Tall heeled boots?

[Maineloggerkid]

Talking in the boot studs thread raised a question in my head. Why do some logging boots come with the tall heel?? I can get my Emersons with the tall heel, and was thinking of trying them, if I can find out what the reasoning is behind them.

 Just a quick question.

[LeeB]

If', you was riding horses the tall heel keeps yer foot from slipping through the stirrup. For logging, I ain't got a clue.

[Reddog]

The thought has always been, the tall heel would dig in going down a steep grade. The front edge would work like a brake.
What I am describing is about an inch tall heel.

[Dan_Shade]

I think the tall heel helps with your posture and arch support.  but i'm just speculating.

[Ed_K]

  I just got a pair of Chippewa's w/the tall heel. Their great for catching on limbs when walking thru tops  . They are waterproof  .

[FTD]

I think the tall heel helps with your posture and arch support.  but i'm just speculating.

That is the reason.  Google "Whites Boots" they have a great explanation.  I have a pair of Whites.  Never regreted.  Had them rebuilt after 10 years.  As good as new.  Best boots I ever bought.

[Dan_Shade]

I have two pairs of white's, i echo FTD's remarks.

I have a pair of "farmer-ranchers" and a pair of "smoke jumpers"  the smoke jumpers were leaking a little bit around the sole, so I sent them back after owning them 10 months or so, and they completely rebuilt them for free.  Great customer service.

They are NASTY to break in, though, it's several days of misery, but after they break in, they fit my feet like a glove.

[FTD]

I have the smoke jumpers as well.  Left that off.  Sorry.  Oh by the way, the best part:

White's are custom made.  They will make different size for each foot!  My left is 11 and right is 10.5.  I didn't fine the break in "NASTY".  A little stiff, took a while to walk normal. 

Final point, you DON'T want to spend time on concrete in these though!  Your back will hate you.

[Dan_Shade]

10 years has tempered your memory, the rebuild breakin was nothing compared to the new one!

[stumpy]

When I was a Lineman, the tall heels help keep the climbers ("hooks") in place.

[Bro. Noble]

Well,  I like them cause you're always walding downhill and don't get near as tired

[SouthernVT LawnLogger]

possible for Climbing spikes in your in the field of arboriculture the spikes fight tight to the middle of your sole of your foot were you put most of your pressure

[woodtroll]

The heels work very well on slopes and digging in. They are great working boots. I have used White's and they are tough but I switched to Nick's (12" hot shot rough outs). It has been a better company to work with over the last 15 years and a tougher boot. Both are good. Remember these are not water proof boots. Just top notch leather boots.
They are worth the high price if you will take care of them. They will out last any lower priced boot under rough conditions. Once broken in will fit like a glove.

[kenneth]

I have also found that the tall heel trips me up and hurt my back. I bought a pair from Labonvill. They also took a while to break in but now are great. Made in the USA

[Maineloggerkid]

So, do you think that the tall heel would bother me having flat feet??

[RSteiner]

I was told by arborist and boot makers the purpose for the elevated heel is to give more room for the climbing gear under the arch of your foot.  The elevated heel also keeps the point of the spike from digging into the ground as much especially when walking on hard surfaces.

I do find them uncomfortable to walk in and stand around in on a hard surface.  I bought a pair of them one time because I thought they looked tough and made me reach the 6 foot height mark but I soon found out that was a big mistake.

Randy

[ely]

what do you mean stumpy, when i was a lineman. you will always be a lineman.
here lately i have started wearing my westcos everyday of the week. i had some ariats that i bought for walking/work boots and they started hurting my feet and back. when i put my line boots on the pain went away. i think it is the tall heel that helps me. i also have a pair of hoffmans made by danner that have 800 grams thinsulate in em. basically they look the same and wear the same as the westcos. except they are warmer and stiffer. i have the westcos broke in and they are lke tenny shoes to me now. the hoffmans are 12 " tops the westcos are 16" tops.

i have always wanted a pair of whites line boots though.

[Tillaway]

The heels help on steep slopes.  The flat soles turn into skis on slopes over 40% or 50%.  If  you just run equipment there would be no need for them.

[Kodiakmac]

Got that right Tillway.  Last thing I'd want on machinery I had to climb up on is a high, narrow heel.  Be a good recipe for twisted ankles, etc. 

[stumpy]

Ely, You're right about being a Lineman.  I used to wear Redwings, then I tried a pair or Brown Linemans boots from Halls.  Those were by far the longest wearing and most comfortable boot I ever wore.

[VT_Forestry]

I've got a tall pair of Red Dawgs from Bailey's, had them a year and a half...they were my first boot with a tall heel, and so far they have been good.  Definitely helps on the steep slopes, especially walking on a steep sideslope you can really dig them in...but that's just my 2 cents

[ErikC]

  The other thing about this style boot and machinery is the sole is hard rubber and will slip very easily on oily or wet metal. But I like the tall heel on steep ground. When I have a new pair of whites I don't head off to work without the old pair for a couple weeks. The first day or two I might change 'em after a couple hours only. They are great once broke in but you have to stick with it. I wear danners that have gore-tex a lot when its wet. They are comfortable right out of the store-but wear out about twice as fast.

Erik

[timberfaller390]

  They are comfortable right out of the store-but wear out about twice as fast.

Erik

It always seems like the faster they break in the faster they wear out.

[zackman1801]

So, do you think that the tall heel would bother me having flat feet??

my local dealer told me when i ordered my labonvilles that the high heeled ones might give me back problems if i wasnt used to wearing them, he also said that flat feet find them harder to wear but you might be different and they might fit you alright. i guess you would have to try them on to find out.

