Boot size and other fit problems.

[Bibbyman]

Seems all my adult life I've been blessed with a foot that's somewhere between 10-1/2 and an 11.  A 10-1/2 fits well but when I walk, my big toes will bump the end.  If I get 11's, then my foot will slip ever so much.  Back before I started buying steel toe boots, this wasn't as big a problem as 10-1/2s would often stretch just a little or maybe I'd wear heavier socks with the 11s. But I think most agrees – if steel toed boots don't fit the first time, they're not going to.

To complicate things,  my feet are also narrow.  An 11 narrow would probably work OK – if I could find one in this one size fits all world. 

I've worn a pair of Ironage steel toe boots for the past 10 years.  They've held up remarkably well.  But the soles have worn out – not from the outside but from the inside.  Where the ball behind my big toe rests, they are very thin and there is a crack across there that lets in water.

They are ruining my feet.  By the end of the day my right foot is killing me.  Time for new boots.

We went shopping for boots a couple of weeks back.  Only had time to try the new Tractor Supply store in town.  They had a half dozen brands adding up to dozens of boot styles to pick from but I rejected all I seen.  Most were not what I'd call working boots but hiking or hunting boots. They all had heavy created soles and lots of lining and padding.  Most had some fancy lace up system or made of man-made materials.

Previous to the Ironage boots I've just worn out,  I had a pair of Wolverines.  They had a sole with a rib between the foot pad and the heel – thus had no useful heel.  They were downright dangerous!  I often would step on something that would roll with me and down I'd go.  Or I'd step on a rock or something and have it land right on that rib and my ankle would twist.  I'll never have another pair of shoes without a heel.  I bought them from the local sporting goods dealer in town.  On a later visit he asked with pride how I liked my boots.  I think I kind of made him mad when I told him what I thought of them and advised him to only sale them to "tame" people that never got off concrete or always drove trucks or something.  I later found out that the nuclear plant employees are not allowed to wear boots without a heel for, I assume, safety reasons.

Mary and I will have to take some time and find some boots.  All I want is a good leather working boot with steel toe, a heel, non-slip sole but not with deep cleats about 7" top height and standard eye and hook lace arrangement.   I don't think that's too much to ask for.  Oh yea,  maybe also that they'd fit! 

[LeeB]

Wolverines can be had with a heel. Not sure about lace  up. The last ones I bought were very comfortable and lasted a good while. Red Wings are still fairly good boots though not nearly the quality they were in the past and come in a large range of sizes. I wear Red Wings these days but only because they're what I get issued at work, othrwise I would go with the Wolverines. I prefer slip ons myself, for comfort and ease of putting them on (hard to bend around my big belly and do the lace ups  :D). I do however have a couple pair of lace ups and they are great for support. I have one pair with about 10" tops and another with short tops.

[Bibbyman]

Got my new boots today!   8)

Rained out this morning so I delivered a load I had on the truck and then Mary and I went to Williamsburg, Mo. to Crain's store. It's an ol'time country store just off I70.  They are famous for the Carhertt clothing and outrage sandwiches.  But they do have an extensive line of work cloths and boots. 90% of our wardrobe comes from there.  It's become quite a tourist trap.  I bet there is a million dollars worth of antiques in the old store. All the yuppies stop in to get a soda and gawk.  When Tom took over from his uncle Bill about 10 years ago,  he expanded and redid the outside. Then he built a museum just up the strip with a store in it that sales high-end western wear, saddles,  and tack.

Anyway,  out of thousands of pairs of boots I narrowed my chose down to two similar designs of Carolina boots.  One had about a 7" top and the other a little higher.  But I could not find a pair that would fit.  I called Tom Crane over – third generation to own the store. And showed him the example of boot I was looking for and pointed out other features I didn't want.  He made a recommendation of a style of Carhertt boots that were at least OK.  I did manage to find a pair that fit real well.   I'll be set for another 10 years.


Cranes Country Store

[Dave Shepard]

That's good mileage from a pair of boots. I used to get only one season from a pair of boots, but that doubled when I started to run backhoes instead of shovels. :D


Dave

[semologger]

I think yer supost to buy new shoes every 6 months. I have had prob with my feet for awhile. Losin 20 pounds has helped me out alot. If i am on concrete long i hurt bad. Glad ya found a new pair of boots.

[Tom]

I hardly get the slick'em off of the bottom of RedWings in 6 months.

My standard life for RedWings is 3 years.

There is a lot to be said for fresh socks and swapping shoes/boots every day when it comes to foot health and comfort.

[blaze83]

bibbyman,

glad You found some good boots, wish I'd have caught this thread sooner, I could have linked you up with Whites boots out of spokane WA, they have boots off the shelf and also custum fit the boots to your feet. I had one pair that lasted me through 6 fire seasons in Idaho. I've had my second pair for about 8 years, granted I don't work them nearly as hard as I did when I was fighting fire, but they are a good quality boot made in the USA

http://www.whitesboots.com/


steve

[semologger]

Thats what my foot doc and my brace guy told me. Your shoes break down and you might not be knowing it. You put several miles on your shoes. I have to get new balance thats one of the most confortable ones i found. If ya look at hospitals thats what most of the people there wear.

