I know that there are already a few threads on this topic, but none very recent. I want to know what you guys consider the best footwear for a mechanic. I currently wear a pair of Pecos Red wings, but the soles have worn flat, making them useless. As of right now, my next pair of work boots will be a pair of black, high-top lace up Wolverines or CAT boots.
So all you guys work barefoot?
I have been a lifelong Red Wing guy but strayed from the path a few months ago and bought a pair of Justin's. The Justin's were $120 at Tractor and Supply and a comparable pair of Red Wings were $200 plus. My thought process was I could buy 2 pair of Justin's for one pair of RW's. Well, I already have a little buyers remorse, the Justin sole already has a chunk out of the heal (cowboy style work boots) and I am not sure if they are re-solable like RW's. Haven't decide yet on the next pair of boots, I'll give it some time and see how the Justin's work out.
You might want to try a pair of wolverines. Ive found that when I can find them, they last longer than Red Wings without needing a resole and the leather stays cleaner. Also, my pair of red wings is less than 6 months old.
I bought a pair of Justins through Sears.I have been doing business with Sears for a long time and I wanted their guarantee behind me in case anything went wrong. When the boots arrived I unpacked them and found myself looking at the worst pair of of boots that I ever saw. I wore them for a couple of days and started making some phone calls to Texas to see what they had to say for themselves. It turns out not very much.The boots are made out of the country for one thing and my criteria required that they be made in the US which was written on their label. The material that they were made of was terrible. They called it (artificial).The boots felt like they had a nail poking up through the sole. I called the boots the worst I ever saw over the phone to the "salesman?" in Texas and he did not deny any of it. I told him that I have been buying work boots for 50+ years so could speak with some authority on it. They asked that I return them and mark the box for them to inspect. I took them to Sears for a refund and ended up buying my boots from Sears on sale at half the price.They are their Diehard boots,probably not my first choice but since I really don't work every day now they seems to be ok. So,the bottom line is I could not insult the Justin crowd,they sell junk and they know it.Ron G
I haven't been able to find USA made reasonably priced boots for like 3-4 years now but these Rocky's [8'' high insulated] I've had for 2 years now have gone through hell and back and still don't leak water after the initial bees wax treatment and are real comfy.China I'm sure but my feet are happy.
I buy Red Wings or the Chippewas made in Chippewa Falls Wi. I always liked the Chippewas that had the logger heel for hooking the clutch pedal when you used to run blades standing up.
I just bought a pair of Wolverine 6" Durashocks. No regrets yet. They're mighty comfy, but I don't work in them daily so I'm not sure how well they'd hold up.
Well, if you want to start a friendly heated discussion, this is a good subject. Everybody has their own opinion and all opinions are held strongly. I have seen fistfights in bars over shoe manufactures and who is the best. So to add fuel to the fire…….:stirthepot Danner or Thorogood from my perspective are the best, and made in the US. Well, at least 50% of Danners are made in the US. My shoes run from $250 to $400. They last around five to 8 years so I figure I get my money's worth on them. I used to wear Red Wing, but they went to China (at least the style I wore) and Chinese shoes will cripple me in about a week. If you really want to go high end, go to Spokane and get Whites to make a custom pair. I still have a pair of 14" top White caulks that are 30 years old. They have been rebuilt several times and the uppers are still in good shape.
That's the reason why I bought the "model" Justins I did because they were supposed to be made in the USA. Interesting to see if they are true to their label. Like I said, having a little buyers remorse, which usually happens when I stray from the tried and true to save a buck.. ointhead
for me there is only one brand of boots. Whites. I will not even look at boots unless they have the whites name on them. I wear my boots 7 days a week and about 12-15 hours a day,these are the most comfortable boots i have ever owned and i see no reason to try something else. http://www.whitesboots.com/ Make sure you sitting down when you look at the prices.
Stay away from the cat boots, they are the worse pair of boots I have ever owned.:Banghead I have had real good luck with redwings, sure you pay more, but worth it in the long run
whites boots i agree with trainwreck. Whites are the best. I do wear ariat's for chore boots and around town. regards, cd
I have alway been a redwing no laces guy then i bought my first pair of wolverine lace ups and will never go back to red wings. my wolverines have outlasted the redwings. I feel like i have wasted money all these years buying redwings. The souls hsve lasted much longer and the inside of the boot have outlasted redwings also.
