Work boots

I had a pair of Red Wings years ago and got great service from them. Good boots for the money.

I've tired two pair of Danners, and I just can't wear them. Good boots, but not comfortable for me. Just too hard and un yielding. Heavy and rigid.

Tried Timberland, but they fell apart in 6 months on my last job. Replaced them with Magnums and they were great for a cheap boot. Lasted a year and a half, which in that shop was doing good. I still like the magnums for walking around. The lighter weight more flexable boot is easier on my arthritis.

Carl.
 
Although rocky arent made in the usa (dominican republic I think), I would certainly reccomend them. I just bought my third pair two months ago. The first two pairs lasted me 2+ years each. I work construction, and wear my boots 6 days a week. I bought the 8 inch ranger with steel toe. They are fully waterproof leather uppers with gore tex, mated with vibram soles. It is my favorite tread out of all the boots Ive worn. Grips well in snow/ice and great all around traction. Ive been in all degrees of weather with them, from -10 to 100, the only thing that would change is the type/ amount of socks I wore.
 
I have a pair of Wolverine boots that I'm thrilled with. Of course not every brand will fit every person well. You just have to try on a bunch and see what you like.
 
I've got some Ariat work hogs as well. Very comfy to stand in. A friend bought some Justin's that look very similar but I don't the the sole is as nice
 
I live near the Justin outlet and have owned two pairs of Justin lace ups but I agree that the soles on the Justins are just not as rugged as my Ariats. I also prefer cowboy boots to lace ups, but finding the proper fit for your foot is critical. I am partial to the wellington style, not a big fan of the square toe cowboy boots that have seemed to grow in popularity.
 
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I've been getting some fantastic deals from my local Red Wing dealer. I really like the higher end boots that are made in the USA.
 
Try Chippewa boots. Made in the USA. They make a pair of steel toe electricians boots that are one of the most comfortable boots I have owned.
 
I've unfortunately never had the pleasure of owning Red Wings. But after trying many different brands, I've fallen in love with my Magnums with ANSI-compliant composite toes. They are the most comfortable shoes (of any type) that I've ever owned. I'm wearing them right now in the office. I wear them hiking. I wear them at construction sites. They're so comfortable I could probably wear them to bed. They're nice and light, too. Best ankle support I've ever felt. great arch support too - I get plantar fascitis and never have needed to use my orthotics with these boots. I don't know where they're made and don't care - if they were forged in the fires of Mordor I'd still buy them.
 
I spent all day yesterday and today shopping for new work boots. My past two pairs were Timberland Pro's but they both lasted only 1 year of almost every day use. Both pairs separated where the upper meets the sole so I'm staying away from glued boots now. I was looking at Red Wings since they're so highly respected. That's until I saw that every pair, except those >$200, was made in China. Same for the Chippewas. All the others, Carolina, Wolverine, and most others (I can't remember all the names) are made in either China, Vietnam, or Dominican Republic. So damn disheartening! :( Maybe Trump's right and we should ban China imports starting with clothes and see how we Americans can handle it. The only American made boots I found I could get here in NJ were Thorogood/Weinbrenner. Here in NJ the only place I find that has them in-stock and on display so I could try them are Tony's General Merchandise in Forked River. That's about a 1.5hour drive for me but I'm gonna go there tomorrow. I have a friend who lives in the area so I'll make a day of it.
 
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wintermute said:
I've unfortunately never had the pleasure of owning Red Wings. But after trying many different brands, I've fallen in love with my Magnums with ANSI-compliant composite toes. They are the most comfortable shoes (of any type) that I've ever owned. I'm wearing them right now in the office. I wear them hiking. I wear them at construction sites. They're so comfortable I could probably wear them to bed. They're nice and light, too. Best ankle support I've ever felt. great arch support too - I get plantar fascitis and never have needed to use my orthotics with these boots. I don't know where they're made and don't care - if they were forged in the fires of Mordor I'd still buy them.
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Yeah, that's been my experience with the Magnums. Great boots, and I don't care where they're made. Heck, if Magnums are what Chinese shoemaking is, pass me the rice bowl!:eek:

Carl.
 
