Most comfortable work boots?

[snakeeyes]

I wear the sams club black socks. Bought them on a whim since they were thicker cotton blend sock and made in the USA. They last about 2 years or a little longer and only break out at the heal. They have done really well for wicking moisture and not getting the funky smells. Put about 5 miles of walking in work boots every day.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/members-mark-10-pair-crew-sport-sock/prod22632037

Lots of guys at work used to buy the Bass Pro wool socks and when they fail take them back to get another set since they had a lifetime warranty on their redhead brand. Don't know if that is still the case.

 

[M6erfan]

Exact same way here, I wear the Fits brand a lot.

Wool or mirror blends They are softer on your feet, I find my boots smell better longer, I also find my feet not so soaked after 15 hrs in boots


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Ive tried them all and Fits brand socks FTW. Been wearing them for over a decade and everyone I've recommended them too has become a convert. Smartwool and Darn Tough are great, but Fits are outstanding.

 

[bobg03]

My wife thought she was being funny when she purchased me a 3 pack of gray colored railroad socks..I went back and got more, best work socks I ever had and not stupidly expensive either..

As a railroader I spent a lot of time on my feet and walking on rocks.

 

[Skin]

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. The biggest difference besides texture is that wool wicks moisture away from your foot whereas cotton just absorbs it like a sponge. The wool dries out a lot quicker and is antimicrobial so your feet don't get to smelling as bad at the end of the day.

Wool being antimicrobial is actually a myth/misconception. Its generally the lanolin in wool that is antibacterial however most of it is removed when the wool is processed into clothes and what little remains is further removed by washing. The reason why wool smells less compared to cotton or polyester is due to its moisture wicking and quick drying properties. Basically it takes longer for bacteria to adhere to the fibers and cause a smell.

To be truly antimicrobial the wool would have to actually kill or stop bacteria which is does not. Its just more resistant.

 

[captain14]

How tall are you with size 15 feet??

I'm guessing 6ft 6"

Close. 6-7

 

[boyleged]

I work in manufacturing and usually only 9 hours a day on concrete but I picked up a pair of Keen San Jose composite toes boots about 5 months ago and love them. It took just a day or two to break in and I prefer them to my tennis shoes now

 

[Renegade1LI]

Bought up six or seven pairs of carolina usa made logging boots a few years ago when they were being eliminated, great boot, has leather lining & really good usa vibram bottoms. It's a shame they stopped making them, great boots, I have two pairs left.

 

[mcbane]

Wow. Nine pages of replies and nobody mentions Haix. I wore redwing for a couple of decades. Uppers always fell apart before the sole wore out. And I needed to add $50 special insoles if I didn’t want to aggravate bone spurs. Haix boots an order of magnitude better. Come with a high quality insole and the upper is tough enough to live through 2+ vibram soles.


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[uscarry45]

Nicks boots - Spokane Wa. They make them custom for your feet and will set you back 500.00. It will take a month of cussing to break them in but after that it’s like a pair of slippers for the next ten years

 

[tarbellb]

Wow. Nine pages of replies and nobody mentions Haix. I wore redwing for a couple of decades. Uppers always fell apart before the sole wore out. And I needed to add $50 special insoles if I didn’t want to aggravate bone spurs. Haix boots an order of magnitude better. Come with a high quality insole and the upper is tough enough to live through 2+ vibram soles.

Those Haix (AR200/ $309) look pretty nice, a little crazy euro styling, but nice.

Are they made in Germany? ( says "engineered"? )

 

[fsae0607]

I've had these for three years in a row at my current job (manufacturing). Very comfy.

https://www.drmartens.com/us/en/p/26307001

 

[Packard V8]

Nicks boots - Spokane Wa. They make them custom for your feet and will set you back 500.00. It will take a month of cussing to break them in but after that it’s like a pair of slippers for the next ten years

Agree, we're incredibly fortunate here in Spokane to have both Nick's and White's custom boots.

White's were the first and their signature design has a very high arch; I could never learn to be comfortable in that.

