Didn't really fit in the backpacking section, and thought I would get more hits here.
Inquiring about White's Boots in Spokane. At $379 a pair, can someone tell me why they are so spendy, and if they are worth that, what makes them so great?
I may be relocating to that part of the US, where I could drop by the store/factory and get properly fitted. But I am wondering why?
I do spend time in the backcountry on a horse. And they look like a decent blend of a packer with a decent sole. And they claim to be rebuildable. But I doubt the rebuild is free or warrantied? Guessing it's still $100 or so for the rebuild.
So I guess I am asking why buy them or what niche do they fill?
I understand that they are US made and like Kifaru or Mystery Ranch, they will command a higher price due to not being shipped over seas for construction, but for that price, one could get a very comfy pair of German made boots that would certainly last a long time.
No GoreTex membrane, not waterproof so it's just leather and a sole. So again, why $400?
Because in Whitefish Montana they're the Anti-Birkenstock
Two things Hippies hate is Death-Metal and Whites Boots.
Seriously, my brother and I both have been wearing Whites for a long time (and they're cheaper brands, right now I'm wearing Hawthorne High-Lines for work boots.) They're built hell for stout, 10 mil leather, Vibraam soles and all.
Nick's kick ass too.
Once you get a pair broke in, you'll understand
I don't have a pair but almost everyone I work with has Whites or similar handmade brand. In the logging/wild land fire goverment system an 8" leather boot is required for sawing/fire. On a fire you can't have a Gore-Tex lined boot, it would melt near the heat and become useless anyway. Supposedly they are very comfortable� after they're broken in! They last forever and have great customer service.
Good luck.
I've never owned a pair of Whites, but I've spent enough time around logging and fire camps to know that handmade boots are quite common and Whites are right up there. I now live in SEAK and I don't do much but 'recreational' logging anymore. My work mostly requires either waders or 'sitka sneakers' but for hunting and hiking I wear either $60 'sitka sneakers' or $250 leather hunting boots, with Vibram soles, 10"-12" height, and a Goretex liner to keep my feet dry. In this wet climate leather boots take quite a bit of care and still only last a few years, which is still longer than the plastic versions that are available.
Personally, I think $400 is cheap for a good handmade boot. What you really pay for is the last and I'm told that Whites build good lasts and have the craftsmen to build heavy boots that also fit your foot on that last. They can also be rebuilt.
Most people I know that have Whites say they fit great, last for years, and are durable. If I ever have a chainsaw bite my ankle or have to pull off a boot I just waded through 100 yds of embers with, I hope I have the right boots on. You don't want goretex melting onto your feet and certainly stay away from plastic European mountaineering boots. I'd bet that if I was still fighting fires there would be a pair of handmade boots on my feet - like most everyone I know that did that for more than a couple of seasons.
I/we used to get handmade lineboots thirty years ago and we paid around $300 for them then. We did that because we needed the quality and experience that goes into an excellent handmade boot, to get the job done every day without our feet breaking down.
As manlift equipment took over some of the climbing, we were able to go to better-quality factory boots because we weren't demanding as much from them. The good Danners with gore-tex became prevalent.
When I retired as a foreman, I wore 8" cheapies, and carried my linebots in the truck bin for when I needed them.
I know some guys like Wesco boots, but I never got the support or life out of them that I got out of a boot like a Harvey Nelson, White, or Buffalo. I never had any Currin & Green line boots, but I heard they were great, also. I've got a pair of their calks that have lasted through about 30 years of casual use.
I've got a pair of Nick's boots I got at Drew's in K-Falls, Or. They will outlast me. They're just built better, out of better stuff.
I have wore Wesco's for a few years.
I can say that ALOT of blue collar guys swear by Whites and Wescos.
I never found them to be as comfortable as some.
They are built like a brick$hithouse!
I just got my 3rd pair. I had 2 pair of 'smoke jumpers' years ago. I now have a pair with a lighter sole. What they will tell you when you go in to be fitted is that most feet will fit fine in their standard sizes. If you want custom or have feet that may require a custom last e.g. bunions or different sized feet, the they will be happy to make a pair. The wait time this time of year will be longer as they are supplying the fire fighters. There is another maker,in Spokane, and that is Nick's. The boots styles are very similar and the prices are close. Nicks reminds me of what Whites was 35 years ago. Whites now has a fancy store but when you go into Nick's you smell leather and all the associated odors. I like Nick's store. I may very well try Nick's next time. Why custom boots? Your feet will thank you, no hot spots and comfort. $400 is well worth the cost if you expect performance from your footwear. After wearing a pair of custom boots what was once a luxury will now be a requirement.pak
Whites, with the Vibram soles, were always the boot for the guys in the drier piney woods. On the wet coast side we had to have corks or be on our butts all the time. Real custom fit boots, even corks, should be good to go, no blisters, from the first day.
