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Lately I have run across quite a few guys who have top of the line rifles,packs,tents,sleeping bags and other gear-and they are wearing $29.99 Wal-Mart boots.
I do not have all the latest,greatest gear,or brand new rifles,or camo clothing that costs more than my rifle,or $300.00 knives.
What I do have are a few pairs of boots that are not some wally world garbage-I have 3 pairs of boots,my every day all purpose boots,made by Wenger-the company that makes Swiss Army knives. I found those on sale when I went into shoe store to buy new “tennis” shoes. Apparently they did not sell as good as the Timberlands that all the local gang-banger and gang-banger wannabe crowd wears-they were marked down from over $100.00 to $49.99. This is the second summer I’ve worn these boots pretty much daily,and they show very few signs of wear.
Next is my early season hunting boots-a very old pair of Danner Pronghorn 8″ boots with 400g of Thinsulate insulation.
I will be replacing these next year,as this is likely the last season I’ll get out of these boots-12 years for a little over $100.00 is a hell of an investment.
Last is my cold weather hunting boots,a pair of Rocky Blizzard stalkers I bought in 2002-same year I bought the pronghorns.
The Rocky boots are still in great shape,and will last me quite a few more years,they cost about $150.00 back in ’02,well worth the investment.
Had I bought cheap assed Wal-Mart winter boots in ’02-I would have been replacing them every other year since-and the total would have been far more than the buck fifty I paid for the Rocky’s in ’02.
When you wear cheap boots,you get blisters on your feet,your feet hurt,the boots wear in ways that cause you to walk abnormally,which is bad for your feet,ankles,and knees-plus your lower back.
Remember-when SHTF there will be no running out to wally world to get new boots-buy the best boots you can possibly afford-now,and wear them so they are broken in.
Good boots are as important as having a rifle that works every time you pull the trigger,if you are wearing shitty boots-your feet get all fucked up,you can’t walk right,which means you can not do patrols,you will lag behind on hikes,and it will fuck up your feet,ankles,knees and lower back.
Cut out the soda for a month,or drink less beer,or cut out the high-end beer,or don’t eat out,or skip the local bar for a month-there’s plenty of things most people can do without for the amount of time it takes to save up the $$$ for a good pair of boots.
Do whatever it takes-save the $$$ and get a good pair of boots-or two.
Good boots are as important as the rest of your gear-and more important then a lot of it-do not buy shitty boots-period.
Read.
Learn.
Train.
Do more PT !
Starvin Larry 
Okay,good to hear your feet don’t get cold in the steel toes-it’s the opposite here,likely due more to weather than the boots.
here,I use a liner sock,made of silk,then one or two pairs of warm socks over those-sometimes wool,sometimes synthetic-anything but cotton.
Rip off UK? I take it you haven’t been to the USA recently?
We have the same problems here with the logos-the Timberland boots I mentioned in my post were formerly good boots,then once they became popular with the gang-banger crowd,the quality went down,and the price went up.
As for being outdoors totally exposed in winter-we hunt whitetail deer in the winter,our hunting season here in Ohio ends the first few days of Feb. In the western states where the Rocky mountains are,we hunt elk in winter also,along with several other big game species-bison in a few places,bighorn sheep,mule deer,dall sheep,black bear-( also hunted in eastern U.S.)-in some states wolves are hunted to control their numbers,so that the big game animals are not decimated by overpopulation of wolves.
We also ice fish here-which involves cutting holes through the ice on frozen lakes and rivers,and fishing through the hole in the ice. Most people have what are known as ice fishing shantys-just a small wooden hut on skids that can be towed out on the ice with truck or snowmobile.
Not much protection from the elements,but ice fishing is fun,and often very productive,catching a few weeks worth of food in a day or to is possible.
The hunting boots I have aren’t even the expensive ones,there’s a brand of boots called Kennetrek-they go for over $400.00,more for their top of the line boots.
