work boots

I buy timberland hiking boots with gortex (no extra insulation). They generally cost about $120 and I get 10-12 months out of a pair. I generally am on large boundary surveys with a lot of relief.. I always put snow seal on them to help keep them waterproof.

This is the only brand of boots that I have bought that do not require a breaking in period (painful ankles for the first week).

Matt

I've had lots of different brands of boots from very cheap to very expensive, and my experience has been that about 2 years is the maximum lifespan, regardless of the brand. I'm currently wearing a pair of Ariat boots, which I have been very happy with. One thing I like to look for is a pair of unlined boots, just bare leather on the inside. These can be hard to find, but it seems that the lining is usually the first thing to go.

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I currently have three active work boots.

Rocky Arctic 1200s, big clunky and super warm. I have worn them for two days of survey work this winter and three days of hunting. I prefer them for any amount of walking. I believe they are on their fifth year.

Regularly I wear Kmart bought leather above ankle highs lightly insulated that you can throw away if the laces wear out. Typically I replace the laces once and wear down the treads. About 1.5 years.

Then I have a pair of rubber boot/galoshes with 1/2" thick ankle high felt liners added. I wear them when I know I will be in snow for the duration of a job and not walking on terrain. Would not go anywhere near a rock row with them. Gives the Rockies a break to dry out.

This time of year I may wear all of the three some day during a week.

I have already chucked my lightweight ankle highs/Gortex and will start with a new pair next spring. I prefer them for in the muck and when I know I don't want to get my leather boots wet. More often than not I wear the lightly insulated leather boots with wool socks in the summer. Depending on the amount of wet work 2-3 years on the lightweights.

There are always 2 pairs of something in the jeep when I go to work. Sometimes one pair is on my feet, but in nice weather I usually drive in casual shoes.

Not wearing the same boots for 5 days straight gives my feet a refreshing feeling.

I have worked with guys that wear the same boots everyday, even if that whole day is spent in the office on the computer.

Paul in PA

I've always kept a wardrobe of several pair to fit conditions. I got away from any insulation kind 30 yrs ago, and stuck to sturdy leather that were comfortable. Key word comfortable. Usually with Gortex, if it my fit my budget d'jour. If I don't get 4 or 6 yrs out of any given pair, I feel ripped off. Keep them greased up.

Then I always kept some infamous pull over yellow fireman boots in my truck. That is the key in snow, mud, even cold. As a bonus your pant cuffs always stay clean & dry.

I will vouch for the Red Wings, Wolverine, Rocky, and other sturdy boots. The Sorel type wool insert with rubber soles are warm too. For leather, I always look for stitched on soles, as opposed to glued on ones. Avoid those dog turd & mud catching vibram soles at all costs. Steel toes render your locator virtually useless. High tops keep the weeds out, but low top kind are ok in the summer. Plus I keep a pair of tennis shoes in the truck to swap out at the end of the day, so as not to track any debris into the office.

Location and season drive what I wear. Most days I prefer north face pilots hikers. They weigh next to nothing, stay dry and wear 5 years plus. For extreme cold it's military cloth knee high boots with felt liners. Back when I dealt with mud it was polished leather, no liner loggers, preferably red wing.
All that being said what I really need now is a comfortable office shoe...

I haven't found a pair of day to day boots yet that last me over two years. I think this is because:

1) I go for light hiking boots. The lightest I can get with Gore-Tex

2) There's at least 220lbs on them. If I'm nekid.

3) When the weather is between 15 and 35 degrees I put bulky wool blend socks on. Even if I don't wear them out I eventually blow them out doing this.

I like Vasque the best and merril the least. I think we tend to expect too much out of these really light weight boots.

My Cabelas Bruins have lasted about five years, but it's gotta be real cold before I put them on. I might wear them one month on an average winter.

The reason I'm so anal about the weight is my knees are shot.

Steve

I go for Redwing 899s.

I can get them in 14B.

Believe it or not, these Walmart interceptor Boots are great. They have lots of miles in them. And, they are comfortable. The style I like is called "Canton".

N

While I am 80 percent in the office these days, I am in the unique position of advising on footware. You see, I have the unique position of having surveyed in northern Canada all the way to central California, as well as done mega hikes and 20,000 peaks along the way (for pleasure, not for surveying). additionally, I have VERY difficult feet to fit.... Plantar facitis, dropped arches, and my arches aren't in the right spots anyways.

The problem in North America is that generally, nobody has any idea as to fit. If you walk into a shoe or boot store and ask about boots, nobody even looks at your feet, they will sell you boots without any idea as to if you have a wide forefoot, narrow heels, or are flat footed.