I had them make me a pair of the average arch boots and love them.

jack vines

 

[mbunimog]

Nicks boots is what I wear. Also have two pairs of Red Wings. The Red Wings are 375 dollars and Nicks are 500 dollars but a world of difference in comfort and support.
The Nicks are custom fit with a test on pair and then made for your feet. They can be had with any sole soft or hard, fire proof if you need that etc. The Fire fighters on wild fires use them

 

[bigdave_185]

Just added these to my boot supply. I really like the lace ups. Figure try some slip ons, thorogood moctoe non safety boot

Yes it’s my night stand. The damn dog won’t keep his wet nose out of them on the ground


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[mwalsh9152]

I've had these for three years in a row at my current job (manufacturing). Very comfy.

https://www.drmartens.com/us/en/p/26307001

I had a pair of Dr Martens commercial boots for work, and they were hands down the most comfortable boot Ive ever owned. Unfortunately, they didnt have the arch support I needed, and I ended up with plantar fasciitis in both feet because of them.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Dr. Martens usually do not have a shank, so the sole basically collapses under weight.

 

[fsae0607]

I had a pair of Dr Martens commercial boots for work, and they were hands down the most comfortable boot Ive ever owned. Unfortunately, they didnt have the arch support I needed, and I ended up with plantar fasciitis in both feet because of them.

I use the Dr. Scholls arch support inserts since i have flat feet.

 

[Wyoming09]

I'm on my second pair of Keens. I love them. Also had a couple pairs of Carolinas. Loved them almost as much.

 

[xjfish]

Honestly Adidas work shoes (yes steel or alloy toe) have been the most comfortable for me personally so far. I wear size 16 and my options are limited. I stand on concrete 8+ hours a day. They breathe decent. They are not good for standing in water. They are not good for welding slag, and they don't hold up for a long time. I have worn just about every major and minor brand of boots that makes them in a size 16. Redwing has by far held up the best, yet has taken the longest to break in... I'm permanently switching to safety shoes for the summer and will mostly stick with boots for winter... Currently wearing a pair of "Avenger" safety toe boots. NOT impressed...

 

[silentpoet]

Irish Setter for me. But what I did was go to the boot store and try on just about every pair of steel toed boots they had till I found the most comfortable pair. Then I also added a dr scholls insert. I can be in them all day and on the go and they are comfortable.

 

[mbunimog]

I wear Darn Tough socks medium weight made out of Merino wool and lifetime guarantee

 

[65Goat]

^^^^

 

[gpw_42]

Concur with all about 100% wool socks...they're the best, most comfortable in all conditions, IMO. I prefer SmartWool, but am tempted to try some new brands after reading this thread.

Old Army trick to speed up breaking in new boots: saturate them (wear into the shower), then wear until they're dry. Hard to do in the winter, but they'll be broken in by the time they get dry. Don't know what impact steel toes have on this, but worth trying.

 

[ZRX61]

Was at Costco this morning & looked for Merino socks.. couldn't find any. Then while looking at the Timberland socks I found one 4pk pack of the Merino's in the same box.
They wouldn't ring up at the check out & they had to get a manager to sort it ($14.99). She said they were online only now & that was why they weren't in the system. Said there were 3 left in stock. They sure weren't in the sock area so someone must have had the other two packs in their cart

 

[ZRX61]

Old Army trick to speed up breaking in new boots: saturate them (wear into the shower), then wear until they're dry. Hard to do in the winter, but they'll be broken in by the time they get dry. Don't know what impact steel toes have on this, but worth trying.

Wearing two pairs of socks will prevent blisters.

 

[Billgluckman]

The only boots I’ve ever found truly comfortable are the pair of CATs that I’ve been wearing the last couple of years.

Gotta be careful though, there are at least 2 boots they make that look almost identical but feel completely different. I found out the hard way.

Also do yourself a favor and get real work socks. I wear Wolverine socks, very thick and comfy.

 

[930dreamer]

I'd like to try a pair of the Thorogood boots.

 

[brownbagg]

i hate keen, could not wait for them to wear out, hate red wing too, but that was, there would never break in, the leather being so thick, now the soles come off within 30 days and they wont warrenty them, so no more redwings for me. so lately its been justins

 

[bscman]

I've been wearing mid height steel or composite Keen for many years.
I'm on concrete and rock all day 55-70hrs a week. I wear them often after hours and weekends as well

What most people don't know is they have a variety of foot beds. Most of their work boots ship with the "utility" footbed, which is alright, but for $15-30 you can upgrade to a much better, more comfortable, and longer lasting cushion with varying arch height.
I'll usually replace the footbed at 10-12months and can get 18-24mo from a pair. Pretty good considering all the oil and fuel they get exposed to.

