I’ve owned Rocky’s, Timberland, Wolverine, and a few others. Tourmaster as well for motorcycle boots.
My current favorite for work boots isn’t a full boot- it’s a low rise composite toe no lace Wolverine model, which I picked because full boots heat my feet too much, and laces just get compacted with metal chips or snagged on pallets. About 100$.
When I worked (until recently), I worked as a skilled machinist. I’m in the mountains doing hikes a lot as well.
I think the most I ever paid for a pair of boots was the Rockys- around 150 or 175. Waterproof goretex Tourmaster side zips were around 110$.
Maybe my leather retailer just gets really good pricing- M&M Leather in Greensburg, PA. I lost count of how much leather and boots I’ve bought from them in the last 30 years.
I don’t know about boots, but I am a fan of Redwing Postman Oxfords. A bit pricey, but the uppers are of high enough quality that they last through a resoling. Their belts are also significantly nicer (full grain, thick leather) than anything in the department stores.
First, I did not say it was good price for work boots, the guy in the video did. i realy dont know. Second, the whole point of the video is they aren’t worth that money.
I had some logger boots made for me by Wesco (custom fit). Honestly, they weren’t much more than other high quality brands, but boots that fit like they’d already been broken in right out of the box. They’ve lasted me for years at this point as well.
So much cheaper to resole good quality that to get yet another pair, new. Less waste, too.
DH usually goes for Trask shoes (a bit posh) for the office, and he gets them resoled once a year so that’s how we justify the initial cost. Mostly their oxfords, and they do feel good to wear even if they don’t tolerate much abuse.
His work boots are Caterpillar. We resoled them once already. Total beaters now but not totally kaput yet!
I need to check out their belts! DH is overdue for an upgrade. The Costco ones I got him are simply not robust enough, and Lehmans (the Amish store) started lowering their quality while sticking to the same price point. [sigh] Thanks for that pro tip!
Even if you are able and willing to spend more, it’s often hard to distinguish between the real quality stuff and cheap junk with some fancy branding slapped on top, priced and marketed as “premium”.
Brand identity has become tribal identity. It was pretty benign when people would ask, “are you a Coke person or a Pepsi person?” But now some brands market themselves as being so imbued with America that America is now imbued with them. And wearing that brand is how you telegraph that you’re that kind of a real American.
With all that going for you, quality materials and workmanship becomes something of an afterthought. As with all the politicians wearing the brand to market themselves as synonymous with Real America: There’s no there there.
Here is the thing everyone needs to know about this video. Carhartt pulled it’s sponsorship of the video and the video creator reedited his review of the boots.
If Carhartt had not pulled their sponsorship from the video than the boots would have gotten a better review.
I have watched this channels videos before and he gave crapper boots a better review.
I guess sponsorship ensures a good product review.
I worked for the railroad. My work boot of choice was always Red Wing steel toe. Those boots were always my best piece of safety equipment. Constructed with a goodyear welt they never failed on track ballast, in mountain passes with wet conditions or burning desert sands. You get what you pay for.
I got irrationally angry last year during some works to put in some more desks where I work. The lectrac power rail that was less than 10 years old under the floor is no longer sold and so you cannot buy new power taps to connect up to the rail.
Basically if any were to break or more power is needed from it, you have to replace the whole thing.
Hate to break to you all, but those boots are designed to be waterproof and only to look like workbooks. When redwings get wet, they get dry and stiff and curl inside. Because this one is constructed with space, it won’t.
Reminds me of when my Timberland deck shoe sole was worn through and the local cobbler/repairer ordered new soles and after weeks of me going back to see if they were done yet he said Timberland were simply not responding but he could solve my problem by putting a Doc Marten sole on them. It worked perfectly.
Those shoes lasted another 10 years. And the Doc Marten sole was the same size/shape/thickness but had a ribbed grip pattern not the Timberland deep ‘cross and hole’ pattern that was forever getting gravel stuck in it. I’ve had a couple of pairs of those Timberlands since (they are comfortable and robust - as wearing out a sole can attest to) and I’ve often toyed with the idea of getting Doc Marten soles put on.
the fact that any complaints/low scores were addressed by a company representative (pretty obviously in UK and typing perfect English) in pretty much all cases, in a very helpful manner
It has worked well so far, but of course I do not have a standard to check it against.
