i am beginning to shop around for some heavier duty boots for our climate enviro here in central fl. (wet). not looking to spend on customs (white's, nicks) . looking for longevity,the longest lasting shoe i have had so far was a pr. Snap On Tune Ups(discontinued) same as the brake pad just lacking the toe guard https://www.coastalboot.com/collections/snap-on-franchisee/products/231-snap-on-brakepad-franch
Wore them 6 days a week for 3 years in a very bushy junk yard. rocks,sand,tromping undergrowth down to get to cars, etc... the soles got unbearably hard and after 10 years i just threw them out. they were not "worn out" just got too uncomfortable. BUT they held up, no sole separation, no stitching issues. my key complaint about them was the goodyear soles felt like lead weights but it lasted.
currently i am wearing cheaper ****ies well it's blocked...let's see...di
ck ie s https://www.walmart.com/ip/Genuine-****ies-Men-s-JobRated-Brawn-Waterproof-Work-Boot/28858380
these are very comfortable, economical, wearing well past my expectations. been using them in a mix of enviros for about 2 1/2 years now(construction, mini hiking, camping, working around home/property) . my only real complaint would be the fit. over time they became loose fitting.
currently i am looking at red wing irish setter 868 https://davesnewyork.com/irish-setter-waterproof-trailblazer-868-black.html
anyone have some experiences with these? my only concern is with the goodyear, i am wondering if these are going to feel like the snap ons did and as though i'm "lugging" around weights on my feet.
if the goodyear is the nature of the beast, what would be a compromise/ alternative between the forever lasting goodyear and the INITIAL comfort of the current di ck ies>
I got some army surplus tan combat boots with goretex, i love em, i do mechanical repairs on wastewater plant, so wet, hot cold, welding sparks ect, they are holding up and im on my feet almost all day comfortable, i usually get about a year out of boots because of comfort issues,
I have had irish setters for 2 years. I work on concrete floors, large gravel and there still comfortable. I paid $99 on sale for them.
I work with someone who has those ****ies boots. There not even a year old and the stitching blew out by the rubber. Stay away from walmart if you want quality.
Also i should note that before irish setters i went though a set of boots every year with out fail. Wolverine, timberland "pro", hitech and a few others. They all sucked after 9-10 months even with new insoles.
I never got more than 2 years on my red wings before they were shot comfort wise as a land surveyor/student wearing them everyday.
I splurged for a set on White Smoke Jumpers made for my feet in 1983 by going to the factory to be measured. Once I got them in the mail a few weeks later and wore them around some I ordered the second pair. Wore them everyday for many years, still nice boots today that never blistered me. Yea they cost money but in the long run way cheaper that buying cheap boots every year.
I was fitted with a thin inner wicking sock and an outer heavy cushion sock. In the winter I used thick outer wool boot sock with a silk liner. I seamed sealed the all the stitching on the boots to protect the threads. Every other year or so I'd give them the mink oil treatment but mostly I just kept well treated with SnoSeal and I never dried them by a fire.
I'd rather go into grid down with my old White's than a new pair of cheap boot that will fall apart soon.
My boot collection includes a pair of Belleville 590s, 790s. Wellco ICB, Merrill Moab, 2 pair of Danner TFX, Asolo Fugitive GTX, and Salomon Quest 4D GTX.
Belleville is the bees knees for duty boots. I can’t go back to work boots because they feel too heavy now. Altama is another good company, but they don’t fit me as well as Belleville’s do. I firmly believe the C390 is the best boot ever made.
currently i have a set of white's explorers smokejumpers, LTT, a set of older chippawa snake boot's laceups, and a set of timberland pro's loggers im using for work. they were freebies, they better than the danner LTTs i was running.
dont get me wrong, i used to swear by danner. loved the LTT's. but the last pair soured em on me. got a pair, liner ripped loose. sent em back they replaced em . less than 6 months, the new pair, did the same.
liner tore loose. i must be abusing work boots. no warranty on replacement boots. I rigged em up, and proceded to run em till they were shot. bout 2 more months.
no more Danner for me. didnt bother me they messed up. bothered me they wouldn't stand behind their product. I dont mind paying for good boots. but i hate paying the price and getting cheap boot quality.
I’ve had great luck with Caterpillars. They’re reasonably priced. We get new boots each year and I picked the Second Shift two years in a row, then switched to the Tradesman this year just because of the look. I wore the Silvertons a few years ago, and I think something like the Traction (?). Never had any complaints. I’ve had Wolverines and Georgia before, but hated them both. With a passion.
As much as I'd like to go with white's, that's just not an option on the table. I did go thrift storin' which i rarely get the opportunity to and for giggles bought a pr of "not sure what brand since tag was faded" desert tan gortex(that tag was readable) boots that fit fairly for $3
Right boot feels good but whoever owned them prior did somethin' funnt with left boot tongue. Just kinda gettin feel and was surprised to even see any boots there.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Survivalist Forum
11.6M posts
167.1K members
Since 2007
A forum community dedicated to survivalists and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!