Do you rotate your boots?

[doublebase]

I do not. I wear one set for work. I do have an at home set too that I don’t trust for work cause they are cheap so I wear those at home as boots are my preferred shoe type. But work only one set of boots then I wear them out and buy more. Typically they last me three years so that’s good enough for me.

You get three years out of a pair of boots? Wow, the most I can get usually is a year, tops. After that they usually break down...start to feel some pain between my toe joints (that’s my tough spot). Sometimes some Achilles pain, or knee pain. Then I know they are done. Sometimes I can stretch them out to a year and a half, but that’s on a rotation.

I’m pretty hard on my boots, I‘ll put 10,000 steps a day in them just thrashing around at work.

 

[doublebase]

I need two pair


Which I might be looking at since my single pair of Thoroughgood steel toes has moisture damage. I'd never had the time to dry it out where it would still feel wet the next day.

That’s an awful feeling, I’ve done that many times. When that happens (and I don’t have a boot rotation) I’ll direct the floor heater vents on full blast in my car, unlace the boots and try to get as much airflow on them I can during my 45 minute commute. Usually it helps a bit...I’ll do the same on my way home.

 

[doublebase]

I wear Pro Warrington Honeywell Pro Series firefighter boots for fire investigations. I have to scrub them with simple green after every use to decon them - which is hard on the boots…but work pays for them so I don’t worry about it too much.

Otherwise I’m wearing Red Wing electrical hazard boots or a standard pair of Red Wings that are both fairly old at this point and have been holding up well.

So I rotate between 3 pairs of boots depending on what my duties are for the day.

If I’m not wearing boots I’m wearing Merrill hiking shoes for everyday wear.

I can imagine simple green is pretty tough on leather, you must need it to remove the soot.

 

[dlundblad]

I only have one pair for work at the moment, but I can definitely see how it’d be beneficial. I need a boot dryer next.

I’ve had these since last November. They could definitely use a rotation. Lol

 

[Pablo]

Work? Huh??

Actually I rotate all my shoes. It does make them last, and better fashion statement.

 

[#18FAN]

I only have one pair for work at the moment, but I can definitely see how it’d be beneficial. I need a boot dryer next.

I’ve had these since last November. They could definitely use a rotation. Lol
View attachment 172485

Most boot makers will advise against a boot dryer. Them boots look like they could use a bit of oil.

 

[levi]

"Do you rotate your boots?"

Nope. Tried left to right, then front to back. Painful either way.

Had to wear steel/composite toe, electrical hazard boots for nearly 20 years. Never felt like investing in a second pair of somewhat pricey boots. Some of that time, even had a limited reimbursement program. Just never thought it was worth the hassle for me personally.

I never based my next purchase decision on appearance, but on comfort. When the soles wore unevenly, I would get foot/leg/knee pain and knew it was time.

 

[doublebase]

"Do you rotate your boots?"

Nope. Tried left to right, then front to back. Painful either way.

Had to wear steel/composite toe, electrical hazard boots for nearly 20 years. Never felt like investing in a second pair of somewhat pricey boots. Some of that time, even had a limited reimbursement program. Just never thought it was worth the hassle for me personally.

I never based my next purchase decision on appearance, but on comfort. When the soles wore unevenly, I would get foot/leg/knee pain and knew it was time.

I tend to not buy two pairs at the same time, but when I start to wear a pair out, I’ll buy a new pair (before they’re totally shot), and then I’ll rotate them. Usually I can extend the life of the first boot a while longer, while also getting the benefits of rotating boots.

 

[doublebase]

I only have one pair for work at the moment, but I can definitely see how it’d be beneficial. I need a boot dryer next.

I’ve had these since last November. They could definitely use a rotation. Lol
View attachment 172485

That’s a great set of boots, usually I don’t see them in that color (it’s usually the tobacco tanned color). Those are non-insulated, right? Eight-inch? They look pretty good for nine months old. I’d give them a good cleaning and apply some neats foot oil, or mink oil.

 

[Oliveoil2]

Yes, it’s good for the work boots and your feet to rotate. I’m not a fan of putting my feet into moist boots.

 

[heavy260]

You people need a boot dryer. A little mink oil on the leather. For $50 total your feet will thank you. I’ve had one boot dryer for 14 years and another one for 7. The one for 7 was used every day for 5 years. Now I use them for my hunting boots. Put the dryer outside the camper with boots on them overnight and they’re dry and warm when you put them on when it’s zero to single digits in the morning.

