Clarks Desert Boot

“This is a follow-up to[ my 1yr post](https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/1agn51t/red_wing_blacksmith_1_year_review_a_love_letter/) last year. I’m also in the process of making my first pair of boots (roughout desert boots using a Valevro pattern), so this time next year, I’ll know a lot more about the process of building a boot. I’m pretty sure I fell down the GYW rabbit hole in early 2022 via a pair of Clarks Desert Boots that I loved but wore through the crepe. When I Googled whether they could be resoled, the YouTube algorithm kicked into overdrive. After a couple weeks of watching all the videos by our favorite creators, I couldn’t shake one recommendation I'd heard. All it took was[ CJ Cook saying](https://youtu.be/MOyto5_fHW4?si=az1Aj8_-EHTwebgd&t=640), “If you look up ‘boot’ in the dictionary, you’re gonna see \[the 3343\].” And that’s how I ended up getting my first pair of GYW boots, the[ Red Wing Blacksmith in Copper Rough and Tough](https://www.redwingshoes.com/heritage/mens/Blacksmith-03343.html), for Christmas 2022. **The Leather** Copper Rough and Tough was my gateway to SB Foot Tanning, whose leathers I’ve come to love in the time since. I’ve enjoyed learning how to care for the leather and seeing the patina develop over time. I find it really satisfying to see the scratches disappear and the patina re-emerge after a good cleaning (with Fiebing’s Saddle Soap) and conditioning (with Red Wing’s Heritage Leather Cream). Before buying, I’d read some reviews that mentioned babying boots at first before just deciding to wear them daily regardless of conditions. I decided early on that I’d take care of the leather but wouldn’t hesitate to wear them basically regardless of weather, activity, etc. I figured if they were tough enough for a working blacksmith, then they were tough enough to handle running errands around town on my bike or walking home from the Metro in a drizzle. After two years of fairly frequent use, there is more creasing on the left boot than the right, but I can’t find any fault with either the leather quality or the clicking. And the patina on the Copper Rough & Tough just keeps getting better and better.”