Splat, if you want quality items that are made in USA, you gotta be willing to fork out the $$. The reason I worked for years wearing Wal Mart Brahma boots - mining, construction, ranching. Yeah, the fit was a bit crude but they held up OK, and I could buy ten pair for the price of a high-end work boot.

Looking for a USA-made boot, here's what I have now for jobs in the mines:

Mens-Matterhorn-Work-Boots-12216-L.jpg


They're about $300, so thankfully the company buys them. ;)
 
FWIW, I have a friend who is a lineman at his own electric company, goes up and down power poles all day to reroute power to private residences. He had a pair of China Redwings that lasted him about 3 years, and the soles seperated at the heels. He screwed the soles back on with woodscrews and used em for another 6 months.
I am a Danner guy because they are comfy for me, require no breakin, are made in America, and are durable as all get out. Danner also offers a refurb service, which comes in handy after 5-6 years of daily wear.
 
I get an allowance every six months for steel toes. I have tried most of the major brands. For the last five years I have bought only the $200+ red wings. My boots don't see a lot of rugged use, but get a lot of nasty chemical exposure. Red wings have been the most comfy for me.
 
FYI, I checked the label on my Wolverine Durashock boots: Made in the Dominican Republic. Really nice boots though. They fit and wear more like a hiking boot than a heavy workboot. msrp is $187.

WBS-W3979-02-y.psd
 
Red Wings.

Go to the store, and have them measure your feet. BOTH feet, not just one. Once they do that, have them show you options. I'm currently wearing USA made Red Wings that they had to order for my 11.5 EEEE feet. They are 6 years old, and still in great shape. I work in a machine shop, and get exposed to oils, coolant, metal chips, water. They are steel toe.

The soles are wearing out, so I'm due to replace them this year. I'll have to travel out of town to a Red Wing dealer this time, since the store here closed when the owner retired.

Make sure you get your foot measured, and don't buy junk.
 
jackknife said:
Yeah, that's been my experience with the Magnums. Great boots, and I don't care where they're made. Heck, if Magnums are what Chinese shoemaking is, pass me the rice bowl!:eek:
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I have been VERY surprised at how well the cheap Magnums have held up. I have one pair(zipper with composite safety toe) that is about 3 years old now, and another regular one that is probably 5 years old - both are still going strong(although certainly well used and wearing down by now). Some of the so-called heavy duty work boots I have bought from a local store were absolute junk for 2-3x the price, and were wasted in 3-6 months. I have also done well with the Timberland Pro boots, they lasted me about a year and a half. I worked as a truck driver pulling a fuel tanker, so these boots were abused pretty well, heavily scuffed and splashed with petroleum products far too often. I also bought a pair of chinese-made Danner boots, but didn't get a chance to use them much before I stopped driving, but they seemed to be doing OK... But they weren't my favorite, for several reasons - not the least of which is that the soles on those didn't seem to have much grip in oily conditions, which made it dangerous for me. Some day I may try a pair of US-made Danners. Kinda hard to justify another boot purchase until what I have wears out since I don't need them for work anymore. I still wear the Magnums on a daily basis around the house and doing other stuff.
 
Mike G said:
The soles are wearing out, so I'm due to replace them this year. I'll have to travel out of town to a Red Wing dealer this time, since the store here closed when the owner retired.

Make sure you get your foot measured, and don't buy junk.
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Mike, find out if your boots can be re-soled. If so see if Redwing can do it or if they will recommend a local shop to do it. If the leather upper is fine and the sole is the only problem, you can have those boots re-soled for less then $100. Depending on the shop of course. ;) There is a Cobbler up the street from me that Makes custom boots, shoes and re-soles anything that can be re-soled. IIRC The Average price of a re-sole is $75. When the soles of my Irish Setter (Redwing's line of hunting boots) Elk Trackers wear out I'm going to have him re-sole them with Vibram Logger soles.
 
I strictly wear Canada West lineman boots for the past 11 years and cant see myself switching as long as they are available. They have a tall heel, are heavy, have a high ankle and stiff sole, and i still love them. They last forever and are more comfortable than any pair of shoes i have ever put on. I have tried Cats before and was lucky to get 4-5 months from them, before seams were blowing and the insides were wearing out. Total garbage in my oppinion. I also got a whopping three weeks out of a pair of Timberlands before the rubber toe cap seperated from the boot.
 
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