Hiking Boots

[NYSawBoss]

PLEASE HELP!!! I have a pair of non steel toe Georgia loggers and I despise the lack of comfort. I'm looking for a LIGHT WEIGHT, COMFORTABLE, HI-TOP, hiker or the like with a steel toe. I do mostly non spike prunes (footlock, pantin, body thrust, limb walk) but on occasion I do removals with spikes. I would like a pair of hikers that will do it all. I really don't want to have to keep the Georgias in the truck for the times I put on my spikes. Any and all help would be much appreciated..........ASAP!!!!!!!!!

tony

 

[MasterBlaster]

Don't we already have 'bout ten million threads on footgear you can research?

 

[treeseer]

I would like a pair of hikers that will do it all. I really don't want to have to keep the Georgias in the truck for the times I put on my spikes.

No such thing..I've climbed in many kinds of hikers, and spikes move too much without that raised heel like your Georgias must have.

If you don't spike often, is switching such a pain?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I want a really well handling car that I can race NASCAR with, yet still be able to take my wife and 5 kids to their events on the weekends. I also want to be able to tow a boat. What one car should I buy?

 

[kf_tree]

No such thing..I've climbed in many kinds of hikers, and spikes move too much without that raised heel like your Georgias must have.

you really seem to know your tree's, so i enjoy you threads since you have alot to offer. but i strongly disagree with the above statement. all i wear is midweight hikers and i have no problems standing on gaffs for 6+ hours in them. no need for 2 different boots. i't could just be the boots i chose vs yours .

 

[fwf]

I happen to be lucky and live within 5 miles of a store that handles a huge inventory of hiking and work boots. I'm guessing 150-200 different brands and styles. Like the others, I have come the conclusion that good hiking boots with steel toes don't exist. I've tried dozens of brands and it seems that when steel goes in the toe, comfort goes out the window. Even companies that make some very comfortable hiking boots, like Danner, do not make a comfortable steel toe hiker.

There are a lot of great hiking boots and a few good logging boots, but no one boot for all occasions that I have found. Personally I find changing shoes when needed to be rather refreshing, but maybe that's just me.

 

[kf_tree]

well look at it this way........as soon as they put a steel toe in it, the boot is no longer a hiker.

 

[treeseer]

midweight hikers and i have no problems standing on gaffs for 6+ hours in them. ... i't could just be the boots i chose vs yours .

Or it could be that your legs have less miles and years on them; I crave comfort. Or it could be I don't spike so much anymore. Or it could be the shoes you use; I don't shop much for them; got my faves for $.25 at a PTA yard sale.

What brand do you wear, kf?

 

[clearance]

I am not trying to change anyones mind or views here, but will state another fact about why it is better for me to always climb with spurs. The same linesman boots, steel toe, steel shank, every day. Two pairs the same, Viberg, about $420Cdn. a pair stand on spurs all day, dig ditches, build heavy formwork, whatever. Comfort, safety ahh, the only time I wear other boots is my caulks.

 

[Tree Machine]

We love links to source sites.

 

[Brock2saws]

I got a pair of Cat's. Steel shank is the key for me on spurs. I think they're as comfortable as you're going to get with a steel toe. Very aggressive sole, almost never slip. But they are heavy.

BAB

 

[Jumper]

Not sure what is available in the States, but there is a wide variety of 'hiking style" steel toe/sole CSA/UL approved footwear available in Canada, much of it in catalogues on line, if that is what you want. Recently spotted a lower boot in their flyer that was intended for landscapers but with all the safety features required for work in this country. I am more along the line of Clearance regarding what is best for spiking, but if most of your work is pruning vice removals, some of these might be useful, PM me if you want additional info.

 

[Tree Machine]

Not steel-toed

LOVED these boots. They served me flawlessly until they finally destructed 9 months later. It was a very good run.

 

[SteveBullman]

meindl do a lightweight pair of chainsaw protected boots designed specifically for climbing. they are narrower than a normal chainsaw boot and have a tackier sole. gonna get me a pair next month

 

[rb_in_va]

I want a really well handling car that I can race NASCAR with, yet still be able to take my wife and 5 kids to their events on the weekends. I also want to be able to tow a boat. What one car should I buy?

Mike, this might work as long as the boat isn't too big.

 

[kf_tree]

Or it could be that your legs have less miles and years on them; I crave comfort. Or it could be I don't spike so much anymore. Or it could be the shoes you use; I don't shop much for them; got my faves for $.25 at a PTA yard sale.

What brand do you wear, kf?

in the past i wore montrail torre's.....now i'm useing a pair made by north face,not sure of the model. i live by a north face outlet now,so i look for deals there. maybe it's the custom orthotics i use? i used to have a problem with heel spurs and i had full length orthotics made by a foot doc. so the first thing i do is throw the standard insoles in the trash. there just so much more comfy on the ground then logger boots.

 

[rb_in_va]

i used to have a problem with heel spurs and i had full length orthotics made by a foot doc.

How do the insoles that you get at the drugstore work for heelspurs?

 

[kf_tree]

from what i understand heel spurs are related to fallen arches. so i guess the 3/4 length ones from a drug store are better than nothing. the doc asked me if i stood on ladders alot. i laughed and same the ladder is attached to my feet.

there are some online labs that will send you a kit to take impressions of your feet. then you send them back the kit and they make orthotics just for you. at first i had the 3/4 orthotics made, then i developed a nueroma (pinched nerve by toes) so i had full length orthotics made with a met pad to spread the bones to relieve the nerve.

a couple of shots in the heel and the orthotics solved my heel spur problem. for a while it was bad, i could barely walk in the morning. the ones i had made were close to 400.00 but it was money well spent. it's kind of a pain switching them from shoe to shoe. so eventually i had a second pair made. one for my work shoes and one for casual shoes.

 

[NYSawBoss]

Well I went out yesterday and purchased a pair of Timberland Rock Ramblers. They're steel toed with electric shock protection hikers. I'm enjoying them so far. I'm just curious to see how they perform with spikes. Not much of a heel on them.

tony

 

[Tree Machine]

Wow, kf, your boots are even more critical than for the ret of us. I've always claimed bootwear to be my most critical tool, but for you it's literally the difference between being able to work, and not being able to work.

meindl do a lightweight pair of chainsaw protected boots designed specifically for climbing. they are narrower than a normal chainsaw boot and have a tackier sole. gonna get me a pair next month

Tacky sole is good. Also, smooth sole works for me. One would intuitively think the knobbier, more aggressive tread patterns would work better for tree climbing. There are major, major differences in sole profiles and compounds, and most hard-workin boots end up-being very worn in the sole. This can be celebrated.

I look forward to the end-life of boots, like in picture 4, the soles have lost most of their tread and right before they completely died, they were climbing spectacularly.

A few years ago I was playing with this concept, actually, I was trying to custom-shape the tines of a plastic rake by sitting on the tailgate of a pickup, pressuring the handle so the business end was on the pavement, then ya take a ride around the block until the new shape makes you happy. I did this same maneuver with a pair of Salomons, hung my butt off the tailgate, feet on the pavement. As long as you've got that stiff fiberglass shank plate between the rubber sole and your footplate, the boot retains it's stability and does it's job with authority.

I like to climb in the rain when I can, and I'll grab a pair of old boots to muck up. I have found smooth soles on wet wood to be OK.

meindl do a lightweight pair of chainsaw protected boots designed specifically for climbing. they are narrower than a normal chainsaw boot and have a tackier sole. gonna get me a pair next month

Link? These sound intriguing.