Boots fall apart?

1trkyhntr

1trkyhntr

Well-known member
How many of you have had the soles come off of your boots?
Brand, age of boot?
I've had Danner, Rocky, Georgia Boot, Timberland, and Wolverine boots within the last 10 years, and the soles have come unglued from ALL of them. I'm lucky to get 2-3 years before the soles fall off. I just don't remember that being a problem 20 years ago. I've had boots that I completely wore out and the soles were still attached. The latest pair that failed for me is a pair of Timberland work boots, less that ONE YEAR OLD! They told me to send them back for "inspection", that has been 2 weeks now and no word. I'm thinking that I'm going to buy a pair of American made RedWings and see if they hold up.
 
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yep i have noticed it also. dont know what changed but something did. but it is probably the plan. got to buy new boots more often. good for them. bad for us.
 
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Take a look at KEEN boots . I walk 10 miles a day at work most are steps and my KEENS hold up very well and the chemicals do not degrade the soles. Very good product .
 
I am a boot schralfing machine. I have hiked out so many boots of all the brands you mentioned. Danners are garbage I've owned multiple pairs they have ALL leaked even the made in usa ones. I finally settled on Kennetrek mountain extremes. They are the best hunting boot Ive found. I've been soaked from head to shin multiple times and by golly my feet were dry in those boots. They are rugged and have lasted me over 2 years so far and I look to get another before having them resoled/refurbished. Highly recommended and the price, well it's cheaper than buying 2 pairs of Danners.
 
I have had a few boots in my years.
As part of the INfantry in the Marines, you could say that i hiked a few miles and wore the rubber off.
I have a pair of boots from danner that were black leather and 200gr insulated that i bought in 98. I wore them in the mud of the Jungle of southeast Asia, i stood in rain that would put a .5" of rain my my tent while i was putting it up. It was so bad that I would have to pour the water out of the tent after putting it up. I stood in 1-2" water all day for a month on the side of Mt. Fuji.
Dry and warm.
I wore them all over california, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and still have them, and use them all the time. I have replaced the soles a few times, and had the leather buffed a few times. I would use saddle soap on them, and dye the leather and polish often. I would make sure to rub polish on the sides of the soles too.

If you buy a good pair of boots, take them in to be resoled when they need it. You don't throw a car away when the tires are bald.
 
I personally am not a fan of Redwing boots. They do seem to last a good long time but they are just too hard of leather for me. I like thorogood boots for work. I typically go through a pair of boots in a year and sometimes less but the thorogoods lasted me over 2 years when I was working in a weld/fab shop and they still had life left in them, plus they are a bit cheaper than redwings and still made in USA.

These are the ones I have:

work boots
 
Originally Posted By: 1trkyhntrHow many of you have had the soles come off of your boots?
Brand, age of boot?
I've had Danner, Rocky, Georgia Boot, Timberland, and Wolverine boots within the last 10 years, and the soles have come unglued from ALL of them. I'm lucky to get 2-3 years before the soles fall off. I just don't remember that being a problem 20 years ago.


I have to ask, how long do you expect the boots to last?

I'm not clear on if you're talking strictly work boots or if you're mixing work and hunting together.

For work boots where you're wearing them every/most working days, I'm not seeing 2-3 years as being out of line. Even with hunting boots where I'm probably wearing each pair 30-40 days per season, I only get 4-5 years out of each pair. So with work boots, how many "boot days" are you putting on total?

Boots may not last like they used to, but what I'll also tell you is that compared to the boots I had 20-30 years ago, I'm willing to trade. What I've got now, boots like Danner's Pronghorn, are lighter, drier, and VASTLY more comfortable than what I had 30 years ago. They feel like a pair of running shoes but they give the protection of full-on boots.

For that, I'm willing to trade the fact that I have to replace them every few years.

Grouse
 
Zamberlin is what I have found to be incredibly well made boot. Kenetrek also makes an incredible product.
 
I have to ask, how long do you expect the boots to last?

I'm not clear on if you're talking strictly work boots or if you're mixing work and hunting together.

For work boots where you're wearing them every/most working days, I'm not seeing 2-3 years as being out of line.


I'm talking about both work and hunting boots. The Timberlands that just fell apart are 1 year old, I probably have about 6 months of actual day use in them.
As far a hunting boots go, I have several pairs that I wear, depending on temperature, etc. The last pair that I had that just honestly wore out were American Danners. They lasted 10 +- years. The new China made boots don't last long enough to wear out, unless you call the soles falling off as wearing out.
The sole/glue failure, in not just one brand but many brands, is the reason for my post, I'm just wondering if other people are having the same problem.
I know that nothing lasts forever, but it is frustrating to have had numerous pairs of boots and at just about the time that they get really broken in the soles fall off because the glue fails.
 
Two or three years!!!! I am lucky if I get 6 months out of anything I have tried lately. I walk right thru the heels or they just split somewhere and leak. I just got a pair of Bekinas. They are made in Belgium and are made out of polyurethane instead of rubber. Supposed to be the bomb, but then so were all the others. Very comfortable and easy on-off. I like them so far. I would call the Smithsonian if I get 1 year out of these things!!!!
 
