The Boot & Bed Thread

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Airlsee
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The Boot & Bed Thread

#1

Post by Airlsee »

Something we've all got experiences + opinions about and we use most daily.

What are your favorite boots (or shoes) and what is your favorite bed situation/set up? No rules, just looking for life experience/wisdom. You can, but certainly don't have to elaborate, just what are your favorite boots (or any other footwear) and what is your favorite mattress or sleeping setup?

I just recently got into a pair of Nick's Falcon browns & a pair of black Truman's (both are very nice, but I do have a favorite). Anyway, it got me to wondering though, do you guys put as much time and thought into your footwear and sleeping choices as you do knives? And if so, please share your opinions!

I'm sleeping on a Nectar mattress on top of a platform, but that was more based on price and convenience, I have no regrets 2 years in...

P.S. I have boots in mind at the moment, but would really love to hear about any footwear that you all feel passionate about!


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Most of the time I can be found in either Chuck Taylor's (wide), Vans Slip-On's or Chacos...
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#2

Post by Naperville »

I ordered some boots from Danner, but my feet were too wide. While they were in my possession I looked them over and they look really good. I plan to buy 1 or 2 pairs of their boots in the future.

I used to buy Hi-Tech boots for walking around but the upper pulled off of the sole on both the original pair and the replacement pair so I started to shop around and found Danner, which come highly recommended.

There are a lot of boot manufacturers, if you are looking for high quality boots it may take you a while.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#3

Post by SpyderLine »

I've been wearing Georgia work boots for the past few years and really liked them! They hold up good, are reasonably priced and very comfortable!
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#4

Post by Xplorer »

I love my boots and I'm becoming a little addicted to "heritage" boots. I have different favorites for different occasions..

These are my "work" boots that I wear in my shop every day. They're Redwing Heritage Moc Toe boots. For standing on concrete all day these are awesome! They're tough and protective yet they conform to my feet and ankles like a high quality baseball glove. The soles are non-slip, non marking and feel nice and soft on a cement floor. The leather in these has a very high wax content with the resulting pull-up effect. The great thing about that is I ground a knife yesterday and dripped water on these boots for over an hour (I use a water spray system on my grinder to keep blades cool while grinding). The wax in the leather kept them fully protected from the water and this is how they look today (the following day) without even wiping them down.
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These are my favorite hiking boots. Even though I prefer to buy boots that are made in USA, my first priority is that they feel great and perform exceptionally. I have yet to find a pair of boots I'd rather wear on a 1-5 day wilderness adventure than my Lowa Renegades. They're supportive while wearing a 35lb pack yet still light-weight, have a wide toe box, great traction sole, flex very naturally, and soft enough that I've found myself jogging down trails in them without even thinking about the fact that I have boots on my feet. I took my son out for 3 days in the John Muir Wilderness 2 weeks ago and once again my LOWAs made me very happy.
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These are my "casual-dress" boots. Not saying they look good when I wear a casual dress :winking-tongue ...they're "dressier" than the others while still casual. Perfect for a night out on town. These are Redwing Iron Ranger Heritage boots. These are my favorite style of boot to wear even though I have fewer opportunities to wear these than I do with my Moc Toe boots. They're super comfortable after only a brief break-in period and they look sharp because of their dress shoe / cap-toe shape. The rough-out leather on these makes them a casual occasion boot that works great with jeans. A smooth leather version can cross over into dress shoe or business attire shoe as well. These aren't quite as fancy as Colby's(OP) Nick's boots but same 1930's era heritage style and Goodyear welt construction.
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Soon I plan to get 2 more pair of Redwing Iron Rangers and one more pair of Redwing Moc Toes, at least. I'm temped to try a pair of Nick's. They're BEAUTIFUL!! I haven't been able to get over the price tag yet. I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts on them.

CK
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#5

Post by Airlsee »

Xplorer wrote:
Sun Sep 05, 2021 12:12 pm
I love my boots and I'm becoming a little addicted to "heritage" boots. I have different favorites for different occasions..

......

CK

Great post! Thanks for sharing your boots and your thoughts on them!!

I have a pair of Red Wing Heritage Classic Round Toe's with the wedge crepe sole that I use as work boots and everything you said was accurate. I love them on concrete surfaces and the way they conform to your feet after breaking in is fantastic!

I had a pair of Iron Rangers in Copper Rough & Tough that I tried breaking them in for a couple months before coming to the conclusion I needed to size up. Then they sat in my closet for nearly 2 years before I decided to pull the trigger on a pair of Nick's.

I've got to say, I was in the same boat as you about the price. I didn't think the difference would be significant enough to justify the price tag. I was completely wrong. All you need to do is pick them up out of the box and you immediately notice the difference. Brand new they fit like a skate boot, the leather is much thicker than the Red Wings in every part of the boot (except the tongue), it just feels like the entire boot was hand built. You can picture the entire boot in sheets of leather and rubber, it's hard to explain, but even compared to the Truman's they are a noticeable step up in quality.

