Everyday Boots Recommendation

As you already know, "fit is it" with boots, so quality brands i'm familiar with are Alpina (hiking and mountaineering boots), Asolo, LaSportiva, Lowa, Scarpa, Trezeta and Zamberlan.

Honestly, if you're putting 6 miles a day on your boots, everyday, you're going to be have to find a brand that you can re-sole otherwise you'll be breaking in new boot leather.

Have you considered a pair of Limmer Custom(or even their "off the rack") boots? The Norwegian welt style sole is more economically replaced than other soles and will generally wear longer.... The next pair of boots i'm buying are going to be a pair of Limmer's. I've heard of too many ecstatic Customers (very active hikers/climbers) who've used their boots hard for many years and just re-sole when it's time.

Just google "limmercustomboot".
 
Moleng1 said:
The best, most comfortable boots in the world, bar none............ Blundstones from Australia!! I own 5 different pairs for work and play. They feel like slippers, and have some style as well. You will not be sorry!!
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This would be my recommendation as well. I love my Blundstones and wouldn't trade them for the world.
 
Ive been wearing the 5.11 A.T.A.C 6" Boots for awhile now, and honestly there more comfortable than my basketball shoes. Ive even worn them a couple of times on stage and they stayed comfortable through the repeated jumping and stomping.
 
I've been wearing New Balance 978's there a goretex all leather upper that is water resistant. They market them as a walking shoe, but there just like a flexable hiking boot. Just buy your insole (I use the Dr. Sholes) and take them with you to put in the shoe before you buy them. The only other thing that you have to watch out for is if you get a real hiking boot, your ankles won't be able to flex, and it makes it really hard to drive. I found out when I bought a pair of Asolos for hiking.
 
After about 30hrs of research* I came to realize that the best bang for your buck has to go to Redwings, and after a recent purchase, count me in for another vote.

* Canadian mfg 1st, American 2nd, many others 3rd but China made was not considered.
 
Definitely check out the Keen Milwaukee's. Seriously tough, comfortable boots that look sharp and can be worn for work or play. Better than my Danner's, Merrells, Redwings, or other brands.

JGON
 
eisman said:
If you're buying boots that can't be re-soled you're wasting your money. The "tennis-shoe" comfort/lightweight styles popular with a lot of folks these days just don't have the suppot to last. They're made to be disposable.

Your only complaint about the Danners is the cost of rebuilding? And you've spent how much on junk boots?

I wear only Danners. I have a pair back at the factory for refurbishment right now. That pair has been through 2 overseas deployments and was worn every other day for 3-4 years. I easily put 6 miles a day in them. But there's now way I'd consider them to be business wear. They're good support, waterproof, and last. That's value to me.

In almost 40 years of backpacking, hiking, Active Duty, and whatever else the only other boot I ever found anywhere near as good were some Lowa's I picked up when volksmarching in Germany back in the 80's. I've tried everything from handmade Russell's on down. Break them in, have them rebuilt, rotate them at least every other day (to give the boot time to dry), and replace the insoles with good quality ones every 6 months. (Once a year wehn you don't wear them every day).

Quit trying to find a cheap, light weight, shoe when you need a boot. Spend the money (get two pair) and take care of them. They'll take care of your feet.
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Best post in this thread! Man knows what he's talking about! However, a decent, (read not replacement but ok for the money) is the Northface Ballard boot. It's not recraftable, but it is a traditional hiker that's also great for day to day & looks good with khakis.
 
My favorite boots are a pair of Irish Setter lace up kangaroo hide waterproof in brown. Don't know the exact name, but made by Redwing. Also just got an Irish Setter pull on plain toe pair. Very comfortable and last forever (so far). My first pair of good hunting boots when I was twelve was Irish Setter, so I'm sort of imprinted on the brand and have never been disappointed.
 
I've worn the Vasque Breeze GTX boots for a year now every day, and backpacking around new mexico for 2 weeks, never had a problem.
 
