4-6" Lace Up Work Boot With Moc Toe?

[Phog Allen]

Gents, with the recent threads about Red Wings and Alden boots I wanted to go in a slightly different direction. Mostly in regards to toe style. I like the looks of a moc toe and it helps the boot retain its shape a bit. Two iisues come up rather quickly. First, moc toes are not as they once were. Second, I wear a full EE width and EEE in Allen Edmonds. Decent wide width footwear is getting harder and harder to find off the shelf. I currently wear a pair of Timberland Pro Series which are close to what I want but have a regular round toe. I have what I like to describe as jellybean foot syndrome I run my heels over a bit and the toe area of my shoes can curl inward. Sort of jellybean shaped. The Timberland boots have actually heldxup well. Particularly the soles. I have no idea what their composition is but they show minimal wear after 1.3 years. I cannot go into uppper end price points but wont settle for bargain basement footwear either. I am on my feet all day and cannot beat them up. Thanks for any suggestion s.

Cheers, Todd

 

[russhatch]

I think it might help if you gave a price point/range that works with your budget. It is difficult to give suggestions without knowing where to start - there are so many smart people on here it crazy - I am sure someone can give you suggestions.

 

[jkingrph]

I have some of the Russel Moccasin Art Carter boots and really like them. They are a bit pricy, but made to fit your foot. I normally wear a 12 a so it was a relief a few years back to find handmade boots at the price I paid.

I was actually attending the Dallas Safari Club show and found their vendor display, where they were measuring feet and taking orders. Send for their catalog and they will aslo send info on how to measure your feet. Turn around time varies by season, and is probably slow now.

I have one pair of lightweight chukka boot style mocs that were purchased sometime in the early to mid 1980's that have seen a lot of use and still look and feel good. These are for casual wear and definitely not for work or extended standing. The Art Carter model has what they call a triple vamp, and has 3 layers of leather cradling your foot.

 

[Phog Allen]

Price points; Stock, off the shelf, south of $200. The state of production footwear is abominable these days. About the only company I know of that makes decent off the rack boots is Chippewa. And they don't really make a style that I speak of. Bespoke? I hadn't really thought about it but I would imagine right now it is out of the budget. I am not cheap, but have enough commitments this time of year to make it impractical.

These boots would not only be worn semi-daily every week, they MUST have a sole that will hold up to LOTS of walking, grease and oils at times, and be somewhat electrical hazard rated. I don't know if the custom makers offer the latter or not. I would think the testing and certification would be prohibitive. I can also tell you it would not preclude them from my decision. Any sole made of Vibram, Nitrile, or other flexible plastic or polymer would make the grade for me. So bespoke could be an option if not likely. I can say without hesitation that models like Clark's Desert Boots are out of the question. These types of footwear are really casual fashion wear. Weekly work routine will eat them up in no time.

Here is the current boot I wear. Truth told, these are some of the toughest boots I have ever worn and they don't hurt my feet. I just don't care for the round toe/foot. A moc toe is desired but beggars usually don't get to be choosers.

Cheers, Todd
http://shop.timberland.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11252166

 

[MoonshineXXX]

Russell, Chippewa, Red Wing, Wolverine 1000 Mile. Stick with any of those and you'll be fine assumeing you can accomodate your width requirements. AE makes a couple of moc toe boots that might suit you as well...

 

[avsmusic1]

I would look toward a Red Wing 875 (or one of the different color variations)

You can find them on sale ~200 or on Ebay, and they come in EE

You aren't a 9.5 are you? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Wing-Le..._Men_s_Shoes&hash=item3cd8c5019b#ht_622wt_686

 

[drlvegas]

875's are the standard for good reason. Thorogood doesn't get much mention, but is also supposed to be very good value.