Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Work shoes/boots for 10 hours on concrete.

Red Wing

Glad to hear someone is having good luck with Redwings. I've occasionally bought Redwings for work boots over the years and they fell apart on me within a few weeks every time, or stretched out to the point I couldn't wear them, or some stupid thing....

I work on concrete a lot and I always bought Danners with the shock absorbing midsole cushion in them. Only a few of their boots have this feature any more but it really helps when standing and working on concrete all day long. And my Danners usually lasted me as long as any boots I've ever worn. My last couple pairs of Danners were the GTX with the NMT , which was required at almost all jobs now...

Red wings

I wear Thorogoods. USA made.

I spend about 10 hrs on concrete each day in a factory.


I’ve turned others on the thorogoods boots and they love them too.

The others....

Hell nah I ain’t spending $240 on a pair of boots.

Well scooter, you about about 1/3 of your day on your feet. Why not be comfortable??

Rock on with your Brahmas that you replace every 6 months cause the side is blown out.

If this is the case, you’re doing something seriously wrong.

Same problem here. My foot looks like a damned duck's foot. Normal heel width but super wide toes. I will have to try the red wing king toes, next pair of boots I get.

Keenes weren't even close to fitting me either.

For me I went a different route. Currently working 10hr days on concrete. I went with a cheaper pair of Red Wings, then took out the insoles and replaces them with a pair of Aetrex insoles. Absolutely love them, had some fatigue the first few days ( as can be expected) but now I barely mind it at the end of the day! They are a bit on the pricy side, but worth every penny in my opinion.

Myself as well. I spend my days standing/working/walking on concrete, asphalt, gravel, steel grating and scafolding with a good selection of ladders mixed in. They are very comfortable and wear well. I'm on my 3rd pair with no intention to switch unless I hit a snag with them.

My area of operation. Pic taken from a crane man basket doing work on stack tip.

Steel toes are probably going to be mandatory by the sound of job description, and that in itself is going to leave out finding a good fit. So wear your normal every day boot sock, and before trying them on insert any cushioned insole you plan on using, then get them large enough to where they're comfortable when tied up tight, and with both on walk around the store a good deal if they aren't reasonably comfortable in the store, they won't be on the job either. Your feet are going to swell, so you want to allow for that also. I've used Redwings, but they take a long time to break in. Found it best to wear a new pair for a few hours a day and your old pair for the remainder. Then every chance you get, while on breaks take the damn boots off and let your feet cool down and dry in the air. It'll wind up being how well you take care of your feet more than the boots. That being said, I've seen a lot of people with their toes cut off by wearing those damn steel toed boots. I avoided wearing them when I could get away with it.

Phil

Safety toes not required, already asked about boots and dress code.

I agree and I wear them myself, but in my opinion you have to buy the USA made. The others don't last...

I spent much of my working years on a machine shop floor in front of a lathe or a mill. Redwing are the way to go. Go to a real Readwing store and listen to what they tell you.

Hell no just like most the crap you buy. But they are comfy and would wear them daily. I actually do. Try them

I get a boot allowance at work. Every year, I buy the same Wolverine 6" black steel toed boots. I'm nowhere near 10hours a day on concrete anymore, but when I was I was happy with them-- with the following provisos:

1) I wear two layers of sock. I have an inner sock that's there to remove friction and keep the water wicked. Walmart white dress socks do a remarkably good job. The second layer is a thick, cushiony hiking sock.
2) I buy $20 insoles that have extra arch support.

The boots barely look worn after a year, so I have several reserve pairs. My plan is to keep buying boots like this until I retire and then coast for the next 20 years. About every 5 years, I toss the oldest pair. I just got my newest pair last week. I probably will leave them untouched until Christmas.

Spent 95% of my working life ( spent some time driving) on my feet; much of it on concrete. I wore whatever didn't fit too bad. In my early sawmill years, I wore running shoes but when OSHA showed up, had to switch to boots. Wore boots in the woods. When I started working in machine shops I wore steel toed boots because they were mandated. In the gunsmith shop, I wore and wear whatever I want. I think the most important thing is to keep moving. Do some squats; raise yourself up on your toes. Bend and stretch throughout the day. Do some pushups. Keep your circulation moving! This will do more for you than the finest in footwear. GD

You’re such a good listener.

If you are going to be on your feet all day get a pair of arch support insoles. Gel is a nice plus, but the real goal is arch support. You want your weight to be distributed over your entire foot, not just the ball and heel.

You'll never go wrong with some Whites.

This is a good tip. I've bought a few pairs of specialty moisture wicking inner socks, and I can't tell a bit of difference in their performance from cheap nylon dress socks.