Boots

Mike Hawk

Well-Known Member
The Red Wings have ankle support, if you step on a rock you are unaware of at night in someone’s driveway you could easily roll your ankle and seriously injure it wearing a simple tennis shoe. You’re not immune to that with a boot but it greatly reduces the chance. I like hiking and mountain biking so I’m in the back country on rough trails a lot and I've seen a good number of people being carried or hobbling out themselves because they rolled their ankle on a rock wearing bad shoes.
 

UPS Lifer

Well-Known Member
Also to dry your boots out overnight you can get a snow boot blow dryer. You can purchase these at any large sports equipment store that has skis or snowboards. If you have a local snowboard shop they will carry the blower as well.

This will help your boots last longer and keep the funky smell down!
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Here's my experience with boots and shoes....

I have 7 pairs of work shoes.

1 pair of 1000 gram thinsulate hunting boots that I wear 5-6 times a year. They have a bob sole, so if I wore them a bunch, they would wear out fast. They are nice for -10 days.

For "normal" winter weather, I have 2 pair of Danner 200 gram thinsulate. I have had them for 3 winters and I just took them in to be resoled. I wear 1 pair M,W,friend and the other Tu and Th. That way they dry out on their own. Using a boot or shoe dryer is a sure way to ruin a pair of leather boots. On wet/sloppy days I have a pair of tingleys to wear over them. I also clean them monthly with Bick's #5 and then spray them with Bick's protectant. Looking over the danner website.

They are at the cobbler right now getting new soles. The uppers still like brand new. At this rate, I would expect to get at least 2 more standard resoles before they go to Danner for a more extensive rebuild. (See recrafting on the Danner website.)

I find that they work to about -10 to -15. If the high for the day is -10, I wear the hunting boots.

For Spring, I have 2 pairs.
1 pair is on the 2nd set of soles, the other is fairly new.

In the summer, I have an older pair of danners (7 or 8 years old) that are on their 3rd set of soles. I suspect that if the danners cannot be recrafted at the end of this summer that I will get another pair of Whites.

I have found that with resoling, it is cheaper to resole and get a pair of spendier shoes than it is to buy $75-100 throw-aways. I also found that chinese shoes would break down and offer little or no support after 6-8 weeks, long before the sole was completely wore out.

The downside with saying, "just get a pair of Danners" is that more and more danners are made in china. Even though they are still danners, my experience is that chinese shoes do not last (I tried chinese danners and they did not last.)

The other thing that I do not like about Danners is the rubber heel/arch support thing. They don't wear out and they are definately the hot, sweaty spot in the boot.

I tried to post this last night and there was a software upgrade, so it didn't 'take.' In the meantime, I've thought about the economics and whether it does make sense to do more expensive shoes. I figure, if I get 6 years and 2 soles, I am even, if they last longer, I'm ahead.

If you look at custom shoes (Whites fit the bill here), keep in mind that Gumlite soles are not a very long-lasting sole. My summer Danners came with them and they lasted one season. The sole that came with my Whites is very comfortable, but I have not had them long enough to say how long they will last. If I had to bet, I would bet that I get at least 2 seasons.

Around here, resoling is $35 (for those that are questioning my math.)

So, there is my 10 year experience.

TB
 

barnyard

KTM rider
I should also add, since I started rotating shoes, they don't smell bad. My wife used to make me keep my work shoes in the garage.

Also, my Whites took at least a month of wearing around the house before I would consider wearing them on route. Heavy leather does need to be broken in...

TB
 

1989

Well-Known Member
I use Redwing ($130-$160) like another poster added they usually last about a year, sometimes a few months longer. I've gotten some resoled before (about $60) but resoles don't seem last quite as long.
 

barnyard

KTM rider
Most redwings are made in china, now.

As a person receiving a fair union wage, I do feel like I have a moral obligation to do what I can and support products from companies that also pay a fair wage. Shoes and boots are a fairly easy place to make that decision.

I have only been in Walmart once, so I do feel like I am at least trying to do my part.

TB
 

ol'browneye

Well-Known Member
I wear black running type shoes with steel toes. Skechers Iron Energy, but SHeobuy.com quit carrying them so I switched to Dunham made by New Balance. Both run around $55-$65 depending on what kind of sale they are having. The steel toes add a little weight but the protection is worth it to me
plus they could come in handy against a dog! I also have a pair of slip on LaCrosse rubber boots for those rainy and sloppy days. They are about 6" tall and are black so I can wear them to work. I believe they have 200 grams thinsulate and they fit good with just a pair of socks. I wore them today in the soaking rain and my feet were comfortable and dry all day. I don't think I could wear them everyday but they are nice to have in sloppy weather.
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
I just got a full time driving job. I am in the need for a new pair of GOOD boots. I live in the midwest so I need something that can get wet and also that will last. Any thoughts from the guys that have been doing this for years?

Make sure you take care of the boots... That means using Saddle Soap, Mink Oil and a Cream Polish. This keeps the leather soft, water resistant and prevents the leather from cracking. My dad drove a truck and he is the one who taught me about taking care of my shoes and now my boots for work.

I had a driver ask me if I got a pair of new boots and I showed him the worn bottoms and told him "I just take care of them."
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
After about 12 years of wearing out expensive boots that half the time proved to be neither water proof nor warm in the winter I switched to wearing only a good quality light weight tennis shoe. I carried a pair of insulated overshoes to slip over them if it snowed or rained too much. Worked great for me for many years. I'm sure boots have come along way in the last 20 years but then again so have tennis shoes. Spray a coat of Camp Dry on them and they are just as weather proof as a $200.00 pair of Red Wings

$200 Red Wings or $25 Wal-Mart Specials are tax deductable
 

LKLND3380

Well-Known Member
Most redwings are made in china, now.

As a person receiving a fair union wage, I do feel like I have a moral obligation to do what I can and support products from companies that also pay a fair wage. Shoes and boots are a fairly easy place to make that decision.

I have only been in Walmart once, so I do feel like I am at least trying to do my part.

TB

You can buy Teamster boots and support Union Labor
 

LeddySS98

Well-Known Member
About a year ago this same question went out and 5.11's boots came highly recomended... I got mine off of lapolicegear.com

I went with the 6" A.T.A.C. boot for the summer and i got the 8" when I went back to wearing pant and the snow hit... One plus with the 5.11's is there is zero break in time... they're good to go from day one.

I tried a pair of the $200 Eccos but my ankle/heal rubbed and would have made for a nasty blister... BUT that was due to my orthotic inserts without them I was fine, but with the inserts my foot slid up and down out of the shoe about a inch every step...

Anyway I'd recomend the 5.11's
 
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