 I'm really excited because I got this box after a saga of travelling across continental US, across the Pacific, across all over Australia and it finally got to me. But this is a new Parkhurst boot, it's actually a sample, it's not even in production yet, it's a stitch down sample that Parkhurst is trialling. So keep watching and I'll tell you what I think. Good day, welcome to Brutalosophy and if you're new here, my name is Tech. I acknowledge the Wajik people who are the traditional custodians of the lands that I live on. Now I'm really excited because this is a box that's arrived which is the Parkhurst stitch down sample with Italian tempesti leather. It's been made in Portugal and I think the production release is scheduled for sometime in the northern summer this year but there are apparently some issues that Andrew wants to finish off in the design and the lasting and so on before he does the production. So let's open the box. So here we go. Now one thing about Parkhurst is that Andrew's shipping box is actually the shoe box, there's nothing, no other box inside. There we go. As usual, a spare set of laces, I'm assuming there's laces on the boot. A thank you card from Andrew and the shipping information. New tissue paper to protect the boots which are protected by boot bag anyway. So it's good to see that Andrew's gone back to the old Parkhurst boot bag rather than the unbranded ones that I've had in the last couple of boots. Oh and there you go. Italian tempesti leather. This is I guess strictly speaking the the Allen model from Parkhurst because there's no cap toe but I understand it's a new last. It is based on the 602 last but it's not even the 602M. I think there are some subtle differences to it. You can see a much rounder toe, much broader rounder toe and Andrew tells me he's still experimenting with it. This is not the final version of the last and I think that's really exciting. From what I can see it's been really well put together. This is a stitch down model, 270 degrees stitch down. You can see the double stitch down happening there. All of Andrew's models until now have been Goodyear weltered and usually 360 degree Goodyear weltered with a reverse split reverse welt. But in this case it's stitch down which means that the front three quarters of the boot the uppers are lasted over the last and then the bottom edge is splayed out and is sewn directly into the midsole. One stitch of it goes into the midsole and the other stitch goes right through to the outsole and you can see that stitching there. While we're on the outsole, this is I'm not sure if this light you can see the logo, this is a Parkhurst proprietary lug sole. Andrew tells me that he's had tremendous problems in the past because of the combination last that he uses with the 602 in particular that the branded lasts don't really fit sorry the branded soles don't fit his last because it's very hard to center them apparently they're made for a normal boot last and because he's a narrow and wide they kind of get off center whether he's using Ridgeway or Vibram. So he's actually had to make his own proprietary outsoles in order to fit his lasts and as you can see it's not a particularly thick lug it's quite low profile and it's inboard from the edge of the boot so I think it sort of hides the fact that this is a rugged outsole. From what I can see of the stitching look it is hand stitched in Portugal in a new factory that Andrew's trying out but I guess you can see it starts as reasonably even and then it does kind of sort of go a little bit uneven here but you know it's handmade I guess if you take that on board the stitch density what's that an inch the stitch density is pretty good even on that side where it's not particularly parallel on this side what's roughly an inch it's much more even than the stitch density is really pretty good the leather feels I think it's about I think it's a little over two millimeters thick from feel I'll get it measured at some stage but it has a slightly oily matte effect so on touch it feels very similar to the Red Wings harness leathers you get that slightly oily feel but this is a veg 10 leather so it's a little firmer in temper not as as flexible has a reasonably good pull-up that has a nice effect I think this will patina quite nicely being a veg 10 and in dark brown it shouldn't stain the boot is unlined in the shaft although it has that backing and you can see it's made in Portugal and it is it yeah it's lined in the vamp with a kind of smooth grain leather the tongue is semi-gusseted up to the last eyelet so that's quite good stops it slipping and it has a certain water resistance up to the eyelets talking about hardware one two three four five eyelets and three speed hooks they feel pretty sturdy oh I see the backing of the eyelets is washing and it's just pressed at the speed hooks but I can't feel any rough edges so that's is quite nicely constructed that way stitching from what I can see is pretty good quite parallel double stitch quite parallel quadruple stitch maybe a little waiver but it's it's look it's neat it's clean and I wouldn't complain on a boot like this this is not exactly a Crockett and Jones dress boot and it's not meant to be you can see you know the thickness of the leather it's it's I think it's going to be quite firm it's going to be interesting I'm feeling foot the laces this is new from Parkhurst leather not raw hide dark on both sides by the feel of it it's slightly stretchy I think this might