Who makes good work boots in the USA?

[metalmaster10]

"How much did you pay for those?"
He said $140.

Crickie - I didn't pay much more for these!

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

EXACTLY ! !! ! the crap isn't much cheaper to start.... DEFINATELY not cheaper in the long run!

I paid $120 for the Wolverines that were crap... then $100 for the sketchers that really were not too bad.... but not available here anymore.
Before that over $150 for Doc Martins that lasted a long time but did not remain comfortable the entire time. (I actually have them on right now, and my feet feel it after 8 hrs) And these were all made in China!
I had not paid attention to it before. I knew some sneakers were... but now it seems like everything.
I will gladly pay a little more for made in US high quality. I looked at the Red Wing display at my local store but all they had were the Chinese ones. they were running about $140.

 

[Ox]

Naw - they have US models as well.
You may hafta ask which ones are Yank and which are Chinc.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[metalmaster10]

Naw - they have US models as well.
You may hafta ask which ones are Yank and which are Chinc.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Its on the tag inside the boot.

 

[TFPace]

Those WESCO boots are sharp looking.... I did the "custom-build" trial and my boot came out to a sweet $815.00

We need a ESCO boot company for our side of the U.S.

 

[alonzo83]

My dad was a logger, the only thing he ever wore was white's. Ya, They cost a bunch but they are built to last and repair. I was going to buy some red wings because they are a local dealer. But after reading this. . . Hell no, Father knows best, I refuse to buy equipment made overseas to work in the homeland. I was 19 and we all got together one x-mas and bought him a pair of whites. . . I am 30 now. he has not bought another set.

 

[kpotter]

The guy who does my welding has worn the same 2 pairs of wescos for 26 years he sends them out for resole every couple of years, he just had the oldest pair completely rebuilt. I will have mine pretty soon, I stand all day long so a good pair of shoes is cheap compared to pain. I sent in the package today. Job masters with vibram soles in redwood leather and kevlar stitching they should be bullet proof.

 

[TFPace]

Kevin,

Your PM is full.

Tom

 

[stephen thomas]

I must have chinese feet

I'm 6', but only have size 9-1/2 feet...EE wide. Talk about hard to fit.
I tried Redwings a few years ago and nothing fit. Went back to using Kmart chinese, the ones that look a little like doc martins without red laces. ~$50, Work construction & I get about 18 months out of a pair plus they are the most comfortable shoes i can find.

This spring I had a little extra money and the wife convinced me to try the local USA made brands store. Tried seveal USA made Redwings, and actually bought a pair to take home. Tried them again at home the next day and they hurt my feet. Pressure points over the foot, and raw edges inside. Took them back, tried some more. Really wanted to say "made in USA for the money, but nothing fit several downright hurt until they were too sloppy (oversize) to feel like anything but clown shoes.

After deciding that the work boot option was not going to work, I did get a pair of their made in China Redwing hunting/field "Irish Setter" boots to wear on the motorcycle. They are lightly insulated and feel wonderful. The next day I went back to K-mart and got another pair of $50 chinese boots for wearing for work the next 18 months. Couldn't face wearing a pair of over $200 Redwings where they would immediately get caked with glue and urethane spray finish.

I'd really like to get USA made and maybe in a few years when I can afford to look again might explore some of the custom options. For now, it seems only the Chinese know how to fit my high-arch, duck feet off the rack.

smt

 

[traditional-tools]

You'd think this should be a sticky, seems work boots come up about once a month...just sayin'...but I doubt it would keep people from creating yet another boot thread (YABT).

I'm 6', but only have size 9-1/2 feet...EE wide. Talk about hard to fit.

Red Wings do not have a large selection of wide sizes, but they do have some and can source from other stores in some cases. They have done that for me.

Went back to using Kmart chinese

Ouch, that hurts...and to compound it you bought more than one pair...

This spring I had a little extra money and the wife convinced me to try the local USA made brands store. Tried seveal USA made Redwings, and actually bought a pair to take home. Tried them again at home the next day and they hurt my feet. Pressure points over the foot, and raw edges inside. Took them back, tried some more. Really wanted to say "made in USA for the money, but nothing fit several downright hurt until they were too sloppy (oversize) to feel like anything but clown shoes.

Even what Red Wing calls wide, and even EE are not often very wide, mine are EE and I don't consider them too wide...they took a while to break in...but they did and are comfortable.

Couldn't face wearing a pair of over $200 Redwings where they would immediately get caked with glue and urethane spray finish.

I think it's the wrong way to look at it, after all you wear the shoes every day, they are you're feet. Hard to put a price on quality shoes, IMO.

I'd really like to get USA made and maybe in a few years when I can afford to look again might explore some of the custom options. For now, it seems only the Chinese know how to fit my high-arch, duck feet off the rack.

Even Red Wings are limited on which offerings are made in America and they continue to get smaller. For your motorcycle have you tried the engineer style boots?