My Wolverine laceups I currently have(purchased them instead of my usual Redwings because they were on sale)have outlasted any Redwings I have had 2 to 1 already.
I was a Redwing Irish Setter user for years. My last, and I mean last pair were real garbage. They had hardly any wear on them and the sole actually cracked full depth all the way from one side to another. I returned them to where I purchased them and received a full refund. The lady at the service desk told me that, yes they were getting they were getting Redwings returned with the same defect. I purchased a pair of Wolverines and am quite satisfied with them.
Well I ended up with a new pair of redwings 2235s. It is hard to find 15ee anywhere, except for redwing. They seem like a better pair than the other pair I have.
Try a pair of Thorogoods any style that suits you. The best boots I ever owned and the last truly American made ones too.
I grabbed a pair of Twisted X boots about a month ago. They seem to be worth the price but only time will tell.
I am not sure of the number on them but have seen Red Wing Irish Setter Engineer style boots on Ebay. They are offered out of Great Britian. Are these boots made for off shore market? Never have seen them here in the states. I would like to try a pair if I could find them
I just bought my third pair of Wolverine durashocks. The first pair went ~6 yrs and the 2nd pair went 8 yrs. I had never heard of them until my inlaws, who used to sell them, gave me a pair. Can't complain a bit. The biggest thing I do is use mink oil on the stitching about twice a year, especially around the sole, to water-proof them. My dad used to buy Red Wings, but going by the comments on this page they have obviously gone down in quality. ISZ
I have to go with carolina brand work boots, i can be on my feet all day and they have great flexibility and they last.
I used to always wear Cats but got tired of lugging around all that weight. For the price they didn't last longer than other brands I had tried. My current pair is StormMaster by Pioneer. pioneerprotectiveproducts.com/ They were half the price of Cats and are as comfortable and half as heavy.
Had several of the boots mentioned throughout. The best pair i have had is the Georgia logger style boots. I have had them for 5 years and wear them almost everyday. They are still waterproof, with a little help from some mink oil. Next would be the Danners that are American made, they are quite expensive though. Have a pair of the Irish Setters and they arent very well made but they are comfortable. It seems hard to get a good pair of boots that will last for under $150.
For me the only brand of boot that i wear are Carolina's 8" loggers steel toe,,,,
redwings
Doc Matrins
Redwings all the way - and they are made in America! From sewers to demo sites, to the factory floor they rock.
Actually, you need to check carefully about that I found my favorite Redwings are now made in China. I am guessing at least 50% are still made here. Danner is a similar mix. Thorogood and White are both still 100% USA. Dang, I hate to find out all my work clothes are being made overseas. At least my jeans are still made local just south of me in the Oregon State Penitentiary, same place for my work shirts.
I had cats and red wings before, i just bought a pair of timberlands and so far they are much more comfortable than the other brands i have worn. Time will tell how well they wear.
Redwing Pecos, made in the USA. If the're not made here I ain't wearing them.
Time did tell, Twisted X boots suck! Thanks to the guys that recommended Timberland Pro, I got a pair at Sierra trading post for like 60 bucks. Btw if you want a name brand coat, boot, coveralls, and dont care if they are seconds (usually unnoticeable flaw) check out their website.
I have had my timberland pro's for a couple months now. Jury says i like them! alot better than the cat boots i previously wore.
I recommend Wesco boots, made in the US. They are very similar to Whites. Excellent quality. Do take a while to break in though.
I'm gonna chip in my 2¢, mostly because I need to up my post count! I bought a pair of Wolverine buckeye boots last september, and it took a week or so to break them in, but after that they were fairly comfortable and seemed to hold up well. Until this may, when the leather on the upper heel of the right boot split. So I called the place I bought them from and asked if they would replace them under warranty. (Constructiongear.com) They said yes, send them back and we'll give you a new pair. The new pair didn't need any breaking in, but I hope they last longer than the first pair!
