The Last of Us HBO Joel Thread

How certain are we on the boots being the elk tracker? Cynthia's Instagram is claiming they're the trailblazer, but none of the trailblazer models I've seen seem to quite match the stitching pattern, and it seems a lot of models were released under that name. The stitching pattern definitely looks more like the elk tracker.
We do see him taping up the boots he's wearing in one of the trailers, but his boots appear to be un-taped in one shot from what looks like the finale. It is possible that he replaces the taped boots at some point. And the "new" boots are a pair of trailblazers.
 
We do see him taping up the boots he's wearing in one of the trailers, but his boots appear to be un-taped in one shot from what looks like the finale. It is possible that he replaces the taped boots at some point. And the "new" boots are a pair of trailblazers.
Maybe. It's really hard to get a clean freeze frame. There's one about 39 minutes in on Episode 4 where they're headed upstairs in the dark and holding flashlights. You can see the side profile of the boots there and I'd swear they're still the elk tracker. If they are the trailblazer, they may be the 878, but this site claims they're the older 867:
I doubt color matters much since they were hand-distressed for the show, but they're not inexpensive boots, and I'd really like to be certain I'm buying the right ones.
 
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I know this is weak but the fold in the jeans looks like it is from the top of the boot. The elk tracker is 10inch, so it's taller.

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It looks like the elk tracker in that BTS pic. Which is why I'm leaning to the Trailblazer being picked up later.
 
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View attachment 1667951I know this is weak but the fold in the jeans looks like it is from the top of the boot. The elk tracker is 10inch, so it's taller.

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It looks like the elk tracker in that BTS pic. Which is why I'm leaning to the Trailblazer being picked up later.
Right, but on Episode 4 it still looks like the elk tracker from the side profile, and that's after he leaves Bill ane Franks. Maybe he used the trailblazer towards the finale? The elk tracker is still in production (you can even order them on irish setters website). I couldn't find any older pairs with the round emblem aside from a single 10.5 (too small for me) from the UK that would cost about 100 usd above msrp to import. If you don't care about the exact logo accuracy, they're widely available.

Conversely, every store I called--and I called several--was entirely sold out of the trailblazer. They were discontinued for a while and are now on backorder, with most pairs expected to restock summer, but irish setter apparently already has over 700 pairs on backorder. I may have a hookup on a pair in my size secondhand, from Asia of all places, I just don't know if it's worth pursuing vs just getting the elk trackers and calling it a day. I've tagged Cynthia a couple times now to ask if she can share the exact boot model (and been promptly ignored), but in the podcast she only mentions Irish Setter as a brand, and never names either boot explicitly, so I'm definitely struggling to narrow it down here.
 
Right, but on Episode 4 it still looks like the elk tracker from the side profile, and that's after he leaves Bill ane Franks. Maybe he used the trailblazer towards the finale? The elk tracker is still in production (you can even order them on irish setters website). I couldn't find any older pairs with the round emblem aside from a single 10.5 (too small for me) from the UK that would cost about 100 usd above msrp to import. If you don't care about the exact logo accuracy, they're widely available.

Conversely, every store I called--and I called several--was entirely sold out of the trailblazer. They were discontinued for a while and are now on backorder, with most pairs expected to restock summer, but irish setter apparently already has over 700 pairs on backorder. I may have a hookup on a pair in my size secondhand, from Asia of all places, I just don't know if it's worth pursuing vs just getting the elk trackers and calling it a day. I've tagged Cynthia a couple times now to ask if she can share the exact boot model (and been promptly ignored), but in the podcast she only mentions Irish Setter as a brand, and never names either boot explicitly, so I'm definitely struggling to narrow it down here.
Hmmm. So I'm guessing that he'll keep the same pair of boots on until episode 6 or 7. He might not even get a different pair until the finale.

The shot I referenced of him duct taping will most likely be during episode 6. And there is a behind the scenes photo from a scene that I am pretty sure will happen in episode 6, and his boot is taped.
 
Hmmm. So I'm guessing that he'll keep the same pair of boots on until episode 6 or 7. He might not even get a different pair until the finale.

The shot I referenced of him duct taping will most likely be during episode 6. And there is a behind the scenes photo from a scene that I am pretty sure will happen in episode 6, and his boot is taped.
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These are the trailblazers
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These are the elk trackers
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And this is one of several low-res stills from episode 2, courtesy of another member from Instagram. I'd swear the curve of that fabric swoop near the toe makes it a dead giveaway for the elk tracker. The stitching of the trailblazer just looks different, but Cynthia mentioning it on her instagram is giving me pause. It's hard for me to tell, but Frank seems to also be wearing Irish Setters in episode 3, so maybe Joel borrows his boots and changes into them later?
 

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The construction and stitching in the screenshots you posted definitely match the elk tracker, as you said. The first shot even makes the logo look like the new version, but that might just be a trick of the light or the round logo was worn down. And that one behind the scenes photo seems to point to the wider hook that sits on the ankle (as shown in the product photo you posted above) as opposed to the trailblazer's smaller hooks that sit a tad higher. And again, it might just be my eyes, but many shot give the impression of a taller boot under the jeans than the trailblazer appears to be.

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I would wager he picks the trailblazers up when they reach Wyoming. (Probably episode 6) I don't want to get into any specifics to spoil anything, but I can think of at least one or two set pieces from the game that would allow him to get replacement gear.

It really does look like he has different boots in the one shot (from what I can tell to be the finale) that was in the "Weeks Ahead" trailer after the first episode. So, I wouldn't doubt that Cynthia was right about them using trailblazers, but she was probably referring the pair he wears towards the end/second half of the season.
 
Looking at the heel construction, it better matches the Elk Trackers (Left) vs Trailblazer (Right) - Of note there are also 4 rows in the heel lugs, vs 3:
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Joel looks to be using a 2x D-Cell Maglite (Xenon model, Not LED model - note the textured grip in the xenon vs. smooth LED) that's been a bit weathered and taped around the lower handle. Just trying to figure out how how it's attached to his belt:
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LED.jpg
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This is the best I can find at the moment. This shot is from episode two, going into the museum. If anyone can make screenshots off of the full episode, the shot I am thinking about is from episode one when Joel and Tess are going down into the tunnels and are gearing up after going through the doorway.
 
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This is the best I can find at the moment. This shot is from episode two, going into the museum. If anyone can make screenshots off of the full episode, the shot I am thinking about is from episode one when Joel and Tess are going down into the tunnels and are gearing up after going through the doorway.
Yeah, you're right. Looks like it's just a clip from a measuring tape, and taped on with some 1/2 Inch gaffer tape. Then it's just clipped to his back pocket or D-ring on the pack:
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I found a video online that I could screenshot of the flashlight I was looking at:
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It looks like the took a clip from a military flashlight as seen below and screwed and taped it on. (Tape alone would not have been enough)
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I'm curious...for those interested in building an accurate version of his Fjallglim shirt, if I were to buy an extra XXXL shirt to harvest extra fabric from, would there be any takers for the remaining fabric? Once I have my tailor make the adjustments to my primary shirt and build the second pocket, I'm happy to chop the other one up appropriately.
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