The best boots for winery work

Cellar Rats (ITB)
21

Muck boots are definitely the way to go, water proof and still comfortable to wear after wearing them for 12+hrs. We all swear by them

22

Being conceived in one explains why.

23

Had 2 pair of Rossi’s this harvest and was very happy with them!

Cheers!

24

Though I don’t work in a winery, I wore and wore out countless boots and shoes when I worked for the Police Department. One day, I broke down and spent the money on some Red Wings. I still wear Red Wings. Comfort, good arch support, sturdy and worth the expense.

25

Kimberly, have the following, and find they work great around our vineyard. They are not to too short (allow adequate protection from mud and water), and are not too high (which makes them easy to take on and off). Part of the boot side is a dense and water proof fabric material allowing them to breath, and at the same time, some level of comfort.

http://www.muckbootcompany.com/products/JOB-000A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

26

I’m about to have mine resoled after three vintages and they are awesome boots. Comfy like slippers, great padding on top of the foot if you walk into the forklift blade or barrel rack, stable standing on the lip of fermenters. All good and made in the States, which not all Danner boots are since being bought out by Lacrosse. Spendy, but worth it. http://www.danner.com/product/boots/mountain+light+ii+mens-womens+hiking+boots.do" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Plus, they make you feel like John Denver.

27

I’ve tried a bunch and only two have really worked for me (i.e., lasted): Blundstone 500’s and Boggs classic ultras. The Blunnies are great, but the Boggs are comfy, warm and (relatively) inexpensive. They are my goto for wet work and harvest in general.

28

An odd bump, but this thread got an unusual spike in traffic, specifically these boots! I guess February is the month for Timberland boot shopping?

29

I second Geogia Boots, I had a pair that lasted 3 years under hard use and sit still decent. They have good waterproofing, and once you break them in they fit like a glove with just the right amount of flex. I wore them daily for 2 years. Mine had a good bit of wear so last year I broke down and bought some top of the line Danners and I like them (rainforrest 3), but they are a lot more expensive than the Georgia Boot and I’m not sure if they will last as long. The Danners were a bit more comfortable when first breaking in, but they don’t seem to have molded to my foot the same as the Georgia’s did. I’m not 100% sure on my preference as I haven’t worn the Danners enough to really know yet.

Another pair I bought over the holidays while on vacation which I had never heard of is called Justin boots and they make some nice slip-ons with less aggressive soles (less muck tracking). My pair of Justin’s is a nicer boot so I don’t wear it for working, but I’d imagine it could be good and has good arch support. Kind of like a more breathable version of a bog in terms of fit. The Justin’s was the most comfortable boot right off the bat as well, though I have less experience with wear since I don’t use them as regularly. I’ve found I need tall socks with slip on boots since the tops rub around my leg if I wear them all day. You can also tuck your jeans in, but sometimes that’s too much material and it constricts/chaffes.

In terms of rubber boots.
Muck boots are ok, but no arch support. Boggs have better arch support. Both will give you swamp foot if you wear them too long as previously mentioned.

Edit:
Kimberley: You can get all of the boots I listed at Picky Picky Picky in Eureka except for the Justin boots.

Best,
Chris

30

I’ve got some Justins. Those are my “stepping out” fancy boots, though.

If anyone is looking for boots, I stumbled upon these ladies recently:

http://www.bootcampaign.com/mission.html

Seems a worthwhile place to give a shot. They have some water resistant types, although sizing is limited. Figure if they’re good enough for our boys/girls in the service, they’re probably good enough for the winery. About the cost I usually pay for a new pair, but the net profits go to veterans foundations.

31

These Red Back steel toe boots are the best I’ve ever had for a harvest. Even after harvest, I still wear them almost everyday. They’re great for pouring events too when I’m on my feet standing in the same place for 4 to 6 hours. Very comfortable, completely waterproof.

http://www.redbackboots.com/usnpuboots.html

I wore Timberlands for my first few harvests, then LL Bean duck boots for the next several. Both brands are high quality, comfortable and waterproof. But thoses laces . . .

I tried Muck boots for one harvest, and although they were really comfortable to stand and work in for 14 hours a day, they were not at all waterproof, plus walking around in drenched socks gets old after a couple weeks of harvest.

I know winemakers who swear by Blundstones. Someday I might try them, or I might try Georgia boots, but for now I’m hooked on Red Backs.

32

Redback boots are the bomb. Most comfortable work boot evah!
Disclaimer: I sell them

33

Wore Red Wings for about 4 years, and routinely would need to get a new pair every 6-8 months due to wear and tear. The soles on Red Wings wear down incredibly fast. They also crack in the exact same spot every time… oh and the laces lasted 3 months before I would need to replace them (or maybe I’m just incredibly hard on my boots).

Switched to Thorogood’s in 2010 (mainly because I swore to never wear blunnies, as that would be too much of an “in crowd” thing - also why I refuse to get a Subaru!), and they worked out very well (though I recommend getting a size larger than normal)… that also made me forget how to tie shoes, so when I switched to Redbacks in 2011 I opted for the slip on variety and they are still going strong 8 months later in terms of durability. One strong note against Redbacks, and it’s something that’s been discussed by our entire crew (who also wear Redbacks), is that our legs/feet are noticeably tired at the end of the day.

34

That’s interesting because to a man my customers all comment on how relaxed they feel at the end of the day. Perhaps it’s because they do much less walking and more standing. Hard to say but they all say Red Wings were too heavy and tiring.

35

The weight and fatigue have always been our major complaint about Red Wings. I much prefer Redbacks, and think that an easy fix would be the inclusion of some thicker insoles to help with padding.

36

John, I believe the reason your crew doesn’t like Redbacks as much as you do has less to do with the boots themselves as it does with that you get to relax in your office (aka the forklift) all day during harvest but they must be on their feet doing all those punchdowns, pumpovers, cleaning tanks and equipment, etc. It’s really not fair, and you should probably expect a mutiny next harvest. However, I have some good ideas on how to bring the crew back to your side. [stirthepothal.gif] Or, you can suggest that they get some socks made for steel toe boots, very comfy.

37

that’s rather funny, Ed! An intern in 2009 scribbled “John’s Office” on the dashboard of one of the forklifts at work. At first I thought it was cute… I’m always more than happy to let someone else be the “Dork on Fork”. :slight_smile:

Last few vintages I’ve really tried to cut down on the amount of time I spend on the forklift (it’s killing my back)… and life was definitely a lot easier when all I had to worry about was how long that pump had been running as opposed to “out of the 3-400 new barrels we get, he wants the 2 barrels I buried at the very beginning of the row?!?”

38

Here is what I usually use on the very wet days of winemaking, they are low profile but very comfortable and 100% waterproof. I got tired of my boots fermenting half way through harvest so I bought these last year with great results and couldn’t be happier. Happy Feet!



http://www.lacrossefootwear.com/recreation/rubber-boots/hampton-mens-6-black.html

39

These are the favorite of two of us:

Medium weight, very cushy but firm non-slip sole, water proof, and good support.

Also, they last.

40

I didn’t write that! Miss our late night beers and power outages though!

I wear wolverines, they’re semi water resistant, usually last a season. Also they have really nice slip resistant soles, which come in handy when I’m standing on a wet tank top. But you really have to get a good pair of muck boots to get through harvest.