Wife got me these for Father's Day. I wear them with dress pants to church, and with jeans and t-shirts.

I've never gotten so many compliments on my footwear. Sometimes even from chicks.

Cuadra

Actually, my experience, too.

1,000 Mile?

I still like Docs

Ive never fallen in love with a GIF before. OMG

Lucchese/thread

Wolverine 1,000 mile boots.

OP go to this website and shop,  Dan Post makes a great boot for the money....while Lucchese are always called the best, they are nice, but I have so many boots and rotate them so often my Dan Post last a real long time.  I have some Dan Post in my collection that are going on 20 years old.

Some of the finest boots I have ever owned, many many years ago were Nocona boots, not sure if they are even aro9und any more.  These days, I buy only Dana Post, they are very consistent on size and quality

Dan Post

ETA:  My wife and I were in Fredericksburg Texas this time last year and there is a boot store there that has more boots than I have ever seen in my life, they had a pair of Lucchese in there that cost $10,000

I was thinking the same thing, I just finished my 100th view of the GIF, I need to move on...

Yeah the budget took the wind out of sails too, as I was going to say Alden.

Some of the Alden look nice.

Thursday look nice too, but they don't offer wide, do they?

They can get more xpensive....the 'custom' special order end can run 20K+...think BIG $$ men like oil tycoons, presidents(Bush's for 1 example) factory actually makes a wooden mold to YOUR feet and keeps there...they'r the old'st handmade bootmaker in US....follow'd by Justin..

DP is damn good boot as well....ain't seen Noconas' in years....always liked their ads (bootstomp on a rattlesnake,scorpion, etc...)

I understood what you're looking for because it's exactly what I want too.  Johnston and Murphy is the only brand I've ever seen that does a lot of that style.  I liked their past options better than what I see currently on the web page, though.

Lucchese used to have two factory outlets in El Paso. I bought two pair about 15 years ago when I was working in the refinery out there for $160 each. I don't really wear them any more though. I have a customer pair of Paul Bond's I wear 95% of the time now.

I know several people that are happy with Tecovas.

same

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Allen Edmonds “Higgins Mill” boot is world class. Can serve any dress-up needs 10/10 as well as pull off the rugged look with the best of ‘em

They used to.  I have a pair.  They ain't bad.  And for 3 bills max, maybe that's the best choice.  But Alden, Crockett---I haven't tried the Thursday boot you all keep talking about---are going to crush it.  Just better fit and finish, the boot isn't going to beat your feet to death breaking in, or after, the soles will last, etc....And this place is all about buy once/cry once.

That said, the Higgins I have from a few years ago are what I wear when I'm doing the biz trip to Manhattan thing.  Nice enough for the office, and I can walk all over lower Manhattan and not want to die.

I wish I could still wear Dan Post. I have 2 pair that I worn out in the past. Best feeling boots I've ever worn.

Well there's just something about a Dingo man!

Lucchese - American Alligator
As I recall ~$600 to $700
Do recommend
Made in Texas
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I'm rocking these. Alden shell cordovan naval boots. A bit above the $300 threshold thou.

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For Alligator (vs Caiman or Crocodile), you're almost going to have to add a zero.  Sorry.

I've a pair of Black Caiman 1883s for Lucchese (vs Classics, which are pricier still), and those, a decade ago, still cost me over 300 bucks.

(Drool)  But yeah, a tad over the price point.

Their non-cordovan offerings are only double the OP's limit. These were about $860 IIRC

lot of garbage replys, thought i might be helpfull.

i wear Thursday Boots "Captains" at least half the workweek, dresses as much up as down. Ideal for me.

Captain

$300 and high quality probably don't go together - but you should find decent boots.

You are in the range of MiM Lucchese.  American made are a bit more.
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I screwed up one day on my weekly commute, had to grab a new pair of boots before I got to the office.  I got some inexpensive boots that were made in Mexico.  I had bruised my shin that weekend, and probably contaminated the bruise - but then the boots rubbed the bruise.  I got blood poisoning and almost ended up in the Emergency Room.  Dr gave me some massive drugs and told me to take pictures and if it got ANY worse, go to the hospital immediately.  FWIW, my blood pressure was 70/50 at the Dr's office - I really felt like shit.

"High Quality" and $300 never meet.

I have three pairs of Thursday boots.  Very nice, and very good price too.

I don't know if you have worn boots before.  They don't fit like shoes.  They need to have a certain amount of heal slip (certain amount, too much and they will always give you blisters).  There are also other fit concerns, so you probably NEED to try them on first.  Rarely have I had a pair that fits great at first - but they break in, and my foot breaks in, and they almost always work out.  That said, my last 2 pair, one never did, and my current pair is not quite perfect.  I love how my Luccase fit on my feet, but I hate the tubes.  They are significantly smaller than any other boot I have had, and getting them on is almost impossible.  Honestly, my foot has changed a lot since I got them, so now they don't feel that great on anymore either.

