HELM BOOTS PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE PACKET
2015
“A N Y AC T I V I T Y B E C O M E S C R E AT I V E WHEN THE DOER CARES ABOUT
DOING IT RIGHT OR BETTER.” ~John Updike
HELM Boots began as a passion project and remains one for all of us at the company. In 2009, Joshua Bingaman sought to combine his love of sneakers, especially classic American and Japanese designed ones, and combine it with his passion for boots. HELM had a small beginning in Istanbul but ultimately decided to move production to the United States. Why? Because we realized that supporting the economy and the traditional design of American-made boots was a priority for HELM. The timelessness of the construction methods used in the U.S. has endured for a reason - because they are tried, true, and frequently beautiful. We did not leave all of our outside influences behind in Istanbul: HELM still injects a European design ethos and a Japanese aesthetic into our classic American boots - why can’t it be both functional and lasting, as well as beautiful? We always stay true to our roots, which is apparent in styles such as the Muller and the Hunter, but we like to push the envelope a bit: a sneakerinspired boot like the Dash that has been lasted and the boat sole stitched as in traditional New England boat shoes; or a boot like the Leo, made in classic, luxurious Horween leather from Chicago but carrying a design more inspired by European architecture than work boots. With this guide, we hope to give you more insight into the design and construction of our boots to help you fall in love with them as much as we love making them.
CONSTRUCTION
tongue lacing system
shaft
vamp
calf lining
toe puff heel counter
sockliner heel nail midsole heel strike
shank (for support)
extra cushion outsole
CONSTRUCTION NOTES ON CONSTRUCTION LASTING Lasting is the process of molding the sewn-together upper of the boot (known as the shoe bag) onto a last. Depending on the process and machinery involved, this can take minutes or days. The shape of the last is what gives each boot its distinct shape and toe puff. For instance, all our Sams are molded on the Sam last, giving them their tapered and squared off toe area.
WELTING The welt is a strip of leather that runs the perimeter of the boot. Its primary purpose is attaching the outsole to the upper but it affects more than just how these two pieces are attached. HELM uses two main methods: the Goodyear Welt process and the Blake Rapid process. The Goodyear is the oldest form of welting. It can be done by hand or machine and provides a slightly more waterproof boot. It is the most expensive process of welting and uses more layers of material, resulting in a stiffer sole. The Blake Rapid process is done with a worker operated machine. It provides a sole that is capable of being resoled, but uses less layers of leather resulting in a more flexible boot. HELM also uses cemented construction where neither method would be functional, such as when the Vibram Christy sole is attached. You cannot stitch through such thick rubber material.
GENERAL HELM uses a few unique things in many of our boots to add comfort and durability. We feel that the use of a shank, wrapped in leather, provides the best and most comfortable form of support. While a shank is not necessary, we choose to include it as a service to our customers. We also add our white midsole, along with the extra cushion padding, to help prolong the life of the boot by making it more comfortable and preventing wear from entering the interior of the boot, which would make it difficult or impossible to resole correctly.
LEATHERS ABOUT OUR LEATHERS At HELM, we strive to use only the best leather available, all sourced from the best tanneries in the United States. The leather we use is inspected for quality and tested at the tanneries for temper (how it “stands up” before collapsing or settling), hand (how it feels, just like textiles), strength, breakage and a variety of other tests to ensure that it is the right weight and type of leather for a long lasting boot. Leather is not like fabric though: there are several qualities and quirks that are specific to leather since it is the preserved skin of a once-living animal. We think these add to the value and character of the boot. One is consistency - being that the leather is from a living creature, the boot will have natural inconsistencies. These range from minor color deviation in leathers (unless they’ve been stained or colored through a nontanning process, which can make them look cheap if not done carefully), natural cuts and abrasions from the life of the cow and other small details.
Pull-up is another characteristic unique to boots. After the tanning process and as leather is worked via regular wear, it will acquire a natural pull-up from the oils shifting on the surface to reveal the skin’s color. This becomes permanent over time and is unique to each boot and wearer, making your boots a piece that reflects who you are and how you wear them. You can see the pull up if you bend a piece of leather or press down on one of our boots.
