Could anyone (or everyone) recommend good, tough, slip resistant, nimble boots for framing? Ideally they would be waterproof and have steel toes as well. I would rather not spend a fortune but I haven’t had much luck with inexpensive boots so far. Thanks!
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I'm not sure what boots you have had problems with, nor why you think there are special boots for framing.
My policy is to go for steel toes, then check for oil resistance, then comfort. By that time I seem to have eliminated all the cheaper ones.
Last time I was in New York I picked up a set of Stanley boots in my size, had to get the width opened a little and have a good set of boots.
Every pair of feet are different.
Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the Handyman
Vancouver, Canada
Thanks for the reply. I don't believe there are special boots for framing but there may be some that framers like. That's what I'm hoping anyway.
By the way, I was wondering if metric sizes are used for lumber in residential construction in Canada more than here in the states. I'm interested in moving up there (maybe) but I'm super used to the standard inch/foot system.
Brian
Washington State
Boots ... Look at Doc martin Industrial
Metric Const. in Canada..... Most residential & small commercial is still standard measure.
On a hill by the harbour
Metric?
City hall wants it on the plans, but crews want inches & feet.Quality repairs for your home.
Aaron the HandymanVancouver, Canada
I wear Red Wing 875s.
View Image
But for outside, winter work, I wear what looks like vibram-soled snowmobile boots.
The 875 doesn't have a safety toe, but Red Wing makes a model like this that does.
I was thinking of getting that exact boot for the summer. How does it grip on roof sheathing? I don't like heels when walking the walls (under 10ft).
The crepe sole provides nice traction on roofs.
I worked around a lot of high-steel ironworkers when I was in commercial construction, and those guys always wore the crepe soled Red Wings.
You'll have them for quite a while. Red Wing does a great job resoling them.
I've been hooked on Wolverines for several years now but Redwings are top of the line. One comment on the picture though, The soles shown are flat, no heel. I had a pair this way and got them resoled after several falls going down stairs when the sole slipped out on slippery stairs. I found that the heel is important for me. Maybe not for everyone but my backside was sore for a week.
Just my thoughts. Carry on.
Lefty - Lurker without an attitude or a clue
G.D ....crepe soles......when your boots wear out the soles will clean a belt sander belt. Late one night in the shop with only one belt not getting the job done , I turned on the sander and rubbed the belt with the sole of a throw away boot and presto it was clean as new.
Brian,Timberland makes good boots,these might be what your looking for.
http://www.hotboots.com/pix439.html ............;- )Joe CarolaJoe Carola
as far as metric is concerned, pretty much all residential work in Canada is imperial. Even when I worked in large commercial building, the metric working plans were changed over to standard, it just makes for less mistakes. Besides, nobody wants to go to the lumber yard and ask for a 39 x 89!
All our plans (custom, single family residential) include Metric for the city/municipality and Feet/Inches for the folks on-site.
We are thinking of adding Cubits for the biblically-minded and fathoms for our marine brethren, but we don't want the plans to get TOO busy : )
the ones i've worn for twenty years .. Dexter.. they stopped making workboots...
next time i'm in the market, i'll probably go to a Redwing store.. the guys on BT seem to think highly of them..
one thing i look for is a smooth sole.. no waffle or lugs.. i don't want to be tracking mud and dirt into our custmomer's home.. smooth soles are hard to find
also.. i wear an 8" uninsulated boot in the summer and a 10" insulated in the winter..
i also want the top 4 eyelets to be speed lace
Redwings ...
just hope ya don't like the style I'm currently wearing ...
because every time I get set on a pair ...
they discontinue it!
just last week told Cath my feet were starting to feel tired at the end of the day ...
means new boot time is just around the corner ...
which means ... that pair I'll try to replace with the exact same ...
was probably just discontinued yesterday ...
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
I'm not a framer, but I have worn Red Wings for years and years.
They are not cheap, but they are extraordinarily well made. I think the real key to maximizing their life is to have at least 2 pair -- and 3 is even better -- so you can alternate them. If you would normally wear a boot out in two years, and you alternate them with another pair, the first pair will last more like 6 years.
