Who makes good work boots in the USA?

[cg285]

screw the boots (too hot). who makes good work shoes. the knapp shoe man doesn't come around anymore.

 

[Kingbob]

I'm 8 months in on a pair of us made Thorogood and still love them. I went through 3 pairs of redwings, always splitting the sole around the 6 to 8 month mark. So far so good on these.

Men's Thorogood 8" Wedge Sole Work Boot (U.S.A.) 814-4178: MidwestBoots.com

www.midwestboots.com

 

[mike44]

2 words...Red Wing

you'll never regret spending the money and you'll never look back.
just stay away from their cheaper 'worx' line.

I am a retired carpenter that worked many years outside. Bought first pair of Redwings in 1962. Usually got 2-1/2 / 3 years out of them before they needed new soles and heels. Wore Redwings til I retired 40 years later. First pair cost me two weeks pay.
First year apprentice made $1.38 an hour. Took home about $44.00 if the weather was decent and worked 40 hours. Never regretted buying the best boot made.

 

[wolfthing]

I started driving over to the town of Red Wing to buy my boots in '65.

Met a girl there in '67.

Still wear their boots.

Still got the wife.

Best damn town I ever visited.


Petersen

Whites made in Spokane.
Re-buildable. I wear a pair daily, they're now 52 years old. You have to accept the fact you're going to have to pay over 500 dollars, but they'll last forever and can be fixed.
I have 2 pair

 

[Ox]

I have worn Red Wing work boots since I had my first job at a mechanics shop at the age of 14. I buy 3 or 4 pairs of boots a year and never wear a pair 2 days in a row. The boots I order are $219 bucks and the last 2 pair have been clunkers. Just not as comfortable as I am accustomed to. I work on concrete most of the time and walk alot, often carrying around 10 or 15 pounds. What are you guys doing for boots these days?

"Feet" were my 50 year old threshold item I guess.

I used to wear a pair for a cpl years prior, and then all of a sudden my feet started hurting, for no good reason, and that scared me - as - like most of us here - I make my living on my feet.

After about a year (?) of finding a chair for any minute that I could, my boots finally needed replaced (by old standards) and by the third day of the new boots my feet were all-together different!

I'm not to your level (yet?) but I doo now go through 1.5-2 pr of boots a year these days.


edit:
I wear pull-on Red Wings


-------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox

 

[TruckerJ]

Work boots.... Many of us use them so I really don't feel this is "off topic"
Here is my issue... Who make good ones IN THE USA?
I wore boots for 10 to 15 years, usually cheap ones, then stepped up to nice ones from Doc Martin a dozen or so years ago. Then I switched to sneakers at my old job for a decade. Out large parts weighed 2 ounces so dropping something posed very little risk to feet.
However, at my new place 3 years ago I tore off a big toenail when a large vise slipped that I was trying to pick up. FORTUNATELY it was already on the floor and only "slid" over my foot...which is what tore my nail off. Needless to say this is when I went back to wearing boots, and now steel toe! That would have saved me months of pain... Hind site!
I have been thru 3 pairs and I need new ones.
I got a pair of Wolverines first. They fell apart and I debated but gave them another chance because I thought they were a "good" brand. I got a second pair...I was wrong! 3 months and they were falling apart too.
I then got a pair of Sketcher steel toe work boots that I have been pretty pleased with until recently. I got a little over a year out of them and they were comfortable the whole time. They just all of a sudden over the course of a week or so came apart at the seams. All of them! Like a solvent had dissolved the threads, but I don't work with nasty solvents.
I went today to buy another pair of the sketchers at the local farm store where I got the last pair, they don't have the Sketcher work line anymore, just the sneakers.
They have plenty of the POS Wolverines. $125 a pair, and made in China! I went to the next isle...John Deere branded boots... Made in China. Next isle, made in China, you get the idea. They had some cowboy style Justin boots that were made in the US, but their "work boots" are made in....China.
Next isle, more Chinese boots. I left without new boots.
ALL OF THEM $80 to $150 a pair and made in China!
Now I don't take the import thing to the extreme, but I want to keep my money close when I can. I will pay another few dollars for US made boots ..... IF I CAN FIND THEM!
New Balance still makes shoes in the US. Have you priced them lately? Comparable with the other "big name" made in china shoes. The only real difference is that the New Balance shoes actually have an arch support for those of us who stand all day, not so for many or the others. That is what got me to switch to NB sneakers a dozen years ago... The arch support.
So, after a long story and rant, who makes GOOD BOOTS IN THE U.S.? I'm simply wanting a short hiker style steel toe boot that is actually comfortable to be in for 12 hrs a day.Also cowboy boots is a decent option if you want something U.S made I guess, but those can be costly for a decent pair... Decent pair of cowboy boots( https://gritroutdoors.com/apparel/western-wear/cowboy-boots/ is like 200-ish bucks, maybe a bit more). And good pair is probably even more than that...
Why is this so tough? It's not exactly a space shuttle launch! Just boots. And I don't want the dang steel guard cutting into the side of MY toes either!

