Yes. What is certified and on the shelf is on the CSA Work Boots page — the 6406 at six inches, the 6408 at eight, the 6410 Lineman at ten, the 6404 Romeo at four and the 6460 Engineer with a twelve-inch shaft, every one of them modelled on our original 64 Logger.
Each certified pair carries a Grade 1 steel toe-cap and a composite plate: the green triangle your safety inspector is looking for. The 6410 Lineman, the 6404 Romeo and the 6460 Engineer also carry the ESR Ohm rating, which is electric-shock resistant.
The model number gives the approximate shaft height, and smaller sizes may not be quite as tall. Sizes come and go, and we build in runs, so that page shows you what is on the shelf today rather than what we wish were on it, with the width listed on every pair. If your size has gone, we repair and rebuild CSA work boots — that service has not stopped and is not waiting on stock — and we build work boots to order: caulked loggers, the Line Boot pattern, and the rest of the range, specified with you at the shop.
One thing worth knowing before you order. A made-to-order boot does not carry CSA certification. That is a fact about the certificate, not the boot. Certification is granted to a certified facility on a minimum production run, and a single pair is neither. The boot itself is built the same way as the certified models, and in a good many cases better. Many of the people we build for do not need the certification, or work where it is not required. If your site requires a certified boot, we will tell you so rather than sell you one that will not satisfy the inspector.
How do I clean my boots?
Clean your boots with a clean dry cloth or by applying a small amount of OK Oil to a dry cloth and wipe down your boots to remove any excess dirt.
What are your boots made of?
Full grain, 5.5 – 6 ounce oil tan/chrome, tier one cowhide leather. Our insoles and midsoles are 100% leather. The thread we use for stitching the outsole is natural linen, wax linen. All our Vibram soles (model 100 lug and 700 nitrile) are anti-slip and oil and chemical resistant. Steel shanks, nickel plated and brass eyelets, re-enforced toes and heels (counters) are the major components of our boots.
Do you custom make boots?
Here at the Dayton factory we make stock boots, made to order boots and bespoke boots.
Stock Boots:
Each stock boot is built to standardized specifications. Each particular style is made on a specific last and is available in the full size and width range of that particular last. When buying a stock boot, we are fitting you into a stock size.
Made To Order:
A made to order boot is an aesthetically customized stock boot. Here at Dayton we offer a variety of custom options that you can choose. These options range from different leather choices, adding and subtracting buckles and zippers and variations on the height of the boot. Each custom option has a set price, which will be calculated into the total cost of your boot. If you would like to create a made to order boot please visit us here at the Dayton factory showroom or give us at call at +1 604 253-6671 and we will be happy to help you out.
Bespoke (custom lasts):
A bespoke boot starts with a unique last, which is built to your specific measurement. To have a bespoke boot or shoe built you have to come visit our factory show room. Our bespoke boots are built on a custom last which our experienced last maker creates once we have taken all the necessary measurements. The bespoke last is ideal for those with various orthopedic problems, or those who simply want perfect fitting footwear. The cost of a bespoke last starts at $1000 plus the price of your boot. Once the bespoke last is created it is labeled as your own and we hang on to it until the next time you would like us to build you a pair of boots or shoes.
Every pair is handcrafted using the same traditional bootmaking methods Dayton has used since 1946.
What kind of socks should I wear with my boots?
A cotton or wool sock is best as they naturally absorb any moisture effectively.
What credit cards do you take?
We take MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. One can also pay online using PayPal or Bitcoin.
What is your return policy?
If a pair is not right, we’ll make it right.
A stock pair comes back for exchange or store credit within 30 days. Try them on indoors, on carpet; we ask only that they come back showing no signs of wear, in their box. Talk to us before you send anything; most of the time it is a fit question and we can solve it on the phone.
Pre-orders are different, and deliberately so. You are paying us months before we can hand you anything, so a pre-order pair can come back for your money — any reason, up to 30 days after it arrives, showing no signs of wear and in the box. You do not have to tell us why.
The full terms are in our Pre-Order, Deposit and Cancellation Policy and our Refund Policy.
Can you fix my old Daytons?
Usually, yes — and we would rather rebuild them than sell you a new pair.
Send us photographs of the sole, the welt and the uppers, or bring them to the shop. We will tell you what they need and what it will cost before we start anything. A welted boot is built to be taken apart and rebuilt; that is the whole point of the construction, and a re-welt is stitched by hand.
Email orders@daytonboots.com or call +1 604 253-6671.
Can someone else repair my Daytons?
They are your boots, so of course. We would rather do it ourselves — we know how your pair was built and we have the lasts it was built on.
There are a couple of things worth knowing about how outside work affects the warranty, and they are in our warranty policy.
What size am I?
Start with your usual boot size, then talk to us before you order.
Dayton lasts run their own way and width matters more than length. We build C through EEE, though not every style in every width. If you are between sizes, email us — we would rather spend ten minutes on it now than ship you the wrong pair.
How do I find out what I own?
Send us a photograph of the boot, and of the stamp inside the tongue or on the lining if it is still legible. The pattern, the sole and the hardware usually place a pair within a few years, and the people in our shop have seen most of them before.
People send us boots their grandfather bought. We like those emails.