In my case the soles start to wear over after a few years (which causes my knees to hurt), and I take them back to the Red Wing store. They return them to the factory for resoling, and the boots are actually better than new -- since the uppers are nicely broken in, and the new soles give good support. I have had boots resoled twice before the uppers wore out.
And for Jeff Buck --- the Irish Setter model is one of my favorite Red Wings, and they have been making that exact same boot for at least 30 years. On the down side, it is also one of their most expensive models.
I use Howlers from Australia. Very comfortable, non skid soles, and extra wide so no pinching.
Look nice too.
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
I have insisted on Red Wings for years. But I have to admit my last pair I am not toetally (joke) happy with them. When I am doing heavy work I wear them but I take along my Columbia hiking shoes for later in the day. I used to wear them at home all weekend even after 5 days on the job. Not this pair
i broke down and bought a pair of red wings and to be honest for the amount that they cost i wasn't that impressed. had better luck with die hard from sears.
Brian, I vote for Red Wings.
I've tried maybe ten differnt brands, maybe 20. At first, the off brands seem ok and a better buy for the price. Then, when the off brand starts to wear out, they take a fast hard dive. The Red Wings on the other hand still feel good on the backside of their life....kinda like old wine. I wouldn't think of resoling off brands, but Red Wings can be resoled.
This winter, my feet never got wet in my red wings even though I never oiled them or wore any water protection. I could slosh through deep water without a worry. All the other guys constantly complained about wet/cold feet.
blue
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
Brian,
I'm in WA state too. Been enjoying the weather this winter? I almost had to deal with rain yesterday, but then the sun came out and I was looking for my shorts :-)
I'm a fan of Redwing. I have some boots for when it's really raining that are waterproof and expensive. I've had them for 3 years and only wear them when it's raining.
My everyday shoe is http://www.redwingshoes.com/images/boots/large/6667.jpg I wear it all year long. It's waterproof, but mine aren't anymore because I've about worn them out. I've had them for a 1 1/2 years and they are very comfortable.
btw ...
aside from inintal "foot comfort" ...
I judge the long term boot quality by how good or bad my back feels at the end of a long day on hard surfaces of up and down ladders.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Top 3 for work boots: 1)Red Wing 2)Red Wing 3) lemme think, Oh yeah, Red Wing. $165 Use the polish and silicone treatment.
Been thru a couple of cheap pair...never seem to wear them.
Buy cheap and throw you money away twice. Once when you buy cheap boots and again when you throw the boots away.
I prefer a decent flex in the sole. Too stiff feels like an ironing board on each foot.
RW also has a great boot sock at 70% wool..some kind of liner that doesn't itch. At $12+ a pair but great warmth and comfort (better be for the price)
No, I don't own stock in RW
Good luck
i just bought a pair of redwings, they are actually a 11" pull on style. look like a cowboy boot but they don't have a leather sole. they are very supple and the sole is very flexible but they tore my foot up right below my ankle area where the horizontal and vertical stitching meet each other. any suggestions to remedy this or will it just be a "break-in" process. i have to wear them for short periods of time trading out with my old Stanley's.I've only had the redwings for 3 days so i know there is a lot more breaking in to do. i just wish i could wear them all day right now. thanks RTC....
I read online that Stanley's are made by Wolverine under the Stanley license. I bought a pair about a month ago when they were on sale. I like them so far, but my left arch still hurts after about 9 hours. I keep a lighter pair (without the steel toes) of some other hiking boot in the van, just in case. I then have to remember not to catch anything with my toes.
D&L
any suggestions to remedy this or will it just be a "break-in" process.
Rtc, I never had a breakin problem with redwings until this last pair I bought. But, this last pair was taller than usual too. I normally wear a 9" boot and bought a taller one this time. The taller one forced me to walk much differently. At first I thought it was a break in issue, but then I realized that it was the height.
I substantially loosened up the boot. I now can slip into them without lacing or unlacing. This changed everything and the "break in" period ended immediately.
Give it a try.
blueJust because you can, doesn't mean you should!
Warning! Be cautious when taking any framing advice from me. There are some in here who think I'm a hackmeister...they might be right! Of course, they might be wrong too!