I've been wearing Whites for over 30 years. Started with a pair of "caulked" (corked) boots when I was a timber faller during the summers when I was going to college. I've probably had 5 or 6 pairs and rebuilt each a couple of times. The cost for a rebuild is more like $200. I have 2 pairs now.
They're not particularly water proof without greasing them up, they're not warm, they're heavy, and I love 'em. They always fit like a glove. I have worn them out with hard use, but it takes a while. I have never had them come apart or fail in any way when I was using them.
Breaking in either Whites or Nicks is a real bitch. Your feet won't be happy for at least a month. One old timer at work told me the thing to do was lace 'em up tight with 2 pairs of socks on, wade across a creek and walk the sumbiches dry. I may try it next time.
I can tell you that you can stand on 400 degree metal for an hour and a half, and your feet never get hot, and it won't melt the soles off of them (one of the joys of Dryer Tending.) At least the ones with the NFPA stamp won't melt, I don't know if the soles are different or not.
Buddy Rydell at 3 O'Clock High?
I have been wearing Whites Smoke jumpers for 5 or 6 years and can tell you they are a great boot. I have one pair that was store bought and one pair that was "custom fit". The store bought pair is ten times more comfortable. The so called custom pair has been rebuilt twice (for free) because of the fit. Still not totally happy with the custom fit pair, but they have bent over backwards to make me happy. I figure I'll just chalk this one up to experience and buy a regular size next time.
Make sure to try Obenaufs(sp) wax and soak your leather laces in water, stretch them, then wax them so they don't get brittle and break.
Got turned onto the Obenaufs while in w. Washington for a while. Seems to be good stuff.
Simply take a look at a pair beside about any other boot. There are no stamped out vinyl or faux leather components, and they have brass eyes and laces a blind man could thread. They are hand made from high grade leather in the US, every seam is at least triple stitched, soles are held on with stitching, glue, and screws, they can be rebuilt, and obtained in custom fits. The high arch gives excellent support, and if well laced, ones toes will not touch the end while walking down the steepest slope one can stick to.
I've lived, hunted, and gone to church in mine since about 1982, have never experienced a blister, and suspect it's virtually impossible to roll an ankle while wearing 8 to 10 inch tops. The only other shoes I've worn have been court shoes for racket ball etc.
I purchased my first pair of packers back in 1982, and ordered a second pair 2 weeks later. They have been rebuilt numerous times. I sent a pair back 6 weeks ago, and they had finally deteriorated past a recoverable condition. That being, a new pair just arrived last week. I also have a pair of their dress boots (Packers again) that are about 20 years old and look like they came off the rack about 2 months ago.
They are by no means light-weight, yuppy, Gortex, back packing trail shoes. Drop one on the wife's poodle, and one may have a dog to bury. If one is intolerant of failure, Whites are the route to take. An excellent product and damn well worth it. 1Minute
So what you guys are telling me, these are the kind of boots that the Surplus Store owner tried to sell Michael Douglas in "Falling Down"?
Gotta get up there first. Then we will see first hand on the show room floor what they are all about. I do know that being black, they will be able to be used for "double duty" at work and at play, eh um, hunting.
And oddly enough, I never thought I had a weakness, but I have rolled the same ankle about 3 major times now, and I am now finding what above-ankle support is all about.
So Dan-O, if one would have too much toddy around the campfire and pass out with the soles to the flames, one would not walk wake up to open toed shoes?
My smoke jumpers I had for 6 years and are going back for their second rebuild. I would have gone through 12 pair of red wings in that same time peroid. For me its more cost effective to own Whites. They are by far the most comfortable work boots I ever owned. Cushioned soles on cheaper boots can't beat the comfort of these all leather soles. My feet know right away when they are not in whites and I suffer for it also.
I have been wearing the Packer and farm and Ranch for about 15 years now and love them both. Have had both of them rebuilt 3 or 4 times. They take awhile to break-in but after that you will not want to wear anything else, well worth the money in my opinion.
JJ. Its my expert opinion in the matter that ones feet would be far worse off than the Whites, should such a drunken mishap occour.
The Whites will take the heat, where any plain old shoe will melt and get gooey on your feet in about a half hour. The Cheapy Whites I have now, I wore on the Dryers the last year and a half I was over there. I stood on dryer floors on a plug-up about once a week on average for at least a half hour at a time. I'd been on two monster plug-ups that ran over 8 hours, but after that much time everythings well under 200 degrees inside the big ovens, and even Nikes can take that...
Loved that movie with Mike... Except Whites make you want to stomp Hippies
My late brother in law was a smoke jumper out of Missoula Mt.
He swore by White's boots.
I don't think I ever saw him wear anything else.
Dan, All we are Saying, is give Peace a Chance....
Going to get a '79 K2500, super clean. So with the Double Fronts, White's, and dual exhaust I should be good to go. Might even invest in a "old fashion" gun rack for the rear slider just to cover all bases. Oh, and a Bush bumper sticker.
