Who makes good boots these days?

[Poindexter]

I have been wearing Wolverine 1529's for about 20 years, 4 pairs of them at ~5 years each. Discontinued model. The new Wolverines didn't feel at all good on my feet in the store.

I brought home a pair of Red Wings, good reputation, but about half an hour on carpet in the house and they are definitely going back tomorrow.

I need/want an 8 to 10" high lace up boot, and either a steel or composite toe. Deep lugs on the sole a plus, watertight is nice but not required. I will be wearing these mostly in the summer for anything from mowing the yard up to felling trees and bucking logs.

They will be one of the three pairs of dry shoes I take on hunting trips in autumn. I got good pull on water tight boots for the boat and excellent winter boots for cold weather.

Just looking for three season safety and comfort that should last a good long time.

Carrhart boots any good? Keene? Caterpillar? Danner?

I'll find something comfortable, but I would rather pick from a short list of known good stuff.

 

[BrotherBart]

Several threads out there to look at in search for boots. A couple every year. I prefer my Matterhorn's but they cost a car payment.

 

[bags]

I wear Red Wings and they do have a break in period. They hold up the best for me and I'm rough on boots. They have some newer designs comfy out of the box and water proof but you pay for them. I once bought a pair of Carharts and the soles came apart in a month or two. That was several years back so not sure if they've improved. Carolina's and Justin's are decent boots. Keen is good stuff too.

So many choices now it's hard to say. Danner are supposed to be good but I've never had any. Rocky's are good and I like them also. There's a few for ya to check out. I've heard good stuff on Bro Bart's brand too. When it comes to boots I will go the extra cash because I live in boots. The cheaper ones never last long for me. I get years out of the Red Wings and some others mentioned. Many years as long as they are cleaned and oiled.

 

[Jasper]

Rocky are good to go. I've had thier work boots, hunting, and duty(police). They last forever and never had the soles come apart. I have a pair of Ariats ordered we will see how they do.

 

[mopar440_6]

I second what bags said. I'm willing to spend the money on Red Wings because I live in my boots (put them on in the morning and don't take them off until its time to go to bed). I clean and oil them often and change the insoles every 3-6 months. I've got 3 pairs right now; 2 sets of steel toe for work one insulated, one not and an old non-steel pair I keep for working around the house. The oldest pair would be about 7 years old at this point. I've tried Rocky but they never feel quite right even after breaking in. I've got a set of Double H pull-ons that I love and I just ordered a set of Justin's to use up last year's company subsidy so we'll see how that goes.

Before you give up on Red Wings completely, if you have a Red Wing company store locally (not just a dealer) maybe give them a visit. I learned quite a bit working with the local store and even a local dealer. I measure out to size 10-1/2 wide and for years that's what I wore. The sales guy at the Red Wing company store told me that most people can wear 3 different sizes but one of those might fit just a little better than another. He had me try identical boots in 10-1/2 wide, 11 medium, and 11-1/2 narrow and we found out that the 11-1/2 narrow actually fit me the best. The other thing that both the local Red Wing dealer and the company store guys told me is to lightly wash a set of new boots and rub them down with a generous coat of oil, let them sit overnight, and wear them for a full day. I've done that with every pair of new boots I've gotten and it has shortened the break in time significantly.

 

[ironpony]

Rockys, I live by the outlet store and get decent pricing. Have been wearing them since 1988 or so. I find them comfortable and durable, have worn others but wind up back with Rocky. I also have a pair of Muck slip ons I bought last year an they are very comfortable for outside work, mowing etc. Actually now thinking about it I have been using the Muck boots more and more, slip on and go no tying.

 

[bags]

Muck boots are great. Got my first pair for X-Mas last year. Well made and warm. Quick off and on. Again, pricey but worth it. Great in the snow and cold. Mud too! I use mine pouring concrete too. Was sick of all the cheap PITA rubber stuff.

 

[lindnova]

I have worn nothing but Red Wings and swear by them. They do take a while to break in. Out of the 6 or so pairs I have had there was one I did not like, but it was a slightly different (cheaper) model than I normally got and the souls sucked bad. Some have worn a little better than others, but the ones that ended up being the best were the worst to break in. I have three pairs using right now. One nearly new that I haven't worn much. One with pretty worn out souls, but still look ok and are very comfortable, and one that has torn leather and almost no soul left - I use that one for around the house and woods when it is dry. I think the oldest pair is 8 years old

I try to break them in slow by wearing them a little at a time where I won't be walking enough to rub blisters.

I get the steel toe basic 2233 8". I like that it has shallow treads and tracks little as I work in an office and don't like to track in so much after being out on a jobsite. After the first year the tread is nearly smooth. If I was all in the field, I might get a more aggressive tread. I am pretty easy on my boots working in the office, but do work them hard when at home.

 

[k3751]

I don't know if I'll ever have another pair of boots that aren't Danner. My first pair lasted about 4 years of almost daily wear until the tread were gone. My new pair,the Acadia, has several years on them and are still going strong. They stand behind their product. A buddy of mine got a split in the sole after wearing them for about eight months, and Danner replaced them, no questions asked. Plus, you can get them resolved or refurbished when they need it. You're going to pay a pretty penny for a pair of Danners, though.

