****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I've had two pairs of this style of boot from Timberland. I loved the fit and comfort that I got from them. My complaint comes from their durability. The first pair that I got were provided by my employer, where I worked in a wet location. While my feet stayed pretty dry initially, the uppers began cracking and ripping apart after about three and a half months' worth of wear. I attributed this to the constant exposure to water and polishing slurry that I was working with at the time. The boots would be wet nearly the entire shift, and then they would dry out in my locker until the next day. Over the course of a few months, it proved too much for these boots. No big deal really because at that point, the purchase wasn't made on my dime. One other item worth noting here... the floors in the area where I worked were smooth concrete. They were very slick when wet... which they nearly always were. These boots were NOT well suited for that type of flooring. They provided no slip-resistance whatsoever, and they only got worse with wear. About six months ago, I bought a new pair of these boots because I remembered how comfortable they were. I now work in a different industry where they only see wet conditions occasionally. The floors where I now work are still concrete, but they aren't covered with water or grease. These boots are great in these conditions. I have worn the boots for upwards of fifteen hours without a break, and while my feet were tired, they didn't really hurt afterwards. While the boots are a little on the heavy side, I found them much more comfortable than other boots that I've worked in. The problem this time is that the inner lining of the boots are wearing out. I never really noticed my heels shifting around inside the boots, but apparently there was enough movement to cause the material in the heel-cup area to wear out. Now the boots are nearly unwearable because they rub on my heels so bad that the skin is raw after an hour. I'm very disappointed that these boots have worn out so quickly because they weren't cheap. I don't think I'll be buying another pair of timberlands any time soon since out the few pairs of boots that I've bought from them, none of them lasted more than six months without a major failure of some sort.I just bought my second pair. I got 3 years out of first pair. Outside still good but inside is worn now. So I looked at boots and I could find a reason to switch styles. Let me tell you my experience.I am 58 and getting older. I work on hard cement and climb. I am female and I wear men's boots. they dont make them as well for women so a size and a half smaller works. I dont have back, hip pains from long hours as I do in any other shoe. I put in an orthodic to shift my weight forward and between the shoe and that insert I have worked three long years on rugged ground and hard cement and much of the time wearing them 13 hours a day.The shoes are rugged and high quality in materials and design. Nothing has broken or come unsewn. I got the water proof ones this time because I treated the others when outdoors and coming and going there is always weather.The black shoes are softer to wear and have a great fit. The new insert looks like the old one but there is an upgrade perhaps in the sole. It is more comfortable right out of the box. I will have no break in time with these shoes. I didnt have to break in the last pair either.So if you need to have good safety shoes and have long hours of work and at times rough terrain, this shoe walks over gravel and rock like its just a flat surface, you wont feel anything through the sole but a solid support, the ankle protects you from turning the foot. Laces are set correctly and right length. Eyes and hooks are strong and dont wear out. Laces after 3 years on first pair still in good shape. Surprises me actually. They will apparently out last the inside membrane.People state the shoes are heavy. They are heavier than most for a reason, they are protective boots, double rubber, steel etc. Keeps your legs strong. You will have good posture walking and standing, they are not a flat boot. And yes they paid for them self by protecting my foot from falling metal. Happens fast when metal hits the foot, the shoe protects and you continue working. You trip on a metal track or pallet. No injury or twisted feet.Safety matters. This shoe is what safety shoes are suppose to be about. Be safe people. Dont go cheap.These boots are fantastic. Truly "WATERPROOF" by definition. These boots are very comfortable, although I find them to fit small. I usually wear size 11 in my Dr. Maarten's Industrial (before they changed/ruined the shape of that boot), and Caterpillar. These Timberland Pro, I wear in size 12. The Timberland insole is very, very comfortable, but I've added Dr. Scholl's Gel Insoles Industrial Grade, and now its ULTRA comfortable.I work construction in the tropics, and these boots have been through 12 hour days in mud and water, and my feet get home as dry as the Atacama Dessert.I'm buying a second pair right now, JUST BECAUSE they're pretty BadAss!This boot is made for serious conditions. I've been abusing them for 3 months, and all they are is dirty; no signs of wear and tear otherwise.These boots keep my feet and back comfortable whether I'm walking all day over crushed rubble, rebar, or newly poured slab.The Timberland Pro is also CSA approved, so it has the steel plated sole to prevent nails and other things from making you paint the floors with your blood, so its also good for the painter's union.Great Boots.10 Stars!No, I do not work for Timberland; but had I the money, I'd quicker buy Timberland from satisfaction of these boots, than I would Remington for the MicroScreen shave.
