work shoe advice

I need some real good work shoes. I already have a pair Rockports. But the poor things are getting worn out. I'd like to get another pair to alternate. I'm on my feet 8 hours standing or walking on linoleum covered concrete. I'd like to try Doc Marten's. But as far as I can tell they don't come in wide sizes. I need 8.5 Wide. What else is good out there? Money is almost no object. I paid $100.00 for my Rockports, MWT 108. I was willing to pay $120.00-$140.00 for the Doc Martens. I'll pay up to $200 if I'm convinced they're worth it.

I swear by RedWings, they are very comfortable. I wear the steel toed boots at my job, they are oil proof and are available insulated.

If you mean by a work shoe something casual, I swear by SKS. Their top shoe is just over a 100.00, but is worth every penny. It has an extreamly comfortable platform. I have two pairs, one for work and one for dress. I use to wear Rockports. Chuck M

I agree with Daniel Ramsey, my steeltoe RedWings are the most comfortable shoes I have. I can wear them working for 24 hours straight (have many times)and my feet are fine. It took a while to break them in, but now they are great.

Sorry David, should have said SAS. Just bought a pair in black, 184.00, model is Pathfinders. Chuck M

By work shoe, do you need steel toes? If not, then go with Ecco's. A little pricey at about $200/pair, it's the best shoes I've ever owned. Now I have 3 pairs.

I paid about 160 dollars for a pair of redwing shoes. Within 3 months the treads were worn flat. The redwing store was quite rude and wouldn't do anything to replace them. I do lots of walking around at work on rough concrete and grating so they get a LOT of abuse. however I've had 30 dollar work boots last me longer. The upper part of the shoe is holding together quite well and they are comfy after the leather is broken in. but I will never spend this much on a shoe again. my advice is wait til walmart/kmart or some other cheap store has a sale and go find the one thats most comfortable for you. I know you usually get what you pay for but for 50 bucks you can get a work boot that will last as long or longer than the name brand expensive stuff.

I've bought the white tennis steel toe from Sears. They are comfy, but don't last long. My RedWings have lasted about a year of daily abuse so far and are doing fine. They need some upkeep with leather conditioner. The store I bought them from said I could bring them in once a month and they would polish and condition them for me all included in the purchase price of $125.00. I never bring them in, but I do put leather conditioner on about once a month or so. The RedWings are the first expensive steel toes I owned. I used to get the inexpensive Roebucks from Sears, but they would fall apart after a few months.

Doc Marten's work boots w/wo steel toes do come in a "wide" but you may have to look around real hard to find them. I had a pair and they lasted about 2 years. The soles felt strangely "lumpy" at first, although they were comfortable boots. The steel toecap is not much wider than what they have on the normal width boots so if you need a steel toe boot and your foot is wide in the toes, you may be better off buying an "oblique toe" style from another maker. I currently wear Knapp boots in an oblique toe style and although they are a bit boxxy looking, they are very comfortable. About $130, made in the USA, 2 years old and still have maybe 6-8 months life left. BTW, "Safety Boot Savers" are well worth the $8 cost. I always used to wear through the toes of the boots and expose the steel, letting water in each time it rained. Now I just wear away the glue-on toe caps, which are cheaply replaced if the rest of the boot still has any life left when the "Boot Saver" is worn through. HTH

Danners make a pretty good boot. Kind of expensive, but they seem to last forever, and they will refurbish (restitch seams, treat the leather, replace panels) for little or no money. They are also resolable. Check places that sell military and police type equipment.

Everyone keeps talking boots, and from his discription, DavidW said he had been wareing Rockports. Do they even make a boot? All has been quite for him.

Never said I could spell!!!

I'd prefer shoes. But the Doc Martens I was thinking of getting were the lace up boots. 6 or 8 eye. (No steel toes.) From what I find they come in D width and M? Is M equivelent to E?

you should try them on first, of course...i never much cared for the two pairs of doc martens i had, not nearley enough cushoining/support for a long day on your feet...

After trying on Doc's, Redwings and Caterpillers(?) I decided on a 2nd pair of Rockports. I couldn't find SAS, Danner, Ecco's to try on.