I wore these to work every day as an hvac pipefitter. From roofs and penthouses to sub basements to manufacturing plants to walking the dog. I’m at a different facility every day, mostly in mechanical rooms or on a roof. The rooftops have been cold and snow covered, and the mechanical rooms can be a really hot boiler room. I spend a fair amount of time kneeling and have been surprised how well the toe leather has held up.
The break in for the first few days was ok, going down stairs was painful. I used the 213 lacing method to help. The places I work are pretty dirty and oily. I blew them off most days with compressed air and a quick horsehair brush. In the weekends I’ve been hitting the rough with a nylon brush and a longer horsehair brush off. I’ve lightly conditioned with nicks included conditioner (obenaufs lp?) every other month, mainly to keep the rough out water resistant. If I dripped oil on them or they got extra dirty, I’d used a brass bristled brush.
I have high arches and pronate a lot. I’ve always needed insoles with arch support until these boots. The leather supported my feet in all the right places. It took a while to get fully broken in, but these are more comfortable than any shoes I’ve ever worn. The fit is just right for me.
This is my first pair of PNW boots, I’ve always worn redwings before these. I was blown away with how solidly built these were. The thickness of the leather, the double stitching through the soles and the screws in the soles. I kneel a lot and tend to be rough on the toes, but the rough out 64 leather shows very little overall wear compared to my old redwings.
The soles are good, they have adequate grip and are wearing well. They are hard on concrete, and I probably should have gone with the honey lugs, but they aren’t uncomfortable.
I like the heel stack, I’m 6’4” and couldn’t imagine adding more height. It seems to be the right stack for my feet
I really love these boots. I love the brand. I’ve gotten quite a few people asking about them on the job site. I was initially worried about the upfront price, but considering the quality of these boots, they are worth every penny.