mil boots vs police boots vs hiking boots

A

AmadeusM

Banned
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
1,799
Has anyone here noticed any patterns as to which class of footwear (of comparable quality/price range) generally takes a beating better/lasts longer in rugged terrain?

Mucho thankso.
 
i wore a pair of (italian made, not the new ones) Vasque hiking boots and they lasted for ten years. that's wearing them almost every day and having them resoled once. a new pair lasted about two years. definite QC drop.

got 5 solid years out of my Danner Quarry's. they're up for a resole, but the leather is starting to get deep creases/cracks behind the toebox. i'll probably get them resoled and use them as 'yard boots'.

both in the $180-200 range. both went over rough terrain as well as near constant all year daily wear. equal quality.

the hiking boots actually required more break-in and i had to be more specific w/ sock choices.

the work boots were more comfy from day one, better footbed shape and toebox.

BUT, i have a narrow foot w/ long toes. so fit isn't going to be 'normal' for me.

if limited to one, i'd go with the workboot again for hard use.
 
Hi AmadeusM-

The secret to footwear longevity is frequent cleaning, polishing, and moisturizing the leather. Dirt and dust acts as an abrasive and will literally "saw" through the leather if allowed to sit on the surface without being removed.

Another factor is rotation. If you find a pair of boots you really like, you should return to the store and purchase a second pair so that you can switch between the two. This will allow the insides to breathe and dry between wearings and will radically extend their lifespan.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Metis said:
i wore a pair of (italian made, not the new ones) Vasque hiking boots and they lasted for ten years. that's wearing them almost every day and having them resoled once. a new pair lasted about two years. definite QC drop.
Click to expand...

Unfortunatley this is true with most hiking boots these days. With hiking boots becoming fashionable, many buyiers don't know the difference, or are replacing them more frequently based on fashion rather than actually wearing them out.

The thing I miss the most are leather lined hiking boots. That used to be the norm, but now everyone seems to be lining them with some sort of sythetic, like nylon or Cambrelle, which don't last as long as leather linings.

Will
 
Been wearing combats for a few years...

last pair got just shy of 4yrs on constant daily wear, 16-18hr days for most of it.

just bought this last pair in june.

for $40cad for jump boots they can't be beat.
 
If you want extended life from a pair of daily wear boots, I back up Blue Jays comment.
Get 2 pairs, clean regularly and rotate every couple of days.

I wear "Blue Steel" ankle length lace up steel caps (similar to Magnatec) for urban work, now going onto 4 years and expect to get another 4 years at the current wear rate.

Dual density soles, soft leather uppers made better by constant polishing, and drying out naturally after wet weather makes these the best boots I have worn for the job.

If you have to walk the street beat for a living, I strongly recommend that you buy the best boots, double up your favourites, and look after them.
 
Hi VampyreWolf-

Your arithmetic and/or number of pairs of boots utilized must be mistaken.

It would be impossible for a $40.00 pair of boots to last for four years of daily wear at 16-18 hours of wear per day. That's approximately 24,820 hours of wear. They would disintegrate right on your feet, not to mention the need for resoling.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
missed this one earlier...

blue jays: the secret is socks.

pair of cotton blend on my feet, and then a pair of good wool socks over them. change wool socks after about 10hrs of wear(I end up doing a load of just socks once a week).
 
I find that combat boots are the most durable, I have a pair of altama ripple soles and they are more comfortable then my sneakers.
 
Scarpa make boots, everyone else is a wannabe! :D

Seriously, get a decent pair of Italian boots, have them fitted by someone that looks like they have a clue. You will pay more for the B&M store, but you will get the right boots.

A pair of Scarpa will last you at least a decade unless you are a slob that cant be bothered to look after them.
 
i apologise in advance if this isnt supposed to be here
what do u guys think of swat and catterpillar boots?
 
Everyone's feet are different and everyone's lifestyle differs...
what do you need it for? and what do you plan to do with them?

The last thing you want to do is to limit yourself to boots that last a very long time, or some other compromise...
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi VampyreWolf-

Your arithmetic and/or number of pairs of boots utilized must be mistaken.

It would be impossible for a $40.00 pair of boots to last for four years of daily wear at 16-18 hours of wear per day. That's approximately 24,820 hours of wear. They would disintegrate right on your feet, not to mention the need for resoling.

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...
You don't know vampyre...
he sits at a desk all day, in the car afterwards, and in front of the computer the rest of the time, he does this 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, 53 weeks a year...
 
Mutt: I'd like to.... try actually working yourself though :p

I was enjoying the chem resistant soles when I worked in food. Everyone else was getting 4-6months due to cleaning chemicals and grease. I was walking in bleach, tile cleaner and degreaser all shift.

Finally wore the last pair out walking 10km a day at my last job. This pair got to see the lighter workload after I injured myself last year. Only about 5km of walking at work. Hopefully have work again soon, dropped off 20 resumes in the last month, taking more out tomorrow after class.
 
I have the worst luck with boots and footwear in general. I wear red wings out in less than 6 months. I overpronate bad enough that I usually have to go buy insoles or my archs will kill me. Plantar Facisitis or whatever they call it. The most comfortable boots I have ever worn were the new ACU boots that go with the new Army uniform. My arch never hurt in those. Caterpillar boots in my opinion are chinese junk. I only wear American footwear though. My old roommate in college swore by his Cat boots. He wore them in the chicken houses and all back home on his farm and bought another pair just to wear at school. From what I have seen they are good boots, just not American made. I just love military boots, somewhere someone had to be thinking what can I do to make this boot easier on a guy that is going to walk 12 miles with 80 lbs on his back... Whoever came up with the new desert boots hit the nail on the head.
 
Hi All-
ssblood said:
"...I just love military boots, somewhere someone had to be thinking what can I do to make this boot easier on a guy that is going to walk 12 miles with 80 lbs on his back... Whoever came up with the new desert boots hit the nail on the head..."
Click to expand...
This person's next thought was, "How do I make these things cheap enough that I win the bid process?"

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Sad but true. Some of the guys I went in with were lucky enough to get the Bellevilles but I ended up with Wellco. :rolleyes: The Bellevilles are supposed to be just as good as the Danner Acadia deserts.
 
Im in L.E.
I wear Royal Robbins 5.11 8" A.T.A.C. Sidezip boots. I work 12 hours a night, 15 days a month. The boots are great. I even wear them off duty. You think your feet would be sore after 12 hours, but the boots keep them comfortable and painless.
Less than 100 bucks and worth more than that, IMHO.
 
best boots I have worn in 15 years

Belleville 790 Temperate Weather Boots

27292L.jpg


A premium comfort thick polyurethane center with a durable VIBRAM® premium tread outsole.
# USAF / USA Certified Desert Flight Boot
# USA Approved Desert Combat Boot
# GORE-TEX® fabric bootie: Durable Waterproof, Breathable
# VIBRAM® premium tread outsole
# CORDURA® nylon fabric
# Surlyn box toe
# Extensive foam padding under and around the foot
# Polyurethane removable insert
# Desert Tan
GORE-TEX, GORE, and designs are registered trademarks of W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc.


Weight: 6 lbs.

like wearing sneakers, I love these boots
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top