 

[Shannow]

I'm struggling with the concept that rotating them makes them last longer...I doubt that you would get better milage per pair rotated or not...just twice the calendar time using them half as much.

 

[Pablo]

I'm struggling with the concept that rotating them makes them last longer...I doubt that you would get better milage per pair rotated or not...just twice the calendar time using them half as much.

I've read that it works and seen it with my own shoes.

The theory is: Less warm foot juice contact time, temps and moisture critters love to live in. Allow the shoes to dry at least a day.

You are correct, it's not about miles.

 

[Speedbird001]

Hard yes. Army forced this upon us years ago, for good reason. Especially in the field, it can take a whole day to dry out for sure. (Also recommended, and I can vouch for: When you know it going to be a long day (+12hr) do a quick sock swap and re-powder... Preferably, if you get a proper 30 min chow break; let your dogs air out. (FWIW: I've tried them all... GI 50/50 (Cotton/Wool) socks are the best, especially at drying out)

 

[Nick1994]

This thread had me confused, wondering why folks would wear boots often enough to need to dry them out and rotate them...

But then again I work in IT

 

[Pablo]

This thread had me confused, wondering why folks would wear boots often enough to need to dry them out and rotate them...

But then again I work in IT

I always knew when the IT people took their shoes off!

 

[doublebase]

I'm struggling with the concept that rotating them makes them last longer...I doubt that you would get better milage per pair rotated or not...just twice the calendar time using them half as much.

The average person puts 12 oz of sweat into their boots/shoes a day (According to the article based off a study).

Personally myself, I can EASILY put more than that on a hot day. The other day I looked down at my boots and they appeared wet (tongue, upper to halfway down) I thought...it hasn’t rained and I haven’t stepped in water. It was sweat. When I got home I put them outside in the sun for an hour to dry out.

Right now I’m not rotating boots, simply because the pair I’m wearing is too comfortable for me right now, but in the past rotating boots seemed to help my joints (while also saving the soles from wearing out). Just the constant impact on my body could change dramatically by changing the boot every other day because no two boots are exactly the same, or the way you wear into them. This changes the wear and tear on your own body. Then again, I work on hard cement floors - and that’s an awful test for the body/boots/pain. No forgiveness in a cement floor.

 

[doublebase]

You people need a boot dryer. A little mink oil on the leather. For $50 total your feet will thank you. I’ve had one boot dryer for 14 years and another one for 7. The one for 7 was used every day for 5 years. Now I use them for my hunting boots. Put the dryer outside the camper with boots on them overnight and they’re dry and warm when you put them on when it’s zero to single digits in the morning.

My last boot dryer lasted me around a year, and the timer broke within three months. Made it a royal pain to run the thing (I’d have to remember to shut it off), but didn’t matter, it broke soon after. But I’ve thought about buying another (probably something more expensive/higher quality).

Ive used a hair dryer to dry them out in the last, but I had to stand there while doing it, and it really sticks the house out too.

Boot maintenance is something else entirely - topical solutions (mink, bees wax, sno-seal, any water proofing products) will actually make airing out boots worse. The air flow is deminished and the breathability is heavily reduced. That’s when I find the most odor coming from my boots shortly after. But it’s necessary for me to seal my leather and protect it. I’m very hard on boots, the leather is pounded with metal, sand, salt (the worst, it dries it out), water, used oil, antifreeze, mud. So, I’ll treat the leather every month with either mink oil, sno-seal (winter), or neats foot oil (warmer months). I find the neats foot oil won’t darken the leather much and is the least effective in water proofing, but I like it because it doesn’t smell as bad, and doesn’t seal my boots as much as the others. And you have to be careful using too much mink oil, it can really soften the leather too much (and supposedly it can lead to leather rot).

These are just my own personal experiences (And things I’ve read).

 

[CharBaby]

Just an FYI!
The three pair of work shoes that I have are:
Timberland ankle high
Red wing lower below the ankle
And a pair of steel toe sneakers

 

[Shannow]

Just had a silly thoguht re the title...when I was a teenager, I could rotate my feet so little toes touched, so yes, I DID rotate my boots...15/16/17, was in the Air Training Corps, and one of the teen flight seargents was beieng a tool...yelling at a cadet about "at attention, your feet must be at a 45 degree angle...AM I CLEAR ??"

So next time he called us to attention, I made sure that they were, behind me...

I didn't last very long after that.