My husband is looking at Carolinas, Thorogood, and red wing. He works in all types of things like plumbing, concrete, hand digging trenches, tunneling under homes, leveling land.
He is HARD on his boots! We pretty much buy new boots every few months but I was wondering it would be worth it to buy some good quality boots for him, save his back a little.
What would you recommend?
Not really any set budget, I’m just trying to find something that will last him a year or two that are comfortable and can take a beating.
Well the toughest boots I’ve come across are PNW boots like whites, Nicks, franks and Drew’s they are twice the leather thickness of those boots you mentioned and come with a variety of soles to choose from but they are pricey and they are all leather construction so no foam or inserts so if he’s used to foam inserts they take a little time to get used to but once his foot is molded to the leather insole they are comfortable just not squishy. If he goes with a wedge sole he’ll get some squish from that but they wear quickly but those boots are meant to resole and be rebuilt to last a long time. Go with a roughout help with abrasion you don’t notice to cuts and scrapes. Besides that red wing makes good work boots along with Danner but nothing like those brands I mentioned.
If he is pouring concrete he's gonna need a pair of rubber boots, I'd get a pair of cheap ones from somewhere to keep in his truck for those days then for everything else I'd recommend danner quarrys, I've had mine since February, put them through a lot of different tasks, from working in asphalt to mud, hydraulic oil, bunch of different chemicals and they are holding up great. Waterproofing is great never had a leak in them. Sole is rugged good for outdoor work but also not bad for standing inside doing things either.
Hi Thanks! I’ll look at those!! also he does already have rubber boots but we pretty much just buy a new pair from Walmart when those get torn haha
If he’s working in mud make sure you done get him a wedge sole. My Thorogoods & Red Wings are slick as snot in mud, wet grass, snow, mold/mildew covered decks.
Solid advice here
Thorogood soles are TERRIBLE when they get worn down a bit. I work inside and they are still slippery. Couldn’t imagine outdoor work.
Carolina's 28 Series is a solid boot. The Classic Thorogood Moc Toe is great as well. I like the Redwing Supersole. Some other brands to consider would be Jim Green with their Razorback or AR8. Irish Setter Ashby or Wingshooter.
Sounds like he does a little bit of everything. I'd probably suggest going with a boot with a lug sole. When digging with shovels or climbing on ladders, I prefer a lug sole. Bit more durability and safer.
2 pairs of Thorogoods.
I've used so many work boot brands, including $600 PNW brands. In all honesty, nothing is more comfortable than my thorogood Moc toes. They're very durable too. The leather is thick enough for what your husband does. Get two pairs so he can alternate them, he'll get a lot of mileage out of them that way.
If he wears out the toes in his work boots, consider applying tough toe or KG boot guard to them in the beginning.
I like the Carolinas, but any of those are gonna be decent. The biggest issues will be wet concrete and working on his knees dragging his toes on the ground. Those two things will kill any boot in short order. There are ways around it, as others have said he should get some rubber boots for concrete pours and tough toe for the toe dragging
Dayton boots are on sale right now. Highly recommend.
Danner Quarry is some of the best I’ve come across yet. Get about 3 years out of each pair, of hard abuse work. They go on sale soon I believe for Fathers Day and you can get them for under $300. Made In USA 365 day warranty, proprietary Gor-Tex liner, the boot breathes better than any other lined boot as Gor-Tex makes a special liner JUST for Danner as they were the first ever to utilize the company in a boot.
The PNW boots are good craftsmanship and quality, but a $700 boot in my field and I’m in sure his too if he chose, lasted no longer than my Quarry did.
What’s the budget