I fully recommend getting your hands on a pair if you ever get the chance. I ordered the Nick's and the Truman's at the same time, the Nick's arrived a couple weeks before the Truman's and slightly dampened my excitement for the latter pair even though the Truman's are an exceptionally well built boot. I feel like the build quality on the Truman's is similar to the Red Wing Heritage line but with higher quality leather. The Nick's build quality is what sets them apart, their leather is exceptional as well, but it's not the first thing you notice.

I guess I don't know anyone else into boots, so this was my first place to reach out and see if you all appreciate them as well!

Red Wing Heritage is a great line, but if you can afford it I definitely recommend trying a pair of Nick's. They do 10% off a few times a year. Labor Day, Memorial Day and a couple others...

I know that was long winded, but hopefully helpful. I've never tried Lowa's but wear a pair of Brooks Cascadia's when hiking mostly, they are trail shoes so you definitely need to be aware of ankle flex where you step. I've had them for a little over a year and have been very happy with them.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#6

Post by kerrcobra »

I like shoes, boots & other footwear as much as the next guy. I've never tried any of the brands mentioned so far, but I'd like give them a shot in the future. As for my boots, I have several pairs of Doc Martens that are very comfortable, and I have several different pairs of cowboy boots (Ariat, Justin & Tony Lama). However, I have this one pair of Harley Davidson motorcycle boots that are made by Wolverine, and they're probably my favorite by build quality - they survived a high speed wreck and are still in good shape and comfortable. I'd like to think all Wolverine brand boots are that nice, but I've never owned any others.

I like tennis shoes/sneakers as well, and I typically lean towards Adidas or Nike. Both of my current pairs are Nike, but, admittedly, I usually walk around in just a cheap pair of flip-flops from Old Navy.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#7

Post by Evil D »

I've been building myself up to order a pair of Nick's boots lately. I think they finally wore me down.

For work I like my Keen Portland's. I have a fairly active job and need to be light on my feet, I need (want) waterproofing and a safety toe that won't kill my toes after 16 hour days and these are like overbuilt sneakers. I wear the soles off in about a year but the comfort keeps me buying them.


My bed is a Tempur Pedic memory foam, no idea what model but it's pretty nice. We've talked about trying a Sleep Number but just never did. We also have Tempur Pedic pillows which are worth their weight in whatever precious metal is expensive, you can't underestimate the value of a pillow that is exactly the same shape and support every time you sleep on it. I haven't woke up with a neck cramp in years.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#8

Post by Airlsee »

Evil D wrote:
Mon Sep 06, 2021 3:30 am
I've been building myself up to order a pair of Nick's boots lately. I think they finally wore me down.

For work I like my Keen Portland's. I have a fairly active job and need to be light on my feet, I need (want) waterproofing and a safety toe that won't kill my toes after 16 hour days and these are like overbuilt sneakers. I wear the soles off in about a year but the comfort keeps me buying them.


My bed is a Tempur Pedic memory foam, no idea what model but it's pretty nice. We've talked about trying a Sleep Number but just never did. We also have Tempur Pedic pillows which are worth their weight in whatever precious metal is expensive, you can't underestimate the value of a pillow that is exactly the same shape and support every time you sleep on it. I haven't woke up with a neck cramp in years.

I had a pair of Keen trail shoes (don't remember the model) that I wore for a couple years and they were extremely comfortable!! They did wear out faster than some others, but the comfort was top notch!

You've really got me interested in the Tempur Pedic pillows, I've got a couple of Nectar pillows that came with my mattress that work fine, but I'm not in love with them. Plus, I sleep with like 2 or three other random pillows strewn about for propping and padding, LOL! I'll have to keep them on my radar.

As for the Nick's, I highly recommend them. They are having a 10% off sale on all black boots and all belts this weekend.

Cheers
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#9

Post by bearrowland »

Good old fashioned GI jungle boots. Wear like sneakers and last way beyond their design life.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#10

Post by SpyderLine »

I'm a fairly young man but I've been suffering from low back pain recently. I have a blue collar job and a family history of bad backs. My question for you guys is have you had a new bed improve back pain?
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#11

Post by kennethsime »

I have worn my Lems Boulder Boots more often than any piece of footwear since I picked them up last fall. They pass for work boots but are the comfiest pair of shoes I've ever owned. I have a really wide forefoot, like 5E, and have found that barefoot-style shoes tend to offer the most space up front.

I'd love a pair of Nick's or White's if they would use a wide toe box instead of a pointy one.
SpyderLine wrote:
Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:44 pm
I'm a fairly young man but I've been suffering from low back pain recently. I have a blue collar job and a family history of bad backs. My question for you guys is have you had a new bed improve back pain?
We sleep on an Ikea mattress that's reals firm - it wasn't crazy expensive either. As a bigger buy, the firmer the mattress the better. When we first got it my lower back pain improved drastically - I had been sinking into an old mattress for years. Sleeping through the night was also a new concept for me - highly recommended.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#12

Post by MacLaren »

kennethsime wrote:
Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:06 pm
I have worn my Lems Boulder Boots more often than any piece of footwear since I picked them up last fall. They pass for work boots but are the comfiest pair of shoes I've ever owned. I have a really wide forefoot, like 5E, and have found that barefoot-style shoes tend to offer the most space up front.

