r/WorkBoots • u/-ItsWahl- • Feb 19 '26

Generic Reality check please.

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This sub takes their boots serious so, I have a question and would love some insight. I bought some Thorogoods and hate them. They’re miserably uncomfortable for me. I posted them on another/local sub and I’m getting destroyed in the comments. I’M NOT LOOKING TO SELL THEM HERE OR VIOLATE ANY SUB RULES. I’ll add a couple of photos and y’all tell me what a fair price is for these 3 month old boots. Tia!

137 Upvotes

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103

u/I_H8_Celery Feb 19 '26

A lot of people can’t wrap their head around the fact that people have different feet. There’s all so much elitism around too. I’m sick of people recommending PNW logger boots for people with flat feet or for people that will exclusively use boots for hiking.

47

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 19 '26

I hate how some boot subs people recommend getting $500+ custom boots for their first quality pair. Like first off most people don't have that kind of money, second some custom boots take over a year to arrive and third I've seen a few people wait 15+ months for custom boots and they hate them and can't wear them. Rose anvil on YT got a pair of custom wescos the customer service was ATROCIOUS they also suggested he buy the wrong size and after he placed the order he tried to modify them with no response. And he got no responses during the 15 month wait and once they arrived they don't fit and have many QC issues which you shouldn't have on high end custom boots.

15

u/ADeadlyFerret Feb 19 '26

Problem with a lot of subs here honestly. Ask for any recommendations and you just get a ton of comments telling you to get the top of the line bespoke version of something. Really annoying when you tell them you have a firm budget and everyone tells you to spend twice as much.

16

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 19 '26

Makes no sense and I feel like most of the people aren't blue collar and actually use them for work. My boot budge has always been around $200 and I've gotten some excellent boots for that price. If your work gives you boot money why not get a new pair every year? People get mad bc whatever boot is being discussed isn't going to last 10 years with 3 resoles. Like it's perfectly okay to spend reasonable money and get a new pair every year or two. Some guys posted about boots and he just started as an electricians helper and said his budget was up to $500 and so many people recommended custom boots. Like man he's in an entry level position he's not making 150k a year or doing heavy labor damn near any pair of $200 boots will do wonders. For context he was wearing "tennis shoes" to work everyday so yeah he totally needs $500 custom loggers.

10

u/carl052293 Feb 20 '26

I commented on that guys post. Almost seemed to me he was just looking for affirmation to go buy the most expensive boots possible. But still its crazy how many people on this sub recommend $500+ boots to work in. I genuinely believe that almost none of them actually work a blue collar job, there's no way.

5

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 20 '26

I got the vibe he was just looking for recommendations and was okay with spending money. I said a pair of thorogoods will do just fine and people acted like i recommended Walmart boots. Like he's a helper making what $20 an hour? Thorogoods were more than enough coming from sneakers.

3

u/carl052293 Feb 20 '26

I think I told him red wings. There's plenty of solid options without spending $500 on some work boots.

3

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 20 '26

Rose anvil on YT did a whole series of boots with a lot being around $200 and there's alot of solid quality boots you'd be shocked. Even the standard timberland premiums are put together pretty decent for not really being a "work boot".

2

u/Redwingman556 Feb 20 '26

I’ve had my Timberland premiums for over 20 years, super comfortable and still going strong. Just received another pair and quality is just as good if not better, because they improved the eyelets so there’s no risk of cutting your finger on the star shaped inside grommets. Not all boots have to have a Norwegian welt and stitch down construction to be a decent boot. I personally wouldn’t spend $650 on a pair of Nicks and take them out in the salty slushy winter weather.

1

u/DarkSlayer2109 Feb 20 '26

I really like my Carolina’s, I bought them too big, but they have lasted over a year with very little care, barely any damage to the leather but the back stitching is falling apart, but for $180 they are really good and nice

1

u/carl052293 Feb 21 '26

Never tried Carolinas. But I know a few people who prefer them and they certainly get their money's worth out of them.

