**REVIEW** New Evolution Boots on eBay

Got any pics?
I appreciate that you cannot post a direct link to the auction.

Arrggghhhh!!! I just bought CA boots!!! I wonder if these are good for a 1st run. Gabriel's stuff is getting better. I could of saved a bit of money if I waited...Well, here are some pics:





They look good enough for the price. Now for any of you that own CA boots, do they work okay for width or are they a thin shoe? I have some pretty flat feet so wide is better. The Evolution shoes look a bit wider...

Here is a pic of the CA boots...(on their main site there are no pics of Fett boots now, only on their ebay auction).

the CAs are a lil thin to me. I have a size 7. not sure how wide my feet are in the scheme of things

those look 1000 times better!!! way to go Gabe!!

Originally Posted by vadr_h8r

those look 1000 times better!!! way to go Gabe!!

Curious, better than the CA Boots or...?

Well, I decided to be the guinea pig on this one. I ordered a pair and will let everyone know the verdict when I receive them.

Who knows how long it will be until CA restocks!

better than his first attempt. the colors were way off and they were leather instead of fabric. I'm going to pick up a set of these as well.

You can post BIN Ebay listing since they are not auctions & no bidding is involved
http://cgi.ebay.com/STAR-WARS-PROP-B...3286.m20.l1116

I e-mailed Gabe to see if he might do a special run for us here on TDH. lets hope he does!

Hi !

SHOCKNURSE i recive your mail ! ... and the price for the friends here are $ 100 shipped to USA / 110 shipped to Europe .... sizes avaibles 9 to 13 ; construction time 15 days aprox. ; if any need the Spikes you can get for $ 20 extras ... payment : Paypal or MO .-

If any are interesting send me a PM or contact me directly at chapa59@gmail.com

thanks !

Gabriel

I curious to see what anyone thinks in person. The dark looks too dark to me. Depending on material im not sure it will fade well.

But they arent bad Thats for sure.

I thought that too at first, but when I visually compare the pics between these and the CAs... the CAs look just as dark. I am curious as the width of the black in the center. Looks wide, but that could be a trick of the camera angle.

My two major concerns are their durability and the fact that they look wider for people like me who have flat feet!

Only reasons for my question of longevity/durability is because CA has been making boots for some time now. I'm not sure but it seems like Gabe is scratch building each pair...

I'm curious to see...that's a nice price for sure. Save you 60 bucks compared to CA boots. They are 140 + 15/20 for shipping.

I ordered wookie scalps and toe spikes from Gabe and they should be here soon so I'll let you know about them. He went through alot to get me accurate ESB braids and his spikes look as good as any for 1/2 the price of most I've seen.

Thanks Gabe!!!

Okay so I got my CA boots from UPS 10 minutes ago and I'm a bit dissappointed. My major concern about the width isn't too bad...they're comfy enough and I have room in them. My flat feet only hang a smidge outside the arch which should be fixed when I add some arch supports soon (thanks wolfie)!

They are big too. Well, I'm an 8.5/9 depending and I ordered an 8 and I would say I have at least the .5 to a full size room in which is great since I will be adding insert support/lifts.

The two only concerns for me is that the dark stripe down the middle seems too narrow at the toe and the sole isn't built well to the shoe. What I mean by this is that it seems like w/enough pulling, you can rip the sole right off from the shoe. You can see a lack of glue in the heel area. I think before I weather these I'm going to use shoe glue or liquid nails in any sketchy area. Sucks to pay 155 for a pair of shoes to have to ghetto rig them.

I can't wait to see a review on Gabe's. I'm about 75% happy with the CABoots...

I ordered a pair & should have them near weeks end (I hope) I'll post some pictures & let you know how the quality is...

Has anybody gotten these boots yet? I am dying to know how they turn out. I need new boots.

Originally Posted by cojake

Has anybody gotten these boots yet? I am dying to know how they turn out. I need new boots.

I'm waiting to see too. I feel like a penguin shoving his buddy off the iceberg to make sure there aren't any sharks in the water.

Originally Posted by SlabFett

I'm waiting to see too. I feel like a penguin shoving his buddy off the iceberg to make sure there aren't any sharks in the water.

I got a shipping notification from Gabe earlier this week. Once I get them, I'll put up a detailed thread with pics, a review, and weathering progress.

A little off topic here, but how's the quality of the other stuff Evolution has?

Everything is close to or right on the money especially considering price. I love my wookie braids! The toe spikes were great too but I sold them just to buy a pair from someone else to compare the two since I'm in no rush.

I also had a set of gloves that were close to the same quality of GBH's but a good amount cheaper that I sold to get a pair of real gloves which aren't as accurate but I just like them better.

by this time next year I would imagine that Gabriel will have a one stop fett shop!

