Muck boots?

"Buy it for life" is probably a stretch when it comes to muck boots, but we can hopefully at least approach the topic as "Buy it for a long time."

I'm looking for suggestions on long-wearing muck boots.  That's "muck" with a lowercase "m"--there is a brand of muck boots known as "Muck" boots, appropriately enough.

I'm currently on my third pair of LaCrosse.  I've worn out one pair of their Grange, one pair of their Burley, and am working on my second pair of Grange.  What I like about them:

1.  The fit.  They are snug through the ankle and relatively snug through the calf, so they don't flop around all over the place.
2.  The height.  I'm not sure of the measurement, but they come up nearly to my knees.  They're a good couple-few inches higher than most others.  This is a big plus, especially when walking through tall dew-wet grass, or wading into the pond or creek, or walking through the muddy corral in early spring.
3.  The rubber quality.  It's nice and pliable.  (But see below.)
4.  The look.  They're a nice medium-dark green, and I think they make me look like I know what I'm doing.  This is trivial, I know, but it is a factor.

What I don't like:
1.  For $100 (give or take), they seem to wear out rather quickly.  A pair will last me about a year before they start wearing holes, and perhaps two years before they're more or less entirely unwearable. Through natural movement, the rubber creases, and eventually these creases turn into splits, then into bonafide holes.

On the average, I'd guess I spend somewhere around one in three days wearing these boots.  On days I don't wear them alll day, I almost invariably wear them for an hour or two in the morning for chores.  So, they do get a lot of wear, but I would just like to get more wear out of them.

Maybe I'm asking too much, but do any of you have recommendations for particularly long-lived muck boots?

Well, I can tell you that "bogs" are NOT the boot to get! I would LOVE to know the answer to your question. I am currently trashing my 2nd set of bogs in a years time. Ugh For the price of those, they should really last a little longer.

I've gone through so many boots in the last 8 years.  Bog, Muck, L.L bean, timberland and more, just trying to find a pair that will last me more than a year.  

The worst ones: Bog and Muck boots do exactly as you say.  They split on the creases, and in warmer months they can be very warm to wear all day.  Not too bad on snow but terrible on ice. Waterproof until the rubber splits, then forget it. they stay wet for days inside.

I like my Bean boots because they aren't as bulky.  As long as I'm moving around, I can be out in -20F weather all day and still feel my toes.      They don't over heat in the summer but then again I'm not having to wear them all day during warm weather.  No mud... No boots.  That being said, they are still on track to wear out before I get through this next winter.  So that will be just about 2 years of useful life for this pair.  They do come with a lifetime guarantee so that's a bonus.  

I'd like to know what others are wearing, specifically in cold climates and where ice is an issue.  

 

I got a pair of Kamik boots, made in Canada, two years ago. They are still going strong. Really supportive in the boot and ankle area so they are great for the muddy mountains where I'm at. Also really warm. Come up to about mid-calf on me. Really good tread. I got them onsale for 80 bucks.

I wear Muck Boots almost year around, and even logging and working in the barn with sheep I get two years out of them. That is $50 a year so I am happy with that cost.

Boy, I was just pondering this question.  When I was in Canada I bought a pair of Baffin boots and loved them, but they are now worn out and Baffin no longer makes the same style.  I quit buying Muck Boots when I stepped onto a wet concrete floor and ended up on my back.  Absolutely dangerous. However,  my adult sons love them, and live in them working outside in the winter.  Like Craig, I prefer non-bulky because my feet can stay warm in cold weather.  I have looked at LL Bean, but they don't cater to wide feet.  So....I have been looking and pondering.  Hope to see some more replies with suggestions.

