Merrell Jeep hiking boots?

[Bandit’s Lair]

How do you make Corcoran boots a better boot? Wear heavy socks and walk right into a creek with them and stand there until they are soaked, then start walking until you feel no pressure on your feet. Take them off and stuff them with newspapers and wait until they are still moist but not completely dry. Apply a leather dressing generously and wear again until they are fully dry. Now you have custom fitted boots.

It’s not really the fit. The uppers fit great!! It’s that steel shank in the sole that my feet no longer like. I have a lot of hard miles and harder impacts on these feet and they want to be pampered now. 20yr old me could handle that. Now old me doesn’t like it as much.

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[RudeJeepin]

It’s not really the fit. The uppers fit great!! It’s that steel shank in the sole that my feet no longer like. I have a lot of hard miles and harder impacts on these feet and they want to be pampered now. 20yr old me could handle that. Now old me doesn’t like it as much.

I've never liked a real steel shank, or steel toes for that matter.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

I've never liked a real steel shank, or steel toes for that matter.

Steel or composite toes have their place. Really depends on use case. I usually went for composite for operations or working around large animals. I cringe when I see someone around a horse with crocs or some kind of open toe sandal on. That’s just asking for trouble.

 

[Mud Pie]

I was on one job where steel toes were a requirement. When the boots were new, the steel toes were fine. After they wore in (or wore out, depending on your interpretations), that steel toe would cut the snot out of my pinkie toe.

My co-worker once forgot to wear his steel toes. The GC came up and asked if they were steel toes. He said yes. The GC STOMPED on his toes hard. The GC said okay and walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, my buddy started dancing and sucking air through clenched teeth. "Did that hurt ?", I asked. "OF COURSE IT DID !!!". To rub it in even further, I added, "Y'know he knows they aren't steel toes, you can feel a steel toe." "SHADDUP !!" he said. For the rest of the day, every time the GC walked by he gave my buddy a smile. And my buddy had to stop limping as he passed. For the whole day I had to hear, "If he broke my toes, I'm suing." yada-yada. I countered, "You lied to him and told him they were steel toes, you did this to yourself !! All you had to do was say no then leave and buy a pair on the company credit card !! YOU could've pulled your foot away and admit you lied." "I thought he was gonna do the "twice for flinching" routine.". I laughed. "Nah, he stomped on you like he was trying to kill a rat !!".

Never forgot his steel toes after that !! In fact, he bought a spare pair and kept them in his truck.

No broken toes, no lawsuit. He did gimp around for a few days.

 

[WambliSka]

My Father-in-Law was an ironworker for 40 years at n NYC. He refused to wear a harness even in high rises because he didn’t want anything lose on his body the could snag and he ABSOLUTELY refused to work steel toe shoes. He said most things that fall on your feet a solid heavy leather boot will take care off and if it’s a steel beam the steel toe cup is basically a guaranteed guillotine for your toes.

 

[WambliSka]

The old loggers around here talk about doing similar. Usually it's standing in the bath tub with warm water. Some mention wrapping their socks with bread bags so they didn't get wet feet.

Yep, there are variations on the theme. I know a few grizzled old cowhands that will get a new pair of Wilson Boots and walk right into a water trough or stock tank then walk and ride them all day to a true custom fit. You can do the same with a good fur felt hat and shape it exactly to your head, done that a few times myself.

I was doing a horse training clinic years ago and I had a new beaver hat that was giving me fits. I dunked it into a stock tank for a few seconds and started shaping it how I wanted. One of the folks attending the clinic was horrified and told me you should never get an "expensive" hat wet. I looked him in the eye and said "You mean to tell me that thing on your head won't stand up to a good rain?".

End of conversation...

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Yep, there are variations on the theme. I know a few grizzled old cowhands that will get a new pair of Wilson Boots and walk right into a water trough or stock tank then walk and ride them all day to a true custom fit. You can do the same with a good fur felt hat and shape it exactly to your head, done that a few times myself.