I wear mostly Hi-Tech cause they fit my feet. They are not very durable, but they can be had for the cost of a resole. I have a pair of Asolo and they are good except for traction on wet rocks, very compact snow and ice. I also have a pair of Columbia that have good traction (wet rocks, ice) , better than than the Hi-Tech and much better than the Asolo. I have a pair of Danner that are good boots but they don't fit well. If the Columbia wear well, I'll probably transition to them from the Hi-Tech.
 
I'd vote for the Timberland Pro Series any day. Very comfortable and easy to wear all day in the office or out in the field. I have a pair now that is waterproof and it keeps my feet warm enough when its -20 out.

A second vote would be for Red Wings, I had a pair of composite toed "King Toe" boots that I enjoyed for 2 years in the field before I came to the office. They were great, but I got them soaked in calcium chloride and they shrank up like witch feet.
 
Having previously worked in the industry I have tried many boots from different makers. There are many boots out there that I have found to have good looks, comfort, quality craftmanship and durability but a far lesser amount that have all of those qualities. Some companies stand out in terms of warranty service in good and bad ways. Some boots are greatly overpriced and some are bargains. None of that matters, of course, unless the boots fit you well and you like the way they look. Sizing and fit varies greatly so make sure that if you purchase them online that you have the option of returning them for another size or refund. With few exceptions I replace the factory insole with a Superfeet insole and wear quality wool socks like Smartwool, Darn Tough or Dahlgren.

I often wear what I call dressy work boots as I am in the field and in office meetings. I too have a preference for stitchdown construction and Vibram soles although I often don't resole boots as I can sometimes find deals on replacements for about the same cost. Being in Texas I can get away with stockman and cattleman style boots in an office setting without being out of place but I have other traditionaly styled boots that wouldn't be out of place most anywhere. Some of the best constructed boots are mountaineering/backpacking style boots from companies like Meindl, Fabiano, Alico, Lowa, etc. but are just not that well suited for office wear. Some boots that I can recommend for light field and casual office setting are Chippewa (Classic Line), Red Wing (Heritage Collection - Iron Ranger), Alden (Indy), Frye (Dakota Line), Wolverine (1000 Mile) and Danner (Jack line).
 
Some of the best boots I've used are the German Meindls that are available through Cabela's. I've also had good performance out of Asolos that I bought from Sierrra Trading Post. However, as noted above, if they don't fit well then the quality of construction is irrelevant.

DancesWithKnives
 
I too spend a lot of time on my feet and and my "secret" is Sole softec Ultra inserts. They are heat moldable, but I've got high arches and just throw them in and go with it. They cost about $30.00 a set at my local backpacking store, but easily last a year of daily wear. When I deployed for a year in Afghanistan, I brought a pair as backup, but never needed them. 360 days of daily (and nightly) wear and they are still kicking in a new set of boots now that I'm back. I bought a pair of Redwing Rangers and put a pair in them and it's my go to travel boot. (they are heavy and bulky, so I have to wear them on the plane and just deal with the pain of taking off boots in the security lane)

Hope this helps
 
Have a look at Blundstones. They're light, tough, long-wearing and extremely comfortable. I bought a pair (555's) earlier this year for a walking holiday in England, where we walked trails, muddy fields and London pavement. They were the only shoes I took, and they performed perfectly. The elastic sides look funny at first, but they grow on you. Or at least on me.
 
I'm required to wear steel toe boots at work every day...for the last 30 years. I've moved around from one manufacturer to another, but for the price I always end up back at Dr. Martens. The soles are a bit spongy but you get accustomed to that. At the end of their life you throw them away and get another pair...what will be will be. They come in a large variety of styles. I have a pair of non-steel toe Docs that I kick around in for casual wear.
 
Red Wings are excellent, if they are within your price range, and if buying American made is important to you. Truly a boot that lasts the way boots used to last.

My other everyday boots are generally made by Ariat, Danner and Irish Setter, and I've been happy with all of them.
 
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