Boots

[linestudent]

I need to buy boots for a climbing class I hope to take next semester. I only want to buy boots one time. I noticed some other guys bought boots, and are wearing them now , to break them in before they have the cclass. I thought that was a good idea. Can you guys please tell me what the best boots are for comfort, quality, value. DO they come waterproof or not? Do lineman have different boots for winter than they do in the summer etc. Any help would be appreciated.

[scratchpad]

my 16" wescos fit like cadillacs and are great for climbing. not good for ground work. will get chewed up on steel, they are very ergonomic and light compared to...

my hoffman/danner insulated trooper linemans are heavy compared to my wescos (2 steel shanks and very thick outer sole). these boots are solid, very warm for cold weather, waterproof and great for climbing. not good for ground work. will get chewed up on steel.

never thought id do it but. so far the best ALL AROUND boot for me is the La Sportiva Makalu's. great for ground work. great for climbing. good for steel. tough boot, lightweight, solid sole, shank, waterproof. they are a little clunky at first because they are so stiff but you will get use to it. buy them a half size big if needed to fit a moisture wicking liner sock and a good sock over that, which goes for any boot.

the above boots are all very good and made with craftsmanship. in your part of country you may need some pacs for winter.

my feet sweat no matter what i wear so i bought a peets boot dryer and my boots go on every night. saves you from getting athletes foot and keep the boots dry.

journeyman lineman have the luxury, if they want to, of changing boots when they need to climb. as an apprentice you will not.

[Brad Lillie]

I have the Hoffman Dri lines and loved them. Waterproof, great for cold weather and climbing. Steel will probably tear up most climbing boots, so I used my danner work boots which worked great for that.

Might just stick to the well known hoffman or wescos at first, a few in my class tried other boots people would sell them and they wouldn't have shanks, or no support. Stay away from smokejumpers for climbing.

Brad

[linestudent]

thanks for the help guys, so i assume, you guys would suggest 2 pairs of socks, what do you do in the summer, do you suggest a different boot, or just sweat your ass off? when you say steel will tear them up, what does that mean? im from MI so a solid all around boot is what i'm interested in? i have heard that apprentices generally always have to climb and lineman use the bucket, is that the case, is that why they change there boots, if you guys got anything else, that would be greatly appreciated. are there any places i go go to get these boots, so i can try them in person? sorry for all the questions, thanks for the help.

[Brad Lillie]

By steel we mean the steel towers. With the angle iron you climb being galvanized, it will cut and gouge through the sole.

I just wore thick boot socks. There are boot shops in many towns, but they probably won't stock lineman boots unless you're lucky. If you try fwlsp.com and buy boots, you can return them if you need too.

The boots I got were true to size.

I wore mine piking poles, doing groundwork and climbing. Weren't bad at all.

Brad

[linestudent]

also, what would make a boot not good for ground work?

[linestudent]

By steel we mean the steel towers. With the angle iron you climb being galvanized, it will cut and gouge through the sole.

I just wore thick boot socks. There are boot shops in many towns, but they probably won't stock lineman boots unless you're lucky. If you try fwlsp.com and buy boots, you can return them if you need too.

The boots I got were true to size.

I wore mine piking poles, doing groundwork and climbing. Weren't bad at all.

Brad


do you suggest going first to a boot shop and having your foot measured. i want to make sure they fit length and width wise im sure. ive always bought cheap boots, but my feet and back have paid for that, i wont be doing that again.

[linestudent]

do you guys suggest a certain length boot?

[Brad Lillie]

Personally, I have the 16's and wish I had gotten the 12's. I had the velcro with metal insert and titanium offset with a twist shank. Had no rubbing problems or anything, so the 16's were more trouble than they were worth.

If you have uncomfortable pads, thats why some have the higher length to keep from rubbing.

