Best Boots? $24 vs $275! Let's Find Out!

i do not recommend spending more than $35 on any boots where walking is a huge part of your use like commercial and association lawncare postal delivery or UPS delivery or major national chain distribution hub as the soles will wear off in 3-6 months
2 other boots i would recommend testing is Ariat and Irish Setter. have used mostly redwings when i got into construction, my dads company specializes in power line construction and redwings meet the electrical tolerances for 44KV line work and i can personally certify that even during a heavy downpour and some 40KW generator powering 2 pumps in an irrigation canal in southern texas while manhandling these pumps and here being slight leakage on the power cable where some one dropped 8' hole casings on them i was not killed, but i did feel a big of tingle, just not enough to stop me from what i needed to do. usually the static electrical shock while standing under the high voltage power lines to get a slight tingle in regular every day footware.
redwings also hold up to concrete work, but like everything with concrete and quick cure additives, you must clean them off daily and oil them good once every 1-2 weeks depending upon how dried out they got. alot of the good american boot companies have gone out of business or are shrinking in their market distribution unable to fend off cheap chinesium.

Danner

I have really enjoyed all of your videos! I have a video idea for you regarding shoe inserts. The amount of shoe inserts on the market today are as overwhelming as home air filters. So far I have tried the doctor Schultz shoe inserts the Timberland inserts and the Columbia inserts. So far I’ve had the best luck with the Timberland insert’s.

Ariat treadfast at just $105 would be good to see tested.

For longevity of the boots you could rub the corner of a piece of metal with some weight on top till it wears through the boot or maybe do 100 passes and rate subjectively

red wing sold out to asia many years ago. they do not even make 2292's anymore which were probably the best work boot ever made. finding a replacement is a pain. the northwest loggers do not have the work specs; steel toe insulation waterproofing. my current 2292 are 7 years old and worn daily.

What model red wing is that? Is it a supersole 2.0?

N o Timberland's? I love Timberland

Which model of redwing boot was showcased in this video?

looking forward to 2024

Georgia boots and muck?

I was wondering if anybody knows how long the top of the boot lasts for red wings if you were crawling around with your toes scraping the ground I had a pair of timbs without a toe cap and they lasted 8 months or so

I've been wearing the Reebok in an 8" boot for several years. After 3 pair, I can say that they are the most comfortable boot, out of the box, that I have ever owned. Several coworkers are now wearing them also. One has a bone spur on his heel that really had him in a bad way. The comfort of the Reeboks have helped him out a bunch. I have had the Tan and the Coyote Brown and like the darker one because it looks cleaner longer. They are all still servicable, just dirty and because of the suede outer surface are near impossible to keep new looking. The grip and comfort are all I need to know about these boots! Great video, as usual!

I’d love to see a boots shootout part 3! You could test out thorogoods, brunt, Merrell, and some of those $50 “Amazon’s choice” brands.

It’s kind of crazy how deep my brand loyalty to Red Wing is. For over 45 years now I’ve only had two pairs of steel toed hunting/everything boots - both Red Wing Irish Setter Sport Boots, with the 1st pair lasting from about 1979 to 1992 and my 2nd pair from 1992 to present. They may not be tops in all of these tests, but I can’t see a reason to abandon the brand now. I just wish they still had the Irish Setter Sport model. At about $500 ($250 per pair) spread over 45 years (and counting), that’s only $11 per year. I don’t think there’s a way to test long-term durability, so I doubt the cheaper brands would wear as well. I’m very happy with my Red Wings!

Hey, since it's snowing in Wisconsin, could you do an outdoor winter boot video sometime? Testing insulation and how waterproof they are maybe? Thanks a bunch!

Great vids man!! Im looking for a winter work boot video. Hope you can make one soon

I like redwing boots, they are by far the most comfortable, but the problem i have with them is they are easy to wear out. I wear them all day everyday in rain, heat, cold, mud, oil, corn, on ladders, on flat steel 30+ feet in the air, rough ground, gravel, you name it. I am on my 3rd pair of redwings after 3 years of trying different types

Being navy and all no testing for Bellville brother?

Brahma is the "you just got a warehouse job after being unemployed and are broke and need a pair of steel toe boots to get you to your first paycheck brand". You promptly replace them with something decent once you have the money.

I have a pair of herman survivors that cost right around $115. They look a bit different than the ones you have here. They also come with a stamp on the box that says made in the USA as well as a tag on the outside of the boot. I wonder if maybe these didn’t perform so well because they were cheaper option offered.

