Armed Polite Society
Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: RadioFreeSeaLab on October 06, 2008, 04:02:45 AM
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Need some decent, inexpensive work boots. Suggestions?
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define "inexpensive". Also what type of work will you be doing in them? How long will you be on your feet? Extremely hot or cold environment?
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lupinus is right, we need more specifics.
How often will you wear em'? If we're talking once a month or so on a weekend camping trip, whatever you can get on the cheap. If you plan on wearing them all the time, you'll soon find that you get what you pay for, and your feet and back will let you know if your new boots are any good.
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WSo the $200 EMS mountain hikers are out I guess. =(
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My favorites are Wolverines but only because they are comfortable right out of the box. Company pays for a new par of boots once/year, the Wolverines tend to fall apart on in slightly over a year's time of wearing them every day, the advantage they have is that they are very light in weight compared to other boots. $110-130ish
DR Martins- I tend to wear these around the house and for everyday, and then rotate them in as my work boots when they start to look worn. These require a bit of break in but will last for years. Worn casually, they last 5+ years, worn as work boots, they last at least a year and that's with a lot of wear and tear on them to start with. $120-140ish
Caterpiller/ Harley Davidson work boots- are on the cheaper end of the spectrum, not bad on comfort, but are heavy. ~$80-100
Redwing- I'll never buy another pair of these again. They are solidly built and will last a long time (in my case this was a curse, not a blessing). The best fitting pair of these boots that I could find became extremely uncomfortable once broken in. They were extremely hard on my feet and my left big toe has a lot of calcification from it rubbing against the steel toe of the boot. $150ish+
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I've had excellent luck with the Red Wing model 734(?)
On my fourth or fifth pair over many years.
They're not on my feet as much as they used to be, but I'll buy another pair in the next several months
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Need some decent, inexpensive work boots. Suggestions?
Need more definition on use & such.
Also, define "inexpensive."
The least expensive total cost of ownership work boots* I have owned are Redwings. They are comfy outta the box and last a long while. I paid a little north of $100 on sale, most are $150-ish.
My first pair was worn 4-5 days/week for ~ 5 years. That worked out to around $20/year. I then had them re-soled for ~$50. I bought an identical pair at that time, so the two ought to be good for ~10 more years until I get the newest pair resoled and finally retire the original pair. Or would be, if I had not bought a another pair of Redwing roper work boots to get my stylin' on, when I am so inclined.
Avoid their "Worx" sub-brand. They are common, "Made in China" boots. Real Redwings are made in the USA.
I take care of my foot gear, doing the cleaning & polishing when they need it. All of mine are black leather and steel toe & steel shank.
A buddy of mine used to buy a pair of cheap Wal-mart or some such made in China crappy work boots every year. He came to visit once and the glued-on sole was giving way in the back so that he would make a "flop!" sound every other step.
I told him I refused to go out in public with such a mess, loaned him a pair of my GI leg boots and drove him to the Redwing dealer in Plano, TX. He tried a pair on and said, "They don't hurt my feet. Usually, my boots hurt for a month until I wear them in."
Well, that was 9 years and 5 pairs of Redwing boots ago.
* I have owned & worn out other brands: Wolverine, Carolina, GI leg & jungle boots, Wal-mart trash boots, & some others. The MOST expensive TCO are the Wal-mart trash boots.
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DR Martins- I tend to wear these around the house and for everyday, and then rotate them in as my work boots when they start to look worn. These require a bit of break in but will last for years. Worn casually, they last 5+ years, worn as work boots, they last at least a year and that's with a lot of wear and tear on them to start with. $120-140ish
Not anymore.
I still have my pair from 2000 that were made in England. They have now moved production to China, and they're sh_t. I bought a new pair, was dismayed to see that there was a visible glue line at the seams, and the pull-on loop ripped right off. Made in China. Went right back in to the store.
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Dasmi,
I'm the deputy H&S manager for a 3,000 person organization and we have to make recommendations all the time on protective footwear. What are the requirements for the boots? Safety toe or toe and metatarsal protection or no safety toe? Anti slip or lug sole? Will you be climbing ladders or on pavement? Will you be walking or standing most of the time? Construction or industrial setting?
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It took me a bit of searching to find a pair that fit my feet well, but my steel toe, steel metatarsal guard Red Wings are way more comfortable than any of the non-protected boots I've used. Well, except the Oakley sport boots my unit did a group buy of for Iraq; but those didn't last one deployment.
