Boots gave out!

[Freightman]

I had a pair of boots that were comfortable but I guess of low quality as the souls kept coming unglued until the y came off and no fixing. So I went to J.C. Penny's as I had a $20 off coupon and looked at some Wolverines, but they didn't have my large size. So I ask the young man to bring me what he had in my size and only had one pair. The box was marked $100.95 and I almost said forget it but ask what the price was, he went and cked and said $39.95 and I bought them - the $20 coupon so I have a pair of Caterpillar boots for $20, all leather and are very comfortable. There are bargains out there but you have to look.

[Chicken Thief]

I'we done Rossi boots from down under for the last 10 yrs and love then deerly. Easy on and easy off, as i'm "proper" footed i wear the soles out first (they crack after 4+ yrs!). But i love them and going to buy a brand spanking new pair next month http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/mm153/Chickenthief/Blandet/Smilere/A.gif

[geargnasher]

I had a pair of Catarpillar boots years ago, I think Wal-Mart carried them at one time. Not bad boots for the money, especially for $20! Personally, as a professional mechanic I swear by Wolverines, and I sometimes get them at Penny's if they have the size/style I prefer, but they're still $150 even on sale. One thing I have to do, no matter the brand, is to get new insoles every 4-6 months, I like the Dr. Scholl's half-insole with the medium arch support, heel cup, and air-bubble heelbone cushion. If your Cat's get to hurting your feet or back, go for some decent orthotics, it can make cheap boots feel like a million bucks.

Gear

[DLCTEX]

I have been a Redwing fan for many years. My last pair gave me 6 years of almost daily use. The current ones are at +5 years and going strong. The ones in the past that had a plastic sole didn't hold up as well, but the soft rubber soles keep on going.

[scrapcan]

chicken thief,

I have worn blundstone boots for about ten years and the last pair sucked, the changed the last and sole and they just plain do not fit anymore. I think I will try the Rossi on my next go.

[plmitch]

I' ve been wearing Redwings for about ten plus years now while working construction. I get them resoled every year so the boots last a couple of years before I need to completely replace them. I've got two pairs of gore-tex loggers that have about an half inch of hot mop tar on them, feels like walking around with cinder blocks strapped to you feet but I just can't part with them. They are a little pricey but worth every penny spent.

[Clinebo]

I bought a pair of Irish Setter hunting boots after my Rockys' fell apart. I started finding little pieces of rubber and one day kicked my boots off and had the AH HA light come on. Rocky wouldn't stand behind them as I didn't have the receipt. Then found they also had mismatched insoles! Might try to see if they can be resoled.

[reloader28]

I am VERY hard on boots. Building fence, its nothing to walk 10 miles a day. For every 1/4 mile of fence, you walk a mile building it.

Anyway, I've had and liked several pairs of Wolverines and Redwings. Unfortunately, I wear them out in 6-9 months at $150/pair.

I switched to $200 Danners and absolutely love them. More comfortable and last me almost 2 years before they need replacing. I just bought a new pair 2 weeks ago so I'm good to go for a while.

[looseprojectile]

I like Danners. Danners feel like they are already broke in when you first put them on. I have arthritus in my feet and shoes have to fit.
I am now wearing a pair of Scarpa hiking boots that show no wear after three years of every day wearing. I hope they will last me a lifetime. Remind me of ski boots. I would not normally buy a shoe that expensive but I inherited them from my brother in law. Fit me perfect. Proves that you can buy comfort. Or inherit it.

Life is good

[Circuit Rider]

A bit off subject, but would like to know if anyone makes cowboy boots in the US these days. Most seem from China. I'd like a pair from Bishop in N.M. but can't get out there to fit them. My Tony lama's are 12 y.o. and about shot. Any advise? CR

[P.K.]

I bought a pair of Irish Setter hunting boots after my Rockys' fell apart. I started finding little pieces of rubber and one day kicked my boots off and had the AH HA light come on. Rocky wouldn't stand behind them as I didn't have the receipt. Then found they also had mismatched insoles! Might try to see if they can be resoled.

Prolly not what your looking for but I've had a pair of these:

http://www.llbean.com/llbeansignature/llb/shop/66938?subrnd=1&from=SR&feat=sigsr



Every time time sole wears out or gets damaged I send them back for replacement. Lifetime warrenty, not bad for the price.

[Bret4207]

When I retired I had 5 or 7 pair of issued boots- Rocky, Iron Age, LaCross some others. Thought I'g never have to buy boots again. Wrong. THey all gave out within 2 years. I'm current;y looking at some used European military boots in SPortsmans guide. $100-200.00 for boot is robbery.

[andremajic]

Get some shoe goo to reglue your soles

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=shoe+goo&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=995804734171576226#

You can find it locally if you look for about 4 bucks.

peel it apart as best you can, clean the crack out with alcohol/solvent, ooze it in there, and clamp it overnight.

It's what the local resole places use to glue a new insole on with.

Andy.