In all, he's great, easy to communicate with and reasonable.

Cool, thanks. Good to know.

Got'em today. Pics and review up tomorrow.

very curious to see these, Ive been vacillating between CA and evolution. i figured there must be a reason why most everyone has CA, but idk if i can play the waiting game any longer, they told me they wont be restocking until early 09 =/

Shocknurse, let us how they measure sizwise. Do they run big, small, or dead on? Thanks, Jason

Okay...sorry for the delay folks. Here are my first impressions of these boots with a disclaimer...I do not have any comparisons (i.e., CAboots) to work off of. It would be helpful for other members to take the measurements I give and compare them to the established "standard":

Shipping

I was pleasantly surprised with the shipping time. It appears that the boots were shipped on 06 Nov and I received them on 13 Nov.

I was not impressed with the shipping method. The boots were shipped in a large plastic envelope. Nothing was placed in the boots to keep their form during the trip, so they arrived with some folding marks and crevices that I am now fixing. I stuffed some newspaper into the boot to form them up a bit. Hopefully this will help remove the fold lines.

Material

The main surface area is covered with a grey/silver material with a definitive mesh pattern. You may be a feel for this in some of the pics.

The main black stripe down the center of the boot is a felt-like material. Not quite pool table felt-like, it is less spongy (for lack of a better word :o)

The piping appears to be a black nylon material.

The black "U" is an elastic material.

The soles are a hard foam-type material.

The aluminum toe spikes are just that. 3-piece construction

Construction

Let's state the obvious first. These are definitely HAND MADE. The top part of the boot (everything above the sole) is machine stiched. There are some loose threads that can be taken care of with some scissors. Overall the top part of the boot is very nicely done.

My concerns lie with the marriage of the boot with the sole and the sole itself. The soles appear to be hand cut from the aforementioned foam-like material. The soles consist of 3 layers of this foam stacked on top of each other. There are imperfections all the way around the sole that will need to be sanded. The bottom of the sole is grooved like an old-fashioned wash board. I think that there is high probability for either the entire sole to detach from the boot or for one of these layers to become unglued.

Another foreseeable issue for some is the insole. It is a 1/8 inch foam. You may want to consider a new insole for comfort.

Conclusions

While an impressive recreation overall, I'm very concerned with durability. I'm also anxious to see how the measurements I provide compare to the CAboots or other established "standard" measurements.

Measurements (inches)

Width of Sole = 1 1/4 middle, 1.00 front, 1 3/8 back
Width of main black stripe = 1 3/4
Width of piping = 3/16
Space between piping and black stripe = 1/2 top, 1/2 middle, 3/4 flare, 1 3/4 bottom
Width of aluminum bar = 1/2
Distance between spike tips = 2 9/16
Width of black "U" = 1 7/8
Insole = 1/8

Sizing

I wear a US size 11.5 I ordered a size 12 and despite the boots fitting very well, there is some slippage in the back heel area. I'm not sure whether to attribute this to a sizing problem or a construction problem. Regardless, I bought some heel pads and plan to anchor them in to the boot. I would suggest buying a half size bigger than your shoe size.

Hopefully some of you will find this helpful. I will be weathering these using Spidey's tutorial soon.

your avatar says it all...

Yes...yes it does.

Thanks for the review! Looks like they got closer on this one. The top half minus the sole looks alright. I don't really like the look of the stacked sole and the way it is attached. I sure wish the Cheng boots were still available.

Originally Posted by Bubba Fett

Hey Mike, good write up on the shoe. I was curious about this one.

I notice that this does not have the piping on either side of the center black section. The other piping looks like a bit of material that is just sewn in, so not actual piping at all. The good news is the center strip looks like a better size in your pics than in the ebay shots.

Weird the way they stacked the foam flat, instead of going from three to two pieces as it moves to the front of the shoe. Front of the shoe looks way too thick.

It's another option anyway, but I still think I would pay the extra money for the CA boots. Still not accurate, but closer...

Agreed. No 'piping' on next to the main strip. It is sewn in, layered almost under the main grey material, to simulate piping. Now that you mention it, the front is a bit think . At least I'll look taller! 8) I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these. I may sell them after I weather them or keep them until A.) I can find some CA Boots or B.) Paul gets closer to finishing his boots.

Originally Posted by cojake

Thanks for the review! Looks like they got closer on this one. The top half minus the sole looks alright. I don't really like the look of the stacked sole and the way it is attached. I sure wish the Cheng boots were still available.

Yeah. Weakest part about this recreation is the sole. It's just asking for trouble I think. We'll see. I've never really seen Cheng boots, but I hear they were saa-weeet!

overall they just seem very... chunky?

the sole is very thick, the shoe itself seems thick from top to bottom.

not *bad*, but not great either.

