I pronate badly (for those who don't know what that is, I walk on the outsides of my feet) when the shoes begin to wear and I have no arches. I need a good, light weight, boot that I can wear for 16 hours a day if need be. I'd prefer it to have some water proof qualities. Oh and I don't want to spend a mint.

What do you guys wear?

I have steel toed $100(ish) Red Wings with $50 Red Wing insoles that you heat up and form to your feet. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy. A friend of mine, who has a very odd way of walking/standing swears by SAS. I'll give them a look when it's time for new shoes.

I like ecco, none better.

what i do may not be for everyone. i work with guys that buy high dollar redwing and other gortec brands they might get a year out of them with them killing there feet the last 4-5 months. i buy the cheapie boots from walmart wear them 4-5 months get a new pair. you can buy about 4 pairs for the price of one pair of redwings.they all get stompped down after awhile. i am real rough on boots never had wolverines last more than 6-8 months. i do concrete construction so it might pay for others to buy good boots planing on lasting along time,but not me.

Dr. Martens steel toe work boots here (http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/382710/c/3.html) are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned. At one time many years back I worked in a fab shop that required hours of standing and walking sometimes 12 hrs or more a day. Redwing's, Carhartt's, nothing lasted as long or was as comfortable. My most recent pair was bought 9 years ago and I still wear them to go out in, only thing that I had problems with was laces breaking.

Nothing but Red Wings here. I have been wearing them (not the same pair) for 13 years. I have tried other boots, only to go back to them. They stand behind their product too. I work 10-12 hour days and a pair will last me a year and half or more.

i am in the Airforce. i work in fabrication (aircraft parts mostly) so spend a lot of time on my feet. I love my gortex insulated Belleville steel toes. they have served me well through a lot of time on my feet.

Rockies

Redwings! The most comfortable and last forever. I've tried them all and Redwings are the best.
Ron

Check out Keen - they're a touch funky looking but IMHO the most comfortable and most well made shoe around. They make great sandals, and I wore them throughout a month of traveling through Greece and Italy, and they held up great (they're still like new) - and were very kind to my feet. I took a pair of Ecco's along too, but always found myself wearing the Keens.

REI carrys them, and if you buy from REI, you can wear them for a while, and if you're not completely satisfied you can take them back and get all your $$ back. Can't beat that.

Red Wing #2263
More comfortable then my tennis shoes cost me $180 and I get at least 3 years out of them.

Timberland Pro's with the titanium toe!!! Awesome boots!!! :thumbsup:

http://www.timberland.com/sm-timberland-pro-series-products--bs-1762199.html

I walk on a roof tops all day with some being 8 on 12 pitch re-sheeting them. Sometimes 12-13 hours a day.

I wear the Die-hard boots. You can buy them from sears for about 50 bucks. They arnt water proof, but they're really light, and once they break in, they're really comfortable. They're not so expensive to the point where you dont wanna walk in mud, or burn them up while cutting with a torch either. My entire crew wears these boots.

Concrete work! Red Ball, tall 3-lace insullated boots, but I don't think they come in steel-toes tho.. Or GUM-BOOTS!!

And I too switched over to Walmart Bama el-cheapo jobber's that after a while I would pitch. And I had worn "work weight Wellington" Wolverine steel-toed slip-ons before!!

And I have ALWAYS oilled my leather work boots through the years to keep them soft and water-proof BUT "smelly"!!!

pdq67

Morrell and rockies

I second SSx3 with the Doc Martens. I work on my feet all day and they are perhaps the most comfortable boot i've ever worn. I even bought a second pair for good boots.

I have a pair of Red Wings right now. Going on close to 2 years on them, still in good shape. The cheapo boots will be torn up in 6 months where I work. Non-skid surfaces and ladders all day long aren't kind to cheap soles. I always make it a point to find something that says "anti-slip" or "anti-skid" right on it, too. Took a skid off one of our subs one night, ended up with a grapefruit sized hematoma on my shin from the dock edge, with cheap boots.

Timberland Pro's with the titanium toe!!! Awesome boots!!! :thumbsup:

http://www.timberland.com/sm-timberland-pro-series-products--bs-1762199.html

You do realize that the Titanium is just a gimick. They can't possibly have titanium toes and sell them so cheap. There is less than .05% titanium in the toes. Its still 99.5% steel. Just an FYI.

I managed a Red Wing store for 5 years. They are great boots and they stand behind their product. Used to be a lifetime guarnantee on construction of boot (stiching, sole attachement , hooks or eyelets). Now they have a 1 year guarantee. The best part it that most are resolable. Once you have a good pair broken in, just resole it when the time comes. A lot of peoples feet hurt after several months when the soles have worn down a lot. Just get them resoled and the pain goes away.