I lived in AK for a bit, because of the wet climate at times, " cannery boots" seemed to be the choice of footwear. What's nice is the come with two pairs of insoles that you can alternate and are not as heavy as the steel toed " Aroostic county cowboy boots" that I used to wear.
 They are brown with tan toes, light weight,reasonably priced and seemed hold up pretty well. Add a pair of decent wool sox and are pretty comfortable
 You could always tell the cruise ship tourist from the locals in Juneau. All one had to do... Was look down.  Larry.  I will see what brand they are and post the mnfg later on todsy

I used to wear LaCrosse when working in the cypress-tupelo swamps of South Carolina. They lasted several years. Then I moved to Louisiana where I again worked in cypress-tupelo swamps, but the newer LaCrosse boots rarely lasted more than a year. I believe that the makers of most knee boots or hip waders use a lot of plastic in addition to a little bit of rubber in their boots. Plastic does not bend a nicely as rubber and even without use it ages and starts to crack. I now use Muck Boot Company ankle shoes for work in water or mud. I also need some knee boots but all that I've found are pretty much worthless. I have not yet tried a Muck knee boot. I expect that they will work well and I don't work on wet concrete.

I'm not sure if they're sold in other countries but we have two pairs.
First pair is skellerup Quattro insulated for winter and deep mud always full height and then some skellerup 4x4s for summer which are pretty tough boots. My current pair recently split at the heel but that's ok because I've had them at least 3 years and they were not new when someone left them behind after a party(farmers party everyone wears gumboots)

I only buy made in the USA, Canada, or Europe. In shoes, I agree with the poster who mentioned Kamik, I get their snowboots and rainboots, which are Made in Canada and/or the USA, with few exceptions. Strong boots. There's also Danner in Portland, Oregon. Wolverine, made in Michigan. Belleville. Carolina.
The list goes on. A quick google search will find them. And yes, they are usually more expensive, but not always, and you get what you pay for, as you have discovered.  Plus, you get to support the American economy, not china. Here's a good site - http://www.americanmadeworkboots.com/ - and they have sale prices as well.

I buy the cheap Servus brand boots. They're $20, plus or minus, at Tractor Supply. (Higher elsewhere.) I wear them 3-5 hours a day, about 8 months of the year depending on the weather. Can't do without 'em. It's to where if I don't have two fresh pairs stashed on the shelf, I think I'm out.

-- Comfortable; they don't make my feet sore or tired.
-- Not too narrow in the toe box, no lumps, not too loose in the calf (they come to just below the knee)..
-- The rubber stays reasonably flexible even in cold weather.
-- Soles are about the right degree of stiffness. I can still feel the ground, but don't get bruised feet.
-- Thin cloth liner which along with Costco Ugly Socks apparently wicks enough to prevent really soggy feet.
-- Made in USA which makes a huge difference (Chinese rubber is not cured correctly, and cracks prematurely).
-- Removable insole, which doesn't slide around (and lasts as well as the boot).
-- Tough. I managed to stab one pretty good with a nail, and didn't quite put a hole in it. (In fact the stretch mark eventually disappeared.)

I get a couple good years out of a pair, and even then they're not really worn out. They get rotated to summer-only as the soles wear down and lose the micro-tread. When they're new, they're pretty good on snow and ice. In winter I usually have an extra pair with cleats permanently attached, for when it's really slick (if my barnyard didn't slope so much, I might not need cleats).

Unlike some other boots, I've never had the soles crack, even when all the tread is worn off. Never had cracks in the main body of the boot, either. They will sometimes develop a tiny crack just above the heel spur (figured out this is actually from putting them on, not from everyday wear), but not until they're already got a lot of miles on 'em.

I also buy a pair one size too big to use as winter boots, with extra socks. Makes a nice intermediate between uninsulated boots and deep-cold Sorels.

I've had lots of different rubber work boots over the decades. These are by far the best of the lot.

Don't like them, feet get to sweaty!  If it was my choice don't bother buying.

Muck boot brand seemed to start wearing out real soon, less then six months started leaking so I switched to Under Armor brand, seem to last a little longer. I get about a year out of them but will wear them daily from October through end of April.

Rez Zircon wrote:I buy the cheap Servus brand boots. They're $20, plus or minus, at Tractor Supply. (Higher elsewhere.) I wear them 3-5 hours a day, about 8 months of the year depending on the weather. Can't do without 'em. It's to where if I don't have two fresh pairs stashed on the shelf, I think I'm out.