 

[nbpt100]

Nothing like going to a full service shoe store that sells work gear. If you can find such a store in your area. They are a dying breed. I am a big fan of using high quality padded inserts like Spencos. I will pay the $20 extra and throw out the inserts that come with most sneakers, shoes or boots.

Shoes are no place to cut corners. When your feet hurt everything is thrown off. It really is a smart investment to go high end in this area.

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Redwing ***** in my opinion. Our
workplace gives us vouchers for 200.00
worth of shoes/boots every 1.5 years there.
Only thing I found comfortable at Redwing
was their black flat bottom shoe.


I’ve had a pair of Danner boots for about
6 years now that I still wear but are for
the most part worn out, but some of the
most comfortable boots I’ve had.

You can send your Danners for recrafting. Not cheap, but less than a new pair. And they will be perfect.

 

[bsaint]

I wear Olathe packer boots when there's not a risk of damaging my toes. They are my favorite. I may buy another pair to have as my going out with the woman pair. I think I got mine on sale for $275. Normally like $400.

 

[rick carpenter]

For affordable options, I like my 6" lace-up steel-toe moc-toe Caterpillars and my 12" pull-on steel-toe roper-style Wolverines. The Wolverines are my go to boots but I wear the Cats for ladder work, under a house, etc where better foot and ankle dexterity is crucial. Both are comfortable enough to work in all day and waterproof, and the Cats have synthetic toe and achilles guards.

 

[CarpetGuy]

I can't wear slip on boots, because of a high arch. I was having trouble finding comfortable running/tennis shoes for work, so I gave up and was wearing the RX Santa Cruz Crocs for a few years. I went back to tennis shoes for a few more years. So tired of them wearing out fast, I found this thread. I went out to a western store to try on some Keen, Ariat, and hoping to find some Thorogood wedge boots to try on. On a wim I tried on these slip on/lace up combo boots I've never seen before...thinking they wouldn't fit, and I would embarrass myself. My jaw literally dropped when I slipped them on to find a cloud fitting great shoe. I bought the only wide style I could find that happen to be Ariat. I went to another western store and ordered a brand I never heard of in the same style...Twisted X. I'll spray them with waterproof spray. I want a few more variations, but here is what I found:

I bought these:

Spitfire Shoe

Spitfire

www.ariat.com

Twisted X Men's Waterproof Western Driving Mocs | Boot Barn

Twisted X Men's Water Resistant Driving Mocs Moc Toe are designed for the rugged lifestyle, made to withstand the demands of both the open road and the

www.bootbarn.com

Twisted X Men's Driving Shoes - Moc Toe | Boot Barn

Experience unmatched comfort and durability with Twisted X Men's Driving Shoes - Moc Toe. These top-tier driving shoes effortlessly blend Western

www.bootbarn.com

I want these:
https://www.ariat.com/P23950_M_FOO.html?dwvar_P23950__M__FOO_color=DISTRESSED_BROWN

 

[geartow]

New Balance 627 steel toe sneakers

 

[MarineScott]

I have Timberland Pro with the anti fatigue. Can't go wrong and I get 4-5 years out of mine working as an automotive mechanic, on concrete all day.

 

[Jr5]

Love my redwing moc toe 6” (not sure the model number). Broken in and fantastic

 

[yamaha0343]

The Red Wing 4216 composite toe are my favorite. The Boa system is great.

FlexBond | RedWing

Find the ideal balance of durability and flexibility in this lightweight, medium-duty, steel toe boot featuring the BOA® Fit System. Shop now! | Red Wing Shoes

www.redwingshoes.com

Also have these Dr Martens, and they are comfortable but heavy. At the end of a long day it's definitely noticeable.

Ironbridge Leather Steel Toe Work Boots in Teak | Dr. Martens

Shop Ironbridge Leather Steel Toe Work Boots in Teak at Dr. Martens. Free delivery on orders over $50

www.drmartens.com

 

[Roobaix]

Thorogood moc toes with the Superfeet green insoles for me.

 

[R1100purist]

Chippewa service boots come in EE and are a nice, re-solable choice