Safety shoe recommendations

[davewo]

Another vote for Redbacks. I'm addicted to slip-on boots, especially around the house for when I need to frequently go inside and out. I also ended all of my foot pain with these top quality boots.

 

[1badbird]

I'm a big fan of timberland pros

 

[G-ManBart]

Your preaching to the choir dude. I buy good footwear. Always have but as many other have said here the boots break down. The sole, arch, and upper break down you lose ankle support and yourbsoles wear even if you think they haven't THEY HAVE. Throw that name redwing around all you want. Do you know what "redwing" is these days? Well over half is Chinese built garbage. So if you spend $350 that doent make the boot last any longer than my $220 throrogoods or my $250 american made Carolina 505's . (I dont pay those prices for either of these because i shop around and buy them on sale) so yeah if your bragging about spending $350 every 5 years + cuz "I bought me some fancy boots" your still a cheap ***, your still hurting your back, hips, and knees. Dont believe me talk to a doctor. You may not feel it yet but you will eventually.

There is so much wrong in this statement I almost don't know where to start.

First off, you telling me what my shoes or boots are doing to my body is simply ridiculous. If I try wearing boots or shoes that have a springy insole, lots of cushion, or soft soles my feet hurt, and I hate the way they feel. Further, if wearing old boots was going to cause a problem, I'm pretty sure I would have known it after doing stuff like ******* a 70lb pack for 10 miles wearing jungle boots that were 5 years old....20 years later, no ankle, knee, hip, or back problems.

Top quality boots and shoes don't break down nearly as quickly as you're suggesting they do, and the kind of boots/shoes factors into it as well.

At times I've worn a suit five days a week, so I have several pairs of Allen Edmonds dress shoes that I've been wearing for over ten years. The soles are leather, the heels are hard as a rock, and they have minimal cushion anywhere. They haven't changed one bit since they broke in, and Allen Edmonds says they can "recraft" them 2-3 times, which equals many years of use before they need to be tossed. Why would they say that when they're in the business of selling more shoes?

The reason the kind of boots/shoes factors in is that for some styles there isn't much that can deteriorate. Go look at a pair of the Danner Ft. Lewis boots I mention below, or the copy by Matterhorn (also had a pair of those) and you'll see there's nothing that's going to compress or break down over time...they don't have any real give in them from the start, on purpose.

Running shoes or others with a lot of cushion in the sole are a completely different story, but that's not what we're talking about here.

The Redwing boots I have are 100% made in the U.S., not their imported models, so I'm very aware of where they are made, and what they are "these days."

I wasn't bragging by mentioning the Redwings....just pointing out that I have them, and they aren't cheap. I actually have other boots that cost more if we want to really get technical. As I recall, my Danner Ft. Lewis Go Devils were more expensive than the Redwings. I'm pretty sure my dress shoes cost a bit more than the Redwings as well.

I also have hiking shoes by Merrell and Asolo. The Merrells have a fairly springy insole and some give to the sole. I always thought they were great and went through several pairs until I was given a pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX and I'm getting ready to buy a second pair so I can alternate them and get rid of the Merrells. The Asolo have a very firm insole and a very hard sole, and when I wear them all day walking back and forth on concrete, my feet feel better than when I wear the Merrells (or the Danner Pronghorns I have two pairs of).

I don't consider Redwings "fancy" at all...just very good quality if you buy their better models. Based upon how long I see them lasting, they're worth it.

So no, I'm not a cheap *** at all, I just know what works best for me (and lots of other people who disagree with you). I should point out, that if you want to insult someone by suggesting that they're being a cheap ***, you might want to at least write it properly. It's "you're a cheap ***" not "your a cheap ***."

 

[370]

There is so much wrong in this statement I almost don't know where to start.

First off, you telling me what my shoes or boots are doing to my body is simply ridiculous. If I try wearing boots or shoes that have a springy insole, lots of cushion, or soft soles my feet hurt, and I hate the way they feel. Further, if wearing old boots was going to cause a problem, I'm pretty sure I would have known it after doing stuff like ******* a 70lb pack for 10 miles wearing jungle boots that were 5 years old....20 years later, no ankle, knee, hip, or back problems.

Top quality boots and shoes don't break down nearly as quickly as you're suggesting they do, and the kind of boots/shoes factors into it as well.

At times I've worn a suit five days a week, so I have several pairs of Allen Edmonds dress shoes that I've been wearing for over ten years. The soles are leather, the heels are hard as a rock, and they have minimal cushion anywhere. They haven't changed one bit since they broke in, and Allen Edmonds says they can "recraft" them 2-3 times, which equals many years of use before they need to be tossed. Why would they say that when they're in the business of selling more shoes?

The reason the kind of boots/shoes factors in is that for some styles there isn't much that can deteriorate. Go look at a pair of the Danner Ft. Lewis boots I mention below, or the copy by Matterhorn (also had a pair of those) and you'll see there's nothing that's going to compress or break down over time...they don't have any real give in them from the start, on purpose.

Running shoes or others with a lot of cushion in the sole are a completely different story, but that's not what we're talking about here.

