where to buy good American made boots?

[bee_pipes]

Where can you find the best price for good, American made, 8 inch steel toe boots? TSC has them for about $80. I got ripped off with a wlamart pair for $30 - the soles are glued on and they are falling apart. I don't mind coughing up bucks for something that's going to last. Anybody got a place that can beat $80?

Regards,
Pat

[annabella1]

I don't know where they are made, but I just got the flyer for next weeks Aldi's specials and they had steel toe boots. They also have a double your money back guarantee, which means they give you your money back plus another of the item.

[DM]

The "best" work boots i've found are made in America and are lace up Red Wings...

Yes, not all of there boots are made in the USA, and yes, they cost me more than 80 bucks... BUT, they last me so much longer, they become cheaper in the end!

DM

[bee_pipes]

Took a look - there are Red Wings for around $80. Yeah, hate to spend $80, but like you said - if you don't have to replace them frequently, you are ahead on money. It's like jeans - I'd rather go through the hassle of breaking in one of the stiff, hard as a board pairs and know I'm going to get a few years out of them. A good pair of jeans with low miles at the thrift store is a real find, but I'll spring for a new pair if I know there's a few years wear in them.

Thanks for the info Annabella1. Will look at Aldi's the next time I'm near one.

Regards,
Pat

[MadTripper]

I realize the question is "Where to buy...." however here are a few brands that are made in the US.

http://www.chippewaboots.com/
http://www.carolinashoe.com/
http://www.rockyboots.com/
http://www.redwingshoe.com/
http://www.danner.com/home.do

I have had a pair of Danners for about 10 years. I use them for most outdoor activities including cutting wood, building our home, and other pretty arduous tasks. I am in the need for a new pair however as it stands, they cost me $15.00 per year ($152.00 when I purchased them) I use a pine pitch and oil mix I buy locally to keep them in shape. Additionally there is a list of us boot/shoe manufacturers at the link below which also includes places to buy from.


http://www.usstuff.com/shoes.htm

Tripper

[GreatDane]

Dunno about $80, but I just got my second set of Red Wing 2245's for $150, OTD. The first set were great to me for five years before parting ways with me in a canoeing accident. All I ever did was put some mink oil on them monthly, and polish them weekly.

[keitholivier]

Realistically: Without considering material costs, or machines, tooling and overhead, how much labor do you think goes into manufacturing a pair of boots ? What kind of hourly rate would you want to be paid if you were working on that line ?

The last time I bought a pair of leather boots in South Africa I paid ZAR 800, which would have been equivalent to paying $600 (on an income basis). So to me, boots for $80-120 are still really cheap compared to most places in the world. Unless you agree with supporting corporate greed and chinese sweat shops, which is how the US loses all of the manufacturing jobs. Price is not everything.

[bee_pipes]

Yeah, actually, that would be the point - price is everything. If the price is too good to be true, it often is. Been almost two months since the original post, and with the exception of the brands named by DM and MadTripper, almost everything is now out of China. I went into a TSC (tractor supply company) and most of the boots they had were made in china. Sad state of affairs.

It comes down to a matter of biting the bullet, and looking at it as an annual expense - $15 a year for a pair that will last 10 years. Good point taken by GreatDane also - got to maintain your gear if you want it to last. I'm kind of rough on jeans and work shirts, but they are easier to find in a thrift shop than boots that fit. A good pair of boots will last a long time and suffer a lot of abuse if properly maintained. I need to look at them like tools, rather than clothing articles.

This global economy and trade agreements have really hosed this country. We used to be able to produce anything we needed and had a surplus of food to sell. Now finding American made products is like a scavenger hunt.

Regards,
Pat

[remington]

Rocky makes about the most comfortable/longest wearing boots I know of. Found mine at Vanderbilts. Original price 139.99. End of year clearance $65.

[hillbillygal]

There is a company called Allegience Footwear that makes boots here in the USA. They are a small company and only make three styles but take a lot of pride in what they make. The website is afboots.com.

[WRTN]

I wear a size 14EE and have tough time finding boots or shoes for that matter in my size. I have had pretty good luck on Bargain Outfitters and Sportsman's Guide. They have to email bargain sales periodically with some great prices. Got me some nice Chippewah boots for $49 and Wolverine boots for $20. Just have to keep an eye out for when they have them on sale.

[AlchemyAcres]

Hmmm...I wish I could remember the name...but I can't :(
By far the best boots I've ever had, and still have...are horse hide boots made by the Amish...amazingly tough boots....there's nothing that compares......
They used to, maybe still do, advertise in Lancaster Farming.....it's gotta be the worlds biggest weekly farming paper.....
http://www.lancasterfarming.com/

~Martin :)

[tufhelp]

I hadn’t thought about them for years but the best steel toed boots I ever had were from Sears in the late 1960’s. They fit like a glove, didn’t need breaking in and were great on the feet. They were low cut just above the ankle and were made from kangaroo hide of all things and lasted for years and years. I got a job in a truck stop while in college and didn’t have any safe foot gear for that environment. They were inexpensive and had oil resistant soles to boot. I resoled them at least 3 times. When it came time to replace them when the uppers just plain wore out, Sears didn’t carry them anymore and I have never seen them since… Damn I miss them old boots… :'(