I’m required to wear a safety toe boot for work where pretty much all of my time is spent on concrete floors. I couldn’t find a boot that was actually comfortable and didn’t cause tons of pain, especially for my right foot…until now. I even bought into the PNW boot nonsense and spent almost a grand on a pair of wedge sole custom hand made boots from a boot maker. If anything these boots have made my feet hurt even more.

So last week I decided to try a modern day western style boot from Ariat. It’s the Big Rig model (their only model available in 4E width) with comp toe and the ventek things in the boot shaft. These dang things feel so good so far that it’s unbelievable, almost a too good to be true type of thing. Plenty of toe room and I’m getting just a slight amount of heel slip, I feel like it’s sufficient enough…it allows my heel to raise up maybe .25-.5” but it also doesn’t feel like my heel actually lifts off of the insole. So I’m quite confident that this aspect of the boot fit is perfect.

The part of the boot fit that I’m wondering if it is ok is the instep. When I stomp my boot and forward to see if my foot slides forward I feel that it might slide forward maybe an eight of an inch. It’s really minor and I’m hoping that this much slip would be ok. If not I know I can try to find a really thin insert to put under the insole…so if need be I can do that. Right now the instep area feels a bit snug with no undo pressure and actually feels great. Even my right foot is very happy in this regard.

Now granted I just got the boots on Friday so I haven’t taken them to work and walk around the site yet but the amount of cushioning that is in these boots I’m fairly positive that they will help. Another point of bringing this up I’m sure my feet are going to swell some and that will snug up the boot more.

So for those that are more versed in this type of footwear…does it seem like I have a good fit with these boots or do they seem a little to loose in the instep?

They sound fine to me. I have no experience with Ariat, but if I find a pair of Red Wing or Chippewa “Wellingtons” that fit that way they work out fine.

I have both Lucchese and Nocona boots. What you are describing sounds like a perfect fit.
Are you able to take them off yourself, or do you need a boot jack or a friend to help pull them off?
They should come off without too much effort. Your description of the instep makes me think they come off just fine.
Sounds like they fit rather well.

We need JAllen for this one, and a moment of silence for his loss.

I remember him making suggestions for me when I went down to Austin looking for boots.

There’s so many Texans on here, I’m sure one of them will weigh in.

I can't help with your question, but I have to wear safety shoes in my plants too, and have a hard time finding something to fit my Fred Flintstone feet. The toe cup on most safety shoes is too narrow and rubs against my big toe, little toe, or both. I've tried MANY brands from cheap to expensive.

About the only thing that fits me are Caterpillar brand with Wide width, which are made by Wolverine.

I've found that there are 2 things to making them all day stand-up comfortable:

1. Dr. Scholl's Custom FiT 3/4 length Orthotic Inserts. These are the ones they used to have a machine you stand on in stores to determine you FiT number. I'm a big guy and use the 440s (the biggest size). They are definitely worth the $50-60. They raise your heel a little and feel great.

2. Compression socks - the ones that cover your calves. Again, I'm a big guy and these make standing and walking around he plant all day so much easier.

I'm going to look at the Ariat's you mention. They might be a good alternative.

I have struggled with the wide feet thing. I posted about it recently.

Take a look at Keen work boots. I know you are asking about cowboy boots (and I love my Ariats), but take a look and see.

Mine have always been completely leather. Inserts just do not work. I bought them at most slightly snug. They mold to your feet in a couple weeks and you shouldn’t really notice heel slip after that. More of a uniform looseness I guess around your foot.

At one time I needed some distressed composite toe boots for a display, so I decided to get a pair and wear them myself.

Found a pair of HH boots that fit the bill, right up to the point that I tried them on. Couldn't wear them past a few hours as they felt like medieval torture devices.

Then called their rep and asked if they use the same composite toe cap for all of the widths of the same size. Yup! Fortunately, they said I could return them.

If you need a wider width composite toe boot, I cannot recommend anything from HH.

Later I ended up talking to a guy at the hardware store and bought him a pair of Ariats so I could use his old pair.

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There’s so many Texans on here, I’m sure one of them will weigh in.

Well, actually…

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:
I have both Lucchese and Nocona boots. What you are describing sounds like a perfect fit.
Are you able to take them off yourself, or do you need a boot jack or a friend to help pull them off?
They should come off without too much effort. Your description of the instep makes me think they come off just fine.
Sounds like they fit rather well.

Yeah I can take them off myself. I get a good thud when putting them on and when taking them off it takes some effort but not terribly so.

I’m really hoping that the fit is good because they are so dang comfortable I can hardly believe it. I have some ideas of how to snug up the instep if it ends up needing it.

I had some Double H cowboy boots years ago that I loved to look of but they just weren’t that comfortable for me. Part of that was because I kept on insisting on wearing my custom orthotics with them (no longer bother with custom orthotics…I just use arch support insoles nowadays) and the other part was lack of any sort of cushioning.