As many people above, I'm a huge Red Wings fan!
Also cowboy boots is a decent option if you want something U.S made I guess, but those can be costly for a decent pair...

 

[bmikkalson]

I’m saving for a pair of Nicks or Whites.

 

[Alloy Mcgraw]

Some of these boot suggestions have giant heels on them...

They look like something Rick James would wear if he was changing your oil.

 

[paulz]

I’m saving for a pair of Nicks or Whites.

Bought a pair of Nicks Builder Pros a couple years ago. Break-in takes a few weeks of part-time wear, but since then they've been great.
No regrets.

 

[EndlessWaltz]

I will give a warning to others here. You should not be trying to where logger style or high heel boots like Whites, Hoffmans, or others no matter the quality on concrete all day long. Plus with steel shanks and steel toe they weigh a ton. I buy American and went with Thorogoods steel toe 6" white sole over Danners or Red Wings. Super comfortable! Sizing will be different then your Asian counterparts fyi.

 

[scsmith42]

Over the past 45 years I've worn multiple pairs of Danners, Red Wings, Caterpillar, Carhart, Justin, Sears, Georgia Boot and Keen work boots (and probably a few others that I've forgotten).

Currently I'm wearing USA mfg Keens. I live on a farm with a sawmill operation and wear boots for 7 days a week, usually 12 hours at a time. I keep two pair active. Each evening when I take of the pair that I'm wearing they go onto a Peet boot dryer, and last night's pair is removed and staged to wear tomorrow.

I've found that the Keen's fit my feet the best, are comfortable on concrete and have safety toe's available. Usually I'm getting 3 - 4 years from a pair (alternating daily).

Some of the other brands were too tight across the back of my toes, and were causing problems with my feet. The Keens solved that. I'm currently wearing their 8" Dover boot with carbon fiber toe.

 

[tnmgcarbide]

it would seem these "boots" have been kicking the same dead horse for 9 years on this same thread,.........

 

[michiganbuck]

My son Matt told me that the Timberland boot has the very best crushing making a full day on your feet more tolerable.

(X) but the tongue off to one side and causes pain or a blister. He has told the dealers and emailed the company. now his third pair and still they have not corrected the tongue issue.

 

[EmGo]

I decided to give Free soldier boot a try

I am pretty sure that fujian is stll a province of china.

 

[Don Davis 87]

