Custom work boots

S

smitty1505

Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
243
I currently work on the grounds crew of a high end tennis club that has all grass courts (think golf course) and I also own a small landscape company on the side where I do all the labor. In the past I've always worn Timberland (non pro) boots but only got a few months out of them. Then I upgraded to Redwing boots and got about a year and a half out of them but still ended up getting a hole in the side of them and they now leak. They also got chewed up faster than I thought. Great looking boot and they seemed like they'd be perfect but I just didn't expect the leather to wear as fast as it did. At $250 a pair give or take and only getting maybe 2 years out of them its got me thinking about going custom. Ive watched wranglerstars videos on youtube on his custom boots and they seem like they would be a solid investment. However he's only one man and I would like to get others opinions on the idea before I dropped $450 plus on a pair of custom boots. So what do you guys think? Are custom boots worth the extra money and if so what brands do you suggest? Currently Im leaning towards #1 Nicks, second place is Adams custom boots (only reason he's second is the 1.5 year wait), and last is Whites custom boots but Ive been hearing that their quality isn't what it used to be. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
just what happens at work that you get abrasions on the side of the shoe? against rocks and other rough objects? with me, the thing that punches a hole through the side leather is my small toe --when i get a poorly fitting shoe. if side abrasion is the issue, then get armored hiking shoes, those that look like sport shoes but with extra suede leather and nylon on the sides. those resist abrasion from rock and thorns. leather uppers really get torn up because they're not meant to touch anything.
 
If its wear thats a problem, you could add some bash pads of leather onto boots you like. I tend to kill the soles on boots first, but then mine get oiled, waxed or polished when needed. I can't see how custom work boots would be tougher than stock ones. I'd honestly be looking at cheaper boots that fit your life-span/value ratio better. Or figure out what's killing your boots. chemicals, wear or wet.
 
I agree with gadgetgeek.

IMO, the primary reason to go custom is fit. Durabilty varies among production boots obviously but generally speaking, production stuff has solid QA.

I've found that some leather dressings really eat up leather quickly either by drying out the leather (AquaSeal) or by sucking dirt into the pores and thus causing the leather to split at flex points (SnowSeal).

If it were my money, I would be paying close attention to the things I was doing that was causing the boots to wear. Some things like kneeling when laying carpet or kicking drywall in place are just unavoidable and if you're doing something like that day in, day out, then I think you need to accept that you'll wear out boots fast.

Last thought regarding customs. I used to know this guy who justified his preference for $200 sunglasses by saying that he babied his expensive a glasses but treated $20 with impunity. I told him he was nuts. But, I know one guy with Whites custom loggers and have known several people with custom Limmer hikers. Add to this the countless people I know who ride custom bikes. There's something to this. People who drop a lot of cash on things tend to think twice before they thrash the thing.

Possible cheap experiment.. Treat your current boots like they cost $450. I think gadgetgeek is on to something in suggesting that something you're doing may be damaging your boots prematurely. It may be that a few small changes in what you do or how you do it may dramatically extend the life of your boots.

Or not. Could be that your job is just hard on boots in which case consider them disposable. Nothing that I've seen with my friends customs suggest that customs are more durable than good quality production boots.
 
Smitty, how do you care for your boots? I do similar work, and have a similar situation in boots. I do lawn maintenance and landscaping. If you keep the leather oiled, you can get a long life out of boots, but you need to keep them oiled well, as wetness can hurt leather, and grass is also quite acidic. I wear through my soles before the leather wears out. I currently have $180 wolverines, had them about a year, leather is great, had to stitch one seam back together, just my soles are getting thin.

Care for everyday use items is important. Like a regular oil change in a car, and regular maintenance extends its life, same with boots. Oil, check seams regularly to catch any splirs early, and yes, be conscious of what you're doing with your boots, and buy the right boots for your work!
 
pinnah said:
MIGUY, curious what you use.

I've gone to Limmer boot grease and no longer try to waterproof my boots - just keep the leather well moisturized and as dirt free as possible.

http://www.limmerbootgrease.com/
Click to expand...

That's good stuff for leather. I'm working on a jar of it, and have two more in reserve.

My wife and I have Limmers from the early 1980s and they're in good shape still. Care counts. And part of care lies in knowing what it would cost to replace them.

