Kern - Black & White
Kern - Black & White
Kern - Black & White
Kern - Black & White
Kern - Black & White
Kern - Black & White

Kern - Black & White

Lightweight boot for all day action. Walk on clouds 'til the sun goes down.
  • 360° Goodyear welt
  • Premium full-grain leathers
Size

$290 Traditional Retail price

$250

Direct to Consumer price

The Kern Boot fits true-to-size in length & width for most feet, with a slightly more narrow toe shape than our other lasts. 

Size guide: Order the size you most commonly wear in US-sized sneakers.

Between sizes? Choose the larger size. 
• For example: If some of your sneakers are 9 and some are 9.5, order a 9.5 in our boots.

Width: E - All our boots are an E width. This means a little more breathing room than standard shoe width (D).

Wide Foot? Most people with EE width find our boots fit them well if they either (a) go up a half size, (b) replace our standard insole with a thinner insole for more room, or (c) do both.
• You can do the same thing (a) or (b) if you prefer a roomier toe box or like to wear thicker socks. Either way gives you a little more wiggle room around your toes.
• Regardless of the insole you go with, our industry-leading PORON® foam footbed is still at the base of it all to provide premium shock absorption and quick rebound.

Full sizes: 8 - 13
Half sizes: 8.5 - 11.5

Free Returns & Exchanges
• 100 days to Return or Exchange
• We cover the cost of shipping the item back to us too, so there's no stress involved.
• Read our full returns policy here

Fast Secure Shipping
• Orders ship out by the next business day
• See more shipping info here


WHAT'S INSIDE

We cut a Kern boot in half to peak inside its light & fluffy guts
CLOUDCUSH™ COMFORT

Layer 1: Natural cork base layer that creates an imprint of the wearer's foot. The cork slowly forms to your foot over time, and increases the comfort of the pair every wear.

Layer 2: CELTEC® shaped shank that provides stability to the boot, and helps with arch support.

Layer 3: Anti-microbial PORON® foam footbed which makes the boots feel soft right from the first wear and provides premium shock absorption and quick rebound from sunrise to sunset.

Layer 4: Removable OrthoBoost™ foam insole to provide all-day support and give your feet a soft cradling feel (that would please most podiatrists).

🔨 TOUGH & SOFT ☁️

BUILT TO TAKE A BEATING...
AND FLOAT ON CLOUDS WHILE DOING IT.

GOOD TO GO

The Kern is our lightest boot, so they're up for long days on the street in the shop, or hell - even on the dance floor.

Pair 'em with a denim jacket and some black jeans to hit the streets. Throw them on with a corduroy shirt and head to the mountains.

They'll work with whatever you're working with.

Customer Reviews

Based on 266 reviews
91%
(242)
7%
(18)
1%
(2)
1%
(2)
1%
(2)
R
Ronald Ross (San Antonio, US)
All day comfort yes, but support!

After buying my first pair of Wilcox last fall, they were so nice. I decided to save them for casual wear leather stack, teal and wingtip style. We’re just too nice for work I thought. I feel going up 1/2 size from my normal size is the most comfortable.
These KERN boots came in about a week to me in the upper Midwest. I wear them daily as a truck driver to give me support getting in and out of the truck and so my feet don’t swell while driving a day.

R
Rich B. (Lincoln, US)
A black friday steal!

First time ordering from Wilcox. I chose my usual size and they were a comfortable fit from the start. For me, they fit best with thick socks. Now, after wearing for a few days they feel like I've worn them for a long time. Very comfortable. I'm glad I can resole these and keep wearing them for years.

D
David Martin (Edmonds, US)
Great boots…

Tough, good looking and comfortable. I bought a second pair for going out.

H
Hector B. (North Hollywood, US)
Perfect!

I've struggled for so long to find shoes not even just boots that fit my chunky feet.
Comfortable✓
Breathable✓
Stylish ✓
I've had a problem with really sweaty feet for a long time and combining these with merino wool socks from Costco and a little oder eaters has completely changed the game for me. The leather on these boots are so soft and comfortable I've already planned to buy a few more to have on rotation.

J
Jeff K. (Phoenix, US)
Walking on clouds!

I’ve got the Kern in brown with black soles and black with black soles. Super comfy right outta da box! No break-in required. Roomy toebox for heavier socks. I put a set of @generationlaces on both pairs and they were perfect! Definitely recommended.

R
RANDALL SNAY (South Lyon, US)
Wilcox does it again!

I purchased a pair of Kerns for work after owning 2 pairs of Wilcox Fairfax, 1 black, 1 brown, which are my everyday go to outside of work. I found the Kern to be a little roomier in fit, very comfy, and the leather incredibly durable. I’ve delivered bread for 35 years and this job is surprisingly hard on shoes, usually the toes get chewed up from kicking around stacks of bread, a month in and they’re still flawless! I put in anywhere from 10,000 - 15,000 steps in a day and my feet have new life! I’ve always bought high quality shoes/boots especially for work, these are a game changer!
Things that can be improved upon:
Hook eyelets on the top two.
A bigger pull strap, I can’t hook my finger in there.

When it comes time to re-sole these, I will have the shoe cobbler put in bigger straps & hook eyelets.
Love these boots!

Removable OrthoBoost™ Insole

Shoe Construction

The heritage constructed Kern boot features a 360° Goodyear Welt with an XL Extralight PU wedge sole on moon juice steroids.

The full-grain leather uppers and calfskin lining make it incredibly durable yet comfortable enough to wear all day.

GOODYEAR WELT

The welt is a strip of leather about an inch wide that connects the upper leather to the midsole. Its outer edge cam be seen around the edge of the boot.

This is the tell-tale sign of the highest tier of shoemaking that allows boots to be easily resoled and fully rebuilt, allowing them to last for years to come

XL EXTRALIGHT® SOLES

XL EXTRALIGHT® soles are more comfortable, lighter, stronger and better performing than similar foam wedge soles with the same mechanical properties. Weighing 3x less than other materials, they are light, flexible and a natural shock absorber, for stress-free foot and back comfort.

FULL-GRAIN UPPERS

This means the leather used on our boots has not been sanded, buffed, or treated in anyway to remove natural imperfections. Sanding or buffing removes the layer of skin below the hair, but this is the strongest and most durable part of the hide - so you don't want to lose it.

This leather shows characteristics of the hide it came from, and only gets better with age.

CALFSKIN LINING

This age of leather is perfect for the inside of the boot. It's buttery smooth but still durable and breathable.

Together with our CloudCush™️ Comfort system, this makes for a snug pair of boots.

Day 1 to Day 365

Drag the slider to see the boots age & form to your foot...