Feet Up! The Work Boot Thread

[casechopper]

Haven't visited this thread in a little while, but after 2+ years of daily beating, the Iron Rangers I have were worn out. The girl at the repair shop patiently explained to me how, due to the way the cork sole is stitched directly to the boot, things often fell apart when it was removed. She put me a new heel and a half sole topper on, and the money I saved on a full rebuild - which may or may not have been successful - I put toward a new pair. Decided to try some from the other end of the U.S. and went for a pair of White's. These are the Hathorn Hi-line loggers, an off the shelf, more budget friendly alternative to the custom fitted ones. I'm pretty rough on boots at work, but these seem like they ought to go the distance for awhile. For about the same price as the Iron Rangers they're easily twice the boot, and according to the website they're completely rebuildable. I'm looking forward to breaking these in.

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Do you have any photos of your finished off Iron Rangers? I'd be interested to see what a completely worn out pair looks like. Also, did you wear them daily or alternate them with other boots?

 

[dh66]

Do you have any photos of your finished off Iron Rangers? I'd be interested to see what a completely worn out pair looks like. Also, did you wear them daily or alternate them with other boots?

Here's a pic of them after the repair, with about 3 weeks of wear on them. They're still very serviceable boots, and I plan to alternate them some with the White's, which is not something I did with these. I pretty much wore them at least five days a week for a little over 2 years.

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[casechopper]

Here's a pic of them after the repair, with about 3 weeks of wear on them. They're still very serviceable boots, and I plan to alternate them some with the White's, which is not something I did with these. I pretty much wore them at least five days a week for a little over 2 years.

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It's probably that daily wear that rotted out the connection between the sole and the upper. If you alternate it should help to get more life out them as it gives them time to dry between uses. Still, 2 years of hard wear isn't bad.

 

[dh66]

It's probably that daily wear that rotted out the connection between the sole and the upper. If you alternate it should help to get more life out them as it gives them time to dry between uses. Still, 2 years of hard wear isn't bad.

That, and I'm a plumber. These boots have been completely soaked more times than I can count. I've no complaints about them, in spite of the resole issue. They've been good boots and very comfortable, and I imagine I'll still get plenty of use from them. They're nice looking boots, and I get a surprising lot of compliments on them.

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[Sheepdog149]

Red Wing Iron Rangers (8111's)

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[safetyfast]

Just got these Thorogoods today. Marked from $160 down to $38. Couldn't resist.

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[casechopper]

That's a hard price to beat. They do look a little large on you though. Do they fit well?

 

[safetyfast]

That's a hard price to beat. They do look a little large on you though. Do they fit well?

They are steel toes. I had thin socks on.


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[AeroFan_07]

Haven't visited this thread in a little while, but after 2+ years of daily beating, the Iron Rangers I have were worn out. The girl at the repair shop patiently explained to me how, due to the way the cork sole is stitched directly to the boot, things often fell apart when it was removed. She put me a new heel and a half sole topper on, and the money I saved on a full rebuild - which may or may not have been successful - I put toward a new pair. Decided to try some from the other end of the U.S. and went for a pair of White's. These are the Hathorn Hi-line loggers, an off the shelf, more budget friendly alternative to the custom fitted ones. I'm pretty rough on boots at work, but these seem like they ought to go the distance for awhile. For about the same price as the Iron Rangers they're easily twice the boot, and according to the website they're completely rebuildable. I'm looking forward to breaking these in.


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Nice to see we have similar tastes! I also have Red Wing Iron Rangers however black and have owned them nearly 4 years, and I actually use these in place of dress shoes in my office at work. Really like them, however after trying out Whites, I find the arch support in the whites make them so much more comfortable for all day use.