[Maineloggerkid]

Im up for a new pair of boots, so I'm thinking of trying a pair.  My boots have short lifespans, I wear them out about twice as fast as anyone I know. THese ones were new in May, and now they are ripped up, the liner is ripped, and the tread is seperating from the sole.

[Reddog]

Just a thought.
Try using a peet boot dryer. Seems to make them last longer for me.
Seems like when they do not dry out over night the leather is weaker and wears faster.

[FTD]

I have a Peet boot drier (two actually) and they are great.  Another thing my first good boot guy taught me was "Buy two pair and alternate days wearing them and they will last as long as three pair."  He is right.  The Peet boot drier helps this as well.

Grease them regularly also!

BTW They are "Stacked" heels...  not that it matters!

[woodsteach]

I have 2 pairs of whites boots, 1 pr of packers and 1 pr of smoke jumpers.  I've just had the 15 year old packers rebuilt (from Nicks Boots) and they reccomend spraying them with rubbing alcohol to keep them from drying out during the break in process.  Also to help in the break in look at their website for the 2-1-3 method of lacing you tall boots.

My 3 year old smoke jumpers are on their way back from Whites from being rebuilt we'll see how long they last this time.

BTW I have really high arches and love the high heel  on the packers better than the smokejumpers.

The high heel makes going down hill easy just walk on your heels!

Paul

[pappy19]

I've had and used Whites Boots since 1965. I have 2 pairs, one with Vibram soles on a Packer frame and the other is also a Packer frame but with the wide toe and "air bob" sole. By far the best sole in any condition is now the air bob. It beats anything I have ever used on wet, steep ground; wet rocks, whatever. Also it doesn't hold mud like a Vibram sole. It seems to wear pretty good as well. I haven't gotten a White's catalog in a while, but when I had this last pair sent in for rebuild, I asked if they could replace the sole with air bob and they did. If you work in the woods, you can't go wrong with a pair of Whites with an air bob sole.

[Woodhog]

I see a lot of the boots mentioned in this thread have no chain saw cut protection at all.

Also no toe scuff pad.

How do you keep these smooth leather boots from getting all cut up around the toes and heels in the brush piles and around the sharp rocks, also what about working with a chain saw with boots with no protection?

I dont see many leather chainsaw boots at any of these places that sell what they call forestry boots. (Whites, Redwings  etc..)

Around here all we can get are Viking type all rubber, sweaters and chaffers for forestry work, they want over a 100.00 bucks for a pair of them. They are like walking around with ducks feet, also hard to climb on and off crowded machinery platforms with these things...

I cant find a good forestry worker boot anywhere.

[beenthere]

...........
Around here all we can get are Viking type all rubber, sweaters and chaffers for forestry work, they want over a 100.00 bucks for a pair of them. They are like walking around with ducks feet, also hard to climb on and off crowded machinery platforms with these things...

I cant find a good forestry worker boot anywhere.

Where is "Around here" ??

[Woodhog]

Where is "Around here" ??

We are in the Maritimes... a bit isolated and expensive to order anything from USA by mail...

[Phorester]

Maybe 20 or so years ago I wanted a vibram soled leather boot with steel toes. The only ones available at that time that didn't cost a few hundred dollars were the logger boots with the high heel.  Redwings, I think. Didn't really want the high heel but since they had the other attributes I was looking for I bought them.  Found them to be very comfortable.

Now I always buy the tall heeled ones.  For one thing this particular style seems to be made tougher than a regular pair of boots advertised as hunting or work boots. I get some steeltoed, some not.  I try to keep 2 pair of boots in good condition on hand, trade them every few days, more often if one pair gets sweaty, or when one pair gets wet from rain/snow. 

[urbanlumberinc]

I just broke down and ordered up a pair of smokejumpers.  I've got a really tough foot to fit (13AA), with a really high arch.  After flushing hundreds upon hundreds of dollars down the hole on boots that never fit right, I figure I'll give the whites a try.  If that doesn't work, I'm givin up and going back to hiking boots.

[woodsteach]

I just broke down and ordered up a pair of smokejumpers.  I've got a really tough foot to fit (13AA), with a really high arch.  After flushing hundreds upon hundreds of dollars down the hole on boots that never fit right, I figure I'll give the whites a try.  If that doesn't work, I'm givin up and going back to hiking boots.

Urbanlumber,  If you've never had whites or nicks boots go to nicks boots.com and view their instructions for lacing the boots with the 2-1-3 method.  Otherwise you will most likely end up with a pinched area right on top of your foot.

Paul

[pappy19]

Also, the best way to break in Whites is to lace them loosely and put both feet into a bathtub with hot water all the way up to the top of the boot. Make sure they get wet all the way through. Then tighten up the laces and wear them all day. The wet leather will not chafe and will mold to your foot. In the summer, they will be dry by half a day or less. After they are dry, then use mink oil or Snowproof. The bees wax brands are good as well.

[LT40HDD51]

Woodhog, where are you in the Maritimes? I have a real good workwear shop nearby in Kingston, NS that has some alternatives. They have also told me that they "can order in anything". I believe I was looking at something like this in there once: http://www.bapequipment.com/cat_41.html.

They also had another nice looking boot there once. It was the same basic style as my "regular" Terra 8" leather work boots (Canadian made, at least some of them are still made in NFLD). It was waterproof, cut resistant, and made out of what looked like a heavy rubberized type of canvas or something similar. Looked like a really nice boot, but I seem to remember them being more than $200...

[Woodhog]

Thanks for that site.. I sent you an e-mail...I get up to Nova Equipment in Alyesford once in a while...

[Samuel]

Tall heels for the vertically challenged people??