In the late '80s, early '90s, we wore Justins all the time. Dad would order them, he wore the original ropers with rubber soles for work, and I think what I wore was called a "ranch roper". The lower part was a lot like a roper, but the upper was quite a bit taller, with rubber soles. We both wore ropers with the leather sole more for dress boots. At first they were good quality boots, but started going downhill about the time dad passed away in '92. They completely quit making the tall ones I liked, and it got to where the last ropers I bought just plain came apart within 6 months. I tried several different brands after that, from cheap $49 wal-mart specials to Wolverine dura-shocks. Sadly, for me, the wal-mart ones lasted just about as good as the Wolverines... Everything from sole splitting, to stitching ripping out. The Wolverines WERE much more comfortable than the wal-mart ones while they lasted. Tried some with the MACK truck logo on them... They WEREN'T built like a MACK truck... Total Junk. Tried some of the CAT brand, didn't last much better. I'm not a lace up boot person, but I bought a pair of H&H lace ups, and they did last well, and were very comfortable. About 10 years ago, I went to Red Wings for work boots, and have been very happy with them. I've had several pairs that I have worn for over 2 years (that's a LONG time for a pair of boots to last me), and then I broke out a new pair for myself and gave the old pair to guys that worked for me that weren't smart enough to spend a little money for quality footwear for work. Every pair of Red Wings that I've had, have been comfortable since day one. I usually have my boots on for about 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. You could count on one hand how many times I've had tennis shoes on in the last 5 years. I would try a pair of Ariat work boots if I saw a style I like. My dress boots are Ariat, and if anything they are more comfortable than my Red Wings. Just don't know if they would hold up to the abuse I put boots thru. I do have a strange observation, back when I wore the other brands, I had a problem with "walking out" the outside of the boots. The outside of the soles would wear a lot faster than the inside, tilting my feet out. Everyone said it was ME, not the boots. Ever since I went to the Red Wings, I don't have that issue. The sole wears evenly, and the uppers stay straight. Don't really know the meaning of that, but my ankles don't give me problems like they used to.
Doc Martin riggers, only ones that seem to last, get about 6 months out of them at 120 euro a pair. Wear Jallette when driving around but put the Docs on for site work. Think them high heel Red Wings on men seem strange, reminds me of all them poser oneabees on the pipelines !!
Whites, long lasting and durable. Also they are rebuildable. But I may have an advantage living in the town they are built in.
I'm going to add my name to the Red Wing fan club, by far the best, most comfortable and longest lasting boots I've ever had wrapped around my feet. Clearly, they are not the cheapest boots around but it seems you get your money's worth with them. I have purchased and worn just about every brand imaginable and always end up back at the Red Wing Store. I have this thing about waterproof boots and it never took long for the "others" to become less than, I hate wet feet but the 'Wings keep my feet dry without fail. I'm personally convinced that going the cheap route with boots is a major mistake, at the end of the day it does make a difference. You'll notice with quality boots that your back doesn't hurt as much, your feet aren't as sore and if you have weak ankles you'll twist them less if you choose boots with 8" lace-up uppers. For those of us who spend the majority of our adult lives in work boots it truly does pay dividends to buy quality.
Keen work boots nice and comfortable light! I got tired of buying, 500.00 boots and havng them last two years I paid 189.00 for a pair and they have lasted two years and still feel like slippers. water proof. check them out.
Huh, never heard of 'em, just checked them out online. My Red Wings are still going strong, when they leak I'll look into those Keen's.....thanks Hopuser!
well i have been a redwing man for a long time. i have one pair new unused yet. one pair thats probly 4 years old and my raggedy pair thats 8 years old. at this pace i may need to buy one more pair in my lifetime. i havent resoled any of them either. i have noticed that if you are heavy the soles wont last so long. i like them cause they stay waterproof for a long time. well for me anyway. i used to make people freak when i would walk through a puddle 6 inches deep and 20 foot across. lol.
bobb, My single issue with "Wings" is, they only remain waterproof for about 8 months, unfortunately 2 months out of warranty. Then again, I work in a water intensive industry (underground utilities) and put my boots through hell and back everyday. I just had my local RW store order me the new 4440 with the B.O.A. lacing system, we'll see how these work out, if not I think I will try a pair of Keen's mentioned by Hopuser...
The key to red wings is how you care for them. I rotate my footwear I have 2 pairs of 6" steel toe with the dual density sole and I also have 2 pairs of the 8" steel toe with goretex and vibram lug soles. I match my boots to the job obviously. I get a $300 allowance for boots every year so I spend it haha. At least once a month I bring a pair home from work and drop them off at redwing and they clean the leather and treat it plus new laces for free cant beat that. I have never gotten my feet wet wearing red wings.
