working boots

[Twister]

My brother and two of his friends wear redwings and they seem to like them.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

maybe your feet are just weird?

Everybody is different, that is why there is more than one brand that makes work boots.

 

[RICO9]

Another vote for Doc Marten's.

 

[darrindrake2005]

I wear RedWings, have everyday since I started working. I work 60 hour weeks in a warehouse on concrete and I get a full year out of a pair.

 

[Frank The Tank]

I'm going to open up an older thread again.

I work on natural gas lines mostly but also do water sewer and road repairs. I am 6'4 300 and wear a 13 EEE and am on my feet constantly at work. I only wear Wellington style boots (no laces)

I bought a pair of Redwing Pecos about 2 years ago. $155 dollars. They fell apart in 3 months. They replaced them. I wore them for 3 months and the same thing. I threw them away and said
forget it.

I bought waterproof Ariats (nearly $250) with composite toe. I loved them and they were great for about a month. The first water leak I worked on they were submerged. They shrank so bad after they dried I can't wear them without extreme discomfort.

Then I got some timberline Pros with the rubber indestructible toe.$150 They were a new product. And they were very comfortable. That guarded leather rubber toe dry rotted and soaked my feet in a dewy yard about a month later. I tried yet another pair (in case it was a rare defect. Same thing. I was getting mad. I walk a lot but come on!

I called our safety equipment dealer and told them if they couldn't get me a decent pair of boots I was going to talk to the supervisors about taking our business elsewhere (like I had any pull haha)

They took the TP (about all they are good for) back and ordered me a pair of the plainest crappiest looking boots I've ever seen. Thorogood Wellington classics. (165 dollars) Well guys... Over 8 months later they are the best, sturdiest most waterproof boots I've ever owned. They are just now getting the soles worn out. I ordered a pair of Thorogood (Made in the USA) oil rigger boots Friday. I want to have two pairs to switch wearing for my back.

Love these boots and glad to finally have a solid product on my feet. It may be my size or the chemicals I work with but I am typically lucky to get 4-6 months service out of any boot or shoe. I mink oil and keep them all on boot dryers.

 

[Rangurr]

I tend to have the same problem as Frank. I could never quite find decent boots that would maintain their waterproof qualities for more than a few months in a size 14. I also always want steeltoes in my boots and a good long life out of them. Everybody in my office uses RedWing boots and they all love them but they use theirs for work, and work only. I, on the other hand, use mine for everything every day. Hunting, fishing, working, wearing around at home, etc. About 6 months ago I bought some LaCrosse work boots and I love 'em. They're still really waterproof, they treads look brand new still, and they're comfy as hell. Definitely something to consider (even though this thread is pretty dead from what I can tell).

 

[tmcalavy]

Wolverines times 3.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I've had some good Wolverines and some not so good ones. I have a pair of their 8" work boots that the soles wore out. Leathers are still good, but the soles are GONE. They're collecting dust in my closet since I haven't decided if I want to bother re-soling since they're not a steel toe (I smashed my toes around the time they went in retirement). I had a set of their steel toed 6" hikers that I work the soles out of after about 3-4 years and bought another pair. They were starting to wear down after several years and I found that they no longer made the style I had, so I bought a new style... which in 3 months the tread started disintegrating. Then I bought one of their 6" workboots, steel toed and electrical hazard rated and with a set of insoles they've survived 3 years of hard abuse (although the leather in the heel area has blown out on both, but they're still wearable as long as I stay out of deep water).

Looking for steel toed boots, I picked up a set of 8" workboots from Tractor Supply, their store brand. Beat the snot out of them for over two years before the tread wore down to the point that I didn't trust them in the winter and bought another pair. Two years later, the other pair is still in good shape. The second pair I bought, I doubled up on insoles since I was having trouble pulling the laces tight enough. I put a set of flat gel soles in and put a set of work boot insoles in on top. Worked out great.

 

[doorgunner]

Chemicals will dissolve boot soles....I usually have them re-soled with chemical resistant soles after the OEM soles get kinda slick---$45 a year for new soles--$55 for soles & heels.

I got 10 years out of one pair of UPPERS until the toe leather wore thru---them was my fa vo rites.













445

 

[Mark_88]

The last pair of work boots I bought were Mark's Work Whore, er Ware House name brand. I still have them...still wear them...although they sat in a box for 14 years before I decided to start wearing them.

I've been beating them up and finally the toes went out over the steel so I recapped them this year. They are great for everything EXCEPT climbing 18/12 pitch asphalt shingled roofs. Tried to get up on a roof like that this week and almost slid right off the roof.

Anyway...they don't make them any more...and I've been thinking of replacing them so I did a bit of reading here and there just happens to be a Tractor Supply Store in my town...

 

[ronclark]

I am not sure how any smaller shoe makers there are anymore. here in Portland there Danner Boots there spend but last what seems forever.
Thy even rebuild your old boots too.