Still, custom fit is great. I did the classic stupid thing when I picked up my Limmers at the shop. I put 'em on, and we went straight to Pinkham Notch and up we went through Tucks to the top. No break-in, no short walks followed by longer ones... Got away with it, and they're still with me. The laces are now paracord, but same ol' boots, every last pound of them.
 
I've had good luck with CAT boots. Mine are an older pair though so I can't vouch for current quality.

Next ones will either be CAT or HAIX.
 
AreBeeBee said:
That's good stuff for leather. I'm working on a jar of it, and have two more in reserve.

My wife and I have Limmers from the early 1980s and they're in good shape still. Care counts. And part of care lies in knowing what it would cost to replace them.

Still, custom fit is great. I did the classic stupid thing when I picked up my Limmers at the shop. I put 'em on, and we went straight to Pinkham Notch and up we went through Tucks to the top. No break-in, no short walks followed by longer ones... Got away with it, and they're still with me. The laces are now paracord, but same ol' boots, every last pound of them.
Click to expand...

What a great story!!

My knees just won't cope with heavy boots outside of cold conditions. I keep telling myself that I'll replace my Fabiano Rias (purchased on clearance when they liquidated the warehouse in South Boston in the 90s) with Limmer, but the Fabianos just won't die.

Although, a note... I tried hard to kill them. I ran SnowSeal on the left boot and Aqua Seal on the right for about 3 seasons. The AquaSeal aged the right boot dramatically and it was easy to see when the only difference in the boots was the treatment. I switched to Limmer grease after that and have (for now) saved the boots, although knee issues have moved me to lighter and lighter boots. The lighter boots give me a fighting chance to keep up with the kids, who demanded we do a traverse this summer.

<gratuitous drift>
Here we are at the base of Tucks after a grueling 10 hour day with full packs. Started at Grey Knob and slept (like the dead) at Hermit Lake.
Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr

</drift>
 
Some excellent advice has been given here. I would agree that based upon the little information we know about your previous boot failures that changing to a custom boot may or may not solve the problem. If you are wearing out a boot in the same area or areas there may be production boots that are reinforced in those areas that might serve you well. Perhaps a different style of boot might give you different results. Personally I've had my best work boot experiences with Red Wing, USA made Danners, Muck Boots and Timberland Pro boots. I have some White's Elk Guide Pac boots which are excellent but have never had any of their work boots nor any from Adams or Nicks.

Another thougt is that a local cobbler might be able to protect and prolong the life of your boots by stitching on a piece of leather for reinforcement if your wear is zone specific. DIY products such as Red Wing Toe Armor, Toe Bumpers, McNett Freesole, etc. can also help keep your boots working longer.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. You have all made some good points and I really agree with what Pinnah said. I find that higher quality items are usually much more expensive which makes people more hesitant to beat on them. I recently bought a Tilley hat and a pair of Maui Jim's for work. Most people think that I'm nuts for spending that much on things that I will be "beating up" at work but they are items that I use all day almost everyday. I don't mind spending the extra money on quality items that will last longer. So far with both items I have noticed myself taking better care of them when I use them which leads me to believe that they will last much longer than cheaper items. In my research I've found that custom boots actually are a bit more rugged than production models for two main reasons. First the leather tends to be a bit thicker. I talked to a Redwing rep today and they told me that my current model of Redwings are made of 4oz full grain leather while the Nicks are made out of 8oz full grain leather. Second is the option to get rough out leather on customs. Ive read up on rough out leather and it is supposed to be much more wear and abrasion resistant. That being said, that alone probably won't make a huge difference but with the added price tag I feel like I might take better care of them. I tried to have my Redwings oiled every other month which, after talking to boot makers, might be a bit to long in between. So I plan on doing it more often with whatever pair of boots I end up going with. Anyway here are the pictures of my boots. The damage might not look like a lot but both boots leak even with water sealers on them. In the picture with my thumb in it you can see where the water is leaking in. I know that no boot is going to be waterproof against damage like that but when I talked to redwing they said there was nothing they could do for them. When you spend $230+ on a pair of boots that disappointing to hear.
IMG_0493_zpszebztpmd.jpg

IMG_0490_zpswyyixyiz.jpg

IMG_0492-1_zpstiue3ymi.jpg
 
gadgetgeek said:
If its wear thats a problem, you could add some bash pads of leather onto boots you like. I tend to kill the soles on boots first, but then mine get oiled, waxed or polished when needed. I can't see how custom work boots would be tougher than stock ones. I'd honestly be looking at cheaper boots that fit your life-span/value ratio better. Or figure out what's killing your boots. chemicals, wear or wet.
Click to expand...

