Boots

[zogger]

I didn't mention my "Northerner" rubbers in my earlier post.

Still American made and rubber ie,,,waterproof. Warm enough you can wear 'em pretty late into the year with good socks..I hate cheep socks.

I have a pair of "Lowa" brand hikers,,they stay pretty dry if'n ya' use the grease on 'em.

I had to look those up. Tractor supply only carries (around here) the pvc made ones. The rubber ones aren't here so I have never seen them. 100 bucks it appears for the rubber ones. You can get a brand new car tire for 100!! That's a lot more rubber and harder to make. Plain simple slip on rubber boots..hundred bucks..geez... That's just a nutso discrepancy based on materials. Is rubber really that more expensive? I'll check around see if I can actually see a pair. There's another mom and pop farm store here I'll check out.

edit: I am looking further and found out husky makes rubber waterproof chainsaw protective logging boots. Around 50-100 bucks depending on where you look online. I am going to check these out, they might be the winner here.

another edit...50 ain't right that was a one off auction price. Basically a benjamin most places. Still chainsaw protective, rubber, water proof and the option for studs/caulks I guess. You could use them with or without liners. So..two pair, one oversize for liners in the winter, about 225 total. Gonna start saving my nickles...

 

[VinnieWV]

I work in the WV mountains in the winter and I use gore-tex and sno-seal together. I also use the sno-seal on my leather work gloves and really makes a big difference. The sno-seal gets into the seams of the boots and is like wax on a car. I will apply the sno-seal with a hair dryer every couple weeks. One thing to keep in mind about the sno-seal it will darken the leather, so unless its for dress its not a big deal to me. I think I payed 7 dollars for a 7 oz can and can apply several coats.

 

[Laroo]

Navigator 5 STABILicers®, Gray

Here's what I use.

 

[Joe Homeowner]

I work in the WV mountains in the winter and i use gore-tex and sno-seal together. I also use the sno-seal on my leather work gloves and really makes a big difference. The sno-seal gets into the seams of the boots and acts like a wax does on a car. I will apply the sno-seal with a hair dryer every couple weeks. One thing to keep in mind about the sno-seal it will darken the leather, so unless its for dress its not a big deal to me. I think I payed 7 dollars for a 7 oz can and can apply several coats.

You're screwing up the GoreTex Vinnie. The genius of the GoreTex design prevents larger water drops from passing through (waterproof) while allowing the smaller molecules of water VAPOR ( sweat ) to pass the membrane (breathe). Boots use a GoreTex "sock" inside the leather. When made correctly it does the job.
The early GoreTex we had in the 80's was easily spoiled by dirt, heavy snow, sea spray salt; once coated it stopped being waterproof or breathe. The Gore engineers made it work in later versions. GoreTex is issue now for ops soldiers: gear and med kits.
If you don't have sweaty, smelly feet at work, check with your local MD :hmm3grin2orange:.

BTW: Those Mickey Mouse boots are sweatbox hell holes for working, so big that we call them "stumblers". Better to get the Gore insulated boots for $$$.

 

[Arbonaut]

I don't mind spending money on boots. But $300 for uninsulated, $300 for insulated, and another $200 for snow boots. Where doe's it end. I have actually been looking around and getting educated on boots. Never realized how many specialty boots are out there. Of course none for my roof work.
My problem with the Carolina's is that like the other boots mentioned, there is supposed to be a bag like liner, between the leather and the innerlinerr. Making them extra waterproof. The boots where very comfortable, but after a week they looked a year old. I also don't mind them leaking if I was standing in water. But I don't think it is to much to ask of a boot stating water proof, to keep the feet dry in the rain for a few hours.

Sticker shock on real boots is just the deal we're dealin' in. Those little overseas bastards don't understand American feet. When you have been kicking the world's ass for two hundred fifty years, your feet deserve the best.

 

[LAH]

BTW: Those Mickey Mouse boots are sweatbox hell holes for working, so big that we call them "stumblers". Better to get the Gore insulated boots for $$$.

+1 on the sweatbox. Wore those some with Uncle Sam.

 

[stihly dan]

How about the Georgia logger., any complaints.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Dinger, I didn't know Tingleys were hard to find. Most of the "real" farm stores around here carry em. Iffen you wanted to order em online, look up Farm and Fleet.

My USA made Red Wing work boots were waterproof for most of their first year, but now need some help from Sno Seal. Gotta get a new pair soon, just cause work pays for em. Nothing wrong with the old ones, they'll become dedicated woods boots.

 

[computeruser]

I had great luck with a pair of Wolverine hunting boots I bought some years back. Even after 8 years of use, with no sole left, they were still 100% waterproof - stand in a stream or work in a swamp waterproof, not just puddle on the sidewalk waterproof. I did not find them laterally supportive enough to work trees, though.

I purchased a pair of Red Wings loggers a few years back. These are the $200 Chinese ones (oops, didn't notice that 'till I got them home), with their proprietary non-GoreTex waterproofing. So far, so good. The leather gets polished every few uses for good measure and to keep dew beading up on them instead of getting soaked up by the leather.

