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Best Footwear

SeaMac

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
549
Location
27.2730° N, 80.3582° W
Occupation
Operator
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!
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.
 

bobb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Messages
136
Location
onarock
Occupation
Mechanic
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.
 

SeaMac

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
549
Location
27.2730° N, 80.3582° W
Occupation
Operator
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...


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.
 

BlazinSS934

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
125
Location
Long Island, NY
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.
 

d9gdon

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
1,517
Location
central texas
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.
 

buckfever

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Messages
813
Location
southwest pa
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.
 

SeaMac

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
549
Location
27.2730° N, 80.3582° W
Occupation
Operator
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...
 
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SeaMac

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2012
Messages
549
Location
27.2730° N, 80.3582° W
Occupation
Operator
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...
 

MrElectric03

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2009
Messages
95
Location
Northern Idaho
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.
 

Oxbow

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1,201
Location
Idaho
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.
 

alanmurfee

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
16
Location
Indonesia
Occupation
Blogger
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.
 

beamwalker

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
15
Location
erwin tn
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
 

dsmitht343

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
18
Location
United States
Occupation
firefighter/emt-2
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.
 

Oxbow

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1,201
Location
Idaho
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.
 

dsmitht343

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2012
Messages
18
Location
United States
Occupation
firefighter/emt-2
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.
 

theironoracle

Senior Member
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
940
Location
PACWEST
Occupation
OWNER/OPERATOR MOBILE HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIR
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
 

Sprengstoff

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Earth
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.
yup, my contractors when i got mine also 4 years ago.
viberg.jpg


and my linemans/drillers boot which i must have got 2 years ago or so.
nQKFo4K.jpg


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
 
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theironoracle

Senior Member
Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
940
Location
PACWEST
Occupation
OWNER/OPERATOR MOBILE HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIR
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
 

Sprengstoff

Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
28
Location
Earth
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.
 

redneckracin

Senior Member
Joined
May 19, 2010
Messages
574
Location
Western PA
Occupation
Civil Engineer
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.
 
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