New suede shoes

[captpackrat]

Finally got around to buying new shoes.  I've been wearing my old boots for at least 7 or 8 years and the soles were almost completely smooth.  It was getting dangerous to walk on ice, snow or mud because I had no traction at all.  They're also terribly scuffed, there's a rather large gash across the toe of one, and the lining is starting to wear out.  I'm a hard person to buy shoes for, so I just kept putting it off.

I'm a firm believer in steel safety shoes.  They saved my grandfather's feet when a 50 gallon drum fell on his foot, and they saved my foot from a poorly aimed axe.  But that requirement severely limits my choices.  I also prefer leather; no other material can hold up to abrasion and sharp objects.  I prefer black, but a dark, dark brown is acceptable.  I also need shoes that provide electrical protection.  Steel-toe + leather + black + EH = damn few options.

I've tried several places.  I bought a pair of shoes at WalMart, but they ended up hurting my feet and I couldn't take them back.  None of the other shoes or boots at WalMart seemed to fit any better.  I found a single pair that fit well and looked nice at a local boot shop, but it fell apart within a day of purchase.  Payless, Target, Sears and most other stores don't carry steel-toed boots at all.  I'd just about resigned myself to never finding a decent pair of boots and had considered trying to have my old boots resoled.

Someone suggested I try Tractor Supply Co., so I went there today.  I found two shoes that interested me, a pair of low-ankle shoes with a very aggressive sole pattern which would be great on ice and snow and a pair of Georgia Boot Renegade work boots with a 6" ankle.  I tried on the shoes first and they fit adequately, but low cut shoes just feel weird after at least a decade of wearing boots.  Then I tried on the boots.  It was like sliding my feet into butter.  I've never felt a pair of boots that fit so well right off the bat.

Those were the absolute last pair they had, in any size, and it fit me perfectly.  And just as I finished trying them on, they started closing the store early for New Years Eve.

They cost a bit more than I'd like, and they're "tumbled chocolate" instead of black, but I'm just glad to have a decent pair of shoes again.

Comments

[mondhasen.livejournal.com]

They've recently opened a Tractor Supply Co. nearby- you're the third person to mention them so I guess I should check them out.

I used to buy Red Wing work boots. They fit well, met all the OSHA req's I was interested in, and my company paid part of the cost (they were a bit pricey).

[kibbles.livejournal.com]

Dan is picky, too, plus he insists on American Union made, but he's always had great boots. He tends to get Thorogoods. With what his feet go through, he has to go for the best he can get, no matter the cost (but they're better than a lot in that price range). Also, there are toe caps he puts on them, for extra abrasion protection, because of all the stone he works with. Never had the steel bust through but he'd just rather keep it up that way.

[mikosquirrel.livejournal.com]

What's wrong with Doc Martens?

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

There are very few stores in Omaha that carry Doc Martens, and I don't think any of them carry work boots. You'd think with all the farms and ranches around here that work boots would be easier to find.

[mikosquirrel.livejournal.com]

Strange. They're one of the Big Shoe Brands from where I'm standing, and, well, aren't they all basically work boots? They're heavy duty, rugged, and tend to come with the steel cap (and heel, possibly?).