20 American-Made Work Boot Brands Ranked WORST to BEST (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/19/2026 11:32:00 AM EDT
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Well done video by a guy who really knows boots. No fluff either, just facts. The surprising part for me was the prices. Yes, there are several $600 boots, but a large number are under $300 and there are even a few under $200. TLDW: The top three are Frank's, Nicks and White's.  20 American-Made Work Boot Brands Ranked WORST to BEST |
| I bought a pair of White's boots one time after hearing people rave about them. I found them to be uncomfortable, even after breaking them in they were just okay. Really no better than the issued Flight Deck Safety Boots we used to get. |
USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
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Best for what? Redwing 607s are the best I’ve found for our porcelain tile shop floors. Anything with the white rubber wedge sole or Vibram-style hiking sole is a death sentence, like skating on ice. Maybe some spiked Whites would work, but the AMG customers might get upset 
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I have some custom Franks Rainers on order will see if they're the best, I like my Whites foreman more then my JK bison Forefronts, the Whites are the most comfortable work boot I've ever worn. Fore cheaper work boots Thorogood's aren't bad I liked them more then Redwing's. |
"Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners" - George Carlin
| It’s easy to make a YouTube video ranking boots when you don’t actually have to work in them all day on all kinds of surfaces. I’ve actually worn many makes and models for a couple decades in the trades and the Keen Cincinnati is currently top of the heap. I usually buy a new pair every year, and I’ve bought these boots the last few times. |
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Originally Posted By Seabee_Mech: I bought a pair of White's boots one time after hearing people rave about them. I found them to be uncomfortable, even after breaking them in they were just okay. Really no better than the issued Flight Deck Safety Boots we used to get. I've owned several pairs of White's, the key to them is a good dealer who properly measures your feet and orders your boots..just buying a pair over the counter is hit and miss for comfort but getting them made for your feet makes a huge difference...Also hard to beat them being completely rebuildable...... |
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Originally Posted By batjka104: I'm partial for Wolverines, have been wearing them for 27 years, 12-14 hours/day. Red Wings are just too heavy. Feel like bricks. I also like wolverines and have worn the same boot style since the early 90s. It started with a steel shank in the boot which was changed to a composite and then removed completely. Boot style continued like this for years before being discontinued. The last time I order them I had such a hard time finding them I order 6 pairs. |
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I only saw one boot reviewed that had metatarsal guard over the top of the foot. Matterhorn, don't think I ever saw those before. And those looked likethey were even clunkier and heavier than the pair I have now that I swear weigh 10# each. The best or at least most comfortable metatarsal boots I have had I think were Carolina, and they were like trail hiking boots. They were light and comfortable, could wear them all day and not even wish I had my tennis/walking shoes on. Unfortunately the soles were not very durable and only good for maybe two years of decently hard work, or 5-7 of office and occasional plant floor work. Probably made in malaysia I had a pair of danner made in USA met guard boots, and even though they were supposed to be wide and I thought a half sized up, they hurt my feet, just too small. Can't recall what brand i am wearing now, but they are too heavy. But they might last me until I retire. I should get a new pair anyways, the company does reimburse us. |
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Been in the same model (not pair) of Danners for about 10 years now. I change them out every 2y or so, no rebuild because the company is buying. It looks dorky but applying the epoxy over the toe really helps, that and Obanoufs. Never seen Franks, Nicks or Whites for sale. |
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Originally Posted By Gmezz4: Must have experienced their first frost. Originally Posted By Gmezz4: Originally Posted By TARFUN: Thanks, OP. I'm in the market for new safety boots for work as my 18 year old Belleville's are finally giving up the ghost.  Must have experienced their first frost. They have mostly been in the deserts of NV and CA, usually in 110° plus weather. They did do a couple of stints in the winter in NV. I did have them resoled a few times. Thing is, they have been the most comfortable steel toes I have ever owned, it's just that the leather is splitting all along the soles. 
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#286099
portablegorilla:
Liberals are cancer, Islam is the flu. It's easy to fight off the flu, unless you've got cancer.
portablegorilla:
Liberals are cancer, Islam is the flu. It's easy to fight off the flu, unless you've got cancer.
