I wore lace-up Red Wing steel toes for decades. Eventually I'd have to have them re-soled at the local Shoe Repair Store. I could go a couple of years on the original sole, and then another year or more on the resole. By then, there was nothing left of the leather due to anti-freeze, ATF, gasoline/diesel fuel, engine oil, etc. splashing on them.
I inherited a pair of pull-on steel toe work boots. Holy ****, I couldn't wait for my lace-ups to wear out. The only problem was they had an "indoor" sole, and sometimes I was pushing vehicles in snow and mud--so those smooth soles were useless. They were great indoors, though. I really loved the pull-on boots that didn't require time to lace and un-lace.
I have some imported Red Wing steel-toe shoes that look kind of like a cross between hiking boots and tennis shoes. Not overly impressed with them. They're a pain in the *** to put on, like the lace-up work boots, but they're not as comfy as casual shoes.
Now I have nerve damage in my feet from a medical condition. I have to wear cushy shoes. I hope to someday be able to get back into steel toes, but not the way my feet are now.
A buddy of mine had non-stop incurable athlete's foot. No cream or ointment would cure it. Went on for months. He was miserable and his toes looked like hell.
I told him to get rid of his boots. We threw them into the woodburning stove, and Satan came out of them, right there in the fire.
New boots, some over-the-counter ointment, three weeks later, athlete's foot is gone.