I was doing a horse training clinic years ago and I had a new beaver hat that was giving me fits. I dunked it into a stock tank for a few seconds and started shaping it how I wanted. One of the folks attending the clinic was horrified and told me you should never get an "expensive" hat wet. I looked him in the eye and said "You mean to tell me that thing on your head won't stand up to a good rain?".

End of conversation...

I like the Outback Trading Co oilskin hats with the wire in the brim. They’re a bit cheaper than say a Stetson or something, but they last well and they’re very good at getting knocked around. They shape however you want them thanks to that wire. Use the same LP I use on my boots on them twice a year to keep the oilskin working.

 

[Rusty PW]

The second time I broke my left foot. I was wearing steel toes. The F350 4x4 brake rotor with manual hub hit right behind the steel toe. I was off work for 6 weeks.

Every job I've had. Steel toe boots were a requirement. The ones I liked the best were Magnum's with the composite toes. They're like wearing a tennis shoe. One of the lightest boots out there. To me, Red Wings were one of the worst I've worn. Felt like clown shoes that weighted a ton.

 

[WambliSka]

I like the Outback Trading Co oilskin hats with the wire in the brim. They’re a bit cheaper than say a Stetson or something, but they last well and they’re very good at getting knocked around. They shape however you want them thanks to that wire. Use the same LP I use on my boots on them twice a year to keep the oilskin working.

I love their dusters and there’s two of them in my garage closet as we speak. Their hats are awesome! I had one on my boat for years as a foul weather hat! Much better than the rubber stuff most folks wear.

 

[Rusty PW]

My Father-in-Law was an ironworker for 40 years at n NYC. He refused to wear a harness even in high rises because he didn’t want anything lose on his body the could snag and he ABSOLUTELY refused to work steel toe shoes. He said most things that fall on your feet a solid heavy leather boot will take care off and if it’s a steel beam the steel toe cup is basically a guaranteed guillotine for your toes.

Seen a guy lose the front part of his foot when a section of pipe fell. The pipe came straight down.

 

[Rusty PW]

I was on one job where steel toes were a requirement. When the boots were new, the steel toes were fine. After they wore in (or wore out, depending on your interpretations), that steel toe would cut the snot out of my pinkie toe.

My co-worker once forgot to wear his steel toes. The GC came up and asked if they were steel toes. He said yes. The GC STOMPED on his toes hard. The GC said okay and walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, my buddy started dancing and sucking air through clenched teeth. "Did that hurt ?", I asked. "OF COURSE IT DID !!!". To rub it in even further, I added, "Y'know he knows they aren't steel toes, you can feel a steel toe." "SHADDUP !!" he said. For the rest of the day, every time the GC walked by he gave my buddy a smile. And my buddy had to stop limping as he passed. For the whole day I had to hear, "If he broke my toes, I'm suing." yada-yada. I countered, "You lied to him and told him they were steel toes, you did this to yourself !! All you had to do was say no then leave and buy a pair on the company credit card !! YOU could've pulled your foot away and admit you lied." "I thought he was gonna do the "twice for flinching" routine.". I laughed. "Nah, he stomped on you like he was trying to kill a rat !!".

Never forgot his steel toes after that !! In fact, he bought a spare pair and kept them in his truck.

No broken toes, no lawsuit. He did gimp around for a few days.

Was working on site and they had the usual drug and alcohol test with a steel toe check. You had to put your foot on a small stood. And the safety guy would hit the end of the boot with a large ball peen hammer. There was a number of guys step out of line when they seen what was going on.

 

[Brad.Clarkston]

My Father-in-Law was an ironworker for 40 years at n NYC. He refused to wear a harness even in high rises because he didn’t want anything lose on his body the could snag and he ABSOLUTELY refused to work steel toe shoes. He said most things that fall on your feet a solid heavy leather boot will take care off and if it’s a steel beam the steel toe cup is basically a guaranteed guillotine for your toes.

Exactly, steel toes isn't there to protect your actual toes it's there for the insurance claim adjustment. No steel toes no insurance payout.

Any of the factories I've worked in had machines that would have instantly crushed my toes or severed them and then crushed them no amount of leather or thin steel would stop that.

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