Cheers,
Alan

 

[Rick Hand]

Whites Boots, made in Spokane Washington.White's Boots, Hunting Boots, Pac Boots, Work Boots, Outdoor Clothing

Yep, I switched to White's Farmer Rancher after wearing Red Wing for maybe 30 or so years.
Rick

 

[vanguard machine]

OP: in this work boot thread, just like the others that pop up on here every so often, there is one guy who has had a bad Red Wing experience for every ten or more guys who swear by them. If i wasn't already a loyal Red Wing guy for life i would use those percentages to guide my purchase, just sayin.
Any bad experiences can be brought up to the store you purchased them at, usually they make it right. You just gotta get them at an actual Red Wing store and not on line. That said i bought my last pair on line as they were about $50 cheaper and i already knew my size.
Yes they are pricey but they will outlast most if not all others and this is just my experience but my lower back pain completely went away after about 2 weeks of owning my first pair..and it doesn't come back until i put my skate shoes on over the weekends.
another beautiful thing about wings, no insole necessary, just some good Costco made in the USA boot socks.

 

[hitandmiss]

I have been wearing steel toe shoes and boots for 50 years now, with Knapp/Iron Age for 20 years till they closed.
I moved over to Red Wing 3 years ago. Tried my first import Red Wings last Dec. #6550. These are oxfords, not 6"+ work boots like I have been addicted to for well over 40 years.
I have worked in chips, oil, mud and snow with them. I never had a chip stuck in the rubber sole, even though I walk through lots of metal chips on the floor.
They have excellent grip on wet and oily machine surfaces, as well as snow and ice. At the job site I splash thru coolant puddles on the floor and climb up on and inside machine tools.
All the boot insert I have had to use in the past are not needed with them.
The toes are very roomy and the non metallic protector does not seem to project into the toe area.

It has taken the better part of a year for them to get a bit too scuffed up to wear as dress shoes, so I bought my second pair this week.
I will retire my Red Wing wing tip dress shoes, that tended to cramp a toe on the edge of the steel toe in hot weather.

Break in time is about as long as it takes to get to the car with them on.

All this for much less $ than most imports run, well less than $100.00.

I wish my army issue combat boots in the '70's were anywhere near as comfortable.

Summary: No they are not made in the USA, No they aren't boots, Yes they are a quality shoe, aren't all Red Wings? And it looks like I will get a couple of years as work shoe/boots out of them, about like most shoes/boots I have worn.

Bill

 

[Ox]

Yeah - well I have stuck umpteen 6's and 9's in my urethane soles when running a face mill on the HBM...
I know that there is one burried in there right now. Every once in a while I step just right and I can feel it reach through..

...and I started jellin' in my red wings over a yr ago.
I guess I got that foot thing goin' on these days.

It's better than the back pain that I had for the last 25 yrs.
As long as it doesn't get worse (which it doesn't seem to be) I'll take this instead I guess...


Otherwise I have never had any foot issues before.



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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[metalmaster10]

OP: in this work boot thread, just like the others that pop up on here every so often, there is one guy who has had a bad Red Wing experience for every ten or more guys who swear by them. If i wasn't already a loyal Red Wing guy for life i would use those percentages to guide my purchase, just sayin.
Any bad experiences can be brought up to the store you purchased them at, usually they make it right. You just gotta get them at an actual Red Wing store and not on line. That said i bought my last pair on line as they were about $50 cheaper and i already knew my size.
Yes they are pricey but they will outlast most if not all others and this is just my experience but my lower back pain completely went away after about 2 weeks of owning my first pair..and it doesn't come back until i put my skate shoes on over the weekends.
another beautiful thing about wings, no insole necessary, just some good Costco made in the USA boot socks.

Yep, I understand that not everyone will like the same boot...or there would be only ONE boot made. I do see an overwhelming positive feedback for redwing and Whites. I like some of the Chippewa line as well... Will have to try on whatever I can find.

 

[Jeremy K]

Many years of racing (crashing) dirt bikes has left both my feet and ankles 30 years older than the rest of my body . I bought my first pair of RedWings this year , the only ones i could that were made in the USA with materials from the USA are the ones i bought ,rather expensive i must say . If i can get them tied up and snugged just right , first thing in the morning they keep my feet and ankles aligned and keep the swelling down significantly after a long day standing up. Its nice not limp around the house everyday anymore ,now its just when its gonna rain.

 

[nick z]

working in industrial construction I put boots through hell and the only ones that last for me are red wings (Not comfortable to me) Georgia wich are like chipewwas but better and Danner. The most I can get out of any of those is about maybe 1 year. I have been buying th georgia boots now for the last 10 years but hte other two are very goos too just depends on what fits oh and change your insoles often and a peet boot dryer every night is good too Keeps them dry from sweat etc. and they are nice and warm in the winter when you put your feet in.

 

[wileydavis]

I've been really enjoying my Boggs Industrial Chukkas ( Industrial Chukka Steel Toe - 52421 - Bogs Footwear - The Official Website ). I was having problems with wet and cold feet during the winter. These have been the only boots that keep my feet warm on the days I have to stand in front of a machine all day.

 

[ZippyTWP]

Nicks Boots in Spokane, Wa

I bought a pair of Nicks Boots in October of 2006 and I'm still wearing them. They do need to be re-soled, (Did I Spell that right?) but other than that they have many years of life left in them. More importantly they make my back feel much better than any other footwear I've tried.

I paid $420 and would do it again in a heartbeat. And yes, they're hand made in the USA.

If you're interested Google "Nicks Boots, Spokane Washington"

 

[cash]

I believe you can put Nicks, Whites and Wesco in the same category. The top one.

Everybody else is below.

Until you wear, see or handle a pair you can not understand the quality they produce.

 

[Heavey Metal]

Them high $ boots with a vibram sole is fine if you walking on linoleum

aint worth a shit on oil or a 6 that aint got its blue yet