Conspiracy?

GETTING THE SHAFT

It seems that the gore company with their non-functioning film has what I think of as an unhealthy strangles hold on the boot or footwear industry in general and it is voluntary.

Historically, Wiggy’s has sold Lamilite insulated boots since the late 1990’s starting with Herman Survivors who went out of business. I then had Wellco manufacture boots for me until they also went out of business. The next contractor was Belleville Boot Co. who chose to not want to produce for me for many months out. I finally found a company in Arkansas: Addison Shoe Co. who was delighted to make boots for me. In all honesty, they made two models of their own boots with me supplying the Lamilite insulation. They are far and away the best insulated boot that I have offered and, in my opinion, the best insulated boot on the market. 

However, they have taken the same tactic as Belleville to keep me from continuing to offer Lamilite insulated boots. See the correspondence I received explaining why they cannot supply me with an order of several thousand dollars of boots necessary to fill orders that I have been receiving for a number of sizes that I am out of, or running low on.

The following email was received yesterday and for all intents and purposes I do not believe Vernon. I called to get a response to my email asking for an ETA on my order. Having not received a response from him, I asked for Neil, the owner. I was told he was in a meeting discussing my order and would call me. The email below is what I received versus a call.

Hello Jerry,

Sorry it has taken so long to get answers to you.

We are sold out through December and our development and sample departments are as well.

I doubt there is a shred of truth to this sentence.

If we accept your order it will be mid-January before we could ship.

Four months from now means anyone who wants a Lamilite boot will not wait 4 months.

Sorry but we are behind, our supplies are behind, and we have Timberland and Red Wing hitting us with late fees now...just not in a position to run any additional pairs at this time.

Late fees are about as lame an excuse as I have ever heard.

I hope you understand and can wait for the boots.

What I understand is that they do not want to produce for me.

Kindest regards,

Vernon

The fellow I worked with prior to Vernon told both Timberland and Red Wing about me when they asked him for suggestions towards new boots. Neither company contacted me. However, these companies—just like the rest of the boot industry—are very knowledgeable of what I state about Goretex or any material stated to perform as Gore-Tex: it doesn’t perform.

These companies cannot handle the truth. They all know that the Gore-Tex film traps 100% of the sweat emanating from each foot of every person who wears footwear that is lined with Gore-Tex inside of the boot. IT NEVER GETS OUT!!! But even though they know this—and I know they know it because a multitude of employees of these companies have told me so, which I have previously reported over the years. So Wiggy’s becomes a threat because the boots I have been selling do not retain moisture.

Is it possible that Wiggy’s commentary has caused the boot industry to possibly conspire to stop Wiggy’s boots from being made? After all, I do not come even remotely close to the volume that Addison gets from Timberland or Red Wing or any other boot company they work for. So maybe they have said something to Neil that caused him to find an excuse not to service my account? Your guess is as good as mine since I have no proof of such actions, I am just suspicious.

So ultimately, the consumer will no longer have available to them Lamilite insulated boots from Wiggy’s. What I have left in inventory will be available for a discounted price until supplies are gone.

I do believe that these boot companies have absolutely no interest in the welfare of the ultimate consumer. About 15 years ago when I looked at the variety of boots offered in the Cabelas catalog, they had a number of boot brands showing temperature capabilities of -20 F to -100 F. I took the time to call literally every company listed and found out that they had no idea if the boots would actually perform at those temperatures and within two years the temperature ratings simply disappeared. Today if you were to call and inquire from the manufacturer they will tell you they do not rate the boots since some are out longer or in different temperature environments. So you are on your own to learn at what temperature the boots are good for. You would think that these boot companies that have been in existence for 70 to 100 years or longer would have accumulated such information. You would think that they would after 40 years of making boots with any film, Gore-Tex or otherwise they would have learned that stuff is simply put a lie. You would therefore think that these boot companies would have walked from the bogus waterproof breathable nonsense. But they haven’t learned a damn thing in all the years of their existence. So I ask what sort of strangle hold does Gore have on all of these boot companies. Whatever it is, it is self-imposed in my opinion.

Now that you know NOT to buy ANY boot at any price made with the non-sense waterproof-breathable films, What should you buy? Easy! Any boot that is made with leather that does not have a film placed in it, and no insulation other than what is left of my inventory and a pair of Lamilite socks. That will keep you okay to about +20 degrees F. for colder conditions you will need the Lamilite insulated over boots, and now you are good to about -30 F.

I will officially be out of the boot business once my inventory is gone. The consumers who chose to abuse themselves by continuing to waste their money on boots that are GUARANTEED to allow their feet to get cold should at least get a pair of Lamilite socks which will help. Also if you wear wool socks you might want to get healing ointment to put on your feet after you have developed fungus of some sort. This has been an ongoing problem with respect to the soldiers who are always issued goretex boots. So we buy the bogus boot with our tax dollars and then we pay medical costs with our tax dollars.

So the question is am I getting the shaft, I think yes, but also the consumers are getting the shaft because the lame brains who run the boot companies as well as those who use Gore-Tex or the like for other products are in the line of producers giving the consumers the shaft.