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Work boots

I’m about one of the roughest guys you’ll ever meet when it comes to boots. I’m a mechanic in the paving industry so they see it all and get hammered. I’ve gone down the road of Chippewa, red wing, Carolina, Carhartt, Herman survivor and probably some more that I don’t remember. The only boot I have EVER gotten a year out of are thorogoods. The pair I have now are smoked but they hit a year old in December and are still wearable. At $275 I’m gonna try to get the rest of this season out of them! I have a brand new pair in the basement but it’s heart breaking to consider destroying them. I will say the one down side to them is the break in period. It’s quick but the first 2-3 days you’re going to want to cut your foot off
 
I forgot to add, I use Atsko Snow Seal on my smooth leather boots then buff them out. It keeps them pretty waterproof. I usually do this when my wood stove is still going in late winter early spring set the boot near them (not wet!!!) to get warm to the touch then work the sno seal in to the warm leather. Then buff it with a buffing wheel.
 
Bowtie747 said:
Hey guys, I’m in the market for some new work boots. Steel toe and water resistant/proof are really my only requirements. Im used to needing steel shank boot so I don’t know who makes a decent normal work boot. Thanks!
What do you guys wear? And what do you like?
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Do you have a retail store called “Boot Barn” up there? I have the Carolina’s for my climbing boots but I use the Cody James with vibram soles for my general purpose work boots. They are very comfortable and usually I can get about 9 months to a year out of them
 
Easiest/quickest/best way I've found to break in a boot is fill up 2 buckets with water and stand in the bucket till the leather is totally saturated then go for a long walk
 
Fl Canopy Stalker said:
Do you have a retail store called “Boot Barn” up there? I have the Carolina’s for my climbing boots but I use the Cody James with vibram soles for my general purpose work boots. They are very comfortable and usually I can get about 9 months to a year out of them
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I’ll have to check around!
 
woodsdog2 said:
I forgot to add, I use Atsko Snow Seal on my smooth leather boots then buff them out. It keeps them pretty waterproof. I usually do this when my wood stove is still going in late winter early spring set the boot near them (not wet!!!) to get warm to the touch then work the sno seal in to the warm leather. Then buff it with a buffing wheel.
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I use mink oil on my boots. Between snow and swamp leather can take a beating in northern MN and mink oil seems to have worked the best for me. I haven't tried Snow Seal though, I'll have to try it out.
 
I just paid $150 for complete rebuild through NuShoe. It appears as thought the same vibram sole was used. They had a cheaper option, but I figured for a few more I'd have them rebuild everything minus the leather of course.
 
Thorogoods flyway 8” moc toe. They have a safety version but I’m going on year 3 with a pair that’s with 6 days a week. Breaking in is brutal but they are best boots I’ve ever owned. I’m in process of a slo break in on a new set. That way when the old ones give up the ghost I’m not missing any time on comfort.
 
On the topic of re-soling boots.... a decent cobbler can do that for you. If you're near a military base there will probably be a decent cobbler within several blocks of the main gate. Otherwise, I've had a pair of Danner Ft. Lewis boots re-soled by the factory. I'd imagine that Danners has steel-caps but I don't know that for certain. My Ft. Lewis boots are heavy, but solid, with excellent ankle support. If you're used to hiking in heavy boots you don't notice it, but lighter boots feel like sneakers in comparison.
 
I'm over the heavy leather, steel toe, clunky work boots. I'll take a light weight Keen, water proof with a carbon fiber toe. They even offer some American made options, and they are for making positive improvements to our world.
 
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