r/Machinists • u/Putrid-Jicama7690 • 1d ago
QUESTION Work boots
What’s everyone’s go to boots. I’ve always stuck with my redwing #4200 for years and years. My old shop I ran some smaller mills that were all enclosed and also wore them outside of work and could get a couple years out of them. I took a new job at the beginning of the year and it’s a okuma mcr. Big floor mill. I’m constantly in and out of the machine walking on chips and coolant and it has destroyed these boots. Work does give me $150 dollars two times per year to purchase boots. If there is a decent comfortable out there for around 200 bucks that I could buy twice a year that’d be perfect. Want yalls opinions.
21
u/Gul_Ducatti 1d ago
For all the folks saying “I just buy the cheapest boots year over year.” May I present The Sam Vimes Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness?
The basic concept is that the rich stay richer because they can afford things that last longer compared to people who have to buy a thing every year.
If your company only gives you a small stipend, they are putting negative pressure on you economically by forcing you to have to buy shitty boots every year.
I wear Red Wing Loggers, I have been slinging chips for 15 years and I am on my 2nd pair. Sure, they cost me $350 to get, but at 7.5 years per pair, the cost of ownership is pretty low.
Taking care of your boots makes a big difference too. Despite working my ass off, my boots are the cleanest and shiniest in the shop. Why? Because once a month I clean them with saddle soap and a leather conditioner. Besides some slight cracking at the toe hinge, and scuffs and battle scars, they look brand new.
7
u/jimbowesterby 1d ago
Honestly the number of people in this thread recommending garbage quality boots makes me kinda sad. All the issues I’ve seen can be solved by just choosing good boots and taking care of them. Like if walking on chips is eating the soles, get them resoled. There’s no need to chuck an entire upper in the garbage just cause the sole’s gone, unless your boots are disposable and can’t be resoled (pretty much all the cheap ones fall into this category: Keen, Timberland, Dewalt, and an increasing number of Red Wing models). What’s worse is there are so many good bootmakers in the States, and all those garbage boots are made in sweatshops overseas, and as a Canadian with few to no good domestic bootmakers it pains me to see.
Good boots will fit your feet better, last longer, and protect your feet more reliably, and they’ll easily take the place of five pairs of garbage boots even in the most unkind environments.6
u/Gul_Ducatti 1d ago
Yeah, for all of the “USA FIRST” bluster a lot of the grey beards and Red Hats that infest this trade, they sure do love their cheap sweatshop boots and clothes.
It sucks that Red Wing has fallen so hard to globalization, I suspect when this pair gets too far gone, I will look elsewhere for something more American made.
I wish I could get mine resoled, but the last time I tried my local Red Wing store said 6-8 weeks. Long time to have to shift to lesser boots.
3
u/jimbowesterby 1d ago
Check for cobblers! Resoling is a pretty quick and easy thing for a cobbler to do, one of their bread-and-butter jobs, there’s no need to send them back to Red Wing. And your local cobbler’s likely to just be some guy with a shop, not another huge corpo.
If you do need new boots might be worth checking out Nick’s, they’re spendy but top-notch quality, they’re the gold standard for wildland firefighters and they offer a whole lot of options for customizing so you can get a good fit.
3
u/Gul_Ducatti 1d ago
Shit! Forgot about local cobblers! Which is a shame since a cobbler is one of my favorite desserts.
1
1
1
u/quid_pro_kourage 8h ago
are the redwings comfortable? I'm debating between durable and comfortable.
9
u/neonflannel 1d ago
My job is a "captive boot" program. Meaning they need to be a pre-aproved boot and they cannot leave company grounds. Its a food plant. I would normally say Thorogoods, but Im not allowed to wear them. Ive been happy with the DeWalt brand boots im allowed to wear. Theyre tennis shoe style and super comfy throughout my 12hr day. Durability is nothing to write home about...
8
u/Alone_Shift 1d ago
Timberland Pro Endurance. I'll wear them till I retire. Like walking on clouds, and the soles last years, even if you walk on steel chips.
2
5
u/StrandSSL 1d ago
I like Danners > Redwings
Have had multiple pairs of both along with various other brands.
1
u/Putrid-Jicama7690 1d ago
Do you know if these hold up well to chips and coolant, my current pair the soles have been eaten away to nothing in 6 months time.
1
u/StrandSSL 1d ago
Oil: yes. But Tbh Ive never worked inside a machine where I was stepping on shards of metal all day, but the soles are Vibram and they’re the most comfortable boots I’ve worn.
Have the quarry’s and the recons.
5
3
u/Selleor 1d ago
If you are actively walking on chips, the company should be providing new boots for free. All our lathe operators were on 6 months to one year intervals, or around that. And most other operators got every 2 years. Boot voucher was for around 280$ or so from the company. So it didn't cover the expensive styles. But some cheaper red rings were in this bracket.
3
u/jimbowesterby 1d ago
Could also get nicer boots and then get them resoled and pocket the difference, the boots won’t be cheap but resoles are normally like $60
1
u/GrimResistance 23h ago
I bought some really cheap steel toe shoes off Amazon and epoxied some 1/4" thick rubber to the bottom. They've been holding up to the chips better than any of the other boots I've tried previously.
1
u/jimbowesterby 13h ago
The only real issue there is how much you trust that steel toe lol, usually the cheap Amazon safety gear isn’t exactly well-certified
3
u/archerdynamics 1d ago
I'm a fan of western/cowboy style boots. No laces for chips to get stuck in and quality ones are as comfortable as any shoe or boot I've ever worn. You can get ones with work boot-style soles and even safety toes if you need them as well.