If the modern day cowboy boots are all like this with insoles and such I’m pretty sure I have found my new preferred footwear.

I wear lace up workboots for work as a requirement.
I have a pair of Ariats I bought 10-12 years ago.
I get out of the lace ups and slip on my boots and it makes my feet feel great, even though my lace ups feel like a dream.
The day I got my Ariats they felt like they were just made for my feet, spent 10hrs. in them at the New Mexico State Fair.
Next day was almost 12 hrs. there.

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Originally posted by Largefarva:

Yeah I can take them off myself. I get a good thud when putting them on and when taking them off it takes some effort but not terribly so.

If the modern day cowboy boots are all like this with insoles and such I’m pretty sure I have found my new preferred footwear.

It sounds like you have a perfect fit. Take a second pair of footwear with you just in case, but your description with the “thud” really sounds like they are perfect.

Oh hell no. Not all boots fit like that. You found a pair that was built on a last (wood or plastic foot the boot is built around) that fits your foot well. My Lucchese fit way too tight until I had the vamp (instep) stretched. My Nocona fit pretty well. The Tony Lama boots I tried the day I bought my Lucchese, I should have bought. They fit really nicely.

quote:

Originally posted by Beancooker:

quote:

Originally posted by Largefarva:

Yeah I can take them off myself. I get a good thud when putting them on and when taking them off it takes some effort but not terribly so.

If the modern day cowboy boots are all like this with insoles and such I’m pretty sure I have found my new preferred footwear.

It sounds like you have a perfect fit. Take a second pair of footwear with you just in case, but your description with the “thud” really sounds like they are perfect.

Oh hell no. Not all boots fit like that. You found a pair that was built on a last (wood or plastic foot the boot is built around) that fits your foot well. My Lucchese fit way too tight until I had the vamp (instep) stretched. My Nocona fit pretty well. The Tony Lama boots I tried the day I bought my Lucchese, I should have bought. They fit really nicely.

I always thought it sounded like the closing of of a door with a vacuum seal. “Foo-wock!”

Ariat is the only cowboy boot I wear. When I put them on they always fit like a glove. Never had to break a pair in. Have a good arch support and wear like iron. Sounds like you got a good fit and a great pair of boots.

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Originally posted by Lucnik:
Ariat is the only cowboy boot I wear. When I put them on they always fit like a glove. Never had to break a pair in. Have a good arch support and wear like iron. Sounds like you got a good fit and a great pair of boots.

Yeah I was so surprised by how good this pair of boots feel. I’m now exploring other western boots to have a pair for more of the everyday/dressy type of wear. I’m finding that most boot makers only make a width of EE so I’m hoping that a cobbler can stretch a boot out the vamp area can fit my high instep.

That sounds like how my boots fit, but you could try a heavier sock and see if it is better.

I mainly wear slip-on steel toes boots, and prefer them over lace-up boots for comfort (to be fair, lace up boots provide better ankle support). I wouldn't consider them cowboy boots as the shape is different.

Years ago, I was at Academy sports and they sold steel toe boot socks. I bought a half dozen pair, and they made a remarkable improvement in comfort wearing steel toe boots. I've been wearing them ever since whenever I wear steel toe boots. Unfortunately, the brand isn't stated anywhere on the socks and I can't remember the brand.

About a decade ago, I was on a business trip and was only packed for going to the office. Murphy popped his head up 30 miles away and I needed at an oil & gas site (i.e. steel toes are req'd PPE) so I went to the local Red Wing branch and bought both steel toe boots and Red Wing's steel toe boot socks. Their steel toe boot socks made even brand new boots comfortable.

Native Texan, the fit sounds good. Unless I'm wearing shorts, most of the time I'm wearing Ariat boots.

Another Native Texan here, and formally sold cowboy boots and western wear at retail.

You are describing a perfect fit. If the heel does not slip you will get a blister. The instep should be snug, but not so that it cuts off circulation (duh!). Toe box of the boot should be wide enough not to squeeze your toes together uncomfortably.

The ball of your foot should rest at the widest point of the boot, since the ball is at the widest point of your foot.

One tip, if you have some boots where the instep is too tight, you can rub the instep down with rubbing alcohol and it will cause the leather to expand slightly. Wear the boots til the alcohol has dried.

I have never seen the alcohol harm any type of leather. It does not work worth a shit on sharkskin as that leather has little or no pores, which makes it so damned tough! Briars will not even scratch sharkskin.

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Originally posted by arfmel:

quote:

There’s so many Texans on here, I’m sure one of them will weigh in.

Well, actually…

My bad! I didn’t look at locations, I was thinking of names. Apologies. Looks like your brethren are in step with you.