Well, if you do get the Whitefish gig, you would fit right in around here.
My buddy Ed in Whitefish has the truck we call the AntiBeemer. 2002 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins 24 valve. A big fat straight pipe and all the other mods makes it sound like a real truck. He's got a "Give War a Chance" sticker right next to the "W" sticker... Hippies HATE that truck
Whites will last you two lifetimes..You can send them back for a refurbish and get'em back looking brand new...I have a friend that found a pair in the dump and they were curled up an rotten..As a joke he sent them back and they came back to him as new boots but it was the same pair..You can't beat them..
I don't wear them anymore as mostly they are a bit heavy for my use but they are the very best.
BTW the USFS firefighters are required to wear them for firefighting ore were a few years ago..
I have two pairs, 10" Packer w/ cowboy heel and duplicate pair with tapered heel and traditional Vibram pattern. I got both of mine in late '80s; both worn, not worn out, hell for stout. The first pair still fine though missing 1/3 of the tongue (heeler pup thought it tasted good!).
I like the 10" height, no insulation, no Gortex, fit w/ one pair of cotton socks. Worth the money. One of these days I'll send a pair back in for rebuild, more to have them look better than really needing it...
I've had some White's and am now wearing a pair of Wesco's that are about 4 years old. I usually wear them when climbing trees but also wear them hunting quite a bit when it is not cold.
I don't discern too much of a difference in either of those two brands and don't have a preference between them. What I do know is that after the initial break in ( which can take a while and be painful ) there are no other boots that will have a fit like that and be that tough. They are worth every penny they cost. Am prolly going to send the Wesco boots in for a rebuild after elk season more for cosmetic reasons that structural.
I bought a pair of White's "Magnum" boots about twenty years ago. The had an outlet store about ten miles from our home and after I tried on a pair, I simply had to own them.
When I tried them on, the thought occurred to me, "Crap, it's like I was BORN in these boots, they fit so well."
I wore the White's Magnum boots around our jewlry store for two weeks (suffering the stares of rich-bitches) and they still felt like I was born in them. No hot spots, no soreness anywhere, just happy feet.
Having learned from a lifetime of disappointment, I went back to the very same store and bought another pair of White's Magnum boots in 11EEE And that was the smartest thing I have ever done.
The White's Magnum is unlike most White's. They are insulated and I find them ideal for all uses. Supposedly, the Magnum design came from a couple of disgruntled Danner employees and that influence shows. (Danner is local and they have cause me umpteen blisters ... I hate the Danner POS boots with a passion) If so, the Danner employees got it absolutely RIGHT when they designed the Magnum. Sadly, the Magnum design was discontinued after a few years. I did good by buying a second pair ... I insured a lifetime with a FABULOUS BOOT.
My Magnums have Air-Bob soles, which are exactly perfect for snow use and stalking on the forest floor. Perfect for my use.
Air-Bobs have a shorter lifetime when used on rocks and pavement, but I don't mind. They still work and they give me a "soft ride" like no other.
During the years, I've had White's totally resole my Air-Bob White's Magnums. The cost is $20.00 each and maybe $5.00 to ship them back. Cheap, by any measure. And I might add that the Air-Bob soles that they put on are even better; softer, better wear and superior grip than the originals.
In my twenty-some years as a gunny scribbler, I always wore my White's Magnums at the SHOT SHOW. Wearing the White's was the only way I could survive the many days of hard walking on unyeilding concrete that seeing the entire SHOT Show requires.
And in the hunting field, to make a silly statement, I cannot imagine any better boots. My White's are the finest boots I've ever used. They fit from the git-go, they give me ultra support for my weak ankles (Marfane's Syndrome) and they have never raised a blister.
I still have both pairs of White's Magnums and they are the best money I ever spent.
Steve.
You can buy one pair of Whites, or two pair of Danners. Then refubish the White's and outlast another pair of Danners.
I've been working Industrial construction since 1987. Danners have some of the worst leather of any. They don't hold up well to wet,heat,or chemicals.. Wescos and white are the best I've owned. Whites are my favorite. Moved from Spokane to the wetside in 1995. These mills are hell on boots. With Centralia's coal mine the worst environment possible on rigs,clothes,tools. Whites get the nod and are worth every penny. JMO
Whites are some of the best boots made. As a journeyman lineman I don't skimp on boots and don't buy anything other than Whites.
I bought a pair of Whites Packers in '94 and wore them for several years. I've got fugly feet, so I had to order them "custom fit".
The only complaint I've got with Whites is their leather shank. I've got high arches, and need orthotics in all my shoes except Whites. BUT, as the boots break in and get really comfortable, the arches start to flatten out. I could feel it and see it as the front of the heels started to wear. I wear size 12, which is likely the problem. A size 10 or smaller boot might not flatten out. I've considered Nicks, but I think they use a leather shank too.
Whites are very popular fire boots. Best of the best. Hold up well and custom built.