On my second pair of Keen Targhee II and For what you describe I’ve found nothing better.

Although I must admit that I love love love my Oboze Sawtooth Waterproof
Low B-Dry when I don’t need something over the ankle.

20 years ago I worked in the fire protection industry. In my regular job I was a service Manager for a fire protection company. My part time job I was a Fire service instructor with the local fire academy in the county I lived in.
Some day I was in my work boots from 7am till midnight. The boots I liked back then were Carolina work boots.
They were comfortable and very durable. I would be able to re sole them a couple of times before they had to be replaced.
Back then they were American made and I think they still are.

Another vote for Danner, sticking with the USA made models. I'm partial to the Danner Light series and the Mountain Pass series.

I would typically stalk them on Amazon until their pricing algorithm made them available for sub $150 and then pounce.

Go with either Danner or Red Wing the US made boots

I really hate to support the Commies but these are what I've been wearing for the last 5 years or so. A Red Wing offshore brand.
They are comfortable out of the box and the first thing to go is the soles that are not replaceable. They make them in all sorts of configurations.
I usually get about 2 years out of a pair.
Shop around for the best prices.

https://workboots.com/irish-se...aterproof-brown?hp=y

Danner Quarry. Won't wear anything else.

Redwings.

Sadly threads like this aren't real helpful.

For example my 25 year old (cheap) Georgia Boots aren't relevant to what they're turning out now.

My US made Danners, with relatively low miles on them, are starting to come apart.

Thororgood, which had become my go to recommendation, dumped most of it's classic designs they'd been making forever and replaced it with crap.

My most recent pair of Chippewa's are quite disappointing.

I fear I'm going to have to shell out $400-$600 to get a decent pair of boots.

(I hear White's has gone down hill as well.)

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
Thorogood, which had become my go to recommendation, dumped most of it's classic designs they'd been making forever and replaced it with crap.

I can’t speak to the other brands you bashed, but I can tell you I get 2.5-3 years out of my Thorogoods with daily use on concrete, computer floors, dirt, etc. on the original soles (I never have shoes resoled. I always buy a new pair).

For ~200 bucks a pair and made in US, I’d say that’s pretty damn good.

I have been impressed with Nicks and Whites but they are big heavy and not suited to hiking or for me to wear to work.
I am having Nick's set me up with their PNW boot now.

quote:

Originally posted by Nframe:
I have been impressed with Nicks and Whites but they are big heavy and not suited to hiking or for me to wear to work.
I am having Nick's set me up with their PNW boot now.

For Nick's, did you get fitted through their kit they send, or did you do your own measurements?

How are the Tuesday boots? They look nice for everyday wear boots, not sure they're work boots, though. I'm also kind of leery with buying boots without being able to try them on. I see they're not made in China so that's very appealing right now.

For work boots, I have 2 pairs of Redwings. Love them. They hold up very well for my line of work: construction. I only buy US made Redwings.

I’ve worn Red Wing, Thorogood, Keen, etc in the past and I recently tried a new brand and can’t recommend them enough. Redback boots. Very comfortable and lightweight. I went with the Chelsea style (pull-on) but they also have a lace-up style as well. While they’re not made in the US....they’re all made in Australia (Australian company). At least they aren’t made in China.

https://www.redbackboots.com/

quote:

Originally posted by Nismo:

quote:

Originally posted by Nframe:
I have been impressed with Nicks and Whites but they are big heavy and not suited to hiking or for me to wear to work.
I am having Nick's set me up with their PNW boot now.

For Nick's, did you get fitted through their kit they send, or did you do your own measurements?

This pair of PNW will be with their Fit Sheet. I’m getting a pair of try on’s first to see how close the standard size fits and then send them the fit sheet back.

 
If you buy your Danners directly from Danner (not the cheapest, but not too bad), you can try the fit at home. As long as you stay inside with the new boots on, and if you want to switch sizes, you can return them to Danner, on their dime, for the alternate size.

Another vote for Vasque Sundowner boots.

I build store displays in my spare time, so I wear them for as much as I can and then include them in the display inventory. Basically wearing them for free.

A few times I've even bought old boots from someone else because I wanted to keep mine as they were too comfortable to part with at the time.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
but I can tell you I get 2.5-3 years out of my Thorogoods with daily use on concrete, computer floors, dirt, etc. on the original soles (I never have shoes resoled.

I bought a pair from them that apparently they made for like 100 years. Love em. And of course since I love them, they stopped making them.

I just had them re-soled.

quote:

Originally posted by mdblanton:
I’ve been wearing Salomon Quest 4D GTX for the last 4 or 5 years. Currently on the second pair. The old, less presentable ones get used for yard work, painting, etc. and the newer ones see more everyday wear and walking.

They’ve held up well and been very comfortable. Before that I was wearing Asolo boots but found the toe box to be a little too narrow for me.

Michael

Do this. I’m on my 4th pair, I get about 18 months out of a pair. They fit snugger around the heel and ankle that Redwings.

Sizing is much like redwing for me. REI has good pricing.

Chippewa still makes great work boots. Worth a look.

For work (tree climbing and related ground work), I have two pairs of USA made Redwing logger boots. They hold up well to hard work.

I used a pair of Merrell Moabs to hike the trails in Yellowstone. I also use them everyday for work if I don't need the protection of boots. They come in wide width and are durable and comfortable. https://www.merrell.com/US/en/...olor=J034207#start=1

I have a pair of Captain boots made by Thursday Boots. https://thursdayboots.com/prod...ain?collection=boots

They also have the Vanguard model that is USA made but only come in regular width. https://thursdayboots.com/prod...ns-boots-made-in-usa

I also have a pair of White's Semi Dress boots. https://whitesboots.com/field/semi-dress/

These have a high arch and I have flat feet. I went to their store in Spokane and they determined I am a size 9F. The verdict is still out on these as I am still breaking them in and getting used to the arch support. When I bought these last September, I was unaware that White's was bought out by a Japanese company. Therefore, my next casual boot purchase will be from Nick's Boots:

https://nicksboots.com/americana-brown-heritage-boot/

Right now, they are taking $50 off of their fitting option in which they send you a pair of boots to try on to verify your size.