Boots, what are you wearing, what do you recommend?

[Skeans1]

Good to see somebody still wearing caulks. I still remember taverns with "NO CAULKS" posted on the door. There was still one sawdust floor road house near me when I was a little kid where the loggers could have a beer without changing boots.

A few of them still do have the signs up for no caulks allowed, but those days of the guys getting off and getting a beer after work are pretty much over.

 

[wngsprd]

Lots of good choices already mentioned. For chainsaw work boots, I bought a pair of Keen Pittsburghs about 10 years ago and they are holding up well...steel toe, waterproof, but extremely heavy. I wear Muck when in the creek or swamp.

You said you like to hike...at least look at the Salomon shoes or boots....they some that are leather, but I've come to really like the light weight boots. Lately I've been hiking in their X Ultra 4 mid-height boot with Gore-tex...weigh only 15 oz, and my feet don't seem to sweat much, so the Gore-tex is fine, and has never leaked...but they're available without it. I've had them on some pretty rough trails and always had good support, agility and traction. They run sales sometimes and free delivery.

I was talking with a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail one day who was wearing some even lighter hiking shoes that looked like sketchers...carrying a 40 lb pack...he said he had calculated how many steps he would have to walk, and now many ounces lighter his shoes were than typical hiking boots, and he would save some jillion thousands of pounds of lifting each foot up over the course of the 2,200+ miles. (I don't remember the exact amount, but he had an exact number he had calculated).

 

[Hay Dude]

Lots of good choices already mentioned. For chainsaw work boots, I bought a pair of Keen Pittsburghs about 10 years ago and they are holding up well...steel toe, waterproof, but extremely heavy. I wear Muck when in the creek or swamp.

You said you like to hike...at least look at the Salomon shoes or boots....they some that are leather, but I've come to really like the light weight boots. Lately I've been hiking in their X Ultra 4 mid-height boot with Gore-tex...weigh only 15 oz, and my feet don't seem to sweat much, so the Gore-tex is fine, and has never leaked...but they're available without it. I've had them on some pretty rough trails and always had good support, agility and traction. They run sales sometimes and free delivery.

I was talking with a thru-hiker on the Appalachian Trail one day who was wearing some even lighter hiking shoes that looked like sketchers...carrying a 40 lb pack...he said he had calculated how many steps he would have to walk, and now many ounces lighter his shoes were than typical hiking boots, and he would save some jillion thousands of pounds of lifting each foot up over the course of the 2,200+ miles. (I don't remember the exact amount, but he had an exact number he had calculated).

And let me tell you, that saves your knees. If they are well built and lightweight, buy them.

 

[Ford850]

Good to see somebody still wearing caulks. I still remember taverns with "NO CAULKS" posted on the door. There was still one sawdust floor road house near me when I was a little kid where the loggers could have a beer without changing boots.

It sounds like you started logging and drinking at an early age.

 

[bigtiller]

Non-insulated? Red Wing 953’s. 2233’s if you want a steel toe.

I have a pair of 953's also. I agree it is a good boot.

 

[Septemberwheat]

Fairly new to the rural life. Quickly learning sneakers do not cut it for most things I am doing on the property. I have a pair of Keen Durand boots and I like them but I am looking for a second pair. I learned from my time in the military that it is good practise to rotate boots.

So I am looking for recommendations from the people out there. Just fyi I don't skimp on footwear or mattresses as most of my life is spent in one or the other

So whatcha got and whatcha recommend

White’s & red wing work boots for me!

 

[Jchonline]

Just picked up a pair of these from Boot Barn. We will see how they work out this weekend in the woods on slopes.

Carolina Footwear | Carolina Spruce Steel Toe CA9824 in Dark Brown - CarolinaShoe.com

Men's 8 Inch Steel Toe Waterproof Lace to Toe Logger. This rugged logging boot has an aggressive rubber outsole for dependable traction. Inside, your foot will stay dry due to a 100 percent waterproof membrane. Log on.

www.carolinashoe.com

 

[Larry Caldwell]

It sounds like you started logging and drinking at an early age.

I was born in Oregon in the '40s. Timber was king. They trucked tens of thousands of kids to reforest the Tillamook Burn. Road houses were remnants of prohibition, located at a crossroads in the country where the sheriff could ignore it. Loggers would have their beer. One of the girls I went to grade school with lived in the back of a road house.

BTW, if you have never heard the word, "calks" is pronounced "corks."

 

[ruffdog]

I find that vintage boots fit me better than the new styles. I have found about 4 pair of new/old Red Wings, 1 pr of Mason's, and a pair of Chippewa's for forestry work. All are US made and fit great. Maybe I'll even be buried in them!

 

[Snobdds]

I was born in Oregon in the '40s. Timber was king. They trucked tens of thousands of kids to reforest the Tillamook Burn. Road houses were remnants of prohibition, located at a crossroads in the country where the sheriff could ignore it. Loggers would have their beer. One of the girls I went to grade school with lived in the back of a road house.

BTW, if you have never heard the word, "calks" is pronounced "corks."

Very interesting about the tillamook fire. I just read up on it.

We experienced that same phenomenon last year where we had a forest fire going and then over 3 days a strong dry wind wiped the fire up so hot and so fast, it was all anyone could do just to get out of it's path. It ran miles in those three days. Wildland firefighters that did that their whole working career never saw anything like it. Being downwind, our skies were almost completely dark from the smoke. Street lights were on during the day. It was one of the weirdest things I ever experienced.

The fire finally ran out of forest. People were finding burning trees still smoldering in January with 4 feet on snow on the ground.