We also repaired every type of boot. I found the other best ones are Doc Martens (NOT resolable unless you get a sole from England to resole it with). Whites are good (but really expensive). Ecco are comfy (not too durable and can't be resoled). Wolverine are rubbish as are Caterpillars. Timberlands are pretty decent.

Wal Mart or Kmart or Target boots I only recommend if you do nasty work like concrete or asphault. They are meant to last a few months and then throw them away. They have zero support in them though.

Plus if you want to buy American, only Red Wings and Whites count. Everything else is made in China.

Also, Red Wing makes widths. So if you have wide or narrow feet, they can get you boots in your size. Most other companies make one medium size and thats it.

Here are some tips to get a better fit on any kind of boot:

1. Get both feet measured for length AND width. (it is common to have one foot a little bigger than the other and you want to fit your bigger foot, not the smaller one).
2. Get the arch measured. If you have a high arch you need a higher arch support. Lower arch or flat feet, need some arch support too, just not as much. Get an arch support insole for your shoes and boots and it will alleviate pain in the heel AND in the ball of your foot (just in front of the front of your arch). If you dont have the arch support your whole weight sits on your heel and ball. This can be very painful over time. I recommend Red Wings Custom Moldable Insole. They cost $45 bucks, but they do the same thing as $500 orthotics.
3. If you are getting steel toe, make sure the actual steel toe part does NOT rub the top or sides of your toes or foot. This part of the shoe will never stretch or break in. It will always be there rubbing and will give you blisters, raw spots, and make your boot unwearable. This is true for ALL boots. Be it $20 Walmart boots, or $300 Whites.
4. Make sure the sole suits your work or environment. There are several types of soles and materials. Crepe (soft material, great for lots of standing on hard surfaces, not durable, but comfy: Carpenters and contractors tend to use these. Not good with chemicals). Urethane (combo of comfort and durability. Not as soft as crepe, but more durable. Great for medium duty work. Usually oil and slip resistant, ok with chemicals). Rubber (hard and super durable. Great for the roughest environments. Will last a loooong time, but harder and heavier on feet (recommend good comfy insoles for these)Great with oils, chemicals, just about anything.)
5. Wear good socks. I'm not kidding. Good durable socks will make your feet feel better and provide better cushioning around your foot. Most people don't consider this and wear cheap 6 or 12 pack socks. Spend a little more and they will last a lot longer and be more comfy.
6. Wear the new shoes or boots around your house on carpet for several hours. See how your feet feel, how the shoe rubs your foot, if it's comfy or your feet are starting to hurt. If they are not good, most stores will take back unworn shoes. If you wear them outside, you probably own them. They can't be resold. Most stores will not take them back.
7. Break your shoes in slowly. I can't tell you how many people I had come in and say the boots are terrible and want to return them. They wore them all day immediately. Bad, bad, bad. Good boots need to be broken in. They will conform around your foot, mold to your foot characteristics. If you get a new pair and go all out and wear them 12 hours the first day, you WILL get sore spots and blisters. Then your feet will hurt and you will have to wear something else till your feet feel better.

TIP! Wear your new boots 2-3 hours the first day, then switch back to your old boots. 3-4 hours the second day, then back to your old boots. Do this for a week and you'll be in only your new boots. Your feet won't hurt and you'll be good to go.

One last thing.. condition your boots or shoes in the way the tag says. Boot oil for full grain leather, mink oil, whatever it recommends. Do this once a month at least and you'll see how much longer the boots will last. The leather will not crack and resoling will be much more worthwhile.

A few style recommendations for Red Wings:

Steel toe style number:
2263 (greatest all around boot R.W. makes. Rubber sole with crepe inset.)
3507 (Black uniform type, puncture resistant sole(for nails and stuff). Full grain leather inside helps keep it cooler, urethane sole)
2406 (Full grain leather inside helps keep it cooler, urethane sole)
2226 (Less expensive, but super comfy, urethane sole)

Soft toe style number:
926 (less expensive, super comfy, urethane sole)
923 (less expensive, super comfy, urethane sole)
963 (best soft toe R.W. makes for all around work. Rubber sole with crepe inset)
2156 (crepe sole, no break in time, a little expensive)
875 (crepe sole, classic that R.W invented over 40 years ago. Need to break in)

These are all recommendations, I strongly suggest you try them on in a store. You can't officially buy Red Wings online. The company prides itself on service and fitting knowledge. You want to get the right fit.

If you want a good tennis shoes, go with New Balance (they make widths).
Dress shoes I recommend Dexter shoes.
Casuals I recommend Red Wings Casual line and Eccos.
Hiking boots I recommend Vasque and Timberland.

You can look up all these shoes online.

BTW, I no longer work at Red Wing, so I'm not trying to endorse my own product, I just know them inside and out and know the quality they put into their shoes. They've been making boots in the US for over 100 years. This has just been my experience with shoes and boots and feet in the last 5-6 years.

If you have any questions, PM me or ask on here.