Max Schaaf — the heart and soul behind 4Q Conditioning in Oakland, CA — is back with another custom design with White’s Boots. If not already, the first thing you should know about Max is his eye for custom builds. His work speaks for itself. Motorcycles are his first love, but we always appreciate his eye for boots.
IT’S THE BOOT HE WEARS EVERY DAY.
In the world of workwear, few things are more American than the Depression-era engineer boot. It was born out of the job of the Fireman, who spent his hours shoveling coal into the firebox of the steam engine. Confined quarters demanded protection up the shinbone and flexibility at the ankle. Full grain leather — as it is with firefighters — was the best choice. The popularity of the boot increased after WW2, but it found its legendary status in the hands of greasers and motorcycle gangs in the 1950s.
Thanks to Marlon Brando and James Dean, it became a status symbol, but the staying power of the engineer boot is rooted in more than looking cool. It was worn because it was the perfect boot in the shop and on the road. It’s comfort and flexibility meant a mechanic could spend hours on the balls of his feet and bending at the ankle. It’s protection against the heat of the engine and durability against repeated abuse from gravel and asphalt meant riders could spend hours on the road. It’s tall shaft, block heel, unstructured toe, and hardware meant it could take abuse for years.
Nobody knows the value of an engineer boot more than Max. He’s a legend in the industry because of how many countless hours he’s spent in his shop and on the road. After collecting vintage pairs and wearing whatever he could get his hands on, Max came to us with a classic functional design, and we added the comfort of our Arch-Ease™ technology to be sure it could handle the long days.
This is the first time White’s Boots has released an engineer boot with a 10” upper, exclusive to 4Q. The 1970 Arch-Ease™ last and leather shank provides optimal comfort with minimal break in, and our stitchdown construction means that it’s resoleable and rebuildable. The best thing we can say about this boot is that Max designed it and he’s been wearing his sample pair for almost two years. It’s the boot he wears every day
Go HERE to order your pair and learn more about the product specifications for the Max Schaaf 4Q x White’s Engineer. Wait times are estimated at 16-18 weeks so don’t delay. If you’re interested in seeing more from Max, check him out at https://4qconditioning.bigcartel.com/.
