Work Boots

shelby27604

shelby27604

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Location
Efland NC
Who is wearing what, and what do you think of it? Looking for a new set of boots to wear on the shop floor and into the woods. Steel/composite toe isn't a requirement, but I am not against if, providing the toe box is wide enough to not give me ingrown toenails.

My last set of redwings was an ok set of boots, but the sole literally came unglued a month or so into ownership, in the woods, while I was running a chainsaw......so they are probably dead to me.

I had a great set of Dr. Martens, but the air sole didn't go the distance after a couple of welding b-b's were stepped on.....I also had a set of those where the uppers peeled away from the sole suspiciously early.

I have had good luck with shoes that run the Vibram sole, but that is not a requirement.
 
On my second set of Carolina Lytning LT152s. Carolina Footwear | Carolina LYTNING CARBON COMP TOE LT152 in DARK BROWN - CarolinaShoe.com
1st pair lasted about 5 years before the soles wore down and cracked. I still have them as shop shoes, but they made a funny noise on hard floors so I retired em. Wore em all weekend this weekend and they are still solid and comfy. Second pair had a weird click-squeak from day 1. Took em back to Morgan's in Gastonia after a few months and they swapped em out, been happy ever since. The carbon toe is awesome because it's super light and leaves plenty of room in the toebox. Plus I wear them when I fly because there is nothing metallic on them so I can walk right through security (TSA precheck) and they are easy to slip on and off while seated.
 
Alright, I work in hell for boots, my top pics are:

Redwing with the king toe, wide and comfy, waterproof and composite, pretty damn nice. I’ve been through 4 pairs. I can post numbers if needed.

Thorogood 1957 mic toe waterproof steel toe, pricey, but damn good. Made in the USA and union made.

Timberland boondocks, composite toe, water proof, very aggressive tread. They hung up on ladders and steps for me until I got them broke in a bit. Comfort was nice. They had the “anti-fatigue” insoles. Those were pretty minty straight out of the box.

If you want to be a baller, go Whites or Nicks, custom boots made for you or WESCOS. $350+

Waterproof is all about how you take care of them. Keep them clean and use obenauf's heavy duty lp. That’s some good shit right there.
 
Carhart wellington's for me.I'm on my 3rd winter w them and the sole's are starting to crack.I got em at rural king and have been looking for another pair but they never have em in stock.They were about $20 cheaper there versus everyone else.
 
I love Georgia Boots farm and ranch Roper’s, comfortable all day and hold up to whatever I put them thru, I am on my second pair
 
I've enjoyed my last and current pair of cody James from boot barn. They aren't the most durable boot I've worn ( think by the time these are done I'll have about 2 years out of them) but they are very comfortable.

I wear my boots for 14-16 hrs a day 7 days a week so you may get longer life from them if you wear other shoes.
 
At work I wear 5.11's. Used to wear Redwings but found the 5.11 to be more comfortable. At home I wear Justins. I only wear boots in winter so they last me forever. My dad swears by Ariats, he works construction and wears boots everywhere except the beach.

Duane
 
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Had Georgia Boots. Worked well and lasted in steel construction but weren’t the most comfortable. That was years ago so they may have improved.

Tried some cheap crap that always fell apart and were uncomfortable. Won’t make that mistake again.

Had good luck with Red Wings for a few years then didn’t. 3 pairs in a row, soles came off after a few months and threads were giving way. Gave up on those.

Tried a couple Keen for general construction and management duties. Worked OK but wasn’t overly impressed.

Current pair is Wolverine and they have performed well for the last year. Held up well. Comfortable. Warm. Dry. Affordable. Thumbs up for the Wolverine.

When shit really gets deep, there is no substitute for my Muck Boots. Warm. Comfortable. Dry.
 
Ariats with steel toe and a no slip/oil resistant sole for the 9-5. Admittedly I’m an Ariat fanboy but have tried some others in recent years when stuff is on sale.

Had some Tony Llamas that were for weekend work and those fuckin things fell apart faster than Brandons approval ratings. Wolverines are the shit kickers now and holding up great. Really darn comfortable too.
 
1-tonmudder said:
Carhart wellington's for me.I'm on my 3rd winter w them and the sole's are starting to crack.I got em at rural king and have been looking for another pair but they never have em in stock.They were about $20 cheaper there versus everyone else.
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I'll second the Carhartt Wellingtons. I'm working on my 3rd or 4th pair and usually get about a year out of them. I'm a land surveyor and do a bunch of walking, and they do well for the price.
 
