Good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while the poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
TERRY PRATCHETT
It took me 30 years before I ever bought myself a decent pair of work boots. Before that time, I remember my old man yelling at me for wearing "tennis shoes" for work. The old man always referred to sneakers as tennis shoes. So, I got a pair of cheap work boots from Walmart. I think they were the Texas Steer brand, but I can't swear to that. I just knew they were yellow and cheap. They weren't very durable, but they were better than sneakers. Virtually every working man I know can tell you a story about their starter boots. My starter boots weren't great, but they were good enough for digging ditches and working in the garage.
When I moved to Florida, I worked at a parcel service loading trailers. They demanded that all the workers wear a pair of work boots because they shipped high dollar sneakers. Some dishonest package handlers would find a pair of expensive Air Jordans in a box, put them on their feet, and wear them out the front gate. Nobody stole work boots. Consequently, we had to wear work boots.
The boots I wore for that job were a pair of Timberlands I bought from the mall. These were not work boots but fashion boots. Needless to say, they were comfortable but disintegrated after a few months. I would tape them back together with hockey tape. Other co-workers had similar issues, and we formed the Tape Boot Club. We would see how long we could last before buying a new pair of boots. The only non-member of our club was the guy who had a pair of Red Wing boots. Those boots lasted for the entire five years I knew the guy. They looked rough at the end, but they didn't need to be taped together.
Red Wing boots are very expensive but are probably worth it. I wouldn't know because I have never owned a pair. When I moved back home to South Carolina, I needed a good pair of boots, and I found a pair at the Quality Farm and Supply store in my town. That store has since vanished, but they sold me my first pair of Georgia Giant work boots. 25 years later, I am on my third pair.
I don't think Georgia Giant boots are the greatest boot ever made. I just don't feel like spending a thousand bucks trying to find the holy grail of work boots. I needed a pair of black work boots to fit the dress code of my job, and I bought some expensive Wolverine boots. Those things crippled me. They were very uncomfortable, and I performed surgery on them to try and remedy the problem. I should have just returned them for a refund. That was significant money wasted. I found it easier to do a dye job on my Georgia Giant boots.
Georgia Giants are cheap, comfortable, and durable. For me, any pair of boots under $200 is cheap. Red Wings and Thorogoods are not under $200. They might be awesome, but my experience with the Wolverines taught me to never deviate from what you already know and love. As for Caterpillars, I am curious about them, and they are cheap boots. But why should I change?
Footwear is highly individual, so my work boots may not be for you much like the Wolverines were not for me. I just know that Georgia Giants work for me. Thank you for reading!
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How to Extend the Life of Your Work Boots
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