The best boots for winery work

John’s feet are wet and not feeling the love. What is your favorite pair of boots/shoes that you wear in the winery this time of year? With all the water and standing, what stands the test of the crush?
Thanks for any input. [thankyou.gif]
Cheers!

I’ve been really happy with these so far

Timberland pro direct attach 6 steel toe wheat nubuck leather + FREE SHIPPING | Zappos.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like Merrell a lot…very comfortable to wear for a long time…and they have waterproof shoes (and boots, but I find boots too cumbersome). I like the following one, but there are several options:

Men's Waterproof Boots & Winter Shoes for Men | Merrell" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plus they make large sizes…good for us folk with big feet (an advantage with whole cluster tho!).

Ive been wearing redbacks (from australia) for 7 years and am only 1/2 way through the life of my third pair. Other winemakers swear by blundstones, but I think their sole is too hard.

They both are re supremely water-resistant, (which is the #1 concern in cellar work) They are are slip-ons, very comfortable and good looking (in my opinion - although my wife hates when I wear them with shorts :S )

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rubber boots seem to work well for standing water and such…its what I used to wear

Other winemakers swear by blundstones, but I think their sole is too hard.
I wear my blunnies when helping out my winery buds. I find them very comfortable, they waterproof well and stand up to grape juice. (Here’s to my friends FINALLY getting all the approvals to sell their swill! [thumbs-up.gif] )

EDIT: PS - I like my Blundstones for exactly the same reasons Tim likes his Redbacks!

I’m using a pair of Hi-Tec Altitude IV, a waterproof hiking boot that’s pretty comfortable (stiff in the toe region, but no steel).

-Al

I wear water resistant steel toed Wolverines. I have 2 pairs and wear them on alternate days. My feet are dry. The big rubber boots Milos posted above have two drawbacks- they have no arch support, and if you get water in through the top of the boot, you are then walking in a pool of water.

I just bought a pair of “australian” boots… really comfortable, waterproof…love them… don’t recall the brand, but they are the ones with the red label with a black spider…

I can second these but with the caveat that when the water-proofing “wears out” they get water-logged fast and don’t dry very quickly. That said, the soles always grip, the steel toes are good to have and they are insulated but don’t kill you in the heat.

I used to be a Blundstone guy. One year I realized that I was replacing the damn things each vintage at $130/pop, though. They always used to crack in the same place where the sole met the boot no matter how much I waxed them up and waterproofed them. Every pair I had gave in the same spot. I have forsaken the good-looking, slip on style for more durable boots now. Nothing screams “winemaker” like wearing Blundies, though. It’s almost as dead a giveaway as the sleeveless fleece vest or driving the Subaru (at least in these parts).

I switched to Red Wings that were great for about 3 vintages. I just replaced my first pair of those this season. I went with Red Wing again, the “Worx” model that supposed to be completely waterproof and has a steel toe. So far, so good. They were not cheap either, though, at about $110 a pop.

With the acids and caustics and sticky juice and so on, I don’t know that there are really boots that are perfect for what we do, unfortunately. The rubber boots are great when doing really heavy-duty stuff like digging tanks or cleaning the crushpad, but I get trenchfoot when I wear them all day long.

I’ve used the same pair of cheap rubber boots for a few years that I got at a surplus store. Not super comfortable, but they work for heavy cleaning or hopping in the Wilmes press to make room. Usually I wear Muck shoes which are great. I work with a guy who has Muck boots, and that’s what I’m getting next when I’m not feeling so stinkin’ cheap. They’re great for all around work, are waterproof, are comfortable, and are snug enough on your legs that it’s not that easy to get water inside them.

And if you like Blunnies, stock up when you go to Australia next or have a friend down there send you some. They’re dirt cheap compares to prices we Yanks pay.

I always have a pair of muck boots in the winery, great for any type of wet work, and nice support as well. We also wear Danner’s, they tend to last a couple of years, and if it’s really cold I have a great pair of rubber lace ups that are insulated. Boots are not underated in a winery, can make a HUGE difference in how your day goes.
Of course, the clothing of choice around here, are carhartts - and anything we can layer, strip off and leave lying around wherever we/they happen to be at the time (Grrrrrrr)
L

We need a harvest maid me thinks

I love my Muck Boots. They’re very comfortable and warm - a real plus up here.

I hear ya. I found a yucky wet pair of socks on the kitchen counter last night. I threw them across the room.
I think some of our interns must have been raised in a barn. [swearing.gif]

Spent a lot of time on my feet in all sorts of conditions including wet and messy which sounds like what’s happening here.

Georgia Boot. http://www.georgiaboot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I use the G6619. They last about 4 years, daily use. They may be shorter lived in a winery environment, unless you don’t mind sporting purple boots after a bit.

I tried the Wolverines for a year, but found them reasonably uncomfortable. I now wear the Georgia Boot as my daily shoe, that’s how comfortable it is. Better than sneakers or any other shoe I’ve ever owned. The steel toe and waterproofing just give me greater freedom to do whatever although I don’t think I necessarily need those features with my current lifestyle.

A quick trip to the shoeshine and they are as good as new.

For general winery, knockabout stuff…Redback, Rossi or Blundstones with gel inserts.

I usually have to dose my boots with PMS two or three times during vintage because my feet start fermenting [shock.gif]

Barefoot for digging out fermenters

I bought two pair of Rossis for this harvest and could not be happier . . . comfortable, waterproof, yada yada yada . . .

I hear you Linda about what some kids (they are all kids around here) think is the correct thing to do with thier clothes, food, garbage - well you name it.
So I was pulling fermentors out of storage this week, and what do we find ?? A pair of jeans and a shirt left there LAST year. Of course one of my boys gets all excited, “Hey, I was wondering where I left those”.
I gently reminded him to take them home and get them washed before I saw them on his little self again !
We are about halfway through our harvest, wonder what other treasures will pop up.
L