looking to get a pair of logger boots

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I'm looking to try a pair of logger boots for my work boots, and if I like them, maybe get a second pair for wearing outside of work. I work as a diesel mechanic, so I spend all day on my feet, on concrete. I've been told the higher heels help with posture and can even help back pain and heel pain, all of which I have problems with. I don't really need a steel toe or even water proofing, but one of my questions does concern thinsulate. Most of the boots I've found have it, and while it would be nice in the winter, I'm worried about my feet being to hot in the summer. Does any one brand breathe better than the others? Am I on the right track looking at loggers? There is a store near me that sells red wing, Carolina, wolverine, Irish setter, Chippewa, golden retriever, double h, and timberland pro, and they sell loggers from all those brands. I've always sworn by my timberland pros, for both comfort and durability, but have always wanted to try red wings as well, just afraid to leave what I know. I did try the wolverines on, liked them ok, but it was right before closing and I didn't wanna rush into a decision. I've heard the chippewas are supposed to be great as well. Any suggestions? I'm looking to stay in the $150-$200 range
 
Buy what's comfortable. The name on the boot isn't a big deal, really. All of the brands you listed are good. Worth noting is that Irish Setter is Red Wing's value brand. Check out Georgia Boot too, if you can.

I'd say that a Goodyear welt is preferable, and that you should NOT get Thinsulate unless you will ONLY be wearing them in the winter. Remember, you can always wear warm/thick socks in the winter.

For what it's worth, I've owned Chippewas (in the form of LL Bean boots, since that's who makes them), Wolverine 1000 Mile, and Red Wing. I was pleased with all of them, but I don't use them for work, just casual wear. Wolverine and Red Wing both have great customer service and stand behind their products 100%. I can't comment on the Chippewa customer service since mine are technically LL Bean. That being said, LL Bean says "guaranteed for life" on everything they sell, so lending their name to an inferior product does them no good.
 
I have/had more boots than most. I prefer boots on my feet over anything. I like boots. I've bought every boot on the planet (Or close to it!).

This may be harsh but with a slight exception to Chippewa, all the other brands mentioned are junk. As a mechanic, I don't think you want the logger heal but if a logger you want, read up on White's and Wesco. I hope you have deep pockets but either are worth every penny. I strongly suggest spending the one-time fee and have custom fit boots made. You will wear them to bed.

My idea of a cheap but good boot are the Danners but only the USA made/rebuildable boots. Danners are good uniform boots and I don't think you want to wrench with those. The only other boot besides the three mentioned are Justins but again, only the USA made boots that are rebuildable. You also might get a few cowboy jokes but your feet will be happy. And no, Justins are not in the same league as Wesco or Whites.
 
Oil Changer, I think your statement is a bit overreaching. Every brand does indeed have some low-quality offerings, but if you move past the $99 stuff you will find them to be very well built. I am not subjecting them to the abuse like some of you might, however. My usage is restricted to Chicago winters, light hiking, and just general day-to-day stuff.

My Wolverine 1000 Mile boots were around $269 and have given me many years of service. I finally had them resoled with Vibram soles and will wear them until they literally fall apart. They're awesome boots.

My Red Wings are the same story. They're the "Gentleman Traveler" ones with a leather sole. They've withstood a lot of abuse on the streets of Chicago and even after 3 years look great. I'll probably need to get them resoled later this year.
 
dparm, I prefaced by saying it will be harsh...call me a boot snob. For a couple hundred more than your Wolverines, you could have custom-fitted Whites that you would never want to take off until your significant other threatens to leave.
 
I've never purchased a Chippewa that was not worth the $$

The ones I purchased years ago are Made in US; I understand they also have an "International" line (their words, not mine)

Numerous previous boot threads btw.
 
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During busy periods I spend 10+ hrs/day on steel decks, not including briefs, transiting up and down vertical and non-vertical ladderwells. On a whim I tried on a pair of Chippewa logging boots and was very impressed with how comfortable they were. They were like Cadillacs for my feet, they felt so good! The heal didn't meet our requirements (too much heal) but I bought them anyway, convincing myself that I'd be patting myself on the back after a month of shift work that didn't include popping Advil every evening due to knee and ankle pain.

They were indeed fantastic WRT knee, ankle and back pain concerns (plus the added benefit of a couple more inches rise in stature above my usual 6'2"-6'3" that I have with regular boots.) They felt amazing!

Unfortunately, they walked like some older Caddies drive, very unwieldy. When we transitioned from a lot of standing on the deck-plates to transiting up and down between levels is when I realized how the comfort and better posture came at a significant detriment to mobility and even safety. I now have a pair of 2-months-used boots sitting in the corner next to my desk, gathering dust.

Luckily, my company put our department back on free-boot list, so I didn't have to wear my old boots for long!

If you have any specific questions let me know. If you're a size 11 and want mine, I'll give you a good deal on mine that are barely used!
 
I'm tough to fit...I need an odd size (11.5) and a wide (EE or EEE depending on brand), whioch greatly limits selection. I bought Red Wings fifteen years ago and have never looked back! Current pair are style 2491:

14010-p1.jpg


Great, in a word. Yes, they're US-made, fully resoleable.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I'm tough to fit...I need an odd size (11.5) and a wide (EE or EEE depending on brand), whioch greatly limits selection. I bought Red Wings fifteen years ago and have never looked back! Current pair are style 2491:

14010-p1.jpg


Great, in a word. Yes, they're US-made, fully resoleable.