[Bibbyman]

I hardly get the slick'em off of the bottom of RedWings in 6 months.

My standard life for RedWings is 3 years.

There is a lot to be said for fresh socks and swapping shoes/boots every day when it comes to foot health and comfort.

They sure fit my feet well and feel good.  But the top height is shorter than I've got before and they are a little stiff.  The tops tie right around my ankle rather than above it so they are working on my ankle bone a bit.  I had to loosen up the top some for comfort.  Either my ankles will toughen up or the tops will get softer.  At least I hope they will.

[ScottAR]

I rotate my shoes every couple days so my feet get a fresh shoe.
Also let's the shoes dry out. 

Merrils (sp?) are my day job shoe.  Best thing I've tried for standing
on concrete all day. 

Lace up boots for outside working and some slip on shoes for putzing
around. 

[Raider Bill]

I'm not sure what is going on with my right foot but if I sit awaile when I stand up the heel really hurts. I have to hobble for about a hour before it goes away. Bought some Dunham's, redwings and 511 none of which seem to help. It's not a constant pain.
Buying shoes suck as I wear a 14 EEE and they are hard to find and very pricey when I do.

[Tom]

I'm a firm believer in Redwing's ability to fit a foot.  It sounds like you might have "Spurs".  You should probably visit a podiatrist before you cause yourself a lot of harm.  Favoring sore feet can affect your hips and back and general attitude.

[Raider Bill]

do spurs come and go daily? I can go all day working but if I sit for awhile the pain starts when I go to stand.

[Tom]

Spurs can hurt all of the time and they can also hurt just sometimes.  It has to do with their position and what they are able to inflame.   Still, That's what a Podiatrist is for.  Take care of your feet, they bear the brunt of the load your entire life.  We don't pay enough attention to our feet.  All of us are guilty.  I guess it's because we keep them hidden inside of socks and boots. 

[Dave Shepard]

I've noticed that Cabelas carries a lot of 4E width shoes now, for those of us with Sasquatch Feet.


Dave

[thecfarm]

Raider Bill,does your heel hurt first thing in the morning too?Do you dread stepping on it when you first get up?walk on your toes for awhile?

[Rocky_J]

For those of you thinking of buying Red Wing boots, be aware that their sizing is not uniform with the rest of the industry. They make up their own width designations, the most popular are 'D' and 'EEE'. D is equivalent to a B or C and EEE is equal to a D width.

[Raider Bill]

Raider Bill,does your heel hurt first thing in the morning too?Do you dread stepping on it when you first get up?walk on your toes for awhile?

No mostly towards the end of the day. It seems ok in the AM. It will happen during the day when I take a break and sit for a extended peroid of time.
It is just forward of my heel on the outside edge. Not right on the heel.
I try to stretch it at night which may relieve the pain.

[Mooseherder]

You sure it ain't gout?  Sucks gettin' old. :D

[beenthere]

Sounds like it might be a stress fracture...but that is by no means a medical opinion..

Might get it x-ray'd (or have you gone that route already?).

[Raider Bill]

I don't know what gout feels like. This is a sharp pain. No swelling.

Haven't seen anyone about it.

[beenthere]

Gout, at least from my experience dealing with it for about 30 years, shows up in the joints (usually the big toe first) and does have swelling over a period of time. The crystals that form from the uric acid apparently cause the pain. And it is pain like you can't imagine. It doesn't come and go, as you describe. It comes suddenly, and is intense (at least mine was). There are medicines to treat the pain and disolve the crystals. From the toe, it moves to other joints in the body. Indomethacin and colchicine are two meds that are used. They can be rough to take too.

After tolerating the effects off and on for 30 years, one time I was into the Dr., and my regular doctor was out on an emergency. When talking to the fill-in Doc, he asked me if I was on Allopurinol.  When I said no, he said "well, you oughta be" and prescribed it to me. That was 7 years ago, and I haven't had any gout trouble since that time. The swelling in the big toe, which had become a permanent bulge at the joint to where I had to buy an extra width shoe just to accomodate that bulge, has disappeared. Also, the joint pain I put up with for all those years also has disappeared.

But the sharp pain you describe, sure reminds me of a stress fracture. Hope you find out what is causing it, and get some relief. The way it is, you probably never set down and relax....just keep working and working.  : : :

[pineywoods]

Stress fracture, which is a cracked bone.....I have a similar problem on my left foot. I found a special shaped ace bandage designed to support the heel...that helped a bunch. Still gives me problems after a hard day's work, and yeah it hurts at night. Things that help...soft soled boots, stay off concrete.. The only cure is to stay off that foot completely for a month to 6 weeks..

[Tom]

See a podiatrist.

[crtreedude]

You got it good Bibby. My size is a 46 here in Costa Rica, in a land of maximum 44 (metric). Now, that ain't all that big I want you to know, about a size 12. But, you just can't find it here. If I destroy a pair of boots, it is off to the states to find a replacement. 

No wonder I feel like Herman Munster here...