I used to wear Red Wings or Wolverine lace ups with a shorter top like 6" or so. I tried a pair of Ariats on a friend's advice and have had really good luck with them getting exactly two years apiece on two different pairs. They are heavy though but that doesn't bother me. I don't like the fact they're made in China, but the Red Wings that I like are too. I'm not sure about Wolverines, it's been ten years since I've had any. Right now I've got a pair of Cat lace ups cause I got a gift certificate for Christmas a couple of years ago I needed to use. They were cheap at around $90 (I think on sale at a shoe store in Austin that I can't remember). I'm not very impressed. Might get 6 months out of them if it stays dry. Made in China of course. I used to wear Justin ropers back in the '80s and '90s and tried some of their work boots after that. They were just OK back then, but now they are junk. I think they got so popular that they couldn't meet demand and outsourced production to the low bidder without a QC dept.
Take a look at Viberg boots. I've had mine for 4 years and thats saying alot cause I beat the hell out of my boots. It has a steel toe with a rubber toe to keep the leather from wearing though. They are water proof almost all the way to the top just have to put a coating of shoe grease on them every now and then. As an added bounes they are made in Canada not some sweat shop in a thierd world country.
RED WING UPDATE: Okay then, ordered a pair of the new 4440 with B.O.A. Lacing System (no laces just a lifetime guaranteed system which is awesome IMHO, no more laces to break EVER!) and picked them up today. Also, since they're having a sale I puchased the Red Wing/Sole Moldable Orthothic Insoles which make a BIG difference in comfort immediately. Good thing my new Wing's arrived when they did, due to Hurricane Sandy we've had considerable rain and wind which caused some serious flooding at our project. I had to wade through 18" deep water to lift a Mirafi Cloth protected drainage grate so an existing parking lot/lake would drain. Bad thing about waterproof boots, once water comes over the top -as it did- they take forever to dry out -seems waterproofing works both ways-, if it's out it'll stay out, if it gets in it'll stay in too. I'll provide an update and let 'ya know how these new Wing's hold up...
RED WING UPDATE: First day with my new 4440's, really cool lacing system, kept my feet dry all day but.....I've never worn boots with Metatarsal Guards and with these boots it's apparently built-in. I'm used to seeing Metatarsal Guards as being an extra layer above the laces. This will sure take some getting used to, that I know for a fact. I can't bend my feet as I'm accustomed to which makes me walk funny and makes operating the pedals a little weird as well. I'll quit my whining now and just be a trooper besides my feet are supposed to be better protected this way and I hate it when a cut piece of 6" DIP falls on 'em...
I've worn red wings for seven years now. The stores are getting harder to come across but I'm very happy with the boots. I get about two years out of a pair before I replace them,but I wear the around 60 hours a week.
Whites, soak (saturate) with water and wear until dry. First day you'll hate them. After first month you'll love them. $400 to buy, $200 to completely rebuild and you have brand new lowers. The all leather arch is sooo comfortable, and the support is fantastic. If the price is too much you can try Hathornes, White's lesser brand, but I don't think they are rebuildable. Ihave worn Whites for 32 years, am on my 7th pair, and I always have a spare pair ( I rotate them until time to rebuild), and I usually get 3 rebuilds on a set of uppers.
Most comfortable shoes I ever owned were a pair of Wolverine Durashocks boots. Not sure if they make them like they used to, but they were / are the only comfortable steel toe boots out there.
got a pair of red wing slip on, wore out sole in weeks. took them to boot store in area and the owner came out with a set of good year soles. he put them on and had to re glue 3 times however I have not been able to show the slightest wear on the sole itself. the rest of it has been burnt due to deck welding. I wear them when I know I'm in the air all day. if I'm tromping on ground in mud I wear my whites. had them for 3 years now
Once you go whites, nicks, hawthorns, wesco's. you'll never buy cheap boots again. I've never worn more comfortable boots once their broke in. Well worth the money.
Nick's in Spokane are good too. I haven't tried Wesco's.
I've heard good things about Wesco boots from wild land guys. I was at the nicks factory in Spokane in January and was very impressed by the level of customer service.