-- Comfortable; they don't make my feet sore or tired.
-- Not too narrow in the toe box, no lumps, not too loose in the calf (they come to just below the knee)..
-- The rubber stays reasonably flexible even in cold weather.
-- Soles are about the right degree of stiffness. I can still feel the ground, but don't get bruised feet.
-- Thin cloth liner which along with Costco Ugly Socks apparently wicks enough to prevent really soggy feet.
-- Made in USA which makes a huge difference (Chinese rubber is not cured correctly, and cracks prematurely).
-- Removable insole, which doesn't slide around (and lasts as well as the boot).
-- Tough. I managed to stab one pretty good with a nail, and didn't quite put a hole in it. (In fact the stretch mark eventually disappeared.)

I get a couple good years out of a pair, and even then they're not really worn out. They get rotated to summer-only as the soles wear down and lose the micro-tread. When they're new, they're pretty good on snow and ice. In winter I usually have an extra pair with cleats permanently attached, for when it's really slick (if my barnyard didn't slope so much, I might not need cleats).

Unlike some other boots, I've never had the soles crack, even when all the tread is worn off. Never had cracks in the main body of the boot, either. They will sometimes develop a tiny crack just above the heel spur (figured out this is actually from putting them on, not from everyday wear), but not until they're already got a lot of miles on 'em.

I also buy a pair one size too big to use as winter boots, with extra socks. Makes a nice intermediate between uninsulated boots and deep-cold Sorels.

I've had lots of different rubber work boots over the decades. These are by far the best of the lot.

Not the most comfortable, but win by a large margin in every other category.  

When I need comfort, I buy lace up gore tex cordura hinting boots.

Rez, I was looking at the Servus boots and you can get them for $15.00 at Dick's Sporting Goods... And one question: do they run large or to size? I have to convert to mens from and it's always tricky when ordering online.

Cheli Bremmer wrote:Rez, I was looking at the Servus boots and you can get them for $15.00 at Dick's Sporting Goods... And one question: do they run large or to size? I have to convert to mens from and it's always tricky when ordering online.

That's a good price, if the shipping doesn't kill you. I've been paying $20-$25 at Tractor Supply, but they were $40 at Murdoch's!

Well, let's get out the measuring stick:

My foot: 9.5" long, 3.75" wide (standing, ball of foot)

The men's and women's are not quite identical. I buy both as they fit me a little different. Men's are a little roomier for the size of the boot, so are better for doubled socks (or very wide feet) without having to go really oversized. Women's fit a little closer so are better for walking around all day without wearing holes in your socks. (They aren't bad for that, actually, at least with Costco Ugly Socks. I no longer buy any other socks.) They're identical otherwise, except for color.

Sole measurements:
Women's size 8 -- 10.5" long, a hair under 4" wide. This fits me about right with single socks. A little loose but not sloppy.
Men's size 7 -- 10.8" long, a hair over 4" wide. This is loose and sloppy with single socks, snug with double socks.
.
The toe box has some height (enough for my high arches) and it flexes sideways on the foot, so the effective width is actually a little more. They don't shrink with age, but may develop a little more give (they feel tighter when new).

So I'd say they run more to large than small -- that is, they're the size I expect shoes to be!! Seems to me most shoes have shrunk, as used to be I could reliably wear any tennis shoe or boot in a men's 7 or women's 8 (I have no idea about dress shoes, tho) but nowadays that's a whole size too small !!

I should add I'm nitpicky about how shoes feel -- I notice every irregularity and can't stand asymmetry or lumps. I try them on in the store, and usually the first pair I try is fine. Once in a while one will be a little off, but I suppose that's just the hazards of mass-producing an injected product.

I'll echo the brand Kamik, I have a pair of their Hunter boots and I am pleased with them. I've had them for a couple of years and they are holding up well, but they might not be receiving the same level of wear as mentioned by others. My Kamiks are insulated and I wear them mostly during chilly spring and fall wet weather. I have worn them through summer but only briefly to do morning chores. The boots where stiff and uncomfortable at first when brand new. But thankfully that changed over time with wear. They now bend adequately and I find them comfortable for walking great distances over uneven terrain.

