Always wondered why people wear 8 inch boots

[doublebase]

I like 8 inch. Just my preference. I’ve had both. My problem is I walk on the inner side of my feet so with the extra support it really helps. Otherwise I wear out the inside part of the soul quickly. I have 6 inches at home and the 8 inches I wear at work.

Do you wear a heel lug sole boot? I’ve switched to the wedge sole design in automotive. I’ve found them to be great on cement floors, but I’ve never stepped it up to an 8-inch boot...and I’m thinking about it.

 

[doublebase]

Ankle protection from abrasions and bruising, and added resistance to dirt ingress is an advantage of taller boots. That's why military, tactical, hiking, and work boots are often 8" tall. I have never fully bought the ankle support claim other than in the case of ski boots. If your boot is so rigid and stiff that it actually adds noteworthy ankle stability it also limits foot articulation. That may be good in specialized scenarios but for general use, I don't see this as a benefit. Overly cushioned and supportive footwear tends to actually weaken feet. Admittedly, as a surfer, I have very good ankle strength and stability. I also walk and run barefoot as much as I can to maintain ankle and foot strength and most of my footwear is rather minimalistic. I have high-end leather boots that are quite supportive but I wear them only if I need them. Usually, I just wear Clarks desert boots, which are pretty minimalistic and they offer zero ankle support.

Some good points; the foot articulation limitation due to a rigid boot...I did think about that. I figured once a boot broke in it would alleviate some of that, or you could loosen your laces a bit. But I didn’t think of the weakening of the feet aspect of it. Interesting.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Do you wear a heel lug sole boot? I’ve switched to the wedge sole design in automotive. I’ve found them to be great on cement floors, but I’ve never stepped it up to an 8-inch boot...and I’m thinking about it.

I guess that’s like a traditional boot? Here is the boots I just got them last month. They look short in the picture but the box and boot says 8 inch lol.

 

[vavavroom]

By the way, it's a good idea to curl your toes up while pulling the laces tight. This prevents the laces from being too tight and pinching the dorsalis pedis artery which causes circulation problems.

 

[wlk]

Got these Belleville Tactical Research for work, ems, a couple years ago and love them. Super soft and supportive as I need the 8" for ankle support. Love the side zipper as they are still waterproof with it.

 

[vavavroom]

Those are good for "When you're kicking in a stall."

 

[doublebase]

Got these Belleville Tactical Research for work, ems, a couple years ago and love them. Super soft and supportive as I need the 8" for ankle support. Love the side zipper as they are still waterproof with it.View attachment 164568

You haven’t had problems with the zipper?

 

[doublebase]

I guess that’s like a traditional boot? Here is the boots I just got them last month. They look short in the picture but the box and boot says 8 inch lol.View attachment 164558

I have a friend that has those. And I can definitely tell those are a taller boot. Nice looking boots!

My buddy tore the rear heel off of his, it just separated from the welt in the back. He doesn’t care, he still wears them every single day. I told him he can get them replaced under warranty (I believe Carolina has a one year warranty), but he just doesn’t care. Lol.

I have a pair of Carolina moc toes...bought them last December. Pretty good boot, but it’s a 6 inch boot and it’s a little shorter than I’m used too with a 6 inch boot, and the top of the boot seems to land right dead center on the middle of my ankle. Still, I like them.

 

[4WD]

Have Carhartt and Redwing boots - half dozen (seasonal) crocs - mucks - LaCrosse … Simms … Uh, none are 8” ?

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

I wear 6" Thorogoods.... Moc Toe, no toe protection. I'm an office jockey. I do visit construction sites, industrial plants, etc., I skate by on the steel toe requirement because I wear worn-looking Thorogoods...

Anyway, most tradesmen like to wear 8" lace-up boots for the ankle protection/support. That's why people wear the 8" boots. I get stopped by a lot of folks on the construction sites and plants and talk to me about my boots, they don't see engineers /etc wearing Thorogoods. They usually all say they wear 8" boots.

If I had to walk on rocky/uneven surfaces, climb ladders, climb around structure, etc., I'd probably wear an 8" lace-up boot.

 

[doublebase]

I wear 6" Thorogoods.... Moc Toe, no toe protection. I'm an office jockey. I do visit construction sites, industrial plants, etc., I skate by on the steel toe requirement because I wear worn-looking Thorogoods...

Anyway, most tradesmen like to wear 8" lace-up boots for the ankle protection/support. That's why people wear the 8" boots. I get stopped by a lot of folks on the construction sites and plants and talk to me about my boots, they don't see engineers /etc wearing Thorogoods. They usually all say they wear 8" boots.

If I had to walk on rocky/uneven surfaces, climb ladders, climb around structure, etc., I'd probably wear an 8" lace-up boot.

Yup, I love the 6” Thorogoods. I’m seeing videos online that people prefer the 8”. A friend of mine just bought an 8” Thorogoods...he’s absolutely destroyed them. I like their tobacco stained color leather.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Yup, I love the 6” Thorogoods. I’m seeing videos online that people prefer the 8”. A friend of mine just bought an 8” Thorogoods...he’s absolutely destroyed them. I like their tobacco stained color leather.