 

[dingeryote]

Dinger, I didn't know Tingleys were hard to find. Most of the "real" farm stores around here carry em. Iffen you wanted to order em online, look up Farm and Fleet.

My USA made Red Wing work boots were waterproof for most of their first year, but now need some help from Sno Seal. Gotta get a new pair soon, just cause work pays for em. Nothing wrong with the old ones, they'll become dedicated woods boots.

Thanks Steve. Once TSC moved in one town over, the grain elevator/feed store went under, so the last pair was bought online. The old pair has a dozen patches but still going as truck boots..LOL!!

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[dingeryote]

How about the Georgia logger., any complaints.

Yeah. They suck!

Might be the worst boots I ever bought. They took half a can of sno-seal on the first application before they quit sucking the stuff in and still leaked like a sieve in plain old snow. On second application I noticed the sole was seperating from the last and wore them untill the new Corcorans came in.

Didn't even get a year out of them so I figured to use them for mucking about with Irrigation, but the new Pup got ahold of them so they went right to the ####can after the Pup got through his Shoe phase.

Save your $$$.

Thorogood and Matterhorn do a LOT better for not much more IMO.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[Steve NW WI]

Dinger, I sometimes think I need to start one of them stupid online petitions to get Tractor Supply to change their name to Yuppie Exurban Horse Owner Supply, truth in advertising. Pretty bad when about the only tractor parts you can find in there are mufflers for a 9N Ford.

The real farm supply stores around here, Mills Fleet Farm and Blain's Farm and Fleet are the big two, along with Stockman's Farm Supply, carry most everything TSC does, and usually much more. Stockman's even sells both Stihl and Husky, and carries the pro models. They're just a 2 store place here in Western WI.

I stop short of calling TSC a waste of space, I shop there once in a while, but it's not what it should be by a long shot.

 

[redprospector]

How about the Georgia logger., any complaints.

I agree with dingeryote. They SUCK!!
I went through (what I like to call) a frugle stage several years ago. I could buy Georgia Loggers at the local boot shop for about 100 bucks, so I did.
They started going south after about 4 months (arch breaking down, sole coming loose, etc.). I put up with them for 2 more months before I gave up and bought another pair. I'm kinda hard headed, so I went through this cycle 3 more times before I woke up. At the time a pair of Wesco Job Masters were less than 300 bucks, and I knew I got 2 years out of the last pair before they needed rebuilding.
Hmm. I had just spent 400 bucks in the last 2 years being frugle, not to mention that my feet were miserable 2 months out of every 6. One $300 pair of Wesco's would have done a better job, and my feet wouldn't have hurt.
Wesco's are a little over $400 now, but the Georgia's are a little over $125. So I'm still money ahead buying a good boot.

The moral to this story is; The cheapest price is not always the least expensive choice.

Andy

 

[savageactor7]

Ditto to NOT using sno-seal on any gore tex boots. Gore tex is in that modern day miracle fabric category.

 

[owbguy]

just buy what is comfortable, then use a can of that stuff the Billy mays knock-off sells on tv for turning your screen door into a boat. you'll either have a doorboat or really wet feet...

 

[cmsmoke]

I used Rocky boots when I was an equipment operator. I was in my share of wet ditches to labor on water main breaks as well. Could get about a year out of them before they would start to seep. They worked the best for me.

 

[VinnieWV]

Atsko maker of sno-seal saids it ok to use with gore tex

http://www.atsko.com/articles/footware/proper-care-of-hard-working-leather.html

 

[VinnieWV]

The link I posted above is why I treated my boots with Sno-Seal. I use wool socks to keep my feet from sweating.

 

[slowp]

Since I am a person who has damp feet, from sweat if boots are rubber, I bought another boot/shoe dryer for my Pointy Trailer. It was $12 and made by Peet. You put little plastic things inside your shoes and plug it in. I'll have to be hooked up to power for it to work.

I've had a regular Peet boot dryer for 25 years. They haven't gone up in price much, which is surprising.
Stick your "waterproof" boots on it, take them off it in the morning, and you're ready. Sometimes my office reeked of smelly rubber boots in the morning, but cracking open a window freshened it up.

It is a good thing, especially if you've ever had to pull on cold, wet, leather boots day after day in the morning. Sometimes the boots will still be warm when you pull up on the landing.

 

[cowroy]

I have been wearing Chippewa boots for about a year and a half. The soles only lasted about a year and they are getting to where they hurt my feet quite a bit. I need boots that will be comfortable for 16hrs if need be. I work second shift so I get up most of the time at 7:30am and go to bed around 12:00am. I do a lot of walking on mixed surfaces from concrete to gravel. I am willing to pay for good boots as long as they are comfortable. I typically wear the same boots to do everything in so, I need comfortable for 12-16hrs at a time that I can wear six days a week and and Gore-tex would be a plus but not required.