Great Job showing me how to protect my carrots. Haha I’ve had Chippawa boots in the past. Also I saw a pair made by Grisport with the winding ( Snow Board ) style laces while in Boston.

Steel blue uses either TPU or Nitrile outsoles. Nitrile is higher heat resistance.

With work boots you get what you pay for. It's not how they are when you first buy them but how long they hold up. If you are going for cheap then plan on buying a couple pair every year. The may be fine with you especially if you still come out spending less, and that's ok and not for me to judge. I'm just going by my personal experience

The sole depends on your work environment.
I work in a factory where we walk on flat smooth concrete & steel where we want a softer impact absorbing sole.
If I worked construction I'd want a stiffer sole.

Excellent review...any chance of doing a video on socks covering durability, warmth wet and dry, moisture wickening, etc?

Winter work boot, with steel toe or composite, please.

I wish you’d tested a real pair of American made Carolina boots instead of those Asian made budget ones Carolina makes some of the best boots on the market also keen utility

Id LOVE if you did Ariot! I wear their western style square waterproof composit toe, had em for about 8 months now and theyre real comfy. I work outside 8 hours a day year round and i do drainage work for my local highway dept. And i do not treat them lightly at all and besides some scratches and nicks on the toe leather, theyre still held together like i just took em out of the box. Itd be awesome if you did a test on their catalyst VX composit work boot at $324.95 or maybe one of their other steel toe western style boots.

If you want some info about longevity, I’ve been wearing that exact model of Redwings almost daily since 2010, and I’m on my second pair. The current pair was bought in 2016 and have been re-soled once (in 2021).

Also, nice job on this video. I really enjoy and appreciate your testing.

I've been using a cheap pair of dickies steel toed boots for about 10 years, they've been great. I think I got them from Walmart.

Thinking about shopping around. I don't need new boots now but I've been told by co-workers I should have a good set and a dirty set for pavement, calcium, salt, and other stuff where you won't get anything 100% clean and will harden the boots. I'd use my current boots for the messy stuff.

id like to see rockroosters boots on this. i love em

I myself don't like Red Wing boots. I'll never buy another pair. I've had the cusion of the rubber souls rot out on my boots twice. Second pair rotted out in 6 months. I get better wear for the money with hurman survivors or timberland. I'd rather buy a new pair new pair of boots every 6 months then pay the price that red wing gets for their boots only lasting 6 months.

Entering a chemical plant company who gives us an allowance for Red Wing boots. I am proud that they bring a Red Wing truck to our plant. If I was never given RW boots for work, I would have probably bought a cheap boot.

Now I recently bought RW 1907 with my own money and it is worth every dollar.

Id like to see you test the newcomers - Brunt boots. They have great advertising and seem well made. They sent me a pair to try out but I’m still undecided

Keen

Great job sir!

I would love to see you test "cowboy" work boots with hard toes. Ariats, Justin's, wolverine, and a few other popular brands. Also, square toe vs round toe, which provides more protection? How does the leather stand up against impacts and falling objects. Which ones provide the most temperature consistency hot vs cold outdoor temp.

Love your projects sir! We'll done and God bless!

I like to see caterpillar boots in the next test please.

These videos are so helpful. I actually think this way when shopping, so it's nice to have actual testing data on grip and puncture resistance.

Aside from upper-tier logger style boots made in the Northwest, Red Wings are the most durable and best made.

I have a pair in my closet that i bought in 2003, and have probably 10+ yrs of construction site use on them, 3 yrs of communication Linenan work, and hundreds of lawn mowings on them. 100+ deg summers, wet winters, sharp objects, concrete dust, mud, etc. Theyre beat down pretty much, heel is worn uneven, some stitching coming loose but the leather hasnt torn yet. Oiled them maybe 1-2x a year at most with Red Wing oil.

Waterproofness would be another great test

You're the best unbiased channel and really awesome for making purchasing decisions. I wear Timberlands for my factory work, if you do a part 2 of boot tests, can you include the Timberlands? Thanks

Ive sold boots for years. One of the number one things people would ask for are what boots keep the feet the coolest in summer temps on hot concrete/pavement and the sun directly. Overall redwings were very popular they usually solve most peoples sore feet issues standing up all day with other branded boots. They are on the heavier side but are pretty durable.

I should be sleeping but im watching a video about boots

One thing I'd like to see in choe/boot reviews is the amount of arch support.

Chippewa boots are awesome. They last a long time and are super comfortable

would love if you could test winter/snow boots for insulation, quality, comfort, water resistance, laces vs boa, etc