Brad

[scratchpad]

thanks for the help guys, so i assume, you guys would suggest 2 pairs of socks, what do you do in the summer, do you suggest a different boot, or just sweat your ass off? when you say steel will tear them up, what does that mean? im from MI so a solid all around boot is what i'm interested in? i have heard that apprentices generally always have to climb and lineman use the bucket, is that the case, is that why they change there boots, if you guys got anything else, that would be greatly appreciated. are there any places i go go to get these boots, so i can try them in person? sorry for all the questions, thanks for the help.

a liner sock is very thin and wicks moisture away from the foot. its not necesarry just telling you my experiences. a good boot sock will work fine for most people. i like my boots slightly big so my feet can breathe inside. if the foot is cramped inside its cuts circulation and feet get cold fast in winter weather.

if youre going to school in the winter then id suggest getting a cold weather boot. when you start making good money buy a summer boot. cold for california, socal, is 40F you are in Michigan where it hits subzero temps. un-insulated leather boots with one pair of socks will probably have your feet frozen in no time.

line boots are not going to be good for ground work, line boots are for climbing. i scramble alot working the ground. run back and forth grabbing stuff. line boots generally have taller heels and are heavy. there's not many guys here in california that wear line boots anymore. i'd say over 75% + wear the la sportivas makalus.

dont go the cheap route. go to the webpages listed and you can probably find dealers in your area.

westcoastshoe.com
hoffmanboots.com
whitesboots.com
nicksboots.com
Sportiva.com

[linestudent]

a liner sock is very thin and wicks moisture away from the foot. its not necesarry just telling you my experiences. a good boot sock will work fine for most people. i like my boots slightly big so my feet can breathe inside. if the foot is cramped inside its cuts circulation and feet get cold fast in winter weather.

if youre going to school in the winter then id suggest getting a cold weather boot. when you start making good money buy a summer boot. cold for california, socal, is 40F you are in Michigan where it hits subzero temps. un-insulated leather boots with one pair of socks will probably have your feet frozen in no time.

line boots are not going to be good for ground work, line boots are for climbing. i scramble alot working the ground. run back and forth grabbing stuff. line boots generally have taller heels and are heavy. there's not many guys here in california that wear line boots anymore. i'd say over 75% + wear the la sportivas makalus.

dont go the cheap route. go to the webpages listed and you can probably find dealers in your area.

westcoastshoe.com
hoffmanboots.com
whitesboots.com
nicksboots.com
Sportiva.com

the la sportivas, do you climb in those. a previous reply said that journeyman will change boots, but an apprentice will not have that opportunity.

[scratchpad]

yes, i climb in them also. not all journeyman change boots when they climb.

[hobbyknocker]

After hearing all the buzz about these sportiva boots I had to look them up and see if I needed a pair. From what I saw they aren't steel toed. Maybe I missed the steel toed version but I know that non safety toed boots will get you sent packing off some jobs out here in the East. Another thing that you may want to look for boots that are EH rated. It is another requirement on some jobs. As for my boots suggestions, I have three pairs of Hoffmans a pair of 12" Dri-lines that I don't even wear anymore. A pair of 16" Dri-line that I spend 90% of my time in. And a pair of 14" Pac Boots, toasty. I thought that the 16" boot would be uncomfortable but it turned out to be just as comfortable as any of my other boots. If you are going to be on the pole all day I like to have 16's. If you are running up to do some thing quick the boot doesn't matter that much to me. The boot dryer is great advice I dry my boots every day and all of my boots are water-proof. If you hav any foot issues or just want a better fitting boot you can have them custom made for you. Contact the manufacturer that you want to get your boots from and they will send you a form. Measure your foot as they instruct you and they will make them for you. A bit more expensive but if you plan on keeping them it may be worth it to you. You don't break-in line boots, they break your feet in. Good luck with whatever you select.

[knotskeart]

try looking at www.hallssafety.com halls makes a variety of their own lineman boots some with gortex, steel or composite toe, lace to toe, cold weather models. all are reasonably priced. good quality, quick easy shipping. i have climbed in a few different styles they make and all were quite comfortable. offer them from 8" to 16" high (i prefer 10") i agree alot with the guys who recomend wesco, probably the most comfortable i've worn for climbing but at around $450 a pair pretty pricy. halls boots go for around $200-$300. give it some thought cuz even the best boots only last 1-2 years. my opinion is they are a high end boot for a reasonable price.