It seems that a big factor in the life of the boots has been the trend towards cementing the welt onto the sole. In days past and with higher end boots the welt is stitched and even has it's own groove on the sole that it is laid into and stitched. Many manufacturers have gone to cementing as the only method of attaching the sole and welt. This can break down over time and you get separation. Another common trend that I have found in hunting boots is softer sole materials. When I was mountain climbing our soles tended to be very hard. But the harder they are the clunkier they are and the more noise they make. They also are not the most comfortable. Many manufacturers show more interest in a comfortable footbed and a quieter sole which sacrifices longevity.

I have found that work boots tend to last a lot longer. I wear boots everyday and I have pairs that last many years. Unfortunately they don't really have the kind of lug sole that makes for good traction. But they are really made to wear each and everyday unlike hunting boots.

Sadly, we may just have to admit that we have to make compromises. Comfort and quiet in exchange for longevity.
 
SnowmanMo, IMO you're exactly right. It just frustrates me to no end that a an otherwise good pair of boots gets thrown in the trash because the soles come unglued. I have not figured out a way to clamp the sole to get good adhesion. The way they are form fitted does not allow me to re-glue the sole. I just wish that manufacturers would use a glue that would last as long as the rest of the boot.
My next boot purchase will be a stiched on sole.
 
I had a pair of Wolverines that I purchased in 2003 as backup for a new pair of LaCross pac boots. I am still wearing the LaCross every year hunting the wolverines I wore 3 times in 9 years. I swapped to the Wolverines in 2012 during deer season and in one weekend the soles literally fell off with the soft material between the sole and the boot literally turned to dust. I sent an email to Wolverine and never got a response. I have put the Lacross thrugh everything from ELK in New Mexico, Colorado and deer and Texas and they are still solid.
 
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Originally Posted By: 1trkyhntrSnowmanMo, IMO you're exactly right. It just frustrates me to no end that a an otherwise good pair of boots gets thrown in the trash because the soles come unglued. I have not figured out a way to clamp the sole to get good adhesion. The way they are form fitted does not allow me to re-glue the sole. I just wish that manufacturers would use a glue that would last as long as the rest of the boot.
My next boot purchase will be a stiched on sole.

I just tried the Irish Setter Deer Tracker. They seem to be a hybrid between the cemented sole and stitched. They are stitched in the heel area and have reinforced leather around the ankle area.

I had been using the Irish Setter Shadow Trek. They were a very comfortable, light and quiet boot. My first pair lasted over 2 years. This last pair was right at the 2 year mark when I noticed that the stitching around the heel cup had popped. Don't know if it was from rocks or just gave out. These are cemented soles and I noticed that the cementing seemed to be peeling away so I am not sure how long they would have lasted. I replaced them with hiking boots which you would think would be just as good. While the hiking boots were comfortable, they didn't offer as much ankle support as you would think. So I went to the Deer Trackers.

I took the Deer Trackers out for their first run this weekend and they performed great. Nice and comfy, quiet and very supportive. No we will see how long they hold up.
 
I have Mendel and kenatrek boots both are very comfortable and seem to be lasting well.the dinners I have are junk they lasted about six months.
 
It is getting hard to find BOOTS. I consider boots to be leather with a sewed sole. The tinney shoe hikers fall apart for me, usually don't have good support or shank and are made to wear to the mall. Another place America is in trouble. I can usually find boots in Redwing / Irish setter - Danner -Whites but pay 200 bucks+ these brands are getting where they import the hikers also. I guess they sell more.

Sparky
 
i dont owen a pair of shoes but do have boots. for wet cold hunting i wear muck wetlands good boot that is worth every dime fishing in the spring or a long cold wet day looking for deer. For bird,coyote,and deer hunting a pair of carilina linemen boots is the way to go last me 3 to 4 years. I keep them going with saddle soap and danner boot black. There is no goretec on fancy fabric but good old leather. A good pair of hunting socks is all u need to keep warm.
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: 1trkyhntrSnowmanMo, IMO you're exactly right. It just frustrates me to no end that a an otherwise good pair of boots gets thrown in the trash because the soles come unglued. I have not figured out a way to clamp the sole to get good adhesion. The way they are form fitted does not allow me to re-glue the sole. I just wish that manufacturers would use a glue that would last as long as the rest of the boot.
My next boot purchase will be a stiched on sole.

I just tried the Irish Setter Deer Tracker. They seem to be a hybrid between the cemented sole and stitched. They are stitched in the heel area and have reinforced leather around the ankle area.

I had been using the Irish Setter Shadow Trek. They were a very comfortable, light and quiet boot. My first pair lasted over 2 years. This last pair was right at the 2 year mark when I noticed that the stitching around the heel cup had popped. Don't know if it was from rocks or just gave out. These are cemented soles and I noticed that the cementing seemed to be peeling away so I am not sure how long they would have lasted. I replaced them with hiking boots which you would think would be just as good. While the hiking boots were comfortable, they didn't offer as much ankle support as you would think. So I went to the Deer Trackers.

I took the Deer Trackers out for their first run this weekend and they performed great. Nice and comfy, quiet and very supportive. No we will see how long they hold up.

Weekend #2 on the Deer Tracker boots showed a marked improvement. The boots seemed to have broken in and were so comfortable that it was hard to notice that they were even on. Still good support, even in rough and rocky terrain.
 
I too have experienced boot failure. Most manufactures have moved to china land. I blame it on corporate greed . Try and find a USA made rubber boot.
 
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