The boot vendor measured my feet, and after years of wearing 11's, I was told to go with 11.5's. I got some $100 Red Wings Worx and they're not too bad. They have a safety toe as opposed to steel and a very cushy heel. They remind me of ugly orthopedic shoes a waitress might choose (function over form,) but they were free and work well enough, which is what matters.

They're not as comfortable as the loggers, but much MUCH lighter and definitely more agile.
 
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I found replacing the insole with Dr. Scholl's gel insoles
(change every 30 days)
makes a world of difference...
 
Originally Posted By: mattwithcats
I found replacing the insole with Dr. Scholl's gel insoles
(change every 30 days)
makes a world of difference...


I do the same and it's not enough on the really long days. Hard deck and long hours equals achy everything. The logging boots made a world of difference without having to replace the insole, during periods when I spent a lot of time relatively stationary, but were cumbersome while going up and down stairs and ladderwells.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I'm tough to fit...I need an odd size (11.5) and a wide (EE or EEE depending on brand), whioch greatly limits selection. I bought Red Wings fifteen years ago and have never looked back! Current pair are style 2491:

14010-p1.jpg


Great, in a word. Yes, they're US-made, fully resoleable.


The boot vendor measured my feet, and after years of wearing 11's, I was told to go with 11.5's. I got some $100 Red Wings Worx and they're not too bad. They have a safety toe as opposed to steel and a very cushy heel. They remind me of ugly orthopedic shoes a waitress might choose (function over form,) but they were free and work well enough, which is what matters.

They're not as comfortable as the loggers, but much MUCH lighter and definitely more agile.


The problem: many companies don't make boots in half sizes.
frown.gif


Sadly, the WORX line is from China.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer

As a mechanic, I don't think you want the logger heal but if a logger you want, read up on White's and Wesco.


I'm a mechanic and I wear loggers all day every day and have done so for many years. The first pair took me a couple of days to get used to but since then they've been great. My feet feel better. My back feels better. My dog doesn't get stepped on. Any time I can get away with wearing boots, that's what I'm wearing. The only bad thing about them is the first five minutes of relearning to walk "barefoot" every time I take them off.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I'm tough to fit...I need an odd size (11.5) and a wide (EE or EEE depending on brand), whioch greatly limits selection. I bought Red Wings fifteen years ago and have never looked back! Current pair are style 2491

Great, in a word. Yes, they're US-made, fully resoleable.


The boot vendor measured my feet, and after years of wearing 11's, I was told to go with 11.5's. I got some $100 Red Wings Worx and they're not too bad. They have a safety toe as opposed to steel and a very cushy heel. They remind me of ugly orthopedic shoes a waitress might choose (function over form,) but they were free and work well enough, which is what matters.

They're not as comfortable as the loggers, but much MUCH lighter and definitely more agile.


The problem: many companies don't make boots in half sizes.
frown.gif


Sadly, the WORX line is from China.


They were the only "free" boots the vendor had with a non-steel safety toe that were also comfortable to wear. The vendor, his assistant, and the company in town they work for are all American, so far as I know. I supported them instead of purchasing online and submitting for reimbursement.

Originally Posted By: yonyon
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer

As a mechanic, I don't think you want the logger heal but if a logger you want, read up on White's and Wesco.


I'm a mechanic and I wear loggers all day every day and have done so for many years. The first pair took me a couple of days to get used to but since then they've been great. My feet feel better. My back feels better. My dog doesn't get stepped on. Any time I can get away with wearing boots, that's what I'm wearing. The only bad thing about them is the first five minutes of relearning to walk "barefoot" every time I take them off.


I really wanted to love them, and if my job didn't have me traverse so many stairs and ladders I would have stuck with them for all the benefits you mentioned. For me, it was a matter of safety. I also need to climb through tight spaces at times and the loggers again were not nimble, especially trying to position my foot or feet at awkward angles on spparsely laid out footing while climbing throughout the work space.
 
If you don't have to wear steel toes, I would go with a pair of sneakers.
Not basketball shoes, running shoes...

Even these can come in steel toe versions....

I usually wear Vibram boots, or 10 inch jungle boots...
 
I wear Red Wing loggers at work. They are comfortable and durable. I do some office work , some welding/fab work, some field work that includes mud and hydraulic fluid. After 2+ years they still function well.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I'm tough to fit...I need an odd size (11.5) and a wide (EE or EEE depending on brand), whioch greatly limits selection.


You think that is bad? Try finding 9.5 B. Or A, I forget which my foot size is; heck these Bass slip-on shoes are 8.5 M (medium width?) and my feet slide around in them quite nicely. When I bought my last pair of hiking boots the guy at EMS said if they didn't work out I would need to look at women's boots in order to go narrow enough. I've given up and will likely not buy "high tops" ever again, as they have never laced up properly on my feet (they always cut into the tops of my foot or top of my ankle).

Thankfully I don't need work boots; the last pair I bought 15 years ago are still kicking around (cheapo Timerline?). They refuse to get water-tight though, and might get replaced with Bean boots at some point.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
I wear Red Wing loggers at work. They are comfortable and durable. I do some office work , some welding/fab work, some field work that includes mud and hydraulic fluid. After 2+ years they still function well.


that's good to hear. If I could get more than 2 yrs out of a pair of boots, that would be great. My problem right now is, the boots themselves don't wear out, the heals wear out in a years time. I must step with more of my weight on the outter edge of my heal, causing the outside edge of the soles to wear out, then I have problems with my ankles hurting and over treading them. I figure with a good pair of loggers, such as red wings, I can get them resoled after awhile. I now the chippewas can be sent back to them to be resoled. I do gave a couple local shops near me that can do it too.
 
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