LEATHERS LEATHER TERMS WET BLUE Chrome-tanned leather starts out as a wet-blue, analogous to the greige of fabric (unfinished textiles). This is the base for all chrome tanning: the process turns the leather blue before it is further dyed.
PULL-UP A characteristic of leather; the change of the color that is caused by oils moving around and exposing the base color.
FULL GRAIN Full grain refers to leather that has not been corrected in any way to remove inperfections. This leather is more breathable and develops a patina with use, creating unique and personal footwear.
HAND Like fabric, hand refers to the feel of leather - smooth, rough, etc.
TEMPER An important characteristic, which is affected by many factors. Temper is how well leather “stands up� before flattening out under gravity.
LEATHERS
TANNERIES WE USE HORWEEN Horween is located in Chicago and is widely considered one of the best tanneries in the United States. We use several leathers from Horween, including their signature Chromexcel leather which is an aniline finished leather notable for it’s distinct pull-up and luxurious, oily hand. We use Horween on the Marion Olive, Railroad and more.
SB FOOT SB Foot is a tannery founded in 1872 and located in Red Wing, MN. They’re known for their oil-tanned and tumbled full grain leathers, and we use them on a variety of boots including the Muller Teak, Muller Black, and Sam Black.
TASMAN Tasman is a tannery located in Hartland, ME, originally founded in 1947. We use many leathers from them, including a variety of their York line, which has a distinct pull-up and a flexible, oily finish - great for our boots such as the Pete Black and Dash Black.
LEATHERS
LEATHER TANNING DRUMS AT TASMAN
SOLES BOAT SOLE Our boat sole comes on our Dash Grey & Teak - the boat sole was originally designed for...boats! This is a durable sole that helps retain grip in wet environments. The only downside is that it gets dirty easily - make sure customers try it on in a carpeted area and clean it with a Magic Eraser or wet rag if it gets too dirty!
CAMP MOC SOLE Our camp moc sole is from Amazonas and is featured on our Dash Black. The camp moc shoe itself was invented by L.L. Bean’s founder and this sole is based on its original concept. The textured mold helps create grip when walking and the raised middle provides extra support.
MONTELLO MINI-LUG The mini-lug we use is from Montello in Massachusettes. The lug is the rubberized part that covers the leather sole and adds extra durability and grip when walking. The channel you can see in the sole is stitched by a worker operated machine. You can find this sole on the Railroad and the Marions.
SOLES TEMPEST Our Tempest sole is also sourced from Montello - it features a compressed and texturized rubber sole and heel to add durability and grip and provide protection from the elements. This is a great sole for wearing in urban environments and in wet weather as long as the upper is protected. The dot injections provide extra grip and help slick water away.
VIBRAM CHRISTY The Vibram Christy sole is sourced from Vibram and is our most durable sole; we find this holds up wonderfully in wet weather, provides a nice cushion for walking and customers even use it for motorcycle rides. The sole itself is glued since it is not possible to stitch through such dense and thick rubber. This is also one of our most comfortable soles, in addition to being very long lasting. You can find this on our Hunters.
WATERLOC LEATHER SOLE Our Waterloc sole is our traditional dress sole. It provides comfort and a thin silhouette and is stitched using either Blake Rapid or Goodyear construction. This sole is the most dressy of our soles and is appropriate for the office or events such as weddings. As it is a leather sole, it needs time to rest between wears. The Waterloc sole is treated with oils to help it be water resistant.