 

[D8Chumley]

I like Keen for work ( safety toe ) and Merrell for non work, although I might try Keen hikers when my current Merrells wear out. I'm not crazy about Red Wings, we get a $150 voucher towards a new pair every other year. I have had some that were great and some that I won't even wear any more. I hear Danner is great, might have to try a pr of those someday Keep in mind all the above are North of $150/pr but I don't mind spending almost 200 on boots I wear 10-12 hrs a day and they last for 2+ years

 

[Tinder]

After reading so many good things about Danner, I once bought a pair of Danner Pronghorns for pheasant hunting trip (walking through tall grass fields) . 3 days into use, they looked beat. By the end of the week, they were falling apart. POS boot IMO. I think they were once a good company and then bought by someone else who tried to maximize profit and in turn ruined the product.

I've been using Cabelas Outfitter leather boots since - cheaper and hold up pretty decent.

One of these days I'd like to give a more expensive boot a chance again, but the Danner purchase still stings.

 

[Sleeper-6]

I really like my Redwings, On my second pair now, wore the soles nearly smooth on the first pair. They do take about a week or two to get softened up and comfortable. Maybe try a different model (they make tons) before you give up on them completely.

 

[firefighterjake]

Redwings . . . but as mentioned . . . they take a while to break in. For the first week or two I feel like I've got blocks attached to my feet and clump around like a drunken Frankenstein.

 

[wahoowad]

Not impressed with my Danner Jackal II boots

 

[kennyp2339]

Love my un-insulated red wings logger style, have a pair of 5.11 side zips that are composite toe insulated (there warm and comfy) have a pair of bates which took a long time to break in. All are good boots and have there pro's and con's

 

[drz1050]

Loggers? Chippewa Super Loggers: http://www.amazon.com/Chippewa-Mens-Super-Logger-Waterproof/dp/B003F24DTO

Work boots? Thorogood. These are my current go-to's: (broken link removed to http://workingperson.com/thorogood-mens-tan-804-4655-composite-toe-work-boots.html)
and
http://workingperson.com/thorogood-814-4233-mens-american-heritage-lace-to-toe-roofer-boots.html

Red Wings aren't as good as they used to be, and they moved a lot of production overseas.

Thorogood also makes the boots sold by Duluth Trading Co.

 

[mopar440_6]

Red Wings aren't as good as they used to be, and they moved a lot of production overseas.

Country of origin is stamped on the label on the tongue. Pretty simple to check and not buy the imported ones. Their website also shows which models are US made and which are imported.

 

[G6 at Snook TX]

I am a Red Wing man. Have owned many pairs since high school, and they are a beast to break in. But once they are good, they last. I have tromped many a mile in them for summer work, and I teach school in them since I have to stand for six or so hours a day.

 

[leonardo]

have worked landscape construction for the last seven years. here is my tally. 2 prs. redwing, 1 pr rocky, 4prs wolverine. in my experience redwings wear out too fast, rocky are the most uncomfortable footwear i have ever experienced, wolverine the best. still have 3 of the 4 prs. i have purchased.

 

[D8Chumley]

I've owned Rockys and they were comfortable, but the last pair didn't last. These are the most comfortable safety toe boots I ever wore out of the box and they lasted a solid 18 months of everyday abuse.
http://workingperson.com/keen-footwear-mens-1008313-black-detroit-steel-toe-boots.html

Unfortunately they were discontinued and the next pair of Keens were not as good out of the box. Red Wings I have had have been hit or miss. I still have the first 2 pair I got, probably 8 and 10 yrs old now. They are occasional use, might toss one pair they're about done

 

[rwilly]

I like the Keens. I wear the Pittsburg model at work as a garbage collector. I have the 6" safety toe. Very comfortable right out of the box.

 

[BKVP]

Kenetrek....period. I only bought Danner's for decades, now made in China. (Except the winterlite model.)

 

[Thinkingman]

I switched from Redwing's to Thorogood. Made in the USA. Twice the treadwear in the crepe soles.

 

[jeff_t]

Really like Cabela's Roughneck boots, but I would never order them without trying them on. Fortunately, I live fifteen minutes away from one of the big stores. I've had three different pairs over the last ten years or so. The first two I abused at work. I currently have one I'll wear to work on particularly nasty winter days, but they're really heavy. I wear them at home fall thru spring.

I just bought Meindl duty boots there the other day. Originally $240, clearance at $145. So far, very comfortable.

I need lightweight, durable boots for my job. The search never ends, and I rarely get a year out of any boot. That's the big reason I buy them at Cabela's, as they have a lifetime warranty on Cabela's branded work boots. They consider the 'lifetime' of a work boot to be one year.

 

[DirtDog]

Red Wing's here i work outdoors everyday and its the only boot i will own. Break in is about 1 to 2 weeks.