How long do work boots last? It's a fair question. After all, you would expect to replace work shoes at certain intervals, just as you would expect to replace casual shoes, your car's tires, or anything else that wears out over time.
How long do quality work shoes last?
The truth is, it partly depends on the wear and tear, but it's also that if you buy the right pair... you'll never have to replace them completely.
Hello?
Let's build on that a little bit. You see, there is a big difference between quality work boots and a pair that you could get for example at a local "mart" store.
Work boots can last a lifetime if they are made correctly. That sounds a little weird, but boots are more than buying a pair, spending them, and then buying another.
If you buy leather work boots from a store and don't really plan to invest much in them, you probably expect a fairly short shelf life. In that case, it is a disposable item that can burn, but there is a big difference between that type of work boot and a quality pair of handmade leather work boots.
You see, leather boots that are really well made are built so that work boots can be repaired throughout their life.
The sole is welded to the boot with a Goodyear welt, Blake stitch or McKay stitch. With these edge methods, the seams can be loosened, a new sole fitted and the boot can be worn by the owner.
In cheap boots, the sole is often simply glued. Once the sole is separated, you are done. You need a new pair.
Likewise, many store-bought boots cannot be re-sewn if the vamp or heel comes out of the brim. Once it breaks, it's over.
Custom boots, on the other hand, can usually be rebuilt. The manufacturer can replace the parts, and reassemble the boot, and voila - your boots are virtually like new, ready to wear again. Some steals may be necessary, but they will give you more life.
The more often you wear your work boots and the longer you wear them, the shorter the interval between when you get them and when they need to be repaired. It all depends on what you do with it.
If your job is general construction, building houses, and residential buildings in typical residential areas, you can probably look forward to many years of experience with a pair of high-quality handmade work boots.
If he's a lumberjack, maybe a few years depending on the quality of the construction and the work he does on the site. The operator out of the field will not cause the same wear and tear on your boots as, say, the choke-setter or tree-cutter.
Linemen can probably wait a few years between remodels and maybe a year or two between troubleshooting.
Wildland firefighters of course, but the toughest boots. Our customers reported one to three years of fire seasons between resoles or remodels, but we also had some customers during the California fire who routinely required remodeling and re-soldering each year, depending on their level. And that's with our firefighter boots, which are widely regarded as the best out there.
How long can you expect your boots to last? That depends in part on the boots you buy...and what you do with them. What you can certainly expect is that a pair of Nick's Boots will last a lifetime with regular maintenance. That's why it's worth considering investing in a pair of quality leather boots, especially compared to having to buy pair after pair of machine-made boots from a factory abroad.