A well fitted boot makes a world of difference if you are on your feet all day. Find a place that can do a proper fitting and give them your money. Everyone's feet are different, and comfortable shoes to one person are torture to the next. Most companies have their standard foot template. La sportiva tend to be narrower, scarpa tend to be wider. North face and salomon actually vary model to model (likely sourced from different Chinese shops).

Once you know how to fit boots, then it becomes what you can live with. All leather boots will stretch and conform to your feet, so a few weeks of painful break in will result in nice fitting boots. Any poor fit in lined or insulated boots will lead to wear, and hot spots (particularly in the heel pocket). If you find a pair that fit nice, ask the salesman to bring 3 pairs of that size. Every boot fits slightly differently.

Unless, your boots are European, red wings, viberg, or whites, chances are your footbed is a super cheap piece of cardboard and thin foam. Do your feet a favor and throw this out immediately. Go buy a proper footbed insole with actual arch support. Superfeet are what I use, but I belive there are 2 or 3 brands offering similar products. (I am not talking dr. Scholls here, a proper insole should cost 30-40 dollars) I have had $300 custom heat molded inserts made. There are no better than the 30-40 dollar ones. Of course fitting inserts are as important as fitting your boots.

In my case, (I mentioned how bad my feet are right.) I buy size 13 inserts (for the arch position) and cut them down to a size 10.5 boot.

Just a heads up, you are thinking backwards. If your knees are shot, you don't want the lightest boots available, particularly if you are blowing them out. You are viewing bad knees as being sore by heavy boots, when really it is the lack of support and proper alignment that is likely the problem with your knees.

Bad feet lead to bad knees lead to bad back.

See my post below.

LL Bean Cresta Hikers are the perfect boot for Land Surveyors. They are very comfortable and fit the bill for all my survey tasks. 230.00 and I get about 3 years out of them.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/13282?page=mens-beans-gore-tex-cresta-hiker-leather-fabric

Time and age have taught me that lace-up boots are the best for work conditions. They may not be that nice to look at and they are a pain pulling on in the mornin' but the support they give your ankles makes it worth the effort. The best pair of work boots I have ever worn were Danners. Hard to find and a bit pricey but worth it. Wolverine, Justin, Redwing, Georgia and Ariat are all good brands but I agree with the others on not buying boots that are insulated or with some fancy lining. They feel wonderful at first but soon rip out.

I have been buying Redwings #435 the last couple of times. I have tried several different kinds over the years but always end back at the Redwings.

The post above is spot on about sizing. I finally had someone measuring my feet and got me into the correct size. The style I wear also has a very large boxy toe design that I like.

I like my whites for most of the year, when it gets really cold I have some heavy insulated Red-Wing "hunting boots" although I can't imagine really hiking very far in them. Great for cold however.

Haven't worn out the whites yet, have about 4-5 years on them. But I don't go to the field much anymore, one of my party chiefs who is out every day has about two years on his pair, still looking pretty new.

Danner Mountain Light II. Only US made, leather, gortex, no insulation boot I could find. Comfy straight outta box.

I wore a pair of White's Logger boots for 20 years. Finally had to have them rebuilt because the sole blew out from kicking stones.

I'm wearing a pair of Danner East Ridge boots now that have lasted longer than any others I've had, which is usually a year or less. Bought these at Bass Pro Shops for about $200 and after a year they still look like they have several more miles left in them. US made, goretex, I wear them year round with RedHead socks that have a lifetime warranty. My day might include walking in 300 deg asphalt, 32% liquid nitrogen, cow manure, coal piles, wet DGA, and the usual mud and rock. Soles and stitching usually give up first.

http://www.danner.com/east-ridge-8-brown-all-leather.html?___store=default_danner&gclid=CjwKEAiAqrqkBRCep-rKnt_r_lkSJAArVUBcJWudpbI0dNLDkAZ85RKaOQtx_pVOxdJQbL_HMPc4yRoCJWjw_wcB

I used a pair of Wescos from Scappoose, OR for about 17 years of solid field work and only had one rebuild ($15) . The last 12 years I been using Whites. Granted, I didn't wade creeks all the time or wear them on those rainy winter days in mud but so far both have paid for themselves. The secret on the Wesco boots was an old timer who told me to use seal fat and rub it in until it goes through the leather. I haven't been able to find it in years so I think the Whites won't last as long.

I have a pair of Keen Wenatchee's that have survived almost two years of field work, and they are still going strong. They have a gortex lining but no extra insulation. During the winter/wet conditions I use a pair of rubber boots that slip over my work boots. Keen shoes have a roomy toe box and the overmolded toe cap saves wearing holes in the toes of your boots.