DENIMandPATCHES

we sell DENIM and PATCHES

Bootcut Jeans: Time to Reconsider the Flare?

by

Redcast x Momotaro Jeans, A Quick Guide to Bootcut Jeans, and a Brand Looking to Scale

I’m still in Italy as I type this, soaking up the last rays of Alpine sun and the majestic mountain views while I’m gliding down the perfectly prepped slopes.

My laptop has been closed since I left Denmark last Friday. I only opened it early Thursday morning—while the family was still asleep—to write this issue that includes a few interesting things that landed in my inbox this week.

In This Issue of the DH Weekly:

  • A new, highly limited Redcast x Momotaro collaboration
  • A long-overdue (but quick) guide to bootcut jeans
  • A refreshed high-rise jeans guide
  • A well-established European brand exploring new ownership

Redcast x Momotaro “Wabi-Sabi” Collab Jeans

Redcast Heritage and Momotaro have released a highly limited collaboration jean—just 200 individually numbered pairs—built around a fabric Momotaro has never produced before: a sanforized indigo warp x Kakishibu weft selvedge.

The 15.7 oz. denim is woven at high tension from Zimbabwe cotton. The warp is pure indigo rope-dyed, while the weft uses traditional Japanese Kakishibu (persimmon) dye. Unlike heavily textured fabrics, this one is intentionally smooth and structured.

The jeans are cut in Momotaro’s new #100 straight fit—a high-rise, balanced silhouette with room up top and a clean leg from the knee down.

Details stay restrained: a custom peach–brown–peach selvedge ID, revived matte copper hardware, Kasuri waistband lining, and individual numbering.

SHOP THESE COLLAB JEANS HERE

A Quick Guide to Bootcut Jeans

I’ve never written a guide to bootcuts here on Denimhunters. Not because they’re irrelevant, simply because they’ve never been part of my own rotation.

When I got into denim in the mid-2000s, slim fits were everywhere—think Hedi Slimane’s Dior era and Pete Doherty looks. But bootcuts and even flares also had a moment in those years—it’s where Nudie started. Still, the silhouette tended to live closer to rodeo arenas than in the hardcore raw denim scene.

Nudie’s Glenn fit is flare and one of their first fits. It was reintroduced a few years ago.

Bootcut is a leg shape—like straight and tapered. As I explain in my fit guide, leg shape comes down to the relationship between thigh, knee, and leg opening.

Straight legs have the same width from knee to hem. Tapered legs narrow. A bootcut is essentially the opposite of a tapered—it opens (slightly) from the knee down.

Bootcut vs. Flare: What’s the Difference?

Both widen from the knee down. The difference is how much—and why.

Bootcut

  • Hem is only slightly wider than the knee
  • Designed to fit over boots (functional origin)
  • Rooted in Western workwear

Flare (Bell-Bottom)

  • Hem is significantly wider than the knee
  • Primarily stylistic rather than functional
  • Associated with 1970s fashion and disco

Over the years, several of you have asked for a guide to bootcuts. And if you’ve gone looking elsewhere, chances are you’ve landed on Heddels.

In 2018, Albert Muzquiz published an Op-Ed defending the bootcut. In 2019, they followed it up with a practical buyer’s guide—reshared in their newsletter this week—which includes these options:

Bootcut Jeans Worth Checking Out

More options if you want to dig deeper:

  • Samurai S512BC19oz Boots Cut – 19 oz. selvedge with heavyweight character and a low-to-mid rise.
  • Naked & Famous Groovy Guy – 12.5 oz. natural indigo selvedge with a more pronounced flare.
  • Kojima Genes RNB-102B – 15 oz. raw selvedge with a mid-to-high rise and classic zip-fly proportions.
  • Levi’s 517 – Mid-to-high rise with the archetypal bootcut shape in rigid non-selvedge denim.
  • Wrangler 13MWZ Selvedge – Mid-rise and classic Western flare in broken twill selvedge.

If you’re after the original blueprint, vintage Wranglers still set the standard—but that’s another rabbit hole.

And if you’d like me to build a full, from-scratch Denimhunters guide to bootcut jeans—covering proportions, styling, and who they actually suit—let me know. I’ll add it to my list.

Want Stories Like This In Your Inbox?

I also send these weekly updates as emails. If you want them directly in your inbox—along with links, updates, and things I’m working on—you can sign up here:

High-Rise Jeans Guide, Refreshed

While we’re on the subject of silhouettes, Bryan has recently updated our guide to high-rise selvedge jeans.

If you’ve mostly worn mid- or low-rise pairs—as many of us have over the past couple of decades—a proper high rise can be surprisingly transformative. It changes proportions. It works better with tucked shirts. And for a lot of body types, it simply looks more balanced.

The guide now reflects current availability and includes a broad mix of classic repro cuts and more modern interpretations. If you’re curious about going higher on the waist, it’s a good place to start.

Find the updated high-rise guide here.

A European Denim Brand Seeking New Ownership

One more thing that landed in my inbox this week:

I’ve been in dialogue with a well-established European brand in our scene that is currently exploring new ownership. The foundation is solid—recognisable name, loyal customer base, and ambition to scale further than the current setup allows.

I can’t share names or details publicly. But if you’ve been looking for an entry point into the denim space—not to start from scratch, but to build on something that already exists—this may be worth a conversation.

If that sounds relevant, reach out via the contact form and tell me a bit about your background.

The post Bootcut Jeans: Time to Reconsider the Flare? appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site