Do any of you guys or gals ever wear viberg boots? Im kinda tired of buying cheap boots and there is a leather shop in town that is a dealer for viberg. Ya their spendy. I really like the fit of danners but last pair fell apart in a big hurry. I have never had wesco boots either, and they also are not cheap.
I have a pair of redwing hunting boots, like 600 gram insulation. I like them for cold conditions. If i buy some warm weather work boots probly gona get the wesco boots.
I haven't had a pair of those yet. My daughter recently gave me an Amazon gift card and I needed a good pair of boots. So I chipped some more money and recently bought a pair of Muck Grit boots. More for working in mud and snow. Very nice. Muck Grit Steel Toe Work Boot
Grabbed these vintage Wesco rubber caulks & handmade Kulien leather caulks on Ebay about 2 months apart recently. Both great shape,no holes or repairs.Perfect fit both pair together cost a fraction of what 1 pair would be new. I also bought a pair of those Muck Grit steel toed rubber boots last January,just what I needed on muddy snow covered jobsites.With the liner they're too warm on days when its above 40 degrees,but my feet sure are toasty on colder ones.Watch being around sharp things on the ground,climbing ladders/scaffolding though,I put a pinhole in 1 boot 4th day of wearing them.Luckily they don't leak yet.
Just looked at the viberg web page and decided I am not interested in getting a second mortgage to buy some boots! I do like redwings a lot and have worn many over the years. Right now my favorite boots, although not really strong, are some I got from Cabela. I bought a pair 4 years ago when they came out with them then decided to buy another pair because I liked them so much and I feared they would stop making them like they usually do after a year or two (have to keep changing...). What I really like about them is the comfort and the super light weight. The weight is not much more than running shoes. I have several pair of loafers that are much heavier than these boots. But one has to really shop around at times to find the right ones. It bothers me that shoes and boots cost so much compared to what they were when I was a young lad, but nothing can be done about that. Still, I'm not ready to spend $600 or more for a pair of boots. I cringe to pay $200. Maybe I'm cheap.
Ya i agree about the boot prices! Im 48 and i bought my first pair of danners in 92 for $180, they lasted me 6 years of sawmill work got em resoled once. I think the the high end boots are worth it if you really are using them in a tough job everyday. I drive trucks on most workdays now. It makes me sick that even the china made boots are 150 dollars and up nowadays.
My Carharrt steel toed vibram lug sole work boots are normally $175 or so depending if they're on sale,other factors.But I get anywhere from 1 to 2.5 years out of them.I'm on my feet either on rough ground,smooth concrete,climbing ladders/scaffolding or inside building 40 to 60 hrs per week so comfort & durability is what matters most so I wont skimp. And I'm normally a cheap SOB too otherwise
I have some carolina work boots i like that their just a leather boot no gore tex, or thinsulate. Very nice in the summer. The downfall with them is they dont have much ankle support. Pretty worthless for woodcutting or hunting in unlevel terrain.
Wesco, hands down. Never tried Viberg. I bought my Wesco's in '87, retired them in '04. Best boots I've ever worn and they give you your moneys worth. Hope to pick up another pair someday, I'll be buried in them. edit- Wesco's model- :Firestormer.
I found a boot co at a trade show this year. Haix. They are made in Germany I believe. Got to try a pair on for sizing at the show and order with special show pricing. So far I like them a lot, still breaking them in. They seem to be very well made, not the cheapest but I think they may last a while.
Hoffman is a lower priced option in the handmade boots. I have one pair I bought around 2012 or so. They do run a half size or so smaller than Red Wings. They have held up great for their age and being in mud and other stuff. Chippewa makes good boots as well. Both are around the $200 mark though. I can't stand for my feet to hurt so if it costs me $300 a pair twice a year I'll do it. I average around 2700 hours a year and 90% is on concrete or steel structure.
They are so warm, I was heating soup!! Actually I was trying to stretch the top, they were/are way too tight on my calves.
