Not quite! I like them a lot. I will wear them all day, but they are still working in. No blisters etc. makes all the other boots feel like tennis shoes.
My lowa renegade while a mid top hiker, feels much like a tennis shoe to me. The redwings I have as noted above are pretty flexible now compared tothe Nick’s boots. A lot of it boils down to the foot orthotic. I fabricate them myself, so I enjoy making different compounds etc. It makes a huge difference. For the record, I take a cast/mold for orthotics, and fabricate from that. Usually layers of foam, sometimes polymer or carbon for a stiffer support. A lot of misconceptions on orthotics. Anything you buy at walmart or from 20 years ago is probably not going to cut it. Its like a computer that is 15years old, tech changes, and while good at the time, there have been huge leaps in materials. /off soap box/
Interesting, when I bought my current boots (red wing king toe) the sales lady was pushing orthotics. They are the most expensive work boot I have ever bought I didn’t think I would need to spend more on inserts. For the first week the boots were the most uncomfortable pair I have worn. I thought about returning them they had a 30 day return no questions asked policy. I stuck it out and they are very comfortable now as far as boots go. About 3 moths in the rubber started to separate from the leather around the sides of the boots. I brought them back and the girl working the counter said they could send them out to be repaired. I asked her what I was going to wear to work while they send them out for up to two weeks? She went out back to talk to the manager and brought me out a new pair of boots. The breakin on the second pair was nothing compared to the first.
I’ve been wearing Redwing wedge boots for years. Love the comfort and the no heel. However, I swear as soon as they started outsourcing to China the quality and comfort went down while the price stayed the same. I prefer a no heel boot due to back issues but can’t seem to find a good replacement to the redwing boot.
Very common problem with Red wing. Quality plummeted but prices went up. I like Thorogood boots. Made in the USA, no frills work boots. You are not paying for a name, just a quality boot. Thats my choice for a wedge sole general work boot.
If you wanna cut down on that a little bit, try putting them in your bathroom when you or someone is taking a shower. Gets the moisture to the leather a bit and warms the boot for you. Hope they are fitting you in well so far!
Good advice! I usually use aspray bottle of water/rubbing alcohol and spray to wet the leather in areas I need it to form. Seems to work well. Each boot is different. A lot of guys do the soak in water, wear till dry, but now with boots glued more and sewn less, I see premature failures.
Thorogood make a nice wedge sole boot in both regular & moccasin toe. And I believe they are American made.
My last leather boots I have bought have been my Oregon chainsaw boots. They aren't lightweight hikers, but they are cut-proof, comfortable, and have lasted me longer than any other I've bought before. This is what they look like new:
Should probably start a new boot thread, but I fit a pair of kenetrek fire boots on a guy today, boy what a nice boot. It has a real nice rocker, pretty stiff and the mountaineering boots have lasted really well. I had a guy last week that had a pair a few years old, still kicking. Edit- also doing a pair of custom JK boots for a buddy. Man those are nice too! Had a nice talk with one of the guys. He knew what he was doing.