The Redwing boots I have are 100% made in the U.S., not their imported models, so I'm very aware of where they are made, and what they are "these days."

I wasn't bragging by mentioning the Redwings....just pointing out that I have them, and they aren't cheap. I actually have other boots that cost more if we want to really get technical. As I recall, my Danner Ft. Lewis Go Devils were more expensive than the Redwings. I'm pretty sure my dress shoes cost a bit more than the Redwings as well.

I also have hiking shoes by Merrell and Asolo. The Merrells have a fairly springy insole and some give to the sole. I always thought they were great and went through several pairs until I was given a pair of Asolo Fugitive GTX and I'm getting ready to buy a second pair so I can alternate them and get rid of the Merrells. The Asolo have a very firm insole and a very hard sole, and when I wear them all day walking back and forth on concrete, my feet feel better than when I wear the Merrells (or the Danner Pronghorns I have two pairs of).

I don't consider Redwings "fancy" at all...just very good quality if you buy their better models. Based upon how long I see them lasting, they're worth it.

So no, I'm not a cheap *** at all, I just know what works best for me (and lots of other people who disagree with you). I should point out, that if you want to insult someone by suggesting that they're being a cheap ***, you might want to at least write it properly. It's "you're a cheap ***" not "your a cheap ***."

You should have said you only wear your boots once a month.. i thought you actually wore your boots. See I wear mine every single day in an industrial setting. I guess mine would last for years if they just collected dust in the closet like yours. I don't think the OP was looking for closet candy. Pretty sure he needs them for work. I don't know about you but most people don't want a hard as a rock shoe in thier foot. But to each his own. A rock hard sole in my occupation would get me killed. Thanks for the grammar lesson by the way douche.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: anybody have Wide feet so to speak because i wear 11 EE or 11 EEE (WW & WWW) and it's hard to find shoes. i've got a couple pairs of Red Wings and my supports i have in my tennis shoes that actually make my walking and standing work better don't fit in my Red Wings. hence i'm wearing tennis shoes (without steel toes) the last 6 months and really taking a chance on losing a foot or toe with all the stuff i do.

if your shoes are wearing out and you can't afford to buy a new pair get some good supports to put inside them until you can.

if your back is giving you issues you might also try an inversion table every night or morning and just hang for 5 minutes like i have for the last 9 years now. it takes a while to build up to the 5 minutes so take your time and DON'T hang longer than 5 minutes cause you can damage your tendons and especially your ACHILLES like I did when i tried to hang 10 minutes a couple times a day to work something out in my back quicker. up to 5 minutes a day is all it usually takes and even if it takes a few days it's a lot better than surgery or taking pills the rest of your life.

 

[G-ManBart]

You should have said you only wear your boots once a month.. i thought you actually wore your boots. See I wear mine every single day in an industrial setting. I guess mine would last for years if they just collected dust in the closet like yours. I don't think the OP was looking for closet candy. Pretty sure he needs them for work. I don't know about you but most people don't want a hard as a rock shoe in thier foot. But to each his own. A rock hard sole in my occupation would get me killed. Thanks for the grammar lesson by the way douche.

Wrong (again). I wear boots every day now and have for about the last five years. My footwear requirements have changed multiple times over the years, but for a large part of my life, boots have been my daily wear. Did you miss the point when I talked about being in the military and wearing combat boots every day for years? Not too surprising you'd miss yet another important detail.

Like I said above, I have been talking about my feet, and what works for me, not what works for you, or anybody else. You're the one saying I'm somehow wrong, or a cheap ***, for buying the expensive boots that work for me, and just happen to last for years while doing it. Other people in this thread have said the exact same thing....they buy quality boots, they last for years, and they have no problems.

Calling me names....now that's pretty funny! I'm sure that makes most people think you're the reasonable, intelligent kind of poster they want to believe.

 

[370]

ALL: anybody have Wide feet so to speak because i wear 11 EE or 11 EEE (WW & WWW) and it's hard to find shoes. i've got a couple pairs of Red Wings and my supports i have in my tennis shoes that actually make my walking and standing work better don't fit in my Red Wings. hence i'm wearing tennis shoes (without steel toes) the last 6 months and really taking a chance on losing a foot or toe with all the stuff i do.

if your shoes are wearing out and you can't afford to buy a new pair get some good supports to put inside them until you can.

if your back is giving you issues you might also try an inversion table every night or morning and just hang for 5 minutes like i have for the last 9 years now. it takes a while to build up to the 5 minutes so take your time and DON'T hang longer than 5 minutes cause you can damage your tendons and especially your ACHILLES like I did when i tried to hang 10 minutes a couple times a day to work something out in my back quicker. up to 5 minutes a day is all it usually takes and even if it takes a few days it's a lot better than surgery or taking pills the rest of your life.

I have wide feet. 13 EEE. Dont usually have any problem with arch support though. Have you thought about seeing a doctor about your arch issues? The copay might be well were the trouble. Might even get you off that inversion table altogether.