We have a brand of work boots called Redwing,very,very lightweight and comfortable work boots,they come in steel toe,and regular toe,sell for around $100.00, but last a few years as work boots. I used to do concrete work,driveways,sidewalks,patios,stairs, and decorative stamped concrete,would go through 2 pairs of boots in a season,until I bought my first pair of Redwing boots-got 3 years out of them,well worth the hundred bucks. They also make a hunting/hiking boot under the brand name Irish Setter-a friend swears by them. I like the Danner brand boots,and Rocky brand as far as U.S. brands go.
There are simply no inexpensive boots sold here that last,or that don’t hurt your feet.
How much do your steel toes cost you there?
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Good thoughts but boots do not have to cost loads to be good.
Both of us wear working boots aka steels.
Waterproof, lined, cushion soles, instep – ankle – and toe protection (so important in a disaster), and not forgetting they are pretty proof against chemicals too..
Why do we wear them?
It started off in work as standard footwear and proved so comfortable we just kept on wearing them for everything.
We reckon that we walk 10 miles a day in all sorts of weather and conditions yet still have dry comfy feet at the end of that.
10 years plus we’ve been doing this and not one blister between us.
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I agree on the cost issue-that’s why I try to find deals on the better quality boots sold here in the USA.
There’s a huge difference between work boots,and hunting/hiking boots.
The steel toe boots usually do not require any breaking in,as they are designed to be worn all day at work-not as hunting/hiking boots.
That’s a big part of why you did not get blisters.
Steel toe boots are no good at all in sub-zero temperatures,or even anything below freezing,if you are in the woods still hunting, or in a stand or blind. The combination of the lack of insulation,and the steel toes will make your feet cold in a very short period of time.
Here in the U.S. a decent pair of steel-toe,or the newer,lighter boots with other materials in place of steel cost well over $75.00. The less expensive boots simply do not last.
Maybe the boots you have are made better than the boots sold here in the USA.
I know from past experience that steel toe boots can not be worn on hunting trips,not only because of cold,also due to the lack of flex in the toe of the boot-it’s just not a good boot to hike in mountainous terrain.
The $29.99 Wal-Mart boots I used as an example,are sold under the brand name of Hermann’s Survivors,prior to Wal-Mart taking over the company-they made great boots,and they were not all that expensive.
The current version of the boots is junk-I bought a pair a few years ago,thinking I would save a few $$$ and replace my Danner Pronghorns with them-bad idea,they did not even last through a single hunting season,came apart where the soles were poorly glued and stitched to the uppers.
Plus-they leaked,even after waterproofing with a good amount of Camp Dry.
I’m surprised that you like the steel toe boots in winter,then again,you do not get the extended sub-zero temps that we in the northern U.S. get,plus you do not have the mountainous terrain like we do in many parts of the country.
If you steel toe boots work for you-that’s great,keep wearing them. One thing you should try though-in cold weather,try sitting down outdoors for an hour or so,see how the boots keep your feet warm then.
I read a few of your posts,good to see that you realize just having preps does not mean you will be able to survive a long term SHTF situation.
Keep doing what you’re doing,and thanks for reading my post and commenting.
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My friend I sit outside all the time either fishing, hunting, or on security.
All year round, never have a problem.
Having said that the UK seldom gets too cold and I’m one for layers on my feet i.e. in winter 3 pairs of socks.
Steels aren’t the ideal choice in the cold I agree BUT it’s rare that I’m outside for a protracted time i.e. 6-12 hours, static, without cover.
After all why would you want to be out totally exposed in winter? I don’t.
The other thing is I live in rip off UK.
For a half decent pair of walking boots you’d be looking at £120 upwards.
For what?
Basically footwear that is too tight, makes your feet sweat, and that little logo on the side that some idiots love.
I used to wear army boots but found them dead uncomfortable as well. Nothing changes there. The UK Army moves on but thankfully by vehicles now, seldom by foot.
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