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Are there any US made Redwing boots under $200 anymore ??? =|
I got some Redwings in high school that lasted about 8 years including working at a sawmill. :)
Walmart boots/shoes for the most part have this weird "quality" in that they look like footwear, but they don't actually fit anything resembling human feet - you might as well throw out the shoes and wear the box :rolleyes:
OTOH, years ago I got some really comfortable lightweight hiking boots from Walmart ("Oak Harbor" IIRC). Of course, a few years of wearing them every single day later, they didn't carry them anymore and the look alikes were un-wear-able :(
I really need to replace my wildland fire/logging boots soon. Sometime when I am feeling rich I guess I will go give Redwing a try again. It's either that or spend $300++ for White's :O
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Redwing- I'll never buy another pair of these again. They are solidly built and will last a long time (in my case this was a curse, not a blessing). The best fitting pair of these boots that I could find became extremely uncomfortable once broken in. They were extremely hard on my feet and my left big toe has a lot of calcification from it rubbing against the steel toe of the boot. $150ish+
Ironically, when i asked the same question on an electrician's forum, virtually all of them said redwing.
I ended up getting a pair at Farm and Fleet. They have a house brand that is pretty good. pretty comfy, and not real heavy.
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Whatever brand you decide, before buying them check out www.6pm.com . I just discovered them while looking for a replacement pair of running shoes that I have and like, but couldn't find anymore. 6PM is I think an Internet "annex" of zappos.com, and sells previous models and overstocks of Zappos products at around 50% off. Not nearly as big as a selection, but if they happen to have what you want, you can save a ton of ducats.
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Will wear them a few days a week. No hot or cold extremes, steel toe not needed. General working boots.
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If you go on Doc Marten's website they do have a "classic" line or some such thing . Those are the shoes they started making in England again. They cost a little more but they're definitely worth it. I have a pair of their steel toe oxfords from '01 and a pair of 10 hole steel toe boots from 01 as well. Other then some minor scuffs you'd think the boots were brand new, The shoes however have bald soles. Once they come out with a "classic" version of them I'll buy 10 pairs to sock away. As for the work boots, if there's a Marshalls near you check them out. They almost always have timberlands at a good price. Usually comfortable and long lasting. Cheers,
Shawn
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Are there any US made Redwing boots under $200 anymore ??? =|
Yes. Most are in the $125-$200 range.
I just priced out a spanking new pair of logging boots and they retail for ~$265. Steel toe, steel shank, lug sole, etc.
Dude at the RW dealer knows me and I usually get ~15% off retail.
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If you go on Doc Marten's website they do have a "classic" line or some such thing . Those are the shoes they started making in England again. Shawn
They started making them in England again?!?!?! Awesome, I always wanted a pair but by the time I got around to buying a pair they'd switched to Chi-com manufactor.
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Doc Martins have English made ones again? I may have to look into a pair for a more casual dress.
Right now it's either my Ariat (Made in China, I know...but wow they're nice) cowboy boots, or my $200 Red Wings.
Both are great, but a little too much for most outings.
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I bought a pair of Red Wing Irish Setters about a year ago at a local Gander Mountain that was relocating. They were marked down to $49.95 from the original $134.95, so I snagged them.
I wish I would've bought a second pair at that price and just put them in the closet for later use. I've found them to be comfortable and long-wearing, even when walking concrete factory floors all day long. About the only gripe I had was that they turned my socks red for the first month or so.
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Will wear them a few days a week. No hot or cold extremes, steel toe not needed. General working boots.
In that case Cat's should be good enough. If you don't mind wally world you could actually try on some of theirs and see if any fit, for just around the house chores they are good enough IMO.
I'd check to see what the local hardware or sporting goods store has though on sale/clearance.
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Red Wing, Danner, Wolverine. Those are my top choices. Irish Setter, Rocky, and Chippewa make some good boots. Sometimes Cabela's puts out a winner.
For a few days a week I'd probably look at some Wolverine or Cabela's boots, but Red Wings are probably the most well-received boots all-in-all. They're a "passage into manhood" type of boot up here.
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I think it's going to be these:
http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=948&CS=bootworld&All=
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DR Martins- I tend to wear these around the house and for everyday, and then rotate them in as my work boots when they start to look worn. These require a bit of break in but will last for years. Worn casually, they last 5+ years, worn as work boots, they last at least a year and that's with a lot of wear and tear on them to start with. $120-140ish
Not anymore.
I still have my pair from 2000 that were made in England. They have now moved production to China, and they're sh_t. I bought a new pair, was dismayed to see that there was a visible glue line at the seams, and the pull-on loop ripped right off. Made in China. Went right back in to the store.
There is/was a small company that took on the task of making Docs in England, with the old machinery etc, under another name though. Said to be just as good as the old Docs marked with Made In England. Damned if I can remember the name of it though. I've searched around, and I can't find the bloody company. Was a couple of reviews of them on a skinhead/punk message board I hung out on, said they were excellent quality.