STYLES DASH BLACK •
Black Tasman York uppers ft. quarter inlays
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Camp moc sole for comfort and durability
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Tonal stitching for dressier effect
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Blind eyelets - no visible hardware on outside
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Our boot version of a sneaker - urban in aesthetic
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John lasted
HUNTER BLACK •
Black Tasman York leather upper
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White contrast stitching with triple stitch on cap and quarter seams
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Triple stitch adds stability to seam and an extra pop of color
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White Vibram Christy sole - very durable and supportive
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Based off traditional American hunting boots
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John lasted
HUNTER BROWN •
Brown Tasman York leather upper
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White contrast stitching with triple stitch on cap and quarter seams
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Triple stitch adds stability to seam and an extra pop of color
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White Vibram Christy sole - very durable and comfortable
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Based off traditional American hunting boots
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John lasted
STYLES LEE LOW •
Brown Tasman York leather uppers
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Indigo Cone Mills denim quarter inlay
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Tonal cotton stitching
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Oil-treated waterloc sole for a dressy, but water resistant, silhouette and featuring our signature white midsole
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Based off of our Sam design, but on the 115 last
LEO BLACK •
Black Tasman York upper
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Featuring an assymetrical Tasman Bison panel, seamed directly over the vamp and lace area
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9 eyelets in height and featuring blacked-out hardware with our Waterloc sole and signature white midsole
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Our dressed up version of combat boots
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115 lasted
MARION BLACK •
Black Tasman Bison upper
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Triple stitched with tonal stitching
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Mini-lug sole provides added protection and grip with HELM signature white midsole
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Silver hardware for a contrasting effect
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John lasted
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Named in honor of Joshua’s grandmother
STYLES MARION OLIVE •
Cavalier Olive Chromexcel leather upper
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Triple-stitched with contast stitching using a different bobbin thread to appear more discreet on the lining area
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Mini-lug sole provides added protection and grip with HELM signature white midsole
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Comes with two laces - a red and a black braided cotton
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John lasted
MULLER BLACK •
SB Foot leather upper
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Our original, classic boot - based off traditional American work boots
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Features a cap toe and a heel cup stitch for a casual effect
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Comes with our oil-treated Waterloc sole for a thinner silhouette
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Tonal stitching
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John lasted
MULLER BROWN •
Brown Tasman York leather upper
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Our original classic boot - based off traditional American work boots
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Features a cap toe and a heel cup stitch for a casual effect
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Comes with our oil-treated Waterloc sole for a thinner silhouette
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Tonal stitching
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John lasted
STYLES MULLER TEAK •
Teak SB Foot leather upper
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Our original, classic boot - based off traditional American work boots
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Features a cap toe and a heel cup stitch for a casual effect
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Comes with our oil-treated Waterloc sole for a thinner silhouette
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Tonal stitching
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John lasted
PABLO BLACK •
Black Horween Rockford upper leather
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Assymetrical seaming for a modern, minimal look
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Leather lined YKK zipper on inside seam
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Featuring the HELM signature white midsole with a Waterloc leather sole
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Goodyear welted with B/B construction
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Based off a classic Italian moto boot
PABLO BROWN •
Brown Horween Ruffian upper leather
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Assymetrical seaming for a modern, minimal look
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Leather lined YKK zipper on inside seam
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Featuring the HELM signature white midsole with a Waterloc leather sole
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Based off a classic Italian moto boot
STYLES PETE BLACK •
Black Tasman York leather vamp
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Textural contrast of a Black Tasman Bison upper area
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Featuring a triangular cut-out at back for comfort & echoing our logo
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Our dressiest shoe yet, with a slim 115 lasted profile, but with enough interesting detail to keep you standing out
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Featuring our oil-treated Waterloc sole with white midsole
PETE BROWN •
Horween Mulch Chromexcel upper
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Textural contrast of a Brown Tasman Bison upper area
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Featuring a triangular cut-out at back for comfort & echoing our logo
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Our dressiest shoe yet, with a slim 115 lasted profile, but with enough interesting detail to keep you standing out
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Featuring our oil-treated Waterloc sole with white midsole
RAILROAD •
Natural Chromexcel leather upper
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Cap-toe featuring a triple stitch on seams at cap & uppers
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Slightly higher heel for added grip - boot flattens out with wear but curves slightly when new due to heel height on John last
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Featuring a durable mini-lug for added grip
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Based off traditional railroad workers’ boots
STYLES SAM BLACK •
Black SB Foot upper
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Quarter inlay with tonal leather for a hidden detail
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Lasted on our HELM signature Sam last
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Featuring a Waterloc sole and HELM white midsole
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Based off Australian work boots of the 19th century
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Named for Joshua’s son
SAM ORIGINAL •
Brown Tasman York leather upper
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Quarter inlay with Cone Mills Denim
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Lasted on our HELM signature Sam last
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Featuring a Waterloc sole and HELM white midsole
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Based off Australian work boots of the 19th century
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Named for Joshua’s son
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