be lettigo or lettego leather I'm not sure I'm a fan of these laces I might change them over for a different set of leather laces or I might even use it I might even put these in what do you think okay so let's take a look at the other boot so again the immediate thing you smell is that that quite vegetative veg tan leather smell it smells I don't know it smells a bark tree bark pretty thick what looks like potentially a double leather midsole before you get the proprietary rubber sole and then stacked leather heel with a top lift from my understanding is Andrew finishes off the boots himself in his basement by nailing on the the heels so the stacked leather heel by the feel of the heel counter I can't tell whether it's leather but it actually feels it has to give of leather oh the topof is definitely salastic I think because it's quite it gives and it pops single piece backstay boondocker style very nice very nice quarter panels terrific okay let's try these on feet all right let's get these on for you this is the part of my first impressions videos that I'm always concerned because I take 10 minutes to struggle to get into these boots but no they slipped in perfectly first impression of the feel is very similar to the 602 last Andrew told me he hasn't actually got a name for this new last yet but it is a derivation of the 602M and it feels fairly similar hmm the laces are long they're slightly stretchy which is I have other pairs of latigo latigo laces and I'm not a huge fan because they're a bit stretchy that feels quite good tied on in terms of sizing these are made in Portugal as I said earlier and obviously part of Europe they use the European sizing system you know 41 42 43 and translate into the English these are actually a size seven and a half now my immediate suspicion and I asked Andrew was whether these were European sizing and of course they are which means that seven and a half UK is equivalent to eight and a half US so that means these are true to size at eight and a half US or my UK size seven and a half UK which means I think they're true to size at 41.5 European now sizing is confusing Andrew has said that in production he will be getting them to be called the same sort of sizing that he uses on his Spanish boots which is the American sizing numbers they definitely feel good nice and roomy in the ball of the toe a ball of the foot the toes have sufficient room just kind of wriggle the heel feels locked in so seven and a half in these Portuguese Parker stitch downs is easily equivalent to an eight in his normal Spanish boots Spanish made boots the leather is a full veg tan burgundy leather from Tempesti in Italy Andrew thinks that he's going to produce using Tempesti leathers different types of leathers he says they make some really good stuff and a good amount of the relaunch that he's had over the this last year has been how to diversify and try new things so this is good I'll just read a little thing here from Andrew when he talks about production these will be made in Portugal he says the factory there has the machinery to do the double knee row stitch down and no other factory globally with whom I have spoken that's Andrew has the machinery cutting technology or the experienced workers to do it or to make boots for me on a production scale as he says unfortunately not no one factory can make everything 100% so he does the finishing touches like burnishing sanding heel pad cutting and gluing done in his warehouse by himself and he he he says that much of the connection here in Europe between factories is actually everyone knows everyone so as things are required they actually refer him to other factories who can do this but certainly the fit is good the feel is good the leather is quite a firm temper and I think it's going to be very sturdy the comfort underfoot is really good so you know the what I saw is as a double leather midsole I think is really going to help as your feet mold into shape okay so there you are I'll bring you a full review after I've worn these for a few months so until then let's go to the summer okay so there you go I hope you like my unboxing and my initial impressions the the last is a little bit of a surprise because I think it's a bit more rounded than the 602 and therefore if I stand and look down it kind of looks spade like but it doesn't it doesn't feel that way it feels nice so Andrew's got a few things he has to do for production I and I do believe he's trying to schedule for a late northern summer release so that's going to be very interesting I think check the website below it is an affiliate link so if you buy something through that I will get a little bit of a I think it's a six percent kick back helps defray the cost of the channel look hope you look as usual after I wear this for a few months I will bring you a full review of them now these are samples so whatever I say that might have gone wrong with them might have been improved by production and maybe production might change quite a few things as well but I will bring them to you at least as a pair of sample boots to see what I think of them after wearing them for a few months so I'm hoping you like this video don't forget to click on the like button that's the thumbs up button below and click on subscribe if you're not subscribed like the majority of my viewers constantly come back but they're not subscribed so if you subscribe it'll help me out and you're going to watch it anyway all right so take care I'll see you soon