[DCM]

A bit off subject, but would like to know if anyone makes cowboy boots in the US these days. Most seem from China. I'd like a pair from Bishop in N.M. but can't get out there to fit them. My Tony lama's are 12 y.o. and about shot. Any advise? CR

Have you tried White boots? Not sure but they used to carry a lot of USA stuff.
http://www.whitesboots.com/index.php?subcats=Y&status=A&pshort=Y&pfull=Y&pname=Y&pkeywords=Y&search_performed=Y&cid=0&q=cowboy&x=6&y=6&dispatch=products.search

Another one to look at is http://madeinusaforever.com/

[zardoz]

I bought a pair of Irish Setter hunting boots after my Rockys' fell apart. I started finding little pieces of rubber and one day kicked my boots off and had the AH HA light come on. Rocky wouldn't stand behind them as I didn't have the receipt. Then found they also had mismatched insoles! Might try to see if they can be resoled.

I found out a few years ago, I was not alone on the disintegrating Rocky boots soles problem. I had not even worn them but two or three times, and just kept them in the closet, and the soles started crumbling and falling apart. I sent letters to Rocky, and all I got was a reference to warranty being out. They know about this problem.

I did a bit of internet searching, and this was the experience of several others. Soles just falling apart and crumbling with little use.

So, I took the boots to a local small business, a cobbler. We went over his parts catalogs, and he found some good vibram soles that would fit, that had a separate heel block. The uppers were OK, and the cobbler "re-engineered" the boots, and now they are usable again.

I will not buy Rockys again, and told them that I would tell others of my experience with their product. That got zero response.

[square butte]

When I worked for the US Forest Service I bought Whites and never regreted it. They are fully rebuildable by Whites. First pair in 1975 cost me $80 + dallars . I own 3 pairs. All have been rebuilt at least once - and all are still going strong. However, I'm pretty sure you will pay at least $ 350 a pair for them now. Glad I bought mine when I did. 25+ years for boots is nothing to sneeze at.

[Circuit Rider]

Thanks DCM, will check on both of them. CR

[MT Gianni]

When I worked for the US Forest Service I bought Whites and never regreted it. They are fully rebuildable by Whites. First pair in 1975 cost me $80 + dallars . I own 3 pairs. All have been rebuilt at least once - and all are still going strong. However, I'm pretty sure you will pay at least $ 350 a pair for them now. Glad I bought mine when I did. 25+ years for boots is nothing to sneeze at.

Whites generic Hawthorn brand are made for size, not personally for your foot. They run around $200 here or did until Quality Supply was bought out by Murdocks. Mine are 4 1/2 years old, see use 6 -7 days a week and are due for a resole. I bounced down the highway @ 40+ mph after laying the bike down last year and it broke the stitching out for 3/4 " but other than that have been great.

[insanelupus]

Hawthorne's have been okay.

But I love my Kenetrek!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

When you find boots that you like, that seem to wear well, that break in easily, copy down the name, style, size, and model number. There are lots of these for sale on the internet if you don't wait too long to buy spares. Most boots brands, and styles are contracted out to various manufacturers, and what you bought yesterday is not likely the boot you will buy in two years.

Of course you know that most boots are now from gwangzhou province. Those pictures of decomposing soles tell you that "they" knew and still sold them, just like the melamine in food, and lead in paint.

I have been well satisfied with my Wolverines after a try from Tractor Supply, a 15% + sales tax cheaper, internet purchase, and an even greater discount from SG on two more pairs. They are doing very well stil, one in reservel. That tells me Wolverine is looking out for their branding, even while producing overseas in red china. Those boots with shredded soles....JUST NOT THE SAME ETHIC.

BvT

[Geraldo]

I am VERY hard on boots. Building fence, its nothing to walk 10 miles a day. For every 1/4 mile of fence, you walk a mile building it.

Anyway, I've had and liked several pairs of Wolverines and Redwings. Unfortunately, I wear them out in 6-9 months at $150/pair.

I switched to $200 Danners and absolutely love them. More comfortable and last me almost 2 years before they need replacing. I just bought a new pair 2 weeks ago so I'm good to go for a while.

+1 on Danner. Actually it should be +4. I had two pair of Danner Acadias that I alternated at work for years. I laced them with 550 cord, then just kept the leather in good shape. Snow, rain, water around the trucks, 24 hour shifts, even wore them in a couple of small fires. They were the only boot/shoe I had that lasted more than one year.

I still wear Danner's mid-weight hiking boots, although I did manage to wear a pair of them out.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

A bit off subject, but would like to know if anyone makes cowboy boots in the US these days. Most seem from China. I'd like a pair from Bishop in N.M. but can't get out there to fit them. My Tony lama's are 12 y.o. and about shot. Any advise? CR

Double H brand!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I use to wear out a quality pair of leather boots in 6 months,
if worn daily from sweat. The weird thing is, I won't be working all
that hard...not breaking a sweat, but my boots will show wet, sweat stains
before lunchbreak. In the summer time, I usually will take my boots off during lunch.
I'm not sure what the MSDS sheets would say is in my sweat, but it rots out leather.
YEARS ago, a Redwing saleman told me to get 2 pair of boots and alternate
between the 2 pair everyday...He said he'd "personally" guarentee me 2 years...

I thought he just wanted to sell boots...

Well, He was right, I got 5 years out of those 2 pairs.
I have never worn the same shoes/boots two days in a row ever since.
Jon

PS. as I look back on it, the boots would rarely dry out completely overnight.