Hey guys i just thought i would say that i own gabys evolution work too from flightsuit to armour if you would be intrested if seeing anything let me know

I have been dealing with Gabriel at Evolution for almost 2 months!! Stay tuned for my video review and post. I have the entire Boba Fett ROTJ outfit & you can see for yourself.

Originally Posted by bconnelly

I have been dealing with Gabriel at Evolution for almost 2 months!! Stay tuned for my video review and post. I have the entire Boba Fett ROTJ outfit & you can see for yourself.

I'm sure in time Gabriel will fine tune everything to the point where he can be a one stop Fett shop for sure. He definitely has the resources, it just seems like his products need minor tweaking...

Especially for the price, his stuff shows promise.

Originally Posted by escho34

I'm sure in time Gabriel will fine tune everything to the point where he can be a one stop Fett shop for sure. He definitely has the resources, it just seems like his products need minor tweaking...

Especially for the price, his stuff shows promise.

I agree Gabriel just needs to do some minor tweaking on his armour ,i have his armour but its a little on the thin side made of ABS plastic and it cracks easy if your not too carefull ,although his chest armour is ok and is slightly thicker but again its not as wide as boba makers so this could with some improvements too!!
Other then that Gabriel makes some of the best metal details around for shin tools ,studs and gauntlet metal details such as darts ,rocket and his hose connector .....way to go Gabriel

The sole appears to be 1/2" too thick, I'm not that impressed with them, I think I'll stick with my CA Boots until reinone starts a run of Boba boots.

Hello, I ve decided to get one of these Evolution boots and I have received (10 days, really very fast! I m in Spain) today. I must say that in relation to price they re awesome. These are very well crafted, kinda cool rough shoes like Bobba ones, in look I think, very accurate. Besides they re much comfortable, I don t know how much will last, but I don think to use it to go to work!
Gotta send pictures, I promise. I dont think that CA boots are better, they don t look much better, nor accurate. And the price is definitely not good.
I must say too that Gabriel is always on the line, communicating, keeping the transaction clean and informed.
See ya!

I was looking at these boots yesterday, I've been looking for some boots for awhile, I've seen the CA boots but the pricing scared my away. To me, the soles on these look a little on the thick side.

Any troop reports on these? Weathered versions?

Got a pair last month but haven't got the chance to use them.Anyone tested them yet on the rough side.How the sole stand out during long trooping?Love to hear from the maker himself.

i asked gabe if he would make my boots using two layers on the bottom instead of the three layers. He did and i think they look better. so if anyone thinks they look too chunky. go with two!

Originally Posted by BOBALORIAN

i asked gabe if he would make my boots using two layers on the bottom instead of the three layers. He did and i think they look better. so if anyone thinks they look too chunky. go with two!

What he should do is make them like he did in the pictures on Ebay. Two in the front, three in the back and tapered in the middle.

Originally Posted by BOBALORIAN

i asked gabe if he would make my boots using two layers on the bottom instead of the three layers. He did and i think they look better. so if anyone thinks they look too chunky. go with two!

Do you have any pics. I've been curious to see what they would look like with 2.

I have the 2 layered version which evolution sent me & will post the pics later.Anyone put some mileage on a pair lately?

Rob was kind enough to send me pictures of his evo boots that were made with only 2 layers for the sole. I am impressed with the modifications and the way they turned out, are they extremely accurate...no, but their not very far either. Both the product and the price look great to me.

New boots with 2 layers instead of 3 for the sole.

Wow! That looks a lot better! How are the soles? do they seem more sturdy? Being as thick as they were before, they looked like any pressure would cause them to seperate or fall apart, but now that there are 2 layers I think it would allow for more flex and less room to break. If they are durable, I think for the price, these boots are worth it.

El1te

the only thing I see that I would have him try and change is the stripe on the side is too far forward which causes the whole opening to be too big. if he cut that back and made the opening a little smaller it would look great!

Originally Posted by xfettx

the only thing I see that I would have him try and change is the stripe on the side is too far forward which causes the whole opening to be too big. if he cut that back and made the opening a little smaller it would look great!

Could you draw on TR 4059's pic what you mean?

Thanx

This are the boots I got with the 2 layer sole.

the distance between the back and the elastic stripe is a lot smaller on the real boots. also the strip is at an angle on the real boots and not just straight up and down. AAAAAAND.... the end is rounded not squared off. He's getting better and better. But if he could change that and square off the sole toe he'd def have alot better boots.

Thanx xfettx.

Maybe he's open for such suggestions?

He wasn't too into making adjustments. He said rounding the bottom is easy but he didn't think that moving the elastic stripe back and angling it would be worth it I guess?

