Any comments, either pro or con? I'm looking for a good quality boot, especially good heels/soles which have a direct effect on my bad back. I wear hiking boots almost all the time, as even running shoes bother my back.

I've heard Dr. Martins were designed for this purpose, but they seem like hippie shoes, and Cartman says that hippies suck [;)].

Any other recommendations?


(edited because I have trouble with icons)

Ain't nothin wrong with a pair of Doc Martens. they last a good long time, and are really comfy once you get them broke in.

As far as Corcorans, it depends on which ones you get. I had three flavors when I was in the Army:

1. Original jump boots. they look the best of all of them, and take and awesome shine. On the down side, they are very hard when new, and take a while to break in. Very comfortable after you get them broke though. No lug soles. These are pretty smooth. Good for walking around in garrison and on the parade feild or classroom.

2. Feild boots. Much like the jump boots, but with much softer uppers and a padded collar. They break in almost instantly, and have a lug sole for traction. they don't shine up near as nice as the jump boots due to the softer upper, but the toe cap and the heel cup are the same hard leather as on the jump boots, and shine as well.

3. Same as feild boots, but with canvs uppers, and hard leather toe cap and heel cup. I got them from the AF clothing sales shop, and was told by them that they were not authorized for Army troops, and they would not sell them to me. I pitched a good long bitch that all of Ramstein AFB heard, and they relented and sold me the boots. I wore them for over a year until I left the Army, and nobody ever bothered me about them. This was by far the most comfortable pair of the three.

These were all from about 5 years ago, and they cost between $120 and $150.


Hope this helps.

My duty boots have always been Rocky brand. Light and extremely durable. Can't go wrong with them.

I've worn lace-up duty boots for many years and have tried all kinds. The best boots I've found are Danners. They give far better support and protection than the heavy tennis shoe type boots, such as Rocky or Bates. Danners feel more like you're wearing a BOOT instead of just a foot covering.

Also, most boots have a fairly soft composition sole for good gripping, but when worn daily on pavement the tread pattern wears pretty quickly. After a year or two the soles are worn smooth while the uppers are still in great shape. A big plus for the Danners in this area is their ability to be resoled.

Best of all, these boots feel broken in the first time you put them on. They're much more comfortable than Corcorans and with their full Gore-Tex lining you can stand in water for extended periods and still stay dry.

My Danner Acadia boots go for around $185 and have been worth every penny.

I prefer Matterhorns.


Aviator  [img]www.milpubs.com/aviator.gif[/img]

I swear by my USMC issue Matterhorn boots. They're as comfortable as my sneakers. I've worn them every day at work for 4 years now and they are still going strong... My other fav is the Danner Acadia boot. Both will cost you but are well worth the cost...Danners, if taken care of, will last forever. All you have to do is get them resoled and they're as good as new.

Malpaso,

Unless you're in the military, I'd heartily recommend Vasque...and no others.

I've had a pair since 1995 - they're still in great shape.  They're resoleable, light, extremely durable, and stylish.

Check out their website at [url]www.vasque.com[/url]

For military, everyone should take a look at Wellco...I just bought a pair of new jungles with ripple soles - they're already broken in, and extremely comfortable

[url]www.wellco.com[/url]

Another vote for Rockys. I am a firefighter and wear mine for 12- 20 hrs each shift. Very comfortable and the side zippers make getting in and out of them a breeze.
Plus they look very similar to the corcorans.

They are on my feet as I speak (type)!

Corcoran jump boots are by far the most uncomfortable boots I have ever worn. I wore those things every day for at least a month, and did everything I could think of to break them in - flex them by hand, wear them dry, get them soaked and walk them dry, etc, and nothing worked. I don't think Dutch clogs would be very far behind in comfort, that's how bad they were. Plus, I think they look as stupid as Ronald McDonald's shoes.

Corcoran IIs are a little better, but not much. To me they look like Ronald McDonald's shoes after being broken in a bit.

I never tried Corcoran IIIs (field boots) so I can't comment on them.

Jungle boots or Matterhorns were all I wore, unless highly-shined all-leather boots were specified - then the 'cruit boots came out (very comfy as well.)