I spent a life time wearing Climbing Boots or Custom Loggers, I find it's nearly impossible to get anything else to work, it's kind of like ladies wearing heels their entire life, nothing else fits right or is comfortable enough as their feet are "Molded" to a certain type of shoe! That said, I wear Salewa Climbing Boots exclusively, they are a bit of a tight fit ( by design) but once broken in, the fit is incredible and you NEVER get chafing or blisters! Unfortunately Salewa discontinued my all time fav boot, their M-2 Pro Vertical, but the Newer Vulture GTX Vertical is close enough that I don't really notice any difference, it's the combo of stiffness through the arch and toe strength I'm after, and these are about as stiff as you can get, while still being easy to hike/climb in , and the insulation is first class!
I spent many years in West Coast boots (Wesco) they were $200-$300 back then (company paid) hours on a pole you need a quality boot. They are over $500 now. West Coast Shoe Company, commonly known as Wesco, is an American manufacturer of men's and women's boots based in Scappoose, Oregon.[3] The company was founded in 1918 and still manufactures all its boots in the United States. Wesco is especially known for making work boots used by linemen, loggers, wildland firefighters, bikers, and other rugged outdoor use. West Coast Shoe Company - Wikipedia But they do rebuild them, not a lot of shoe & boot cobblers these days. West Coast Shoe Company Wesco® | Boot Rebuild
I wore the Double H green topped Dwight steel toe cowboy style boot for years. I liked the deeper heel and stirrup strap. Although I haven't rode in years, The deep heel was usefully on industrial round bar rung ladders. They walked well and you could spend a day on your feet without them hurting. The tops would fall over like socks when I took them off. You can't resole or reheel them anymore so that's a boot of the past for me. Men's Double H Dwight Steel Toe Boots | Work Boots Superstore | WorkBoots.com
