That's a really weird poodle

"now i am become cute"

I have found my people lol

yes please

Those look really comfy :)

10/10

Please look into Nicks or Whites or traditional bootmakers. They will give you indestructible boots in all of the wide sizes. More expensive upfront but you can give them to your grandchildren if you do minimal care and pay the $50 to have them resoled as needed.

They're pretty expensive, but have you ever tried Thorogood boots?

I forgot the brand name that is now operating in old DrMartens boot factories in GB. Those are apparently good

Same with Timberland. I have a pair that I bought in a thrift shop and it's going on strong for more than a decade. Bought a new pair and it gave up after 6 years. For this year I'm trying out some obscure maker from my country. They seem good so far, and cost less then a half of a new pair of Timberlands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Eq8TOiqkCM

I have a pair of Doc Martens work boots that have been amazing. They're metatarsal guard steeltoe boots that I got in 2017, although the soles are cracking on them.

are these fully custom?

Say goodbye to your pudding >:)

I apologize for my lack of understanding of the English language. You see, the English language is foreign to me and a secondary way of communicating. Please excuse my vexing demeanor for inadequately expressing myself within the limitations of the said language.

I mistook the boots as docs and the shoes are Nike... I'm layman level though, and there does appear to be a difference between designer and branding that I don't fully understand... Though it appears to be even though you may recognize the brand, the brand itself may not be designer (is that about right? You obviously know more than me, so feel free to tell me I'm wrong!)

that's only true if you cheap out and buy crappy boots, which has always been true

My redwing iron rangers have been working for 10 years with no problems.

Look for Goodyear welted boots, if the soles wear out, you can take it to a cobbler to resole them.

Starter boot? Get some redwings. The best? Whites or Nick's. It's worth a trip to Spokane to get sized, then they make the boots to you.

Look up a YouTuber called Roseanvil. His gimmick is he cuts boots in half so see what they are made of. Short list of good, better, best... Thorogood, redwing, nicks. I work everyday in a pair of Thorogood not too expensive so I don't have to worry about damaging them and they are really comfortable. Redwing better quality and slightly more trendy/iconic, cool to wear around the city. Nicks are a higher end work boot, if your life depends on your boots get a pair of nicks, think wildland firefighter/logger. Honorable mentions Thursday, a fashionable boot that can be repaired easily. Jim green best bang for your buck, got my super picky father a pair, he loves them and gets compliments from his fellow boomer truck drivers.

Thorogood are expensive but are phenomenal. I'd argue better than Red Wing

Thursdays, Redwing, Nicks, Whites

I mean, I feel like all the older generations said a good pair of shoes would net you $300, that's gotta have increased with inflation now. It's probably worth investing a LOT of money into good shoes if you spend a good chunk of life in em

If you get blisters from that shoe but not the other over the same distance, then the first shoe is not fitted correctly or your socks are too short.

The price used to be forgivable because they would last forever (though I hear that's not so much the case anymore) but yeah, I've had some of my worst blisters from DMs..

Boots need to be broken in

Depends what you're buying. Here's the secret;

Norwegian Army M77 boots.

$130 brand new army surplus. Incredibly high quality, genuine leather, indestructible build, totally waterproof (I have literally submerged my foot past the ankle in puddles and not so much as gotten my sock damp) and extremely comfortable.

Secret number two is how you wear them. For proper boots like this you need to a) buy a separate inner sole, and b) go up a half size to allow room for thick boot socks.

With those two things in mind you will have a boot that can tackle anything you throw at it. They're real leather (and I mean thick, full chap leather) so you will have to break them in. Rub them down constantly with mink oil to keep them moisturized so that they'll become more flexible. They'll be uncomfortable at first, but give it time. And once they're broken in, they'll basically last the rest of your life if you treat them right.

Am I gonna wear them all the time? Fuck no. Give me a good pair of Vans anyday. But if you want nice boots that last, this is how you get them.

Only 2x more expensive maybe but they will last x10/x20 years longer.

Gotta break them in.

And will look like shit after a week due to the leather drying out

But your grandchildren might continue to use them.

But the ones on the right cannot be resoled and will have to be discarded after maybe two years of frequent use. The ones on the left, with a bit of care, will last decades.

They can be, but they don’t need to be. I’ve worn quite a few similar Lowa boots/shoes and they are very comfortable. Especially if you take the time to get a proper fit and wear them with proper socks and the correct style of lacing for what you want/need.

They are more expensive, but they also take way more abuse and keep your feet comfortable for far longer than cheap sneakers. You should always spend good money on good shoes. Cheap shoes can cause all sorts of feet problems.