I understand the frustrations of finding a durable pair of muck boots that will last. I've spent some time researching brands before I bought my current pair. Here are my top reasons for choosing Kamik.

- Removable, washable liner, (in fact I think this will be the first thing to wear out, but super easy to mend or replace)

- Kamik has a recycling program for their boots. Okay, so I might have to pay a bit to ship them to Canada. But the option is there. I'll gladly support a company that shows responsibility for sustainability. At the time I bought my boots, I found a list on their website of boot styles that are recyclable (not all of them are). I simply choose one from this category that met my needs. And the best part is, I discovered my local farm supply store stocked this very brand and boot. No need to buy online.

I work in the woods and have tried many brands of rubber / neoprene boots over the years and am also an avid fisherman/hunter that has gone through many pairs of expensive waders. Any pair of rubber boots will wear out at the flex points no matter what brand and eventually lead to a hole. I am new to this site so I apologize if anyone has already mentioned this in the past but if you use a product called aquaseal to treat the holes you will expand the life of your boots.  It is flexible, binds to neoprene and rubber and lasts a long time. I believe divers use it for their wetsuits. I have gotten an entire extra year of heavy seasonal use from my boots using this stuff. Have also tried other types of rubber cements used for shoe repair but they do not come close to working as well as aquaseal. The only problem I have had with this product is that a good portion of the tube hardens up after you open it for the first time. For this reason I try to make the most of it when I open it for the first time.

I recently forked over $180 for a pair of timberland pro's. I needed a waterproof farm boot, so I picked up a slip on laceless pair. Let me share a bit of my history with footwear, which also applies to clothing for me as well. I have no desire for fashion or brand name and therefore don't spend a lot of money on clothes and shoes. The last thing I'm trying to do is be trendy or impress other people. So I have been buying cheap shoes, sketchers for that matter. I can get a brown, quite plain looking shoe for like $40 bucks. And within four to six months the soles crack and the insides of the shoes get wet if I wear them in the rain. I'm a simple guy, and one thing in life I want is dry feet. So I have been going thru two to three pairs of sketchers each year cause they're crap. I expressed my lament to my wife and she replied "it's because you buy cheap shoes - spend more and they'll last longer". I was skeptical, and still am, but I mentioned this to others and they said the same thing. I know just because something costs more doesn't mean it's higher quality, and it can be tricky to thin the herd of expensive things to get the ones that will bring longevity. I realize shoes are like tires on a car. They will wear out. I'm just looking for one that I can get at least three years out of and time will tell if I have it. Three years of regular wear sounds like decent life in footwear to me. I've enjoyed reading all the other responses in this thread and when these timberlands bite the dust I'll certainly consider some of the other makes mentioned here.

For those interested in the Servus Boots this is the link for where to buy their products.  Just enter your zip/post code or move around the map.

http://www.honeywellsafety.com/CA/Where-to-Buy/

I bought a pair of Bogs in 2010-11 or so.  The taller ones with neoprene uppers. On first walking through a puddle, I could see bubbles coming up out of what looked like a pinhole in the top of the boot. I contacted the company, they sent me a new pair of boots.
I took the new pair through a puddle, and could hear a popping sound afterwards- they had a pocket in the sole that pushed air out. I got another new pair of boots.
Now, I had THREE PAIRS of Bogs. I put two pairs away, and kept wearing them until they actually wore out. They never leaked from those initial holes, at least not internally. But by showing the company video of the issue, hopefully they did some checks on their manufacturing processes.
I just threw away the last pair earlier this winter, when the heel split vertically on both boots within a week. What do you expect for old rubber, they've been around for SEVEN YEARS.

My wife swears by Hunter boots.

When I went to buy my last pair, the guy said - "you want these, all the underground miners use them" (we live in a coal mining region). They are fantastic. Even my wife finds them comfortable and her foot is 2" shorter than mine. Safety caps too...bomb proof

Not sure if you can get them in the US

http://www.blundstone.com.au/mens-or-womens-grey-general-purpose-safety-gumboots-style-028

BOGS brand boots.  Lifetime guarantee.  No questions asked.  Neoprene tear on a used pair that was given to me as a gift?  No problem.  They shipped me a pair of boots no questions asked within a week.  I won't be wearing any other boots than BOGS - and they fit my foot better than MUCK brand.  Check 'em out!