Work boots.... Many of us use them so I really don't feel this is "off topic"
Here is my issue... Who make good ones IN THE USA?
I wore boots for 10 to 15 years, usually cheap ones, then stepped up to nice ones from Doc Martin a dozen or so years ago. Then I switched to sneakers at my old job for a decade. Out large parts weighed 2 ounces so dropping something posed very little risk to feet.
However, at my new place 3 years ago I tore off a big toenail when a large vise slipped that I was trying to pick up. FORTUNATELY it was already on the floor and only "slid" over my foot...which is what tore my nail off. Needless to say this is when I went back to wearing boots, and now steel toe! That would have saved me months of pain... Hind site!
I have been thru 3 pairs and I need new ones.
I got a pair of Wolverines first. They fell apart and I debated but gave them another chance because I thought they were a "good" brand. I got a second pair...I was wrong! 3 months and they were falling apart too.
I then got a pair of Sketcher steel toe work boots that I have been pretty pleased with until recently. I got a little over a year out of them and they were comfortable the whole time. They just all of a sudden over the course of a week or so came apart at the seams. All of them! Like a solvent had dissolved the threads, but I don't work with nasty solvents.
I went today to buy another pair of the sketchers at the local farm store where I got the last pair, they don't have the Sketcher work line anymore, just the sneakers.
They have plenty of the POS Wolverines. $125 a pair, and made in China! I went to the next isle...John Deere branded boots... Made in China. Next isle, made in China, you get the idea. They had some cowboy style Justin boots that were made in the US, but their "work boots" are made in....China.
Next isle, more Chinese boots. I left without new boots.
ALL OF THEM $80 to $150 a pair and made in China!
Now I don't take the import thing to the extreme, but I want to keep my money close when I can. I will pay another few dollars for US made boots ..... IF I CAN FIND THEM!
New Balance still makes shoes in the US. Have you priced them lately? Comparable with the other "big name" made in china shoes. The only real difference is that the New Balance shoes actually have an arch support for those of us who stand all day, not so for many or the others. That is what got me to switch to NB sneakers a dozen years ago... The arch support.
So, after a long story and rant, who makes GOOD BOOTS IN THE U.S.? I'm simply wanting a short hiker style steel toe boot that is actually comfortable to be in for 12 hrs a day.
Why is this so tough? It's not exactly a space shuttle launch! Just boots. And I don't want the dang steel guard cutting into the side of MY toes either!

I know of an American company that used to make fantastic work boots and shoes but I think they finally went out of business, the company was originally based in New England and it was called Knapp Shoes, they were all my dad would ever buy and I started wearing them at work back in the seventies, they fell on hard times and filed for bankruptcy but the company was saved at the last minute by the employees who all got together and bought the company. But they had to change the name to "Known Quality Shoes" because they weren't allowed to use the original name. I just looked and it looks like they have a facebook store but I don't have Facebook. The boots they make are top quality and last like iron, I have some steel toe boots I bought about 7 years ago and they still have a lot of life left.

 

[TGTool]

Facebook says Known Quality Shoes can be found at kqshoes.com but my browser says the server isn't responding. Or call them at 866-5667-4637 and they'll return the call.

<shrug>

 

[Don Davis 87]

screw the boots (too hot). who makes good work shoes. the knapp shoe man doesn't come around anymore.

Knapp Shoes was acquired by the employees after the company went into bankruptcy. They are the same shoes and boots but they are sold today as "Known Quality Shoes" the only way I can see their website is on ebay and it shows all the models and they also sell a few other brands.

 

[Don Davis 87]

Facebook says Known Quality Shoes can be found at kqshoes.com but my browser says the server isn't responding. Or call them at 866-5667-4637 and they'll return the call.

<shrug>

The last time I ordered some was about 7 years I ago also bought a pair for my son who lives in New Hampshire because they were telling me they didn't know how much longer they would be in business because it was hard to appeal to the old Knapp customers since the name had to be changed. I imagine the name could have been purchased but perhaps the cost was out of their reach. It sucks but they are super well made. Thanks for your reply.

 

[amaranth]

It looks like the last time kqshoes.com was archived was in 2019, the domain is not currently listed as being owned, so they seem to be out of business. The facebook dates were also 2019. No luck finding anything current on them.

 

[Kingbob]

I'm 8 months in on a pair of us made Thorogood and still love them. I went through 3 pairs of redwings, always splitting the sole around the 6 to 8 month mark. So far so good on these.

Men's Thorogood 8" Wedge Sole Work Boot (U.S.A.) 814-4178: MidwestBoots.com

www.midwestboots.com

Still wearing them, it will be 2 years in october