I have a similar pair to your Hawthorn Hi-lines called the Otto White Vintage Line, which uses Horween Steerhide. These are Machine lasted, but feel great and will "last" a very long time. There's a local shop in MN where I bought them from. I also have a pair of their firefighter boots, these are really heavy to wear long-term. Thank you

 

[Benny Holiday]

Very happy with my new William Lennon 78 PTC boots. There was a long wait for them but they are the sturdiest boots I've ever seen, as some other gents ere have testified. They're a burnt chestnut sort of colour, and have that 1930s Depression-are vibe about them. I've been admiring so many pairs of cool boots on this thread for so long, it's nice to be able to contribute some photos of my own at last.

 

[Sheepdog149]

My patrol boots - think they're Swedish paratrooper boots

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[Sheepdog149]

NOS horsehide boots - the more beat up they get, the better they'll look [emoji106]

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[A-1]

Pecos for garden work.

When everything's collapsing, trust the kids!
- www.zekimin.com -

 

[Sheepdog149]

Old military boots

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[A-1]

John Lofgren Engineer in natural CXL.


When everything's collapsing, trust the kids!
- www.zekimin.com -

 

[A-1]

Viberg Service Boot in Horween CXL Color 8:

When everything's collapsing, trust the kids!
- www.zekimin.com -

 

[casechopper]

Red Wing 2268's. I picked these up from Sierra Trading Post as 2nds. Like many of the 2nds I've bought from them in the past I don't see anything wrong with these.

They have a steel toe which is something I didn't have in my collection.
The vamp leather is brown on the inside of the boot so I think these are a tea core (brown dyed through leather with black finish). It will be interested to see how these wear in.

Sizing:
These are a size 10ee. I wear a 9.5ee to 10d in most Red Wing Heritage boots except for work chukkas and postman which I wear in a 10.5d. These are on the 50 last which I'd read fits short and narrow so I sized up in width and went for a 10. IMO these don't fit short but do fit narrow and in a size ee fit wider than most d width Red Wings. These are nicely structured and I get a nice pop when putting my foot in. There's a small amount of heel slip which is exactly what you'd want with a new pair of pull on boots.

Comparison with my other engineers
My 9.5ee Chippewa engineers feel shorter in length and are much lighter leather. The White's Hathorn Open Road engineer boots that I have in 9.5ee width are similar in leather thickness and shorter in length with a very wide, loose leg opening. My Red Wing 2990 engineer boots in 9.5d fit proportionally as you'd expect for a pair that's a half size smaller and a couple widths smaller.


I'm very happy with this pair. From the couple hours of use I've given them so far I'd say they fit better than my Hathorn Open Road boots and are similar in profile so might end up selling those. I like the look of the woodsman heel compared to the Red Wing 2990s though it does add weight and lessen stability a bit due to it's height. Considering that these are almost impossible to get in the USA I'd recommend checking out Sierra Trading Post while they still have them. These are a 2nds closeout of a boot that was probably made for the European and Asian market so once they're sold out it may be a long time till they're available again.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Haven't visited this thread in a little while, but after 2+ years of daily beating, the Iron Rangers I have were worn out. The girl at the repair shop patiently explained to me how, due to the way the cork sole is stitched directly to the boot, things often fell apart when it was removed. She put me a new heel and a half sole topper on, and the money I saved on a full rebuild - which may or may not have been successful - I put toward a new pair. Decided to try some from the other end of the U.S. and went for a pair of White's. These are the Hathorn Hi-line loggers, an off the shelf, more budget friendly alternative to the custom fitted ones. I'm pretty rough on boots at work, but these seem like they ought to go the distance for awhile. For about the same price as the Iron Rangers they're easily twice the boot, and according to the website they're completely rebuildable. I'm looking forward to breaking these in.

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Great choice! Whites and Wesco are a massive step up from Red Wing. I wish more people understood that.

 

[hccbo]

Thorogood 6" moc to in dark walnut after their weekly cleaning. Wear these guys everyday for work.

 

[Blackadder]

New Red Wing coming
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXosVjmgtbm/