Review of the Luosjiet "Indiana" Boot

This is a brand I didn’t really want to review. It’s a brand that took off quickly, fully formed with an already established brand behind it. But I have to tell you the truth, with this brand, I was concerned their models were copies.

This is a boot from the brand Luosjiet, and to watch my review on YouTube, click on the picture below.

I never really had a hankering to review any boots from this brand because I was - still am, really - concerned that a lot of their models look like copies. Take a look at their website, and you’ll see models that look like an Iron Ranger, even including that slope down the collar. There’s a boot that looks very much like the Red Wing 875 moc toe.

Even this boot - it’s even called the Indiana - well, this is clearly a look-alike Alden Indy. This one has a wedge sole but with Alden’s collaborations with their retail partners, I’m sure there’s a wedge sole Indy out there somewhere.

I have to say, my inclination was to hate on it. I don’t mind a boot based on an icon. I don’t even mind what I’d call "homage" boots, where the new boot pays tribute to an old favourite. In my view, it’s almost impossible to design a new boot that is totally, entirely a new design. A moctoe is a moctoe so, would you call the Whites Perry a copy of the Red Wing 875? Would you call a Parkhurst Niagara boot a copy of an Alden Indy?

Our brains recognise the genesis, but we forgive those two examples because we can say that there are subtle differences - the lasts are different, the stitch here and there is a triple rather than a double, the quarter panel is a little larger or longer.

But some of the boots on the Luosjiet website did look like copies, rather than even an homage. Take the Iron Ranger look-alike that even has the slope down the collar.

Yet, something intrigued me.

I couldn’t quite let go of the fact that if this didn’t come from a certain country - all will be revealed - I might let this boot off the "copy" label because there are subtle differences to the Indy - the odd stitch, the last, the patterns.

And, the quick take up of the brand by other reviewers got me interested. My good friend Dale from Dale’s Leatherworks YouTube channel has reviewed and liked Luosjiet boots. Ash Rao, whom I respect, from the Welted Ware YouTube channel, takes their quality seriously. My friend Ryan from the You Shoe channel has reviewed various models extensively and has become a kind of expert on Luosjiet on his channel, including comparisons with icons. Ryan’s videos made me change my mind, and I agreed to get a boot to review, but I was still anticipating to hate on it.

THE BRAND

Let’s start with the brand.

It’s the Chinese brand Luosjiet, or as I called it, Loose Jets, because they shot out of nowhere with a huge variety of ready to wear boots that were in all types of genres.

If my friends are right - I don’t speak Chinese, so I had to ask a few ex-Diplomat friends of mine who were once stationed in Beijing - the literal meaning is “falling section”, and I think it means the lower section or the cheaper category. That kind of makes sense because it is a second brand from well thought of Chinese brand XBXS.

XBXS is a high-quality brand that makes a big range of non-derivative style boots within different genres, from Boondocks to jodhpurs, to Cowboy boots, and use some amazing leathers like Shell Cordovan, Horsebutt, and Horween Chromexcel. Their boots sell for around a thousand US dollars.

Luosjiet is their brand that seems to offer cheaper pairs around the low three hundreds US to the high four hundreds. Business-wise, this is a good move. You never want to dilute a high-end brand with low-end products and the business advice is usually to open a second brand, and each of the two brands can then pursue different market segments.

Luosjiet produce moctoes, captoe or plain toe service and work boots, chukkas and brogue boots within that competitive price range.

SIZING

Next, I’m going to talk about sizing. The sizing is difficult enough that I think it needs to be pointed out.

When I decided to accept the offer of a pair, I contacted Ryan from You Shoe to ask about sizing. He recommended the usual half size down and pointed out that all Indiana boots were an E width. He adds a removable insole and also said that maybe the next time down he would get a full size down for a more snug fit. He did point out that the other models were good at the usual half down.

So, on the website, they have a size chart, which is fairly conventional, except that the they compare say a Red Wing 8 to a US 8 and a EU 41.5, well, that’s not really true. You take a half down from Brannock in Red Wings, so as I’m an 8 and half US, I take Red Wing 8’s. But then, a US 8.5 is usually a EU 41.5.

So, the comparison should, I think, be Red Wing 8 to US 8.5 to EU 41.

To be clear, I take Red Wing a half down from True, but the EU size is usually a 41, even though the True US size is 8.5. Confusing, I know, but in summary, choose the Luosjiet size that matches your half down from Brannock size, or even go a down a half in the Luosjiet size.

These are 41.5 EU, and I think that’s actually accurately true-to-size - it’s a little big for me and I could comfortably have taken my true EU size of 41.

CONSTRUCTION AND QC

Now, to the important stuff, the construction, materials and QC.

On my Youtube Channel, I went straight into a full review, and I didn’t do an unboxing video because, well I’ve already said it earlier, I was waiting to hate on this, but now, I wish I had, because I think you would have seen the surprise in my voice.

The construction method is a three hundred and sixty degree Goodyear welt construction.

I have described Goodyear welting in almost all my other videos, and you can also see my video on Goodyear Welted Boot Construction 101. 

So, focusing just on materials and QC, the wedge outsole is a proprietary product that looks like the Vibram 4014 Christy Sole or the Red Wing moc toe wedge sole. This one is in EVA or Ethylene Vinyl Acetate like on running shoes, and so is not only lightweight and shock absorbing, but also water and oil resistant. EVA is usually a durable material too, because of its elasticity. The outsole is glued on, not stitched. This is normal in wedge soles.