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Originally Posted By JQ66: I had a pair of danner made in USA met guard boots, and even though they were supposed to be wide and I thought a half sized up, they hurt my feet, just too small. I had a pair of Danner Arcadia boots with the composite toe that lasted almost 15 years, they were my fall/spring boots, heavy but built like a tank. I broke down and bought a new pair but never wear them as the the toe box on the new boots is narrower than my old boots, both are size 10EE. |
USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
| I have worn waterproof Redwings with the composite toe for years. Good boots. I get around 2.5yr out of them before the heel gives out. I work around super-hot stuff and chemicals/water though. |
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I've been wearing a pair of Nicks Hotshot ST boots for the last 15 years. I needed a high arch and they fit great. I travelled to Spokane and went to their store and had them fit to my feet. I have oddball feet, so it was worth it. They rebuild them for me every few years. When I first purchased the steel toe insert was irritating the inside of my left foot. I called and they said no problem, so I sent them back and they pulled the boot apart and shaved that edge down a bit and reassembled and sent it back. They are a MUXH larger company today and the resole or rebuild takes many months while I wear a pair of Danner Marine Hot boots that are not nearly as comfortable. If I was buying today, I'd probably go to Spokane and get fitted for a pair of Franks. One of these days I'll buy a pair of non-steel toe boots. |
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Originally Posted By Fair2Middlin: It’s easy to make a YouTube video ranking boots when you don’t actually have to work in them all day on all kinds of surfaces. I’ve actually worn many makes and models for a couple decades in the trades and the Keen Cincinnati is currently top of the heap. I usually buy a new pair every year, and I’ve bought these boots the last few times. Agree. Ask someone who actually has to wear protective footwear every day. I'll nominate myself as a spokesman, too.  I have to wear electrically rated met guard boots 10 hours a day. I nominate the Redwing 4456, whether you need the hard toe, met guard and electrical rating or not. I noticed guys on our crew wearing them, then re-upped with those. That was about 10 years ago. The things are more comfortable than the uplands I wear in the woods. Current pair is three years old. I have a new pair, but these are so broken in so well, I'll not retire them until I see holes or splits. I do surgery on mine when I get a new pair. I take a razor knife and remove as much of the insulation as I can from the inside tongue. Makes them cooler. Last pair was about $250. 
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Originally Posted By AKSnowRider: I've owned several pairs of White's, the key to them is a good dealer who properly measures your feet and orders your boots..just buying a pair over the counter is hit and miss for comfort but getting them made for your feet makes a huge difference...Also hard to beat them being completely rebuildable...... I have the Hathorns that took a little getting used to because of the weight but when we hit the weeds they were like 4 wheel drive for your feet. I think they are made for hard core wildland firefighting. I never got why the management team peeps that were never going to get out of camp were in Whites/Nicks etc. |
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Originally Posted By Fair2Middlin: It’s easy to make a YouTube video ranking boots when you don’t actually have to work in them all day on all kinds of surfaces. I’ve actually worn many makes and models for a couple decades in the trades and the Keen Cincinnati is currently top of the heap. I usually buy a new pair every year, and I’ve bought these boots the last few times. The guy who made the video in the OP has been an electrician for many years. Also has great videos on workwear. He has lots of experience wearing work boots everyday. |
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Originally Posted By smarquez: I have the Hathorns that took a little getting used to because of the weight but when we hit the weeds they were like 4 wheel drive for your feet. I think they are made for hard core wildland firefighting. I never got why the management team peeps that were never going to get out of camp were in Whites/Nicks etc. 10 years of wildland firefighting I strictly stuck to whites. When I left 15 years ago I had a pair of them that had one fire season on them, so about halfway work through. Still wear them for quail hunting the deserts, shooting, sometimes for work etc and they basically look exactly the same as when I left the shot crew a decade and a half ago.
