Got the boots today and have some questions on how they should fit.

If I put in the Protalus insoles there is a bit of heel slippage....not much but a bit. They don’t feel too tight or anything...a bit looser than I had anticipated in fact. I was thinking maybe I should get a half size smaller but realized that my pinky toe is right there at the edge of the boot and if I went any smaller it would be too small since I have wide feet.

If I put in my Powerstep insoles they are thicker and it takes up more room for sure. These insoles make the boot fit how I had anticipated. Less heel slippage (barely any at all) and they are more snug all around. This almost feels like the right fit, but I’m a wondering how snug they should be at first in the instep (the top of the foot right before the foot meets the ankle).

So should there be some snugness in the instep (I would imagine so) and should I expect for it to loosen up as the boot gets broken in?

Now this was all right after I woke up this afternoon...I plan on taking the boots in tonight to work and trying them on after I’ve done a couple of rounds.

First day the heels were quite snug (insoles that came with the boots). They loosened up a bit and seem just right.

Did you try the boots with the insoles it came with?

The Redbacks have a pretty high arched insole compared to other boots I have had.

Yeah I did. They immediately came out and the Protalus insoles went in. Felt better instantly. I never use the insoles that come with shoes beachside they’re always inadequate. I have really flat feet.

How was the fit for you on the top of your foot? Snug as well...and loosen up as they got broken in?

Toes not as tight as the heel. They loosened up nicely after about 2 full days of working on the car.

So after a couple hours at work I changed over to the Redbacks. With the powerstep insoles I think there’s just a bit too much pressure on the top of my foot because they’re a higher profile insole. The Protalus insoles help alleviate the pressure there.

Hopefully as the boot gets broken in it’ll loosen up a tiny bit more on the top of my foot. I can always try out the stock insoles again to see how they feel but they just didn’t seem to have any support whatsoever. I have pretty bad over-pronation so I need a beefier insole than what comes in most shoes and boots.

Only real issue with the Protalus insole is on the left boot there is a popping noise/squeak when I lift my foot after taking a step on that foot. I believe the plastic part of the insole is catching a seam on the inside of the boot causing the noise (or some other friction causing it). It doesn’t happen on the right boot.

Edit: Discovered the source of the popping/squeak in the left boot. Part of the stretchy fabric on the outer part of the boot had a bit excess there as compared to the other boot. Trimmed it back towards the stitching there and it appears to have gone away.

So after a couple of weeks of wearing my Redback boots I’ll have to say that the reviewers are all correct. These things are easily the most comfortable boots I’ve ever worn. Once they get fully broken in I can only imagine how much better they will feel.

I took the advice of putting the stock insoles back in. They provided just a tiny bit too much room and my foot kind of slid around a very tiny bit, so I ordered a pair of the replacement insoles that Redback offers. At first those feel pretty good but the leather topper on them is like a rough leather and they made my feet sweat like none other. Soaking wet after a 12 hour shift....and they grip your socks pretty badly as well. So I went back to the stock insoles with the extra room.

What ended up doing is getting some slightly thicker socks (Fruit of the loom work socks) and they now fit perfectly.

With these boots my foot pain has been dramatically reduced. I’d say about 80% reduction in pain....and that’s an accomplishment in itself. I was getting to the point of having to take 3 Advil and 2 extended release Tylenols at the beginning of my work day every single day just to make it through the day. I haven’t had to do that since maybe the first or second day of wearing my Redbacks.

These are my new boots from here on out.

I took the boys to the park yesterday and wore my Redbacks.
We walked down to the creek through a field of ankle high thick wet grass. The boots were soaked and while my soaks weren’t wet I am not sure how much longer my feet would have stayed dry.
I am going to slap some mink oil on them to see if that helps.

With my new job that I’m starting on June 1st, I had to get some steel toed boots. So naturally I wanted to try out a pair of Redbacks since I like my boots so much. So I ordered a pair.

I was concerned that the toe cap would be uncomfortable because I didn’t know how close it would be to their non-steel toed boot. I kept on going back and forth between ordering an 11 or 11.5 because of this. I had read on an Australian shoe website that in Australia half sizes aren’t longer, but rather they are a few mm wider, unlike everywhere else. Since I have wide feet I was really considering ordering the half size up.

I ended up just ordering the same size as my non-steel boots, and I’m glad I did. The steel toed version is decidedly wider to accommodate a good sized steel toe cap. It’s very comfortable, especially for a steel toed boot. If anyone is familiar with Red Wings “King Toe”....it’s almost as roomy as that. In fact, I don’t think there will be any stretching to this pair of boots. Once they break in and get more flexible they’re going to be pretty well fitting.

Just wanted to update this thread with this info in case anyone else is thinking about ordering a steel toed boot from them in the future.