Started out my career in danners when they were actually made in portland not to bad. Purchased my first pair of whites and decided i would never have anything else. When i had to have my first pair of steel toe's decided i would go to the wesco factory and have some custom made. Definately not as good as the whites. Currently have a set of whites smoke jumpers, and pacs. Need a new pair and a set with gortexs and thinsulate smoke jumpers and steel toes, probably going to be $600 for the pair if they last 3000 hrs of work thats only $.20/hour you look at it like that and its not so bad, i love how broke in whites "pop" on your foot in the morning, a man must have the best foundation possible..................................theironoracle
yup, my contractors when i got mine also 4 years ago. and my linemans/drillers boot which i must have got 2 years ago or so. not bad considering all the made in china garbage only lasted 3 months with the work I was doing. the first month that you are breaking in your first pair is absolute hell, but you are rewarded with a custom broken in fit that lasts. You're on your feet all day, might as well spend some coin on quality. also their factory is like 10 minutes from where I currently live surprised people on the east coast know about them, I know their dress shoes are highly sought after in Japan
Sprengstoff, you need to be careful with those links to photobucket you have a lot more than just the viberg pics there, maybe that is ok with you but my first time i didn't realize all of my pics were public!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice looking boot though......................theironoracle
Thanks! I don't think there's any incriminating evidence on my photobucket account, I don't really use it anymore anyways except for nostalgia.
Falcon boots makes a very comfortable meta-tarsal mining boot. I rotate between them and my red wings. Only complaint about the current redwings are the horribly slippy tread patterns. Those stupid round buttons do nothing to keep my clumsy self upright in the winter time.
My Timberland were in the back of my work truck covered in muck and someone decided they needed them more than I did. Who steals someones work boots???? Anyway I saw some Keen work boots, I have some Keen hiking boots that are great so I gave them a try. These Keens have been great! Ive only had them for a month but Im glad I rolled the dice on them. Btw they are made in the USA
+++ 1
I had been wearing wolverines vor years and recently switched to Allegiant Footwear boots. I bought the allegiant Ultimate Boot model and II agree they are the Ultimate. Will be buying another pair from them for summer boots shortly. www.afboots.com
Gotta love local manufacturers.
Ive been wearing a pair of Double H's for the last couple months, they are actually holding up really well and they are made in the USA
I purchased a pair of danner quarries with steel toes in them a few months back. I think maybe I have worn them for 200 hrs or so trying to break them in, they are horrible!!!! still uncomfortable, I just love my whites just going to have to break down and order a pair with steel toes in them in case I go to a business that requires them onsite.................theironoracle
I wear Carolina's.A very fair price for what you get in a work shoe.
I had the same shoe...POS. Didn't realize they were made in China until after the purchase. They didn't even last a year and completely fell apart. I now have super rain forest Danners at twice the cost. Will be 2 years in these shoes in Nov. Still leak free, comfortable and in decent shape (and made in USA). I'll be buying another pair for sure.
I have been wearing Vibergs boots from Victoria BC since 1976! We were doing work on extension ladders at the dock yard feet were really sore so my journeyman told me about them and added a second layer of leather, feet didn't hurt anymore after that! They are the best boots that I have worn. I just miss the Loggers wax that I used to oil them with. This new stuff doesn't last as long so have to apply it more often and use more of it. Go figure!
I'm currently using Bates 8" tactical boots, I've found that military-style boots are almost always more comfortable than any other boots, and pretty reasonable too Mine have gore-tex, side zippers (best thing EVER), and a rubber block on the back of the heel. The real foot-saver for me has been socks. A couple years ago I threw out all my cotton socks and went over to wool. Last year I kept the wool, but added a few different synthetic wool socks to try out. I get them from Duluth Trading (hope I'm ok to post that, mods let me know) for between $12 and $25/pr. What people don't realize at first is that with most of those socks from Duluth, I get free replacements for life if I wear them out Plus they save me hundreds of dollars on boots - $25 "Darn Tough" socks and some waterproofing can make your summer boots winter boots!
I have to admit that Im a Whites Boot Guy since 1979. Dad started wearing Whites in the early 60s. I had a Great uncle that got his first pair in 1923 and his last pair in 1995. He passed 2 years later. Great uncle was a Forest Service mucky muck that was part of starting the smoke jumper concept. And supposedly a personal friend of Otto White. Myself, I normally wear the Smoke Jumper model at work, but have a pair of 26 year old Packers I wear on the weekends. Great horse boots.