I bought a pair of firefighters bunker boots.  Great boots.  I have had them for many years.  The steel toes have helped me several times.

Have a look at Dunlop, Bekina and Viking PU (polyurethane) boots, I get a year out of them as a roughneck on drilling rigs up here in Canada.

Well the ones I use aren't a muck style boot. Since they don't have a thick outer layer of neoprene, but they are tough. Extra-Tuf boots are awesome, if you don't mind wearing thick socks when its cold. When working, even in my lace up work boots, summer or winter, I wear three pairs of socks...lol. Cotton underneath to wick away moisture, a dense tight nit sock for cushion and air flow, and a loose knit sock that moves air around my feet with every step. So the thin layer of neoprene on the inside of the Extra-Tuf doesn't bother me, but the full length rubber does last for years. They are brown with like golden yellow souls and trim around the top. I've had my current pair for over 5 years, and have done professional tree climbing and brush removal including blackberries with no issues. When your not working you roll the tops calf part down, and when things get serious, you roll your boot up to your calf for full to almost knee protection. They are the commercial fishermans choice on the west coast. Fishermen will be welding and cutting steel with molten slagg spanking all over the boots without having leaks...lol. They are industrial grade, and when you see someone wearing them. You know they understand serious work, and serious boots. I've never had a pair of boots last as long as Extra-Tuf boots, and I've warn every kind. The only thing is, if you have cold feet, you wont like them in cold weather uless you wear lots of socks..

Thats my 2 cents. I hope it helps somebody!

Cost per mile...anyone else considered this metric?  I work at a sheep dairy in western Washington, and need to wear waterproof footwear at least 6 months of the year.  I've tried Muck, Reed, Servus, and a couple of others without really much satisfaction.  Most recently I purchased a $12.00 pair of Western Family Stores rubber boots - terribly uncomfortable, and they lasted about 3 months before splitting up the back - but even with that, the cost/year is better than any other boots I've tried.  

I walk at least 5 miles per day in my waterproof boots.  That's 180 days times 5 miles per day or 900 rubber-boot-miles per year.  At one pair per 3 months, the cheap boots work out to $24/900 = 2.67 cents/mile.  The Servus boots I purchased most recently (for $20) lasted 2 months (so three pair/season) = 6.7 cents/mile.  The Reeds I bought for $60.00 lasted a month!  The Muck Boots I bought a few years ago lasted 2 years, but at $130 that's 7 cents/mile.  So far, the best in terms of cost are the cheapest in terms of cost/mile.  (I just need to figure out how to make them reasonably comfortable - and, then, there is the question of waste...that is a lot to throw away in order to be not very reasonably comfortable.)

Recently I bought a pair of LaCrosse lace-up boots ($9.00 used, a size too large, at my local thrift store).  Too late, now, to get a good read as to how waterproof they are.

My basic requirements are that I can walk through (but not stand in) 2-3 inches of water, and/or tramp through a quarter mile of knee-high, rain-wet grass, without getting wet feet.  (Have you had the experience of walking through rain-wet grass that is higher than your boots, so the water saturates your pants and runs down inside your boots because your pants are tucked in?)

Gordon Shephard wrote:Cost per mile...anyone else considered this metric?

Bogs boots.  In my opinion, far more comfortable than other makes.  Designed by a dairyman.  I'm not one, but work in fields in the mud and often wear mine for +10 hour days and many miles.  I try not to, because my feet sweat terribly in a rubber boot, but these are without a doubt the most comfortable rubber / neoprene boot I've owned - especially for extended use.  The lifetime guarantee on them is well worth it.  Customer service is unparalleled with the replacements.  