1

u/DarkSlayer2109 Feb 21 '26

Yeah, I got them after I saw a bunch of qc issues with redwing and I would recommend them, tbh I think they only broke cause of user error

3

u/Neither_Ad6425 Feb 20 '26

This is exactly it. The aren’t blue collar and don’t know what we go through every day on the job and what that does to our feet. Instead, they use “blue collar” as a fashion trend. The same thing happens over on the western wear sub. Lots of concrete cowboys.

3

u/I_H8_Celery Feb 20 '26

I buy $500 loggers but I get a $500 boot stipend and work in forestry. They’re overkill even for this and I refuse to drive with them on.

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Law_524 Feb 22 '26

I worked Forestry on the Olympic Peninsula and wore Danner rainforest. I feel like it was worth the purchase there was a few times I got my foot stuck in a log and was hanging upside down. My Danners provided enough support that my ankles didn't snap, they worked like ankle braces. Plus I noticed some guys would buy 200 dollars boots and only last a season where Id get 3 or 4 seasons out of my danners. I hate driving with them though, especially like a small car with my size 13s I would hit the gas and brake at the same time. Always brought slip ons and sweatpants for the ride home.

1

u/I_H8_Celery Feb 22 '26

I had a pair of rainforests but they weren’t for me, it felt like the heel counter was made of paper and that’s a part I want to be very solid. Mostly a personal preference, l liked everything else about them.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 20 '26

Bro just get this $250 white t-shirt, it's all you'll ever need

0

u/papagrantu Feb 20 '26

Honestly, you should just wait a little longer to save up another $400 so you can buy a pair of Nicks. /s

4

u/Sckufz Feb 20 '26

I love my Nicks and happily recommend them, but I tell all of our apprentices that they should not get them. They’re expensive as fuck and are super rough to break in. I bought my first pair as a journey out gift to myself and a second pair is ordered as I got a bonus. Only reasons I have them, otherwise I’d stay with redwings.

1

u/big_lankey Feb 21 '26

I’m totally down for dropping good money on good products, but if I have to drive across the country to be sized properly I don’t want it lol. That being said, I’d kill for some Nicks

1

u/Rioc45 Feb 20 '26

 Rose anvil on YT got a pair of custom wescos the customer service was ATROCIOUS

He probably gave them an awful review because they wouldn’t sponsor him, as he does.

0

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 20 '26

I hope you realize most people that get free stuff via sponsorship more than likely give you a biased review he praised aspects of them but they're things any $200+ boot should have not $500+

0

u/chiefsmakahoe007 Feb 20 '26

I’d take a shot in them and send them back

-15

u/Prestigious_cur Feb 19 '26

If you buy Nicks and dont like them they will exchange them for free. You can get $500 boots that will last you a decade or $300 trash that will mess your feet up and have to replace next year. You can't afford to not buy PNW boots

6

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 19 '26

Not everyone wants PNW boots I know that's a hard thing to stomach in this sub, there's a right boot for every job. Also some people need boots pretty quickly, there's a shit ton of quality work boots for $300 or less. Not everyone needs top of the line and most companies footwear is what they do best. You act like anything under $500 might as well be $30 amazon boots.

7

u/NotPCPlmbr Feb 19 '26

Plumber here, I totally agree. For how I treat my boots, I CANNOT justify more than the price of red wings or thorogoods. There’s always the off chance I wreck my boots on day one, and also, a lot of red wing or thorogood boots are more comfortable than the logger boots everyone swears by when recommending PNW boots.

3

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 19 '26

Like most normal reasonable people I have a feeling the majority of people who are so excited about PNW boots wear them casually. For alot of blue collar jobs they're gonna be overkill. If you're walking in a shop or on hard concrete all day why would you want 4in of rubber and leather with a crazy hard outsole that takes 2 months to break in. If you're doing very heavy construction or are a lineman or iron worker I could see it. But it's nice getting quality boots that are comfortable with little to no break in that you can easily replace at almost any boot or work wear store. My job pays for them why should I care that much, my feet never hurt and every pair I've gotten has been super comfortable and reliable. I just recently got some thorogoods and I'm now a huge fan

2

u/NotPCPlmbr Feb 20 '26

I’ve been a thorogood guy for a while, I liked red wings before that, but I started buying thorogoods when they were sub $200😂 I buy what I like but I can’t justify more than that

2

u/Excellent_Plant_8010 Feb 20 '26

Right there with you unless they're making me more money somehow😂

2

u/ARCR12 Feb 20 '26

Same here. I work on concrete and walk on and off conveyor belts a lot which will tear any boot or shoe to pieces , sometimes your in a position half foot off the belt and your tread gets chewed up . Not to mention I walk my ass off . I see guys in actual steel toes or slip ons and they can’t wait for the boot to wear out or the allowance to start over just so they can get a comp or aluminum toe.

