Post by mamared on Mar 23, 2019 23:26:07 GMT -5
From the 1997 catalogue: “Lace up Josefina’s sturdy, two-toned brown boots and she’s ready to ride.”
I have three versions of these boots.
The first is my oldest pair, and they have a gold Pleasant Company sticker on the bottom. They look like oil-rubbed leather but are actually made out of some kind of synthetic material which is dark grey on the inside. This version has metal grommets and it’s the only one of the three that has aglets on the laces (those plastic casings on the tips). The sole is light colored (I’m assuming simulated leather) with an extra piece at the heel:
The second pair was purchased on the secondary market and does not have a sticker, so I’m not sure when it dates to. These boots also have a shiny, oil-rubbed look to them, but the material has a lighter colored backing (still grey) and feels lighter weight than the first. There aren’t any grommets, and although the laces don’t have aglets, the tips are finished well so they’re easy to lace up. The bottoms of the soles are darker on these and they have a slick texture, as if the sole is coated in plastic:
The third pair has a gold American Girl label on the bottom and a matte finish on the outside of the boots. This is the lightest weight pair and in my opinion looks the least sturdy and the least like leather. It’s also my least favorite pair; although I suppose they’d still look okay under Josefina’s riding dress, they’re a significant downgrade from the others. The inside of the boots are the same light grey as the second pair, and the soles have the same slick-feeling texture. This pair does have grommets, but still no aglets:
Here are a couple more pictures with side-by-side comparisons of one boot from each of three versions (in the same order that I wrote about them):
I have three versions of these boots.
The first is my oldest pair, and they have a gold Pleasant Company sticker on the bottom. They look like oil-rubbed leather but are actually made out of some kind of synthetic material which is dark grey on the inside. This version has metal grommets and it’s the only one of the three that has aglets on the laces (those plastic casings on the tips). The sole is light colored (I’m assuming simulated leather) with an extra piece at the heel:
The second pair was purchased on the secondary market and does not have a sticker, so I’m not sure when it dates to. These boots also have a shiny, oil-rubbed look to them, but the material has a lighter colored backing (still grey) and feels lighter weight than the first. There aren’t any grommets, and although the laces don’t have aglets, the tips are finished well so they’re easy to lace up. The bottoms of the soles are darker on these and they have a slick texture, as if the sole is coated in plastic:
The third pair has a gold American Girl label on the bottom and a matte finish on the outside of the boots. This is the lightest weight pair and in my opinion looks the least sturdy and the least like leather. It’s also my least favorite pair; although I suppose they’d still look okay under Josefina’s riding dress, they’re a significant downgrade from the others. The inside of the boots are the same light grey as the second pair, and the soles have the same slick-feeling texture. This pair does have grommets, but still no aglets:
Here are a couple more pictures with side-by-side comparisons of one boot from each of three versions (in the same order that I wrote about them):