I think Adair still uses his for hippies and kittens...
Laffin my ass off here.... Yes, I've been wearing Whites, or Hawthorne Hi-Lines for the last 5 years around the plywood mill I work at. They ARE hell for stout. I wouldn't wear anything else for a straight up tough ass boot. They can take abuse like you wouldn't believe, and they are excellent for stomping hippies and kittens
BUT, my next pair of boots will be either Wesco's (I'm a 9.5 EE with a girl heel, I have to "pile" the heels to not blister the [bleep] out of myself) or Nick's. I work with 200 other Millbillies that also abuse work boots professionally. Wesco's, Actual Whites, and Nicks all last about 2 years. Nicks tend to hold up the best (as long as their not the sueded side turned out on the toe box, pitch sticks to them BAD) Also, Nick's is hands down better on their rebuilds... you get back brand new, already broke in, boots from Nicks. White's rebuilds usually make you go through that 5 months of suffereing again before they get back to where they were.
But if you've never tried a NW type Logger boot, buy a pair of Hawthorne Hi-Lines first and make sure you can love them... Lace them up really tight with two pairs of socks on and walk through a calf high creek, then walk them dry... The Hi-Lines are 7 mil welted leather, they last about 2 years and then you [bleep] them... Its a NFPA rated boot, machine made stitchdown with screws too, and they claim to be rebuildable. I never put more work into them than a resole.
Nicks are worth the coin, once you decide you dig the logger... I work with a guy thats had his rebuilt every 3 years for the last 20 years...
Now.... Having said all that. I hardly ever hunt in them. They aren't water proof, and they're too high in the heel for walking downhill. I have a 10 year old pair of Danner Klondikes with 600/thinsulate that are about dead.
If you go over an 8" upper, just remember that those are referred too as Hooker Boots or Hooch Boots