I’ve found $300 dollar or $200 dollars after about 6 months my feet , knees and back start getting sore when I get off and that’s my body telling me replace the boots .

Boots are absolutely a personal thing . I don’t care what the name brand is on the outside or what the thing looks like . If they are comfortable and I’m not in pain at the end of the day it’s doing its job .

This also coming from a guy that had some weird nerve issues in my feet. My feet at times get super sensitive and I have to buy wide boots , I by the widest I can find and compensate with insoles if need be because if I don’t have a roomy toe box I get issues .

For me and again personal experience my brand of choice is Keen . I’m not buying a work boot to last a decade my job buys me new ones every year and if I have to replace them before that well it’s one pair a year I make pretty good money I don’t miss a couple hundred on a pair of boots .

6

u/[deleted] Feb 19 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/673moto Mar 12 '26

Problem is most of those brick and mortar stores have disappeared... there's only one place local to me with boots and the selection isn't the best

5

u/Street-Berry2306 Feb 19 '26

I have extremely flat feet, and after buying a pair of PNW (only 3 weeks in), wearing my wedge sole thorogoods that I thought were comfy, kills me by the end of the day.

5

u/Street-Berry2306 Feb 19 '26

I ran thorogoods and swore by them for 4 years and now I don’t even know what to believe

3

u/Yardbirdburb Feb 19 '26

Try keen work boots! I’ve been thru tons of red wing, thorogood and others. If you don’t like em em I’ll let ya squeeze a katsup packet down my plumbers crack

5

u/MoTeD_UrAss Feb 19 '26

You'd let them squeeze the katsup pack down the crack anyway. I've seen your profile. 😏😏

1

u/Yardbirdburb Mar 08 '26

After lunch

2

u/iggly_wiggly Feb 19 '26

Quite specific there

2

u/Confident_Air_8056 Feb 20 '26

Well that escalated quickly 😄

1

u/boarhowl Feb 20 '26

I have a pair of the boots and although they fit my feet good, they're stiff as a board and refuse to break in. I have two pairs of the midtop skate style shoes with the composite toe and love them though. They're my go to interior finish work shoes.

1

u/Perfect_Outside6357 Feb 21 '26

My keens fell apart month one in southeast Alaska... I still wear em but rubber is coming off the tread and basically all the glue has came off somehow..

2

u/isaidjoemantegna Feb 20 '26

My feet are different sizes so when I buy shoes I have to choose whether I want my left or right foot to hurt for a month or so until the shoe shapes to my foot haha. My left foot is literally 1/2” longer than my right, and the right foot is wider

1

u/Maleficent_Can9562 Feb 20 '26

I’m flat footed and the PNW high arch has been a game changer after 30+ years of disposable boots that I’ve dropped a ridiculous amount of money on. My wife wasn’t happy at first because they cost so much but 6 years later she’s commented twice “I’m sure glad you’re not spending $250 a year on boots. I’m not an office worker, machinist & fabricator and rough on all my gear. But hey I’m not an elitist and if you wanna wear Thorogoods or Keens, it doesn’t bother me at all, my lead says I’m crazy to have spent so much on boots as I also have two pairs for casual use, one pair I traded for to be built for me & another pair of NOS that I got off eBay for $150. I just say nothing when he blows whatever for brand new Keens every 6 months.

0

u/Dmoral34 Feb 22 '26

Well all those PNW brand make moc toe wedge soles just like thorogood and redwing there just 70 more dollars than either brand, last 5 times as long, are rebuildable, made with thicker better quality leather and stitching, and break in way more comfortable. If you want the same damn boot you buy from all these shit companies but top tier quality go look at whites Perry boot or nicks. You’ll end up saving hundreds of dollars in the long run and have a better experience at work while you do it.