Seeing that boot all weathered up is actually quite impressive!! I like how the toe isn't so tall like the CAboots are. Right now, I'm considering buying a pair, however if he fixes the elastic at an angle they are mine asap.

I emailed him again encouraging him to make the changes. Hopefully he does. I want to back gabe more than CAboots and it would be great to see another option.

I emailed him maybe a week ago asking about a pair of these boots and his gloves. I haven't heard from him.

El1te

If he makes those changes, I foresee the death of CAboots's Boba selection.

^ ^ I dont forsee the death of ca boots, I forsee them selling them at a more reasonable price.

They probably make triple keystone on them now. Double keystone would make them about what gabes are.

I've ordered a pair of these simply because they are the ONLY place that would make them in my size. I had to pay a little more for them to do this but hopefully it will be worth it.

Originally Posted by Stormrider

^ ^ I dont forsee the death of ca boots, I forsee them selling them at a more reasonable price.

They probably make triple keystone on them now. Double keystone would make them about what gabes are.

I remember purchasing my CA Boots like a week before they jumped from $90 to $140. I couldn't believe the price change they made.

Okay.....so I got the boots today! They fit PERFECTLY. I really can't thank them enough for making them small enough for me (ladies size 7/men's size 5). I think overall the previous reviews are pretty spot on. I got the two layer sole, which I'm very glad about. 3 really would have been too much. They make funny crackling noises when you walk but I suspect that's just the glue and in time with wear it will go away. It's definitely not piping.....just fabric. And because I sew a lot, I'm not sure how I feel about the unfinished edge around the elastic. I too have found that my heel slips but that's a pretty easy fix.

All in all I'm pleased. They may not be the best or last the longest but I'm fairly certain that they will do well by me. I'm guessing that if they do pull apart it's something that can easily be repaired so I'm not worried about it.

Now to add the toe spikes and weathering! WOOT!

Hey Angela,
Thank you for that 'report' I'm pretty much convinced to buy me a pair too.

I bought a pair the other day, I like how they modded them to the 2 layer sole and personally I dont want to give caboots 150+ for theirs. Gabriel's may not be 100% accurate, but caboots arent either. I look forward to getting them in.

Let me know how you go about fixing the heel slippage. I added an inset (Dr. Scholl's) and added a heel grip from Wally World and the darn things still slip. I may have to go more drastic...

I've been talking with a shoe repairman about fixing my Zam boots - dang uncomfortable Pradas! - so I think I'll take these in to him too and see what he thinks about the whole heel slippage etc. I typcially have this problem in boots as I have narrow heels, so honestly although it's annoying, I'm pretty use to it. But if he has a solution I'll pass it along!

I was trying to order these boots direct from the website, but there doesnt seem to be a size list.

Wow i guess I know what type of boots I will buy thanks for all the info guys and gals

Originally Posted by Lassiter

I was trying to order these boots direct from the website, but there doesnt seem to be a size list.

Try contacting Gabriel, infoevolutiontoys@gmail.com

my direct mail is chapa59@gmail.com for the boots

Gabe

two weeks? try at least three and possibly never? haha. my boots were shipped out on the 17th of june and still aren't here....... Tracking was fine till it left argentina. Now they are nowhere to be found.

Originally Posted by xfettx

two weeks? try at least three and possibly never? haha. my boots were shipped out on the 17th of june and still aren't here....... Tracking was fine till it left argentina. Now they are nowhere to be found.

Same thing happened to me and i didnt get a update for almost a month then suddenly they appeared at the post office with no tracking in the u.s.a. at all.
But on the plus side they are pretty decent boots.

Easy, your scaring the ladies ...and me!

Well, well. I just received my boots w/spikes. 7 days after receiving the shipping confirmation. Not bad.

My review at this point is much the same as everyone else. I have the two layer sole. Very nice looking shoe. Super light and very comfortable. The fit is spot on. Like Fang, not real crazy about the unfinished edge around the ankle elastic, but the double stitching should help keep that area together. They do make a click when walking, but discovered that to be (at least on my pair) the toe spikes.

In all, I am very happy. I've got them on now, heading out to the backyard to dirty them up Durability testing is pending

Dito all the other reviews on the Evolution boots. Nice looking, obviously made by hand, and incredibly light, but fully expect to have to re-glue the sole of the shoe. Really that is the only significant problem.

Originally Posted by Astro Builder

Dito all the other reviews on the Evolution boots. Nice looking, obviously made by hand, and incredibly light, but fully expect to have to re-glue the sole of the shoe. Really that is the only significant problem.

I used some CA glue where the sole was starting to come apart from the fabric and it worked great.

Originally Posted by xfettx

I used some CA glue where the sole was starting to come apart from the fabric and it worked great.

So you got yours? The ones with the screen accurate changes (slanted elastic, etc)? I would love some pics if you have them.

Kody