Nicks Boots has seen an incredible number of changes in the past few years. Under the leadership of the Mowe family, the company has grown significantly as Nicks has doubled (and then tripled) the number of different boots they offer, while also branching out into various leather goods and accessories. Nicks has also dabbled in a wide variety of leathers, including some that can only be found at this Spokane, WA-based bootmaker.
One of those exclusives is their 1964 Leather, a product developed in collaboration with Milwaukee, WI tannery Seidel. This oily work leather has a thickness and density which belies its surprising ability to break in and soften up without too much effort. In our continuing How Leathers Age series, we’ll explain 1964’s unique characteristics and take a look at how it can patina.
What Is 1964 Leather?
1964 takes its name from the year Nicks Boots was founded. The inspiration for this chrome-tanned steerhide leather came in the form of an old pair of Nicks that walked into their shop one day. They belonged to a former Nicks employee who had gotten the boots sometime around the late 1970s/early 1980s. The leather on these boots was quite thick, but with a surprisingly soft suppleness. Without being certain of what the specific tannage was, the folks at Nicks were determined to try and recreate the look and feel of this relatively ancient leather.
Nicks tapped Seidel Tanning to produce a leather that would replicate the old leather’s characteristics. The process took two years and several iterations before 1964 Leather was finally unveiled in 2021. Originally available in brown, Nicks subsequently added several other colors to their lineup, including black, walnut, chocolate, and tan.
The 1964 Leather is described as Nicks’s “Easy Break-In” work leather, at least in comparison to the Seidel work leather they’ve been using for decades (now called “Max Support” by Nicks). At first blush, this leather will seem anything but easy to break in—it starts out with an intimidatingly dense, rigid temper. However, after just a few wears, the leather becomes significantly more pliable in a way that feels counterintuitive to how friggin’ thick it all is (7 to 8 ounces, or about 3 millimeters). This is thanks to the heavy infusion of oils Seidel adds through their hot-stuffing process, which yields a leather that is less dry and stiff in comparison to the Max Support leather.
How 1964 Brown Ages
Brown was the first color introduced in the 1964 tannage, and it’s seemingly the most popular offering in the leather. It’s a nice medium-brown tone, a good all-rounder. Rustywrench67 wore these Falcons in last year’s first-ever Stitchdown Patina Work Thunderdome, where he placed second overall.
Some really nice work on these. The gradient of colors between the top and bottom of the boots is quite stark.
slow.smooth’s BuilderPros were made with the flesh side of 1964 Brown, which looks significantly lighter than the grain side.
He beat the absolute tar out of these boots. While a couple applications of Obenauf’s LP (a heavy-duty conditioner recommended by Nicks) will cause the leather to darken like this, slow.smooth said his only care routine was regular brushing.
How 1964 Walnut Ages
1964 Walnut has more of a greyish brown look compared to 1964 Brown. These Overlanders worn by escapedTexan offer a great example of the color.
With good wear, 1964 Walnut’s grain will take on a dark fudge hue.
1964 Walnut Roughout has a similar shade of color to the grain side, as seen below on brokeno’s Roberts.
Much like the grain side, the roughout will darken up significantly (at least in the areas that don’t get covered in dirt and dust).
How 1964 Tan Ages
1964 Tan is arguably the most patina-ready leather in the 1964 family. These lace-to-toe boots worn by Homer346 started out looking absolutely ghostly.
At the end of the Dome, some permanent scuffs and stains prominently remained, while the overall leather got a distinct suntan.
Hetpaul’s BuilderPros were made with the roughout side of 1964 Tan, which has a slightly darker, more beige appearance compared to the grain side.
While these boots didn’t appear to visit any dirty jobsites, the leather nonetheless darkened a couple shades.
Nicks 1964, In Conclusion
The 1964 tannage has some terrific patina potential. The lighter shades (Brown and Tan) definitely seem like the way to go if you’re looking for a distinct evolution in appearance, but don’t count out darker colors like Walnut to show some prominent wear. If you’re in need of a sturdy work leather with plenty of character, 1964 leather is an excellent choice.