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Didn’t watch I have a pair of Wesco’s lineman boots that I’ve had for almost thirty years. When I was climbing, they were absolutely perfect for it- I could be on hooks all day. If I wasn’t gaffed in to a pole? They were the most miserable things I could imagine. Walking was brutal. They still aren’t broken in
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You should move to the right lane, where the rule of vehicle and traffic law still exists. You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and the left lane is the land of wolves now.
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I’m in EMS. So I have to wear black boots with a zipper on them. I prefer danner kinetics 6”. The only thing I hate is that the zipper doesn’t have a keeper flap or any sort of stopper. So about an hour after putting them on, I gotta zip them back up. Otherwise I love them. I’d love to try something that didn’t have that problem, but I am so happy with everything else that I always go back and just deal with them. |
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Originally Posted By burnka871: Been on the same pair of Danner Super Rainforest for 6 years now. Great boots. They last me about 2 years but also my go to. Be wearing them for 15’ish years. Hold up well to all the things heavy equipment mechanic / drilling throws my way. |
Seriously... unTex the Mex..
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I wear USA made keens for safety toe boots. Targhee work carbon toe. I want to try the liberty keens next. I like the look of the moc toe. alot of these boots mentioned dont breath. they stink. feet sweat. get nasty. clunky. bulky. heavy. big. commercial refrigeration hvac work, I want lighter, flexible, breathable. wearing a boot for 6 years isnt a flex guys. its dirty. gross ass bacteria infested boot, how's your athletes foot? stink ass shit.  |
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List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) |
1Andy2: it's just a question of if we decide to stop throwing coal in the furnace and lean on the brakes or if we're going to blow the boiler up getting to Full Retard'sville.
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Originally Posted By BURN: List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) If he didn't test Justins, the whole thing is a joke. |
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Originally Posted By BURN: List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) You're doing God's work. Saving everyone from having to watch someone yammer on for 20+ minutes about boots. 
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Texas -
Bigger than France.
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
--RWR, 1964
Bigger than France.
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
--RWR, 1964
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Originally Posted By RTX: If he didn't test Justins, the whole thing is a joke. Originally Posted By RTX: Originally Posted By BURN: List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) If he didn't test Justins, the whole thing is a joke. This video is about American makers of work boots. Justin's specialty is Western boots. The handful of actual work boots they do have is imported. Correction: Exactly one pair of their work boots is 'Made in USA with Global Parts.' |
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Originally Posted By Halberdier: This video is about American makers of work boots. Justin's specialty is Western boots. The handful of actual work boots they do have is imported. Originally Posted By Halberdier: Originally Posted By RTX: Originally Posted By BURN: List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) If he didn't test Justins, the whole thing is a joke. This video is about American makers of work boots. Justin's specialty is Western boots. The handful of actual work boots they do have is imported. LOL. Tell us you don't know anything about Justin work boots. Never mind...you just did. |
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Originally Posted By RTX: LOL. Tell us you don't know anything about Justin work boots. Never mind...you just did. Originally Posted By RTX: Originally Posted By Halberdier: Originally Posted By RTX: Originally Posted By BURN: List from worst to best. Schnee's (1:28) Fenoglio (1:59) Rocky (2:45) Georgia Boot (3:21) McRae Footwear (5:24) Belleville (6:06) Matterhorn (6:42) Carolina (7:29) Silverado (8:04) Double H (8:41) Danner (9:18) Origin USA (9:59) Thorogood (10:50) Hoffman (11:43) Red Wing (12:38) JK Boots (13:29) Wesco (14:40) White's Boots (15:37) Nicks Boots (17:01) Frank's Boots (18:20) If he didn't test Justins, the whole thing is a joke. This video is about American makers of work boots. Justin's specialty is Western boots. The handful of actual work boots they do have is imported. LOL. Tell us you don't know anything about Justin work boots. Never mind...you just did. Prove it. |
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Originally Posted By KoolOperator: Name a retail store where you can try on a pair. Originally Posted By KoolOperator: Originally Posted By Halberdier: TLDW: The top three are Frank's, Nicks and White's. Name a retail store where you can try on a pair. That's covered in the video and in this thread. I believe all three have a single factory store and are otherwise online only. |