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Huh.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=4840910
That price is pretty damn tempting, and reviews are positive...
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Danner. They have some that are made in China, haven't tried those, but their made in America ones are some of the best boots ever made. For those of you needing some desert combat boots, 5.11 makes the best. The HRT tactical, it's made in China, but unlike those POS Oakleys and Converses, they don't fall apart easily. And unlike all the traditional combat boot brands they don't hurt like hell.
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The line is their "Vintage" line http://www.dmusastore.com/pc-2339-8-vintage-1461.aspx I did buy a pair of their asian made sneakers that are very comfortable to kick around in. I don't think I'd actually want to run in them though. The quality really isn't anywhere close to the UK shoes. Same with the pair of their clogs I have. If they come out with a steel toe version of these like their 1925 I really will buy 10 pairs and store them. That will be enough to get me through the rest of my life. If you buy these tell everyone you know who might be interested about them. If they sell enough they might see that its worthwhile to expand their line up and then maybe I could get my 1925's :) Viking, if you remember that name, or you stumble across it again please post it. Cheers,
Shawn
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Huh.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=4840910
That price is pretty damn tempting, and reviews are positive...
I bought my winter boots from Walmart. Not too bad, but they don't see a crap load of use. A little hunting and fishing in the winter, plus any snow-play with the family, and when I'm shoveling snow. Need to buy some top quality socks for winter....so I'm piling on....
Anyone recommend a good, warm winter sock? Something that will wick moisture when I hike a mile to a treestand in the dark, and then keep me warm while I sit there.
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Huh.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=4840910
That price is pretty damn tempting, and reviews are positive...
I bought my winter boots from Walmart. Not too bad, but they don't see a crap load of use. A little hunting and fishing in the winter, plus any snow-play with the family, and when I'm shoveling snow. Need to buy some top quality socks for winter....so I'm piling on....
Anyone recommend a good, warm winter sock? Something that will wick moisture when I hike a mile to a treestand in the dark, and then keep me warm while I sit there.
For just cheap warm socks, I like the thick Remington Organic Cotton ones. They're comfortable.
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Huh.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/allReviews.do?product_id=4840910
That price is pretty damn tempting, and reviews are positive...
I bought my winter boots from Walmart. Not too bad, but they don't see a crap load of use. A little hunting and fishing in the winter, plus any snow-play with the family, and when I'm shoveling snow. Need to buy some top quality socks for winter....so I'm piling on....
Anyone recommend a good, warm winter sock? Something that will wick moisture when I hike a mile to a treestand in the dark, and then keep me warm while I sit there.
For just cheap warm socks, I like the thick Remington Organic Cotton ones. They're comfortable.
I'm okay with spending some money on them, as I'll probably wear 'em on the boat during winter Striper season, too. (please note there is only one "p" in that word)
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Another vote for RedWings. You may pay a little more up front but they are much cheaper in the long run.
Brad
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The line is their "Vintage" line http://www.dmusastore.com/pc-2339-8-vintage-1461.aspx I did buy a pair of their asian made sneakers that are very comfortable to kick around in. I don't think I'd actually want to run in them though. The quality really isn't anywhere close to the UK shoes. Same with the pair of their clogs I have. If they come out with a steel toe version of these like their 1925 I really will buy 10 pairs and store them. That will be enough to get me through the rest of my life. If you buy these tell everyone you know who might be interested about them. If they sell enough they might see that its worthwhile to expand their line up and then maybe I could get my 1925's :) Viking, if you remember that name, or you stumble across it again please post it. Cheers,
Shawn
It just might be that the "Vintage Line" on the Doc Martens homepage are the ones made by that little company in the UK. Name sure feels right for it.
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I just priced out a spanking new pair of logging boots and they retail for ~$265. Steel toe, steel shank, lug sole, etc.
Unfortunately, that's what I need ... :(
I replaced my HS Redwings with Chippewas, and then later a pair of some famous name brand that right now I can't remember but they are out of business now. Bought a pair of Walmart logging boots that hurt my feet so bad I gave them away and bought a pair of decent Carolinas through Bailey's which are the nearly shot ones I have now. So aside from town shoes and lightweight hiking boots and cowboy boots, basically four pair saw me through almost 40 years.
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Yeah, my Carolinas just gave out, which is why I'm looking. They had been resoled 7 years back, and had been given light duty since, but the stitching and the meat the stitching goes through is shot.
Harumph. They are likely as cheap now as they ever will be in the future.
"Four pairs, forty years."
Yep, buying quality up front will cost less in the end.
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Unfortunately, that's what I need ..
Take a look at Danner boots.
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If you don't need protective footwear these folks have given you plenty of options.