Between that and the midsole is a thin rubber full slip sole. I’m pretty sure it’s stitched on to the rest of the sole construction, and it’s there to provide a better adhesive surface than leather, so that the wedge outsole is glued to something it will stick to.

Then there’s a 4 millimetre thick veg tan leather midsole, and a veg tan 4 millimetre thick leather insole. The insole is stitched to the uppers and the inside edge of the welt, while the outside edge of the welt is stitched through the midsole and slip sole. The welt is leather, and I think it’s a split reverse welt so that half the inside edge is pushed up against the side of the boot. There’s some pretty incredible skiving going on with the welt because the edge that’s exposed above the midsole is only about 2 millimetres thin, but the edge that’s exposed against the uppers is at least 3 millimetres thick - and of course there’s the lower side of that split reverse welt that you can’t see.

Inside the boot, there is a cork filler between the insole and the midsole, and I believe there is a steel shank, so all good so far both in terms of materials and construction. On top of the heel area, they glue a leather comfort liner, and it’s thick enough not to need any foam padding. Plus points.

The uppers are from the Prime Asia Leather tannery, a Chinese tannery that’s actually quite well known across Asia. If you’re interested, their website is primeasialeather.com. This pair is in a leather called Dark Brown Lychee Pattern Cowhide. From that we know it’s dark brown, check, and it’s bovine, check.

But what the hell is lychee?

Well, if you go to any neighbourhood Chinese restaurant in the world, odds on they will offer a dessert called lychee fruits. A lychee is an Asian fruit with a hard skin and a translucent white flesh. The skin is leathery and looks like Scotch Grain, so aha! Lychee pattern equals scotch grain, check.

Joking aside, I like this leather. It’s firm and supportive, seems hardy on the surface because of the pattern, has so far avoided scuffs, even on my famous scuff attracting right toe. I think this would be easy to care for and will just need brushing and conditioning with something like Venetian Shoe Cream.

The whole boot is;lined with a soft full-grain calf, very smooth and comfy.

I don’t know what the toe stiffener and the heel stiffener are, but the toes are hard, so I suspect is a plastic, but the heels have a bit of give and may well be leather. Inside the boot, they stitch a piece of suede to protect and grip, so again, bonus points.

The quality of the stitching, for this price, is as mind-blowing as a pair of Grant Stone boots, at the same price. The edge stitching on the welt is perfect, each stitch is perfectly the same length and distance apart, as well as precise around the edge.

The decorative moc toe stitch is also, as you can see, very clean and precise.

The stitching on the quarters and the single piece backstay are equally clean and precise.

The edges around the collar and down the lace facings are rolled - French bound - and man, it’s really good, no piece of leather sticking out anywhere.

The hardware - 5 eyelets and 4 speed hooks - is solid brass, fully backed, and the speed hooks are not the bent over metal type, but solid, milled metal, like the ones used by the PNW brands. Alden can learn a thing or two about the materials used, and the way everything is out together.

Sigh, which brings me to my ultimate question.

Can an ostensible copy of an iconic boot, be Quality? You know how I stood before I got these boots.

I’m now really in two minds.

I still have concerns that at least 3 of their models are so look-alike as to be, well, concerning. But I have no doubt that the quality of this boot is extremely good, as good as the way Grant Stone make their boots, in terms of eyes-on QC, better than many other American-made or Leon-made brands. So, no matter what it looks like, stand-alone, this is extremely well-made and certainly worth the price.

COMFORT

Now, I’ve already dealt with the sizing, which I thought was important up front, but now I’m going to talk about comfort. Just saying quickly, I don’t know if it’s the EVA sole as opposed to blown rubber or something else, but the footfall and underfoot comfort is ridiculously comfortable, like the proverbial walking on clouds.

I think it is a combination of the wedge sole and the insole-midsole leathers, because I have a pair of wedge sole Grant Stone boots - two in fact - that are not as comfy as these underfoot. In the Grant Stones, while the wedge is cushy, there is a hard "something" before the squish - the insole midsole combo. In these, everything combines to make the clouds.

The uppers, while supportive, are a little stiff around the ankle, especially the collar, even after a month of wear. The French binding could be contributing to that, but I’m hoping more wear and break in will make it more supple.

The last is not a Trubalance. It’s generous and hence, I don’t think it provides the Trubalance support under the arch, but it’s good enough, especially because of the underfoot comfort.

SUMMARY

So there you go.

Leaving politics aside, and if you know me, you know that my belief is qthat uality is a set of procedures and not confined within national borders, so any reservations I have are not based on the origin of the brand but my disturbed feelings about how some of their boots look so much like old favourites. However, a non-boot friend of mine said to me, after I talked to him about this, a copy can be useful if it’s made well, he said. Look at what’s on your wrist.

And indeed, I’m not a watch guy, so I wear a cheap Invicta dive watch, which my watch-nerd friends tell me is an exact copy of an Omega. Because I’m not a watch nerd, I don’t wear it because it looks like an Omega, I wear it because, despite owning some Seiko’s and a Tag Heuer, the Invicta keeps the best time! So, if you are not a boot nerd, or you can’t afford an Alden Indy, or even if you are a boot nerd and respect quality, this boot, and I guess this brand, is fit-for-purpose. Certainly, from a boot-nerd point of view, the quality of the materials and construction, meet the value in the price.

But it’s divisive, so make up your own mind. I’m just bringing you what I see.