 

[Bluejoe]

I found a lot of shoes I like but I have a narrow foot. I found a pair of timberlands at Sears that fit perfect. They were not overly insulated so my feet didn't sweat. The fit was perfect. I wore them out. When I went back to get another pair or two they were discontinued. I tried a pair of RedWings hoping good quality fit. Well for $150 dollar shoes the material started to fray and tear. When I went back the guy told me they had problems with that design and discontinued. He would only give me 10% off a different shoe. Ten percent off of a shoe that they know had problems and discontinued. How about a return. I sent Redwing a complaint but they never responded. I will wear my steel toed sneakers until I find a shoe in a narrow size.

 

[GiantCranium]

I'm surprised at all the recommendations for redback(they are cheap at 65usd). I wore them for 10 years but decided to give lace up a go. Now I'm lazy and there is no way that I would do them up everyday so I bought some steel blue lace up with a zip side. They were incredible to start with but after 6 months started to lose their shape. For the last year I have been using some Blundstone 992's that I had sent over from home (Australia) and they are by far the best boots I have ever worn. So good in fact that I have had another 4 pairs sent over for the blokes at work.

 

[Greg85mcss]

I found a lot of shoes I like but I have a narrow foot. I found a pair of timberlands at Sears that fit perfect. They were not overly insulated so my feet didn't sweat. The fit was perfect. I wore them out. When I went back to get another pair or two they were discontinued. I tried a pair of RedWings hoping good quality fit. Well for $150 dollar shoes the material started to fray and tear. When I went back the guy told me they had problems with that design and discontinued. He would only give me 10% off a different shoe. Ten percent off of a shoe that they know had problems and discontinued. How about a return. I sent Redwing a complaint but they never responded. I will wear my steel toed sneakers until I find a shoe in a narrow size.

You might want to look at sketchers. I have never worn a wide shoe but I had to go wide with the sketchers. They're completely done after a year but are cheap to replace.

 

[mbunimog]

My boots are Redwing made in the USA. Not cheap but they are very comfortable and I wear them every day since I retired 4 years ago. The Redwing store treats the leather monthly for free. Shoe laces are free also if needed.
The other boots I will probably buy are the White boots made to my measurements. They are a little more money than the Redwings but they are made to your measurements and they will fit perfectly. Both can be resoled and rebuilt as long as you maintain the uppers and don't let it dry out

 

[OutsideMachinist]

I cant get a pair of boots to be worth a day after a year and a half at the most. Including USA red wings. I wore out the soles completely smooth on a pair of those in like six months. Not saying anyones a liar just wish they lasted for me I guess. I get a pair at least once a year probably. Thats wearing them 6 or 7 days a week 8-12+ hours a day. I dont treat them, swap them out, or always dry them best as I could so maybe thats it I dont know.

 

[mbunimog]

You need to buy the made in USA redwings and not the made in China or elsewhere
They are about 350 dollars but worth it and they hold up
The White boots are perhaps 500 dollars and they also hold up

 

[markbugno]

Carolina 508 metatarsals. Little to no padding, steel toe and metatarsal, hard sole. Uncomfortable for the first 2 weeks, once broken in my feet love them. Got three years out of the first pair. On my second pair now. Made in USA of course. Most of carolina's line is made overseas now.

Mark


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[mbunimog]

The white boots are preferred by the fire teams fighting wild fires in the western part of the us

 

[370]

Carolina 508 metatarsals. Little to no padding, steel toe and metatarsal, hard sole. Uncomfortable for the first 2 weeks, once broken in my feet love them. Got three years out of the first pair. On my second pair now. Made in USA of course. Most of carolina's line is made overseas now.

Mark


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The 505 are the same boot but 8" tall instead of 6". I have both but prefer the taller 505. They are great boots. They used to come with a memory foam insole but I hear the newer ones don't have that anymore.

 

[markbugno]

The 505 are the same boot but 8" tall instead of 6". I have both but prefer the taller 505. They are great boots. They used to come with a memory foam insole but I hear the newer ones don't have that anymore.

Yeah, mine didn't come with any insole. I did add a pair of dr scholls boot insoles... Kind of a must. I do a lot of kneeling, crouching, laying down so I think the taller ones would not be good for me. I agree, great boot. Very tough.

Mark


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[WoodsTruck]

For woods work I had a pair of Nick's boots built. Nick used to work for White's back in the day and didn't like the direction the company was going and split off and kept the old business model White's started with (my dad bought his first set of White's in 1967 and they had his "last" on the shelf until they changed their business model). I had his last pair of White's rebuilt but couldn't stand them. The Nick's were built in 2003 for $450 shipped to my door after an in-store measurement. These should last me another 10 years anyway, if not longer.

I also wear some steel-toe Redwings that need replaced.

Any suggestions on size 16-17's? Most places carry up to a 13-14 and then drop the ball on bigger feet.

 

[Greg85mcss]

I just ordered these.
http://m.keenfootwear.com/product/shoes/men/mesa-esd
I was looking at the ones recommended but yesterday it was slow and we were cleaning the floor. It made me realize how wet my feet would be if I had shoes with mesh sides. Not to mention oil spills.


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