Don't mean to hijack this thread, but speaking of cowboy style work boots, what do y'all like? I'm about finished with my last pair of Ariats...they were great but I found they have discontinued them (of course).
I'm having trouble finding anything without the new square toe look...I don't like the look and it's not great for riding either.
Any thoughts...?
Personally, the best (pointed toe) cowboy boots I've owned have been Tacovas. Now, I don't ride horses but my wife and I do a lot of country swing dancing 😁 They are very much the most comfortable cowboy boots for my feet. I avoid most heeled footwear (as close to zero-degree rise as I can), but aside from the heel, they feel like moccasins. Their leather soles don't last long with hard use, but they are now making some synthetic sole versions.
Big, heavy, all leather, 8 inch logger style boots. Definitely the best pair of steel toes I ever had.
Much depends on your work environment, but man, I can’t imagine wearing eight-inch, heavy, all-leather logger boots all day! And yes, I grew up in the middle of the logging industry in the PNW. I’ve always seen those as short duration work boots on real steep, uneven terrain with a lot of ankle-biters. Heck, I hated wearing all-leather combat boots for most of my career and when the minimalist boots came out meeting regulations, I jumped all over them. Again, I conceded footwear needs to be adequate for the environment they’re needed for. I was in a combat environment as an advisor; some advisors even wore ties. My attire was combat casual, yet I still wanted boots that could hold up to walking long flight lines, rocky helo-pads, in and out of up-armored vehicles, short durations in weather extremes, etc. It wasn't hard-boot wear, but typical office shoes would get destroyed in that environment after a couple months. Looks actually mattered when the flag officers were around...again, that was a particular environment I was in at the time and it influenced my footwear.
My everyday boots are Danner Vicious 4.5" with composite safety toe. I can't think of a boot that makes me feel more securely planted when walking and they don't look like hardcore workboots either. Can blend in with casual clothes no problem.
Those aren’t bad. I’ve never had to wear reinforced-toe boots, so I’m a little ambivalent about their need for “everyday-use" outside of working with heavy equipment. I have a pair of Danner Jack II boots I used in Afghanistan, for that “combat casual”, but I’ve worn them on more casual days in a corporate-type of work environment (three-star command HQs). They fit in pretty decently except with dress slacks; they’re great with jeans, khakis, heavier dress pants, etc.
Defining “everyday” is pretty vast. My current office-type environment is a poor example to assess quality footwear. If I can walk 4-5 miles on a trail in my footwear without causing too many issues, they get a temporary pass. If they hold up for a few years, I’ll give them a full pass. The biggest challenge with footwear is that as soon as you find a pair that fit your environment, are comfortable for your feet and activities, and are durable enough to last multiple years for your lifestyle and activities….and then buy a second pair before they’re discontinued!
The only way around this (and avoid a room full of boots and shoes), is find a good, reputable boot maker and once you work the measurements and fitment, save your pennies and order a second pair. Break both in over time and rotate for longevity or just keep the other pair as a backup when you send your first pair back for new soles.
ROCK6