- Joined
- Oct 29, 2012
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- 1,387
The place I used to work had a boot truck that would come by periodically and we had a $100 annual allowance we could get boots with. The boot truck had special pricing worked out with the company. I was a fan of Red Wing boots and would get those every year. They were usually getting ripe for replacement about the 10-12 month mark and I was impressed they would last a whole year of 12hr shifts, walking probably 2+ miles each shift across the plant floor, plus I wore them most times at home too.
One day the boot truck showed up just in time for my allowance to kick in and my boots were falling apart. Boot truck did not have my Red Wings. Instead I took a chance on Timberland Workforce lace-up steel toe boots. WOW. Walking in them felt like walking on air. They were the most comfortable footwear of any kind, that I had ever worn. I wore those boots for a year and they weren't even starting to show signs of stopping. I got another pair anyway after 12 months and put them in the closet, kept on wearing the first pair. One year later, did the same thing. I wore those boots for 4 years and gave away 2 pairs of brand new boots.
I went to work for another company who was much smaller, no boot truck contract, but they did have a lax "$150" annual boot allowance. After 1 year of employment I enquired about getting some boots and my boss handed me a credit card, told me to go take care of it on my lunch break. I asked "$150 max, right?" And he said "it's not a hard rule, just don't go crazy." I came back with these. He said "Holy ****, those had better last TWO years!" Apparently I "went crazy" (they were $275 at the time, price has come down).
I'm still wearing those boots now 4 years later, and they are still going strong. They are even more comfy than the previous timberland lace-ups, and they breathe like tennis shoes and are somehow simultaneously water proof (not sure how that's possible, but they are). I can stand in water 8" deep as long as I want, as long as I don't make enough motion for water to slosh over the top, my feet stay dry. Pants pull down over the top so no chips or slag fall in. I can stand/walk/work in these boots for hours upon hours and not feel foot pain or fatigue. I know they're expensive, but they really are worth the money. I would (will have to) spend my own money on a new pair when these wear out
I only have 2 other pairs of footwear. Wal-Mart knockoff crocs that I wear to the beach, and a pair of sketchers sneakers that I wear anytime I go somewhere with my wife, because she doesn't want to be seen in public with me wearing steel toe boots. She doesn't know that my sketchers are steel toe tennis shoes. Well, ok I have one more pair of shoes... a pair of black shiny things I wear when someone gets married or dies. But I hate those. They're so uncomfortable and I always feel like something is going to fall on my foot.
One day the boot truck showed up just in time for my allowance to kick in and my boots were falling apart. Boot truck did not have my Red Wings. Instead I took a chance on Timberland Workforce lace-up steel toe boots. WOW. Walking in them felt like walking on air. They were the most comfortable footwear of any kind, that I had ever worn. I wore those boots for a year and they weren't even starting to show signs of stopping. I got another pair anyway after 12 months and put them in the closet, kept on wearing the first pair. One year later, did the same thing. I wore those boots for 4 years and gave away 2 pairs of brand new boots.
I went to work for another company who was much smaller, no boot truck contract, but they did have a lax "$150" annual boot allowance. After 1 year of employment I enquired about getting some boots and my boss handed me a credit card, told me to go take care of it on my lunch break. I asked "$150 max, right?" And he said "it's not a hard rule, just don't go crazy." I came back with these. He said "Holy ****, those had better last TWO years!" Apparently I "went crazy" (they were $275 at the time, price has come down).
I'm still wearing those boots now 4 years later, and they are still going strong. They are even more comfy than the previous timberland lace-ups, and they breathe like tennis shoes and are somehow simultaneously water proof (not sure how that's possible, but they are). I can stand in water 8" deep as long as I want, as long as I don't make enough motion for water to slosh over the top, my feet stay dry. Pants pull down over the top so no chips or slag fall in. I can stand/walk/work in these boots for hours upon hours and not feel foot pain or fatigue. I know they're expensive, but they really are worth the money. I would (will have to) spend my own money on a new pair when these wear out
I only have 2 other pairs of footwear. Wal-Mart knockoff crocs that I wear to the beach, and a pair of sketchers sneakers that I wear anytime I go somewhere with my wife, because she doesn't want to be seen in public with me wearing steel toe boots. She doesn't know that my sketchers are steel toe tennis shoes. Well, ok I have one more pair of shoes... a pair of black shiny things I wear when someone gets married or dies. But I hate those. They're so uncomfortable and I always feel like something is going to fall on my foot.
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