I'd love a pair of Nick's or White's if they would use a wide toe box instead of a pointy one.
SpyderLine wrote:
Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:44 pm
I'm a fairly young man but I've been suffering from low back pain recently. I have a blue collar job and a family history of bad backs. My question for you guys is have you had a new bed improve back pain?
We sleep on an Ikea mattress that's reals firm - it wasn't crazy expensive either. As a bigger buy, the firmer the mattress the better. When we first got it my lower back pain improved drastically - I had been sinking into an old mattress for years. Sleeping through the night was also a new concept for me - highly recommended.
Thanks for that 411 Ken
Would you please lemme know kw what model Ikea you went with. PM me if you like.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#13

Post by kennethsime »

MacLaren wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 6:27 am
Thanks for that 411 Ken
Would you please lemme know kw what model Ikea you went with. PM me if you like.
Of course! We have this one, the firmer of the two Haugsvär models. Two years in and we're still happy with it.
I'm happiest with Micarta and Tool Steel.

Top four in rotation: K390 + GCM PM2, ZCarta Shaman, Crucarta PM2, K390 + GCM Straight Spine Stretch.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#14

Post by MacLaren »

kennethsime wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:23 am
MacLaren wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 6:27 am
Thanks for that 411 Ken
Would you please lemme know kw what model Ikea you went with. PM me if you like.
Of course! We have this one, the firmer of the two Haugsvär models. Two years in and we're still happy with it.
Awesome. Thank you. 😊
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#15

Post by murphjd25 »

Hard to beat my Ariat Workhogs, man these things are comfy. Guess I’m a little country too.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#16

Post by Airlsee »

murphjd25 wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:30 pm
Hard to beat my Ariat Workhogs, man these things are comfy. Guess I’m a little country too.

Nice, they look comfy. Let us know how they hold up, have you worn through a previous pair? Back when I used to wear square steel-toe Justin's as a daily workboot they would wear through in ~10-15 months...
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#17

Post by murphjd25 »

Airlsee wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 8:03 pm
murphjd25 wrote:
Thu Sep 23, 2021 2:30 pm
Hard to beat my Ariat Workhogs, man these things are comfy. Guess I’m a little country too.

Nice, they look comfy. Let us know how they hold up, have you worn through a previous pair? Back when I used to wear square steel-toe Justin's as a daily workboot they would wear through in ~10-15 months...
I have had these since the beginning of the year and I can’t really tell they have had much wear. My Justin’s would wear through pretty quick though, but these Ariats have held up nice.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#18

Post by JD Spydo »

Naperville wrote:
Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:56 pm
I ordered some boots from Danner, but my feet were too wide. While they were in my possession I looked them over and they look really good. I plan to buy 1 or 2 pairs of their boots in the future.

I used to buy Hi-Tech boots for walking around but the upper pulled off of the sole on both the original pair and the replacement pair so I started to shop around and found Danner, which come highly recommended.

There are a lot of boot manufacturers, if you are looking for high quality boots it may take you a while.
I just heard a podcast the other day of a firearms expert talking about boots. His name is Sam Andrews and his two favorites are "Salomon" and "Danner".

I've personally had great luck over the years with Redwing and also their "Irish Setter" brand. But my next pair of boots will be one of those other brands I've mentioned. Also I listen to a daily podcast of a retired Green Beret whose name is John Moore ( www.thelibertyman.com) and he claims that "Danner" is the very best boot he has ever used in all of his endeavors.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#19

Post by JD Spydo »

Now as far as bedding goes I'm well satisfied with my "old school" SEALY "Posterpedic" mattress. I got one of their high dollar units ( $800+ range) and I can't complain about any aspect of my Sealy Posterpedic mattress. I don't go cheap on mattresses because that's where we spend about a third of our lives. I used to be a big fan of "Simmons" Beautyrest products but the Sealy bedding products are the best I've ever found up till now.

I'm well aware of all the newer high tech mattresses and beds that many have raved over but I'm very content with the Sealy products.
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Re: The Boot & Bed Thread

#20

Post by Naperville »

JD Spydo wrote:
Fri Sep 24, 2021 5:33 am
Naperville wrote:
Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:56 pm
I ordered some boots from Danner, but my feet were too wide. While they were in my possession I looked them over and they look really good. I plan to buy 1 or 2 pairs of their boots in the future.

I used to buy Hi-Tech boots for walking around but the upper pulled off of the sole on both the original pair and the replacement pair so I started to shop around and found Danner, which come highly recommended.

There are a lot of boot manufacturers, if you are looking for high quality boots it may take you a while.
I just heard a podcast the other day of a firearms expert talking about boots. His name is Sam Andrews and his two favorites are "Salomon" and "Danner".

I've personally had great luck over the years with Redwing and also their "Irish Setter" brand. But my next pair of boots will be one of those other brands I've mentioned. Also I listen to a daily podcast of a retired Green Beret whose name is John Moore ( www.thelibertyman.com) and he claims that "Danner" is the very best boot he has ever used in all of his endeavors.
Interesting. I'll have to check out the podcast, thank you!

My brother who is now a retired Chicago cop said that there are plenty of cops wearing Danner.
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