I have some steel toed loggers boots made by Helly Hansen. $3 at a yard sale. Steel toe and steel shank. A bit heavy but really good when working in a nasty environment where nail puncture is a threat. I suspect that these were a very expensive boot when they were new. They were almost new when I got them.

I wonder where people are going that they need a rubber boot. I find good quality leather work boots quite functional in most wet environments. I wouldn't wear them to go fishing where you need hip waders, but certainly suitable for cleaning out the barn and working in the rain, if they are well maintained. Leather doesn't experience the same flex issues as rubber, and it's more breathable. My feet don't feel like they are going to rot. My work boots are a perfect fit. That seems to be difficult to find in rubber boots.

I guess a pig farmer might need rubber because the manure is so runny. But with things like goats and chickens and many other animals, the bedding and waste aren't kept in a soggy condition.

Maybe I'm weird. I'm on my 3rd pair of Walmart boots. The green ones they sell. They're like $15. My current one is 2 years old and still doing just fine. It's just rubber so I have to wear multiple socks in the winter. Perfectly fine with me.

Dale Hodgins wrote:I have some steel toed loggers boots made by Helly Hansen. $3 at a yard sale. Steel toe and steel shank. A bit heavy but really good when working in a nasty environment where nail puncture is a threat. I suspect that these were a very expensive boot when they were new. They were almost new when I got them.

I wonder where people are going that they need a rubber boot. I find good quality leather work boots quite functional in most wet environments. I wouldn't wear them to go fishing where you need hip waders, but certainly suitable for cleaning out the barn and working in the rain, if they are well maintained. Leather doesn't experience the same flex issues as rubber, and it's more breathable. My feet don't feel like they are going to rot. My work boots are a perfect fit. That seems to be difficult to find in rubber boots.

I guess a pig farmer might need rubber because the manure is so runny. But with things like goats and chickens and many other animals, the bedding and waste aren't kept in a soggy condition.

I prefer rubber because I'm lazy. I have leather cowboy boots. They're nice and all. When they get wet they shrink though and they are absolutely going to get wet at my house. I like that I can put on my rubbers, make a mess and then hose them off. Done.

I'd recommend Red Wing InJex series boot. The link takes you to the steel toe, puncture resistant model with an outdoor tread. They also make another version with a blue sole on it that is better for indoor, hard floor environments like a wash down or clean room. They come in a black/charcoal and white. They make them from a urethane material so they are more chemical resistant and less prone to cracking that a rubber boot. They also come in half sizes and can be trimmed down if you need a shorter boot and it doesn't compromise the boot. They do come with a 1 year warranty as well, so that's nice. $100-$130 USD depending on model.

I have a pair of Muck boots that like many have said, lasted about 6 months before showing signs of breaking down and leaking. The Red Wings are now my go to.

Anyone seen that "Dr. Scholls" machine (pharmacies/Costco) where you stand in your stocking feet and it tells you which orthotics to get? Although not cheap (Costco was about $75 for 2 pair), they make a world of difference and can be slipped inside most boots and shoes - although in some cases a half size larger is needed.

Not only does this increase comfort, it helps tremendously with knee, hip or back pain as it gets your feet/legs in more correct alignment. Some may find it a "learning curve" as their feet have been wrongly supported for so long they may initially protest the correction.

I have been wearing my Tractor Supply boots forv2 years now. I think I bought them on sale for 12.  They show minimum signs of wear and don't slip in the mud or moss.  I do need a good boot Jack.

Twenty years ago I tried to find the perfect boot for digging holes (strong heal, comfortable, high tops to avoid dirt). I tried on shoes everywhere but Wal-Mart Brahma boots were the most comfortable. Steel toe, leather, cushion high top. They were only $22!  They lasted 4 years until the soles fell off.
I'm finished digging holes, so I didn't buy another pair when I saw them a couple years ago.  I think the price was similar but I don't remember.

Now, I just want a pair that stays outside next to the backdoor, to slip on without hands, when I go outside.  I'm using open toe Crocs but my socks/feet always get dirty. Any suggestions?  

Hi Chris,

Interesting. I am on a similar search for a slip on work shoe.  Sketchers makes one, but I am not convinced.