I used to live in Nacona boots (hell, my brothers and sisters had summer jobs at one of their factories - it closed long before I was wearing their boots).  But they stopped inventorying the model I liked, so they became special order.  Fine, worked great the first time, maybe even the second - couple weeks and I got the boots I wanted.  The last time it took them 1 year to fill the order (they had to go through one of their custom manufacturing lines), then it was not the boot I ordered.  Another 9 months or so, I got them back - but not new boots, but the original ones torn apart and rebuilt to what I ordered.  That said, they were a size smaller due to the rebuild.  I never got my feet in them.  They said I ordered the wrong size.  Given it was my 4th pair of the exact same style - I called bullshit, and have no problem dragging their name through the mud in every thread I see.  They never offered to make it right.  2 years, no boot I could wear - and my money was gone.
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If you don't mind Chinese boots, a lot of people like Ariet boots.  I have worn them and some of their composite toe work shoes.  They have never really fit as well as other boots for me, but YMMV.  I do like them, but they seem to have wider heels.  One pair just feels a little loose.  The other will give me blisters if I walk wrong in them for 50 yards - other days no problem.  It just has to do with exactly how I am walking.  I could be wrong, but I think when I am tired I shuffle more - and the blister seems to start after a couple steps.
.

I'm not much for exotic boots. They're fun, but not my speed. If you have a wide foot, Ariat in square toe and wide have been my ticket. Lots of styles. I have some black ones, dancing ones, and I'm really liking the hybrid rancher for daily. Wears like a tennis shoe but looks like a real boot without any faggy colors, stupid looking rodeo clown heels and tops or any of that dumb shit. Just a nice leather boot. One that the ladies seem to compliment often.

If OP wants a good welted construction boot for a good price point, he should check out Grant Stone

Their Diesel boot is very well regarded in the hardcore boot circles (styleforum, r/goodyearwelt, and youtube) and sits right at $380.

I'd take GS over Thursday any day of the week (no pun intended). Full leather construction, rebuildable, and come in all the colors. Classy enough for street use and can easily be dressed up for work with slacks or a jacket.

Grant Stone Boots

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I’m waiting more more of the Wolverine 1000 mile boots that went on sale for $99.  I bought two and have destroyed one pair already.

Never heard of them until now,  look nice and have a good selection.  Too bad they are made in China.

There's a great video out there about how they have extremely strict QC over their product and it took them almost a year IIRC to find a factory in China that would meet their quality demands. They're rivaling US heritage bootmaker quality at a fraction of the price and you're getting a fully goodyear welted boot. Not some flimsy, foam filled, glued construction garbage.

Quote from the owner (part of the link below) about sourcing to China:


Interview with the Owner

I've talked a few people into GS boots and have seen them firsthand and felt them. The stitching is actually cleaner than my Alden boots and there are no QC issues in the 2 pairs I've seen.

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My problem with China has nothing to do with the quality of the boot.

I get it.

I simply offered an actual high quality boot close to OPs range. Anything else made stateside is going to be much lower quality in that price range typically.

Another option, albeit a bit more expensive than Grant Stone are some of the Indian or Indonesian boot makers. Essentially, the high quality handwelted footwear community has exploded and there are some great artisans in Indonesia. I’ve got my eyes on some black shell cordovan boots from Onderhoud. His IG is incredible and his boots are $200 cheaper than the Alden shell boots.

https://oakstreetbootmakers.com/trench-boot-natural-chromexcel-leather-sole-with-vibram-toplift

Made in USA, goes on sale for most major holidays to your price range

You want to wear boots to the office and a "nice night out for dinner"?

I'd say, the first step is to choose a very classy tobacco to chew.

I want her & those sitting on my face & wrapped around my head.

+2 for Thursday. I have  a pair of captains going on 3 years. Zero break in comfortable out of the box . Only complaint is laces are a tad short for how I tie. But really a non issue.

Beckett Simonon.

Made to order so it will take about 3 or 4 months. Made in South America. Very well made and comfortable. I love my pair. Under $300

Beckett Simonon

This.  WTF did you do to destroy a pair?

Lucchese or Tecovas.  


You can get a smooth ostrich Tecovas for around 300 or step up a little to the Caymen.

GOOD choice

Rancourt makes a nice boot, handmade in the US. They’re above your price point but if you get on the mailing list they do pre-order sales for a much lower price a couple times a year. You have to wait awhile since they take the orders then make them all at once.

https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/collections/boots

Redwing Blacksmith maybe worth a look. More casual than the Iron Ranger (and I think better looking).

I've been happy with both Alden and Allen Edmonds boots. A cap or stitched toe can be dressed up or down easily.

If you watch for sales, you can get them at decent prices.