Work boots as hiking boots?

[pwa]

https://www.millets.co.uk/mens/019174-h ... lsrc=aw.ds

A decent hiking boot / shoe can be had for reasonable money, so choosing a work boot just to save money makes no sense. £45 work boots are no better than this affordable hiking boot.

[Cyril Haearn]

Work boots/shoes are made to EU safety standards, Plus One, with non-slip soles, toecaps etc, I only wear work b/s from the diy store, (not bought shoes from a shoe shop for many years), or provided free by employer, they are lightweight too now, Plus Two

Used to wear leather army shoes, they were good too, mind, and wellingtons, +3

[Vorpal]

https://www.millets.co.uk/mens/019174-h ... lsrc=aw.ds

A decent hiking boot / shoe can be had for reasonable money, so choosing a work boot just to save money makes no sense. £45 work boots are no better than this affordable hiking boot.

As long as they fit.

Personally, I'd rather spend £200 on a pair of boots that fit me properly and will be comfortable day after day than be stuck in the middle of nowhere with blisters and feet covered in compeed just so I can limp back to somewhere the isn't in the middle of nowhere.

If I could get boots for less, fantastic, but if I can't, how does it compare to the other costs for such a venture? Is there someplace else I can save some money?

p.s. the brands that fit me are Timberland and Mammut, not, unfortunately, low cost ones. On the other hand, I have a pair of Timberland boots that are more than 30 years old and still functional, though they only get worn these days as work boots, and for jobs that are likely to be messy, at that.

[Bonefishblues]

https://www.millets.co.uk/mens/019174-h ... lsrc=aw.ds

A decent hiking boot / shoe can be had for reasonable money, so choosing a work boot just to save money makes no sense. £45 work boots are no better than this affordable hiking boot.

As long as they fit.

Personally, I'd rather spend £200 on a pair of boots that fit me properly and will be comfortable day after day than be stuck in the middle of nowhere with blisters and feet covered in compeed just so I can limp back to somewhere the isn't in the middle of nowhere.

If I could get boots for less, fantastic, but if I can't, how does it compare to the other costs for such a venture? Is there someplace else I can save some money?

p.s. the brands that fit me are Timberland and Mammut, not, unfortunately, low cost ones. On the other hand, I have a pair of Timberland boots that are more than 30 years old and still functional, though they only get worn these days as work boots, and for jobs that are likely to be messy, at that.

You make a good point.

I travel halfway around the world, at significant expense to practice a sport (occasionally ) and am always astonished at people who have done similarly, yet not invested a few quid in learning how to cast, which is the most fundamental skill one needs (a bit like having comfy footwear for a walking holiday!)

[Bonefishblues]

Trainer-esque, Goretex liners, for relatively cheap:

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/adi ... ts-~-aw18/

Good company BTW, have bought several things from here - mail order means it's a bit of a pain to send stuff back, but no more than schlepping to a shop in the first place

[ThePinkOne]

Depends on the boots....

There are some work boots that are good for walking, but they command a high price. Steitz boots are probably the best work boots for walking, but they are expensive and difficult to find. However, they are ideal for walking miles on railway ballast..... like certain railway workers do (track patrollers typically walk 7 miles a day on ballast, good going as walking on ballast is like walking in sand).

Some top-notch end Magnums are equivalent and they do composite toecaps & footplates which are lighter and don't make your feet cold in winter like steel caps & mid sole plates do.

Unless you require safety boots or protection for walking on very rough surfaces I would say get the hiking boots every time. For the same money you will get a much better boot to walk in for a hiking boot.

JMO though
TPO

[rjb]

Safety boots are zero rated for vat so should be 20% cheaper than walking boots

[Cyril Haearn]

Depends on the boots....

There are some work boots that are good for walking, but they command a high price. Steitz boots are probably the best work boots for walking, but they are expensive and difficult to find. However, they are ideal for walking miles on railway ballast..... like certain railway workers do (track patrollers typically walk 7 miles a day on ballast, good going as walking on ballast is like walking in sand)
..

Track patroller, is that still necessary? I thought inspection was automated now
We did have a sponsored walk at the Watercress Line, ten miles along the track, over The Alps

[RickH]

Has the sole grip on work boots improved these days?

I've an old pair of steel toecap boots but have found that they have a positively dangerous lack of grip on sloping dry grass - I was trying to saw some logs with a chainsaw in the summer & reckoned that on balance I was at greater injury risk with the steel toe cap boots that with footwear without toecaps but that maintained a safe level of grip. (Of course the obvious answer is new safety boots, provided their grip is better.)

[Cyril Haearn]

I think they are much better now, and lighter, but there are so many different types of slippery/dangerous surfaces

[pwa]

I have been wearing safety shoes / boots for most of the work I have done over the last thirty years and the soles are designed to do a job. That job is not hiking. Typically they will have a reinforced mid-sole to prevent something like a spade breaking through, they may have resistance to chemical attack, and usually they will have a fairly flat sole that works fine for general purpose use but is not ideal for a 15 mile hike in hilly terrain with a pack on your back. They are also heavy. Proper work boots are generally heavy. If you manage to find lighter ones you are going to be paying money that could buy a decent pair of hiking boots that would be nicer for putting the miles in.

You can hike in all sorts of footwear, and I speak as someone who once did Snowdon in a pair of Dunlop wellies. But if you are going to spend money on a boot for a specific job, why would you spend that money on a boot designed for a different job? Get hiking boots / shoes and get a good fit.

[Airsporter1st]

I would certainly choose a pair of safety boots which I've worn for a good time and are a known quantity in terms of comfort and grip, over a new pair of hiking boots. However, if I was starting from scratch, I'd go for the dedicated boots for the job.

Incidentally, work boots are not necessarily heavier than hiking boots. My current work boots have carbon fibre toecap and sole plate and are considerably lighter than many hiking boots. They also have extremely good ankle support which can be useful when hiking over rougher terrain. Since I don't currently own hiking boots, I would be very happy to use my work boots, which are (as already mentioned) a known quantity, for hiking.

[pwa]

Some safety boots are effectively hiking boots with reinforced toe caps etc.

http://www.safetybootsuk.co.uk/safety-b ... fety-Boots

So to some extent this is not an either/or situation. But if saving money is the reason for not choosing a dedicated hiking boot, you are going to be looking at the cheaper end of the safety boot range, not the all-singing-all-dancing hiker end. With care, and trying on, you could get a boot that does it all, if that is what you need. If, after the hiking expedition you plan on laying paving slabs with the same footwear.

If you already have safety boots that happen to be designed like hiking boots, and they are a good fit, great. Try them out as hikers before serious use though.

[PH]

OT - maybe - Was this ever a genuine enquiry? Someone from the US joins a cycling forum in the UK to ask about the right walking boots for a route most will never have heard of...

[rob_wales]

Never understood the attraction of boots apart from in wet and muddy conditions. I did fell-running for 16 years wearing x-country running shoes. Hardly ever tripped, never sprained anything. They were fine. Now I just walk but I still mostly wear running shoes. There is less support than boots, but my theory is that your ankle and legs get stronger controlling your balance - it's more natural. I recommend Salomon Speedcross. They are also great for cycling on mountain bikes as the heavy studs grip the pedals very well and stop foot slip. They are very light at around 300g and very tough.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017SR3G5I/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1