[tramp67]

try looking at www.hallssafety.com halls makes a variety of their own lineman boots some with gortex, steel or composite toe, lace to toe, cold weather models. all are reasonably priced. good quality, quick easy shipping. i have climbed in a few different styles they make and all were quite comfortable. offer them from 8" to 16" high (i prefer 10") i agree alot with the guys who recomend wesco, probably the most comfortable i've worn for climbing but at around $450 a pair pretty pricy. halls boots go for around $200-$300. give it some thought cuz even the best boots only last 1-2 years. my opinion is they are a high end boot for a reasonable price.

I'd have to agree with Knotskeart, Hall's has some very good boots, and if you call them, the gals on the phone are very helpful. I personally just go with the RedWing lineman's boots, they may not last quite as long as some of the other brands, but they still are made in the USA, and I usually have several pairs that I rotate through, the newer ones usually get the more frequent oilings and go in the snow and wet conditions, if I know I'll be in a muddy location for a while, it's time for the old worn out pair. I've been getting mine for around $165, so I can afford replacing them more frequently. Biggest thing is if you can try a pair and walk in them for a while, make sure they fit well, but not too snug. You can always get some more cushiony socks if they are a bit loose.

[topgroove]

I had a chiropracter educate me a long time ago. I had ruptured L4,L5. She did Gods work and in a couple months I was back to work. One day I went for a adjustment after work and happened to be wearing my line boots. She picken them up and examined the heals. She showed me where the heals were worn un-even. She explained to me how uneven heels will throw your hips out of adjustment which effect how the vertibrae line up. I know its a pain in the ass but if you can replace your boots at least once a year or wear comfortable workboots with a good heal on the ground and keep your lineboots for climbing. Your back will be happier.

[tramp67]

I had a chiropracter educate me a long time ago. I had ruptured L4,L5. She did Gods work and in a couple months I was back to work. One day I went for a adjustment after work and happened to be wearing my line boots. She picken them up and examined the heals. She showed me where the heals were worn un-even. She explained to me how uneven heels will throw your hips out of adjustment which effect how the vertibrae line up. I know its a pain in the ass but if you can replace your boots at least once a year or wear comfortable workboots with a good heal on the ground and keep your lineboots for climbing. Your back will be happier.

Goes along the lines of not necessarily buying the cadillac of boots that will last for years, but some comfortable ones that you can afford to replace when they get worn out. That's the way I like to buy my boots. Affordable quality.

[Hyper63]

This is a trick question you know, but for me it was wesco boots custom fitted. I was poor when I started working. married, kid, so I bought cheap. My dad talked me into my first midpriced boot($70 in 1985). He said I'd be on my feet most of my life I best take care of them. I think the guys here are right for the most part. I have a high arch.
I think you make just have to wear out a few yourself. remember what has been said already.... American made quality boots and those velcro pads, steel insert or not are hard to beat. I had 18" tall boots I"m 6'3" tall. After I got the velco pads I cut off the oldest boots to see if the pads rubbed on me. They didn't. Bought 10" boots after that. Now steel toes, eh, etc. being required you will have to check with the company you are working for at the time... rules, rules, and oh hey, more rules.

[BookII]

I also wear the Sportivas, but I also own a pair Meindle's with the Hoffman shank. Expensive...but worth it. If there is anything YOU never want to do...DON'T GO CHEAP ON YOUR FEET!!!!

If you find a pair of boots you like, BUY ANOTHER PAIR for a back up!

Now you're saying "I can't afford two pair of boots."

Trust me, you can. As most lineman like to do, we all frequent the local strip bars to support the girls looking for books and tuition money.:D If you can afford to go party and hit the strip clubs...you can afford a second pair of boots!

[linestudent]

solid point about that strip club. one of my buddies told me once after getting a pair of tatas in the face for a buck, "that was so much better than spending that dollar on a mcdouble"