Posted: 1/12/2011 1:00:07 PM EDT
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I'm looking for some boots in the sub-$125 range.
These will be daily wear boots. I am a home inspector, so they need to have a tough upper for crawling in crawl spaces. I prefer leather if possible. I also want them lined in Gore-Tex. They must be very comfortable, as I have terrible feet. I bought a pair of Danner Mountain Light boots when they were on sale last year, and they did not fit right. Too loose in the heel and WAY too tight in the toe box. What does the hive say? |
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Redwing Kingtoe
They are waterproof but not gortex, leather. Very wide and comfortable in the toe area. Lightweight composite safety toe. Also rated for electrical hazard. http://workingperson.com/footwear-1/mens-steel-toe-boots/6-inch-steel-toe-boots/red-wing-boots-men-s-king-toe-eh-leather-work-boots-2240-28553.html |
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Quoted:
Not leather but VERY comfortable. Made in USA. I wear them frequently. Belleville 690 flight boots. 
Belleville boots suck ass, especially their flt boots. How they got the contract with the AF is beyond me. The soles are slick as shit when wet or ice, and they never break in, like a decent pair of leather boots should. I get issued these things and just give them away and buy decent ones |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Not leather but VERY comfortable. Made in USA. I wear them frequently. Belleville 690 flight boots.
Belleville boots suck ass, especially their flt boots. How they got the contract with the AF is beyond me. The soles are slick as shit when wet or ice, and they never break in, like a decent pair of leather boots should. I get issued these things and just give them away and buy decent ones I wore leather boots for years. Corcoran jump boots, regular "issue boots" etc. They do break in better. They are also heavy. Feet are more tired after wearing them. My Bellevilles, not at all. Everyone's feet are unique and their taste. The OP is asking about leather boots so he should probably take your advice. |
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Thanks everyone.
The mil surplus store here sucks, but we do have a US Patriot. We also have a Red Wing store. I have a very uncomfortable pair of Wolverines I wear on the tractor and in the shop that are nearly 10 years old and still in good shape (other than the paint spatter and cuts in the leather from heavy use). Like I said, they are not comfortable which is why they are my shop boots. I might look into a newer pair of those. At least I have several suggestions to look at. |
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Leather and Gore-Tex under $125 is tough but sometimes achievable. I would check out REI during their bi-annual (?) sales to see if you can get a deal on some waterproof hiking boots. Vasque and Asolo make very good hiking boots and they should be plenty tough enough to work in attics and crawlspaces. In particular, the Vasque Sundowner has been a classic leather hiking boot for many years. Unfortunately they are not cheap but if you get them on sale then you may be able to hit your $125 price limit.
NB if you have "horrible" feet then you should definitely buy in-store because buying through the mail just doesn't work if you have unusual feet. |
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Quoted:
Leather and Gore-Tex under $125 is tough but sometimes achievable. I would check out REI during their bi-annual (?) sales to see if you can get a deal on some waterproof hiking boots. Vasque and Asolo make very good hiking boots and they should be plenty tough enough to work in attics and crawlspaces. In particular, the Vasque Sundowner has been a classic leather hiking boot for many years. Unfortunately they are not cheap but if you get them on sale then you may be able to hit your $125 price limit. NB if you have "horrible" feet then you should definitely buy in-store because buying through the mail just doesn't work if you have unusual feet. That's why I had to send the Danners back. I've learned my lesson to only buy shoes that I can try on due to my feet. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Not leather but VERY comfortable. Made in USA. I wear them frequently. Belleville 690 flight boots. Belleville boots suck ass, especially their flt boots. How they got the contract with the AF is beyond me. The soles are slick as shit when wet or ice, and they never break in, like a decent pair of leather boots should. I get issued these things and just give them away and buy decent ones I hate my current Belleville boots. Up here in ND they are almost a hazard in the winter. Pushing AGE or hell even walking is dangerous.  |
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Quoted:
That's why I had to send the Danners back. I've learned my lesson to only buy shoes that I can try on due to my feet. If it's any comfort, the Vasque Sundowners are available in big box stores like Dick's Sporting Goods so you can try them on in-person. You're not limited to specialty stores like REI or EMS. They have a full leather upper and are Gore-Tex lined. Unfortunately they are $170 (retail) so you may want to wait for a sale to come along. |
I got some PRC-made Vasques for like $75 shipped at Campmor. It was older model, but nevertheless very serviceable. Unfortunately they never had that sale again, just closing out old stock.
Give the Danners a chance. I have some Mtn Lights that I bought at full price , and you really need to break them in. Wear them when you go to hiking in the local shopping mall. The molded-sole type boots(most of them are PRC-made) require practically zero of any break-in, BUT most of those budget priced boots can not be economically resoled, you can buy a pair of brand new ones for nearly the same price, because USA labor is so high.
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