Naturally, the boots that I like, they quit making. Wolverine "Drill Bit" with BOA laces. I can't stand slip ons any more, these are always snug and have Vibram soles. The soles are hard enough to not get embedded with metal chips (I'm a machinist) and they're comfortable right out of the box. The lugs are also big ebough to clean out easily. Not sure what the black material on the bottom of the boots is, but it's the toughest shit known to man that's still flexible. I'm hell on boots and somehow manage to get two years out of these.

So since those are discontinued and everyone's stock is gone, I may try these next although I'm not in high hopes, I just love the BOA laces. Once you've had them, it's hard to go back.

www.wolverine.com

I-90 EPX® BOA® 8" CarbonMAX® Boot

I-90 EPX Work Boot - This 8" composite toe work boot has a stronger than ever outsole, technologies for long lasting safety and comfort.
www.wolverine.com www.wolverine.com
 
Thorogoods here. They are comfortable and hold up well. I have two years of about every day use on them at this point and they're close to worn out. They'll get replaced with another pair of thorogood boots, because I like supporting US made if possible.
 
I’m wearing ariats now, lace up, composite toe and waterproof. Been good since I got them broke in which took a while. I wore keen for around 10yrs straight and just decided to switch up. I 2 pair of keens for 2yrs straight because they were still good. Out of work it’s some Tony lama slip on boots and damn those are comfortable!
 
IMG_20211108_114447.jpg

Square tip, steel toe Ariat slip-ons. I've had these for about two years now. Working in the industry I do (welding/fabrication/machine), steel toe is a must. Leather is a must also. I've had bad luck with most slip ons being uncomfortable, but these are pretty amazing. Only downside is they are ridiculously heavy.
 
Thorogood 1957 mic toe waterproof steel toe, pricey, but damn good. Made in the USA and union made.

same
I have the nasty garage version and a fresh pair for da club
 
Keen or timberland pro, but I’m pretty abusive to my boots. Between crawling and welding/working on concrete, nothing lasts.

Keen had a good reinforced toe boot that lasts 9-11 months.

Timberland pro also has about the same longevity for same price.

Currently wear timberland pro wedge sole without moc toe, but has reinforced toe over the leather. Best so far, but discontinued.

Also have had great longevity out of danner but minimal option for reinforced toe for crawling.

This is my list of stuff I’ve tried that lasted less than 3 mons and I’ll never buy again. Wolverine, ariat, red wing, brunt, carhartt, and a few others.

Had some carolina and throrogood but they just weren’t comfortable for my back after the long break in period. They were tough, but it sucked to stand on concrete with them after crawling all day. Took 3 weeks to break in.

The brunt’s, wolverines, and red wings were laughable bad. But again, I very abusive to them. To be able to crawl/drag through mud, then be supportive for work on concrete is asking for a lot.
 
Around the house and just out and about I wear Justin's. Good boots and they're not so expensive that I cry if they get filled with cough crap.

Been wearing Arians for a whole at work and they do fine. But, just got a pair of Carolinas and love them. I got the actuator model woth composite toe. They're high top square toes.

www.carolinashoe.com

Carolina Footwear | Carolina ACTUATOR COMP TOE CA8535 in DARK BROWN - CarolinaShoe.com

Men’s 11” WorkFlex Waterproof Composite Square Toe Roper
www.carolinashoe.com www.carolinashoe.com
 
I had several pairs of Red Wings with composite toe over the years, always the same model. But the last pair never was comfortable. I’ve had a pair of Georgia Boots with composite toe for a little over 2 years now and like them. Some kind of memory foam in the insole that has held up well until recently. I thinks it’s time to replace them. There is a Boot Barn in Concord, I’ll go there and try on a bunch of different ones. But I would have no problems getting another pair of Georgia Boots.
 
I like timberland pros. I work commercial construction and do residential on the side. I have a small horse farm. I wear them from when I wake up till I go to bed. I usually go through a set of boots in about 5 months max. I have had redwing, Justin’s, etc last 2 months.
 
Brownsxj said:
I like timberland pros. I work commercial construction and do residential on the side. I have a small horse farm. I wear them from when I wake up till I go to bed. I usually go through a set of boots in about 5 months max. I have had redwing, Justin’s, etc last 2 months.
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This sounds more like my experiences.....I have big time envy of the guys who have shoes that make it years. Most of the time I wear out the sole, the leather uppers, or just plain blow out the insole to the point where inserts make no difference. Will be doing some homework and shopping tonight!
 
I read through that thread, lots of Keen love, I like their made in USA hiking sandals, but the boots are not a good fit on me.
Is everyone doing online orders now, or are there stores that actually sell boots still? I looked at boot barn, but the two closest stores to me have almost only cowboy boots in my size....no lace-up style work boots.
 
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