I'll add that the most comfortable pair of "steel" toe boots I've ever had are a pair of HiTech side zips. So comfortable that I use them around the farm/woods as well as on hazmat sites. I'll lament their passing but they've done well over the past 5 years.
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Well, as far as decent quality, my snow-day boots are Bates patrol boots of some kind with an ice tread, steel toe and a good bit of thinsulate. They're comfortable, they have a side zipper, and they refuse to show any wear whatsoever.
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I'll second all the recommendations for Red Wing products. You don't necessarily have to cough up for the highest dollar items, but quality ain't cheap.
Whatever you buy, buy two pair and wear them in rotation. This goes for all everyday footwear, BTW. It's better for your feet and for the shoes.
Aside from my time as a grunt, where I first learned to take care of my feet, I spent a year working in a shoe repair shop. The third-generation cobbler and cordwainer I worked for told me that three pairs of shoes bought and worn in rotation will last as long as five pair bought, worn out, and replaced one at a time.
I also highly recommend Dr. Scholl's gel inserts for whatever shoe you buy.
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Redwings. If you are fortunate enough to wear something north or south of a size 10 you can often find them heavily discounted online, including the evilbay.
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These guys have some really sweet ones....
http://nakedcomputing.org/obama_regiment.mp4
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Redwings. If you are fortunate enough to wear something north or south of a size 10 you can often find them heavily discounted online, including the evilbay.
LAK:
I was happy in my ignorance, for some reason never doing the math, (ebay + redwing = redwing boots on the cheap).
You are a bad, bad man:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280272863980&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123
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I am a desk jockey who also wears steel toes if I need to go outside so light use. I have had Sketcher brand shoes a few times in the last 5 years and they are inexpensive and normally last the year. Most other brands like Wolverine and Caterpillar I have tried don't work any better. I don't think I have ever had Red Wings before. I might have to look at them next year.
The biggest problem I have is I normally just find a pair of boots at the Academy Sports store locally. I would say that almost every other pair of boots I try on is not identical between the pair. The padding and other stuff will be shaped different making walking around awkward. My normal failure point is the heels of the boots collapsing making them hurt my feet a lot.
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Another thing to consider is that most work boots benefit from removing the insole and replacing it with a quality one (Dr. Scholls, 2oz. Miracle, etc.). A good insole will make a good boot feel even better....
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Since I mostly work while firmly planted in a chair, I am clueless. I do however know that Boot Barn usually has coupon codes floating around teh intarwebz for a nice discount, usually 20% off retail. This is why I have good, durable cowboy boots instead of cheap and crappy ones.
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Since I mostly work while firmly planted in a chair, I am clueless. I do however know that Boot Barn usually has coupon codes floating around teh intarwebz for a nice discount, usually 20% off retail. This is why I have good, durable cowboy boots instead of cheap and crappy ones.
You have linky? And is this a mail order outfit, or a brick and mortar?
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Mail order. Google for boot barn and coupon. The best ones float around on coupon sites. I shall check if I have a current code in my inbox as well.
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I've always had good luck with Danner-but then again I've only bought two pairs since 2000, and they're both still going.
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Danner's good stuff.
Interesting side note:
When interviewing returning Marines from Iraq, every single boot manufacturer had a serious design flaw in the boots we issued them. Danner, 5.11, Altama, others. They ALL failed...just differently.
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Danner's good stuff.
Interesting side note:
When interviewing returning Marines from Iraq, every single boot manufacturer had a serious design flaw in the boots we issued them. Danner, 5.11, Altama, others. They ALL failed...just differently.
What were the major failures? That seems to be something that the manufacturers would want to know and [hopefully] fix...
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jfruser
LAK:
I was happy in my ignorance, for some reason never doing the math, (ebay + redwing = redwing boots on the cheap).
You are a bad, bad man:
I know. But still; you got a nice pair of Redwings for ten bucks. =D
I picked up a new pair of pre-stick-on sole kangaroo Wingshooters awhile back. I spent alot more than ten, but half retail all the same.
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Danner's good stuff.
Interesting side note:
When interviewing returning Marines from Iraq, every single boot manufacturer had a serious design flaw in the boots we issued them. Danner, 5.11, Altama, others. They ALL failed...just differently.
What were the major failures? That seems to be something that the manufacturers would want to know and [hopefully] fix...
That data has been captured in a systematic fashion and been passed up & out. The USMC folks I work with have a good working relationship with most suppliers.
I can't recall the exact failures by manufacturer of the top of my head, but none would wear out before they failed in their unique fashion.
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Just remembered ... the quality boots that I couldn't remember the name of were "Hermann Survivors"
They don't make them anymore, AFAIK - probably because people were going too many years between buying new ones =|