I agree. Good post. Also on a side note. It's a good idea to replace your boots every so often. Boots are a good breeding ground for fungus. I wouldn't buy "lifetime" boots.
 
Smitty, those boots look dried out to my eyes.

As an inexpensive experiment (and at the risk of sounding like a shill for Limmer), you might consider getting a jar or two of Limmer boot grease and follow their instructions on their web site for applying it. Daily for the first few weeks with a light coat by hand. It takes just a minute or two.

The theory as I understand it that grease attempts to replicate the natural oils of the leather, which allows the leather fibers to swell (cracks fill in) and move more freely (new cracks don't appear).

This is different than wax, which I understand as being better for archival leather preservation (e.g. car seats on old cars). This is for working boots.

This is different than water proofing and isn't water proofing. Grease will eventually let water in but at the same time, it allows the leather to breath. Wax solutions (e.g. SnowSeal, Nikwax) form an impermiable barrier locking sweat inside the boot, causing the boot to rot from the inside out. I've seen this on boots treated with SnowSeal long term.

I have an old pair of Merrill Wilderness that are nearly 30 years old and have been through countless leather treatements and I think 4 resoles. Anyway, they aren't AS bad as your work boots but close and the Limmer grease has helped extend the life considerably.

You might try the Limmer grease on those dried out work boots and see how they respond. My guess is that the constant wet/dry cycles that you're putting the boots through is drying them out. This combined with a lack of lubrication is causing the leather to really dry out, which make them more prone to abrasion damage and cracking.

I'm not trying to talk you out of getting customs. But an inexpensive experiment with grease might help you keep whatever boots you get next for longer. I mean for $20 and a couple of minute a night... What's to loose?
 
Thanks pinnah, I might have to give that a try. Just a heads up though those pictures I took tonight and the boots have been sitting in the trunk of my car for 6 or so months so they probably are dried out. I'm not sure if you think that the damage looks like it was cause from them drying out or from them actually just being dry. Either way Ive been hearing about Limmer boot grease a lot as I've been looking into new boots. I also hear a lot about Obenauf's lp grease. Are they similar products and if so have you ever tried Obenauf's? Also I know your not trying to talk me out of buying customs, your advice has been very helpful. Thanks!
 
These are my thorogood made in the USA wedge sole boots im a iron worker and these mills are hard on our boots. I oil my boots weekly and make sure I get them dry as soon as possible after they get wet these are about 3 years old I resole them about every 3 months because of the hot surfaces we walk on also torch work and welding heat gets them too

 
I've been wearing Original SWAT boots for the past decade or so, and can't recommend them high enough. They're made overseas, obviously, but they are every bit as comfortable as my custom-fitted hiking boots. And for the price, I can easily afford to run them into the ground and not complain about getting a year+ out of them before the sole is worn.

Personally, I prefer the side-zip version simply because it allows air into the boot. They dry out a lot faster than non-zip boots I've had.

The only downside, imo, is that they can't be resoled. I love the cushioning in the things, especially when standing on concrete all day.
 
pinnah said:
What a great story!!

<gratuitous drift>

Here we are at the base of Tucks after a grueling 10 hour day with full packs. Started at Grey Knob and slept (like the dead) at Hermit Lake.
Untitled by Pinnah, on Flickr

</drift>
Click to expand...

Thanks, Dave!

The Limmers really have been a splendid standby over the years for both my wife and myself. Been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back (in one day -- never again!) — BUT I have to say they're heavy as sin.

These days, when I go day-hiking in Wisconsin or Arizona, I'm wearing much, much lighter footgear. In Arizona, in fact, I usually wear a pair of Teva river sandals with no socks. (You just watch where your feet go.)

A wooden walking stick — cut from a then-live birch sapling years ago (mea culpa) — helps with foot placement going up and especially coming down. Trekking poles...? I can't help looking for the X-country skis. YMMV, y'all.

I wish I had imagery from the Mt. Washington hiking days, but it's all on slides and they're buried deep. Some day.

<back on track>

As Dave says, give the Limmer grease a try for a while — it won't close those scrapes and gouges, but it will keep the leather soft and flexible.
 
I use Obenaufs on a number of different leather goods including my boots. I've been very impressed with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top