Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: What's your favorite leather boot?
|
Author | Message Text | ||
NotSoFast |
Dave |
||
overthehill |
|
||
billconner |
|
||
SaganagaJoe |
|
||
bwcasolo |
|
||
butthead |
Work boots were Red Wing's and Chippewa"s, with toecaps and solid shanks, preferred 8 inch high. New Thula Thula Minimalist. Cleaning a pair of Mohican Stalkers over 15 years old. Mohicans and a pair of 10 year old insulated Hikers with AirClaw soles, drying after a saddle-soaping. Take good care of well made boots and they will last many years! butthead |
||
Laketrout58 |
|
||
Oisinirish |
I now just have the 8" steel toe work boot. By far Red Wings have been the best I've had. For hiking/canoeing I've always gone let her/synthetic mix for breathability weight concerns. |
||
s500yards |
|
||
Me2012 |
quote mr.barley: "After wearing Red Wings for over 30 years I switched to a Keen steel toe for work . I never liked the feel of the Red Wing steel toe, but I love the Keens." Same with me. Red Wings for the last 25years. Bought a pair of Keens last year as a town boot and love them. |
||
dsk |
quote SaganagaJoe: "I've had leather boots on my mind lately. I have a pair of Elk Woods leather boots from Sears that I love and 3 pairs of steel toe Red Wings. I may be in the market for a new pair here soon." For walking in the woods and mountains Crispi Bessegen is the best I ever had. Just do not use silicone on them! I know several who has ruined their leather shoes with goretex that way. When I bought these, I came in to the shop on a Friday and told them I need a pair for walking in the mountains this weekend. I got the offer: They are expensive, but take this use them the weekend, and if you not are satisfied com back Monday and get your money back, even when they are roughly used! I did not come back! They will probably need replacement this year, and guess what I will be looking for? dsk |
||
butthead |
Yes sir, need to learn about the type of leather and how it's tanned as used in your boots. Silicone waterproofing can work or ruin depending on the method of leather tanning. I have 2 pair of "chrome tanned" silicone tanned boots that need silicone treatment. Other boots I have are oil tanned and get a natural oil based preservative like Obenauf’s. Of the 2 styles I own the "chrome tanned" or "Waterproofed Chrome-Tanned Cowhide" are the most water resistant and use Pecard Silicone for treatment. butthead |
||
mjmkjun |
|
||
butthead |
butthead |
||
Savage Voyageur |
|
||
awbrown |
They have a Goodyear welt and replaceable heels, so they last for years. Just new heels and soles every few years. Oh yeah, they're also made in Minnesota. Redwing has hundreds of different styles and several different lines. Not all are made in the USA. Redwing Iron Rangers |
||
Grouseguy1 |
|
||
butthead |
quote awbrown: "I've pretty much returned to all leather boots a few years ago. My current everyday boots are Redwing Heritage Iron Rangers. They take a bit of breaking in but after awhile, they become one with your feet. If you do a little research on "Munson Army Last" you will find they were first made for the US Army in 1918. butthead |
||
johnMN |
|
||
Cedarboy |
CB |
||
mr.barley |
|
||
ParkerMag |
|
||
Hub |
|
||
bwcasolo |
quote mr.barley: "After wearing Red Wings for over 30 years I switched to a Keen steel toe for work . I never liked the feel of the Red Wing steel toe, but I love the Keens." +1, my work shoe, keen. |
||
zski |
|
||
MHS67 |
|
||
drnatus |
Asolo leather boots. |
||
kona |
My first pair lasted a solid 10 years with heavy use on trail and off trail (not too much concrete use on these). I kept them clean and waxed so they were virtually waterproof but still breathed very well. I was relieved to see they're still making the same model in Italy and I even found them for 30% off. After several city days and three full days walking off-trail in the woods, I can say "I'm back in baby's arms." |
||
BuckFlicks |
The time came several years ago for a new hiking boot and I wondered what I could do better... and remembered that I've lost a couple toenails and wondered if I could find a shoe that had a wider toe box. An internet search pointed me toward Asolo as having a wider toe box than other hiking shoes. I had to call several different places in Dallas to find a store that carried the model I wanted in my size... but once I did, I knew right away that I had found my new boot. It has great arch support, a wide toe box, solid but not restrictive ankle support, and the cherry on top was that it had a rubber toe guard to protect against the dreaded toe-scrape. I also have a pair of Red Wings that I quite like - with orthotic inserts that are quite comfortable. I don't wear "boots" much even though I live in Texas. I don't care for the lack of foot feature support that most cowboy boots have. But sometimes I have no choice but to wear boots to some event I'm attending and these Red Wings look like well-cared for old oiled work boots but are nice enough that I can pass them off as "western wear." If I want a fashionable look and don't care about ruggedness or toe protection or what-not, it's hard to beat a good pair of Doc Martens. |