I've heard of this redwing "break in" period before ...
I always wear redwings ...
and I never buy anything that ain't comfy in the store.
No break in period for me .... I want instant comfort!
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
I say Redwings too, but I want to add that if you are framing, do not get soles with a heel. They can trip you up when walking plates.Get flat or low heel soles. I also reccomend the heavy zipper inserts that lace in.So much easier to zip up rather than lace up.
Todd
I do Concrete forms and our entire crew swears by redwings
I like the dis-claimer <walk walls under 10ft>.lolMe,personally look for grip,arch support and comfort.Have never,ever had anything fall on my toe to warrant steel-toes. Have a pair of 8in Redwings[1 year old],am not impressed. I wear 12 inch Rocky boots when real cold or snowy.It might just be me but having arch support makes a world of difference over flat soles.At least my legs feel it.
I didn't do it....the buck does NOT stop here.
You noticed that eh? I was going to say, "when I'm up really really ridiculously high carrying a wormdrive in each hand and walking a 2x4 wall . . . . . .:-)
Redwings get my money. 8" uninsulated, gortex, speed lace, smooth sole (doesn't track dirt, and I still feel comfortable up on a roof, find cleated gives me a little pucker factor). Buy the toe guards redwing makes they glue on,wore the the soles off last pair before the toes. Out the door $140.00 to 150.00.
I get about 2 years per pair and they are on my feet 7 days a week.
Around here you get written up by comp inspector if yer framing without steel toes on . Never thought of framing without em.
I figure that I wear my boots for 9 or so hours a day 5 days a week so it's worth it to have the best. When I shop for boots I start trying the most expensive ones first and work my way down. The last two pairs were Doc Martens from the UK I think, super comfy and no work in period but only good for about one year of wear...........Rik.......
I'm a huge fan of navy boondockers from the army surplus store. I perfer the old style thats just the leather upper, (without the padding on the ankle) and great Biltrite soles. Theyre cheap, and after I place an aftermarket insole in there I'm style'n.
navy boondockers from the army surplus store
There's some memories . . .
But, I will have to disagree, I like the padded collar on the new non-conductive protected toe boondockers. It just seems like that padding is always where I need to rest my leg when I'm not standing on it.
The only thing better on a wet ramp is the "seabee" issue boot, which is Danner, IIRC, also with a non-conductive safety toe, and a biltrite oil-resistant sole (which may be a big part in the 'feels like it grips better' thing).
Edit: the 10" boots have Vibram soles, not Biltrites.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Edited 3/4/2005 3:04 pm ET by CapnMac
two words -Terra Lites.
Thinsulate, steel toe, excellent soles. Rubber toe cap is a plus when framing (setting walls with your toe). Should last you a year, winter up here will kill any boots.
Dunhams, waterproof, reasonably priced lug or ripple (semi-smooth) sole.
Hi NWCarpenter, did you find a good pair? I like the Redback with a steel toe. These shoes have great anti fatigue inserts that keep feet comfortable, oven on a long day.
I'm on my 4th generation of 8" Danner Sharptails. Very comfortable, Gor-Tex lined, about $190. Not steel toe.
I framed for many years. In summers I always wore heavy duty type hiking sneakers like Merrell, really comfortable and flexible on the roof. In the winter, really well insulated boots that keep feet warm. I would keep a spare pair of my Merrell hiking sneakers in the truck for days we sheathed the roof for extra traction and flexibility. Always had to have steel toes in truck at all times as well for liability and safety regulations on the larger scale projects or when insurance companies required or when OSHA was around. The climate that I framed in would be 100 high humidity in summer and below 0 with high wind chill in winter, so I needed both boots and sneakers over the year. Every commercial project/contractor I’ve worked on/with require steel toed at all times.
F old thread again!
I love Bates Boots for everything. They have zippers on the side and are reasonable in price. I use them in construction but at Fire Department they cant be beat. Obviously i change into Turn Out Gear and boots for structure fires but i wear Bates for other fire calls including motor vehicles accidents including work around station and i have zero complaints over 26 years! FFs normally have 2 jobs and mine other job is remodeling and they do fine also for that!