Yep, the Tobacco is what I wear daily. Mine are 2-1/2 years old and I can clean them up with some saddle soap, brush and hot water, put a nice coat of mink oil on them and let them dry for 48 hours and they look almost new.

I have a pair of Walnut with black soles, they are my "dress shoes".

I would like to have some in Crazy Horse but I'm not sure how well that version will hold up to medium duty wear. It's a suede-like leather....

 

[doublebase]

Yep, the Tobacco is what I wear daily. Mine are 2-1/2 years old and I can clean them up with some saddle soap, brush and hot water, put a nice coat of mink oil on them and let them dry for 48 hours and they look almost new.

I have a pair of Walnut with black soles, they are my "dress shoes".

I would like to have some in Crazy Horse but I'm not sure how well that version will hold up to medium duty wear. It's a suede-like leather....

I find that the suede like leather (probably nubuck leather) holds up very well to actual work because it can hide wear and tear. At least that’s what I’ve found - however even if it does hide things pretty well, I find it hard to clean up. A mink oil on something like this would change the color dramatically in my opinion.

 

[dbias]

I have 8” Thorogoods for work around the house for the ankle support. 25 years of firefighting I wore Globe 14” and as thick as they have to be with steel shank and toe they feel like tennis shoes compared to other brands. At $600+ per pair still worth every penny.

 

[vavavroom]

Two of my boots (Yes, I do have two legs and two feet). The one on the top is about 6 years old and weighs 2 lbs and is 5 inches tall. It can be resoled and rebuilt repeatedly. It's made to last decades. It's a work boot without steel toe but it has a steel shank for stability. It sets off metal detectors. I wear those if I need to wear boots all day long.

The one at the bottom is a disposable desert boot (fake GY welt stitching - it's just glued) that weighs 1.4 lbs and is 4.5" tall. It's rather minimalistic and I prefer wearing that one for a few hours over the heavier one. This boot costs ten times less than the one above it and a pair lasts me about four years with occasional use.

You can clearly see which one sees more use.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

Why an 8-inch boot?

Let’s start here, do you live in a home in a developed neighborhood? Picture what all THAT looked like two years before your development was built. Forest. Now picture what it took to develop that land. The trees had to come down, the lot had to be leveled, a road paved, holes dug, gravel, water...

duradero.com

Interesting, they always look uncomfortable to me (I stick with a six inch boot). But people swear by the extra height.

Extra support for the ankles is the chief reason. Another would be a higher water level ability, not to get feet wet, if water proof. Another is to look cool. All I got.

 

[doublebase]

Two of my boots (Yes, I do have two legs and two feet). The one on the top is about 6 years old and weighs 2 lbs and is 5 inches tall. It can be resoled and rebuilt repeatedly. It's made to last decades. It's a work boot without steel toe but it has a steel shank for stability. It sets off metal detectors. I wear those if I need to wear boots all day long.

The one at the bottom is a disposable desert boot (fake GY welt stitching - it's just glued) that weighs 1.4 lbs and is 4.5" tall. It's rather minimalistic and I prefer wearing that one for a few hours over the heavier one. This boot costs ten times less than the one above it and a pair lasts me about four years with occasional use.

You can clearly see which one sees more use.

The bottom one is a fake Goodyear welt? wow, that one looks real to me. Looks like the leather is pulled down from the boot and stitched in and under the midsole. I can see that the outsole looks like it is glued to the midsole, which is fine, but I would have sworn that was a real welt. Amazing.

I would have thought (if anything) the top one had the fake welt, it’s a 270 degree welt, but a nice looking moc toe boot. What is that thing? Thursday boot? Whites?

 

[vavavroom]

The bottom one is a fake Goodyear welt? wow, that one looks real to me. Looks like the leather is pulled down from the boot and stitched in and under the midsole. I can see that the outsole looks like it is glued to the midsole, which is fine, but I would have sworn that was a real welt. Amazing.

That's an inexpensive and simple Clarks Desert Boot 2. The stitches do not go through the outside. The boot can be resoled but that would be more costly than the $60 a new pair cost when on sale. Clarks also make a Desert Boot with proper welt but that's almost $400.

I would have thought (if anything) the top one had the fake welt, it’s a 270 degree welt, but a nice looking moc toe boot. What is that thing? Thursday boot? Whites?

That's an Alden. I bought them because we have an Alden shop in town and I don't care for winging the exact fit when ordering online. When I get them resoled down the line I'll upgrade to a 360-degree GY welt. It'll look a bit better and may improve water resistance a little.

 

[vavavroom]

Regarding the GY welt, there should be a fairly deep groove in the sole so that the stitching is protected and doesn't wear through very quickly. As you can see, on my boot the stitching is already wearing through. While the outsole is additionally glued it will eventually separate. You can also see the Clarks boot has no stitching through the sole at all. The sole is only glued but I have ner had one delaminate.

 

[#18FAN]

My everyday work boot is a 6inch but do have 8inch I use on weekends hiking. 100% USA made assembled and sourced materials.