My $15 Walmart working man's sneakers are gone flat, again. No cushion, and it's about like being barefoot.
I did a froogle search for postal shoes. Those guys on their feet all day, must have good shoes. No joy. Looked for working shoes. Not much to be found.
Where does a man buy comfortable shoes that last a couple years, and good for working men who climb ladders, work on cars, and that kind of thing?
Have you tried places like Cabelas? I get pull on work boots from them that are lined with thinsulate and goretex. They are listed under the western footwear section. I wear boots in the winter and the Wally World sneakers in the summer. I'm out in fields most of the time so I don't need to worry about walking on hard surfaces. Link here to all their boots and shoes:
*I bought a pair of Red Wing work shoes several years and I will never go back to anything else. They are expensive, but they are extremely comfortable and last a very long time. I got a new pair a few months ago even though the four year old pair that I was using were still in good shape and had the original laces. I also have custom arch supports made every year which helps my back and posture as well as my feet.
Red Wing Shoes is a good choice. I had a pair of dress RW Wellington's I wore almost daily for 20 yrs. I only quit buying RW cuz they quit making the styles/sizes I wanted. They specialize in working man shoes, construction, factory, outdoors, etc.
You spend 1/3 of your life on your feet, 1/3 sleeping. Never go cheap on mattresses or shoes. Walmart used to carry some good USA made socks (discontinued, last I heard), but their shoes are so bad they can cripple you. I wouldn't wear a pair of WM shoes at gunpoint! What are your feet worth?
nb
Bass Pro Shop. You can hunt, fish, and climb ladders. A good boot that laces up and supports your ankles will make your 'dogs' suffer less.
Not at Walmart that is for sure. Where I work there are two sales trucks that come about twice a year. You may look at ordering some from places like LL Beam. YOu will not find them for $ 15, but more like $ 100 or so. The company pays for part of mine. Think the last pair I got a month or so ago was about $ 120 . Timberland boots , if I spelled it correctly.
Redwing's....boots or shoes
expensive but worth it....resole-able at least a couple times (a decent $/mile cost I would imagine
I've worn them off and on (shoes or boots) since 1965, sometimes everyday, sometimes only occasionally, depending on my work assigments
cheers Bob
Try on shoes near the end of the day (when you feet may be slightly larger). Examine the show closely for padding, surface materials, construction, arch, etc. Everyone has a slightly different foot shape, so one brand works for one man but not another. China-made shoes have been very good.
Go to a real shoe store. Not one at the mall either. I don't wear work boots, but the shore store I go to carries a few brands.. I wear Propet sneakers (they come in 3EEE) and Hush Puppies for shoes. You spend a lot of time on your feet so spend a few buck and get good stuff. The sneakers are about $60 to $75, shoes a bit more.
These are the best work boots I've worn:
Carolina Work Boots that I bought at Colburn's Shoe Store in Belfast Maine...The oldest shoe store in America...Find a shoe store and be fitted for them as I did...
Not sure what no joy means, but ask your mailman where he buys his shoes. If you never see him, go to the station before 9 when they are sorting the mail, and ask any one of them.
Get a compressor and pump up your old shoes.
Good shoes aren't cheap.
Cheap shoes aren't good.
You get what you pay for.
Steve
I love the Red Wing Wellington steel toes for welding. Used to go through a pair a year offshore, as the salt and drilling mud would eat the soles right off them. Good shoes are worth every dollar.
Steve
I got a friend who swears by Rocky. And their waterproofness.
Steve
Yup, I wear my Red Wings every day, company kicks in for part of a new pair every year and I didn't even bother to get a new pair last year, I'm still wearing the ones from two years ago.
nate
Red Wing makes women's styles, too, and they're great. I have a couple pairs that are at least 5 years old and still look barely worn. Well worth the money, and once you know your fit, you can sometimes find bargains online (Grapevine Hill on eBay is one shoe source that I've bought from with a good experience, which carries only name brands, and of course there's Sierra Trading Post and others).
Jo Ann
I like their work shoes, but not so impressed with their 'pretty' shoes. The last time I tried a pair, several years ago, the part that shapes the heel (the counter, I think it is called?) was made out of plastic, rather than formed leather. It cracked on one foot, and the jagged edge worked its way through the lining, through the sock, and into my foot. Had to halfway disassemble the shoe to cut off the pointy parts, and add something back to tie things together. The molded-on outsole was not real durable either.
I have a pair of Herman Survivors that has served me rather well, but alas, my feet have gotten bigger, and I can't wear them any more. And from comments upstream in this thread, I understand the Herman brand name got sold off, and their current models are the usual discount store junk. I haven't looked personally, since I haven't seen Herman in the stores around here. I hate when that happens to a formerly trusted brand name.
Guess I'm gonna have to drive over to the next town and find a real shoe store, since all the ones left around here are self-service, and top out at size 13. If I can baseline my current size, I can then buy on line. Being older than dirt, paying upwards of a C-note for shoes still boggles my mind. :^(
I liked my Red Wings, until I bought Danners. I've bought several Danners since my first pair, and won't even look at Red Wings again.
Our son is a construction supervisor and swore by Red Wings for years. Recently he told me he had been experiencing sore feet more and decided to go back to his Boy Scout days and bought a set of mid- range Gore-Tex hiking boots. He said he will probably stick with them because both his feet and back feel better. They aren't a lot cheaper than the Red Wings; and the jury is out on durability but good hikers should wear well. He wears waterproof overboots when the work gets gooey.
RonB
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