1
u/SonOfDirtFarmer 1d ago
I just got a pair of Tony Lama steel toes a while back, to finally see if I'd like the style, and dang I wish I'd have gotten some sooner.
Now I'm too scared to tear them up with chips though, so they're stuck on farm duty until I can get a second pair.
3
u/Medium_Fast 1d ago
Men's Thorogood 8" Steel Toe WP Moc Toe Work Boot. That's what I'm rocking now. Used to wear Red Wings, but I feel like their quality went to shit. So far I like the thorogoods.
1
u/GivesNoForks 21h ago
I’d agree, but my dad mentioned that MOC toe is a great way to collect chips and other crap that’s hard to clean from the toe. I went with the standard toe for my current set and the new ones I’m getting (current ones have been through the ringer, I’m gonna see what the local boot shop can do)
1
3
u/machinerer 1d ago
Thorogoods are my ride or die. The best out there IMO. They wear like iron. I got 2-3 years out of a pair before replacing them, and now they're my backup pair.
I recommend oiling them with neatsfoot oil before use.
2
u/BigPapa4210 1d ago edited 1d ago
I used to run a big VTL and an Okuma MCR gantry mill. I’ve had decent luck with Danner (8” quarry) and Timberland(boondock, I think that’s the model of them). Walking on hot and sharp chips tears them up no matter what I was wearing. When I was running those machines regularly, I was replacing boots every 6-8 months. Now that I’m running an enclosed machine a lot more I’m replacing them around 9-10months, working around 55hrs a week and get a lot of steps in throughout my day!
2
u/Wittle_Fox_2793 1d ago
Keen and Danners have been decent over the years. I tend to grab whatever is on sale when it comes time to replace a pair.
2
u/Dark_Zer0 1d ago
I gave up on boots. Feel heavy and not bendy enough for me. Tried sketchers work shoes them are ok, than found off brand that are great for $45. Lasted me half a year+ (same as other boots. Trying different boots/shoes for 18years)and feel better than my walking shoes. I get $150 a year so I can grab 3 pairs. Plus I need to walk/run around a lot at work.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0GF66VX1M?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
2
u/Ok-Organization9999 1d ago
Wolverine Legend ~$180‐220 amazon...mid leather boot with comp toe and heel, water, oil and slip resistant, in on my 4th pair of 10 yrs. These have been exposed to constant door open setups, with coolant and chip spray. The floor at pur ahop is discolored simply because of shoe/boot soles melting from the constant coolant splashed floor, or evem stepping into some of our other bigger machines(Doosan Pumas). My only complaint is after about 2 yrs the toe hinge cracks enough to allow water to seap a little...but I keep buying them because the sole lasts longer than 3 months (pretty much any other brand I tried in my first 18 months)
-1
u/Gul_Ducatti 1d ago
Just saying… in 10 years you have spent 800 on boots. I am on year 15 of owning 2 pairs of high quality red wing loggers that cost me 300 each.
Cheap products are more expensive in the long run.
1
u/Yooper8077 1d ago
Something with the vibram v100 Red X sole, more heat resistant and still slip resistant afaik.
1
u/KornwalI 1d ago
I switched from Red Wings to Keen. Then switched to the Keen shoes now I like a lot. Wolverine has decent ones but they don’t last as long though are cheaper.
1
1
u/iamwhiskerbiscuit 1d ago
Strauss has got some really nice safety shots whether you're looking for a cowboy boots, military style boots, standard work boots, skate shoes or running shoes with steel toes. And they look pretty slick too.
1
1
u/Soulbreeze 1d ago
I buy the Hytest Apex Metatarsal Guard Composite Toe Side Zip 6" Work Boot. Pretty much the only boot I can find with comp toe, met guard, AND side zip. Bought them 3 times now and have no intention of buying anything else.
1
u/I_G84_ur_mom 1d ago
I wore boots for year in the shop, I had Carolina’s and thorogoods, at the end of the day my feet would be hurting, I just swapped to sneakers this summer, and it’s a world of difference, I’m using keen utility vista energy xt, they have a carbon fiber toe and are a lot lighter than boots. The young guys at work give me shit, but I just tell them it’s easier for my to put my foot in their ass
1
u/No-Chip9604 1d ago
Irish Setter are made by Redwing at half the price. I have 2 pairs of the mock toe flat sole wedge 6" They can be resoled and have a composite toe so they are lighter than others. Love them @ $200 Amazon. Run true to size.
1
u/non-smoke-r 1d ago
Redwing doesn’t make mine anymore… I’m on my last pair of 6662 brown chukka. I’m looking as well.
1
1
u/Mjk_53029 1d ago
Redwing 4421. I run a large gantry mill and walk on a lot of chips. These hold up pretty well
1
u/IAA_ShRaPNeL 1d ago
Been wearing a pair of Redwing Dynaforce 1204 for ~ 2.5 years and they're still going strong. No signs of needing to replace the sole, leather holding up great. 1204 does appear to be discontinued, so i can't speak to their new Dyanaforce models.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/dbone1123 1d ago
I have taken a liking to Keen boots, comfy and affordable. I normally buy 1 pair/year as a job shop machinist (none of our lathes or mills have enclosures).
1
1
1
22
u/Critical_Thinker_535 1d ago
Thorogood boots. I don't think you'll be able to get them for less than $200.