Golden Fox 6" Boondocker Service Boot Pro

Product Information

Mainly, the soft padding on the middle inner part of the foot combined with that solid footboard, makes for a good balance of support and comfort, for casual wear. I do wonder about the durability of the outsoles. I have worn crepe soles off of boots in a season. However, They are attached with a full Goodyear welt held on with bold stitching. The use of a plastic welt over the typical vegetable tanned leather means it’ll be pretty hard to resole, though you might manage oneresole if you want to swap the crepe out for something tougher. (Although at this price point, you may ask yourself if a resole is worth it.) I consider these casual boots and would not recommend them for work, hiking, or rough wear. They are heavy duty enough, but in that I-bought-some-boots-from-Eddie-Bauer way. Sure they look tough, but I wouldn’t bet my life or safety on them. They are based on military specifications, but I wouldn’t expect them to handle an enlistment.

Crazy Horse leather was originally used in saddlery and is renowned for its toughness and durability. It is a full grain cowhide and so perfect for this style of boot and a value at this price point.The Pershing Boot, or trench boot, of WWI was replaced with a more pragmatic and comfortable boot. First the M-42 was released and this featured a cap toe, also known as the Service Shoe. This had a two-piece stitched sole and was often worn with a canvas gaiter, which is a strap over the boot and around the leg to offer protection from branches and thorns, and to keep mud and snow from entering the top of the boot. It’s also this treatment that gives the surface a rich feel and look, despite how thin the actual material is.

On the other hand, those who work in hot weather love the material, even those who stand all day at their job. While not the best, this insole turns out to be more effective than it looks, which I’ll cover in the sole section. According to Golden Fox, the outsole is crepe rubber, which initially surprised me because it looks like standard gum rubber. Typically, I associate crepe with the lighter porous version that gets dirty easily and is hard to clean. The President’s comfort technology is worlds better, offering a cork midsole and an EVA-comfort footbed.We chose the 2040 last for a few reasons. For one, it’s just a wonderful round toe Munson-based last: straightforward in shape, with a nice snug heel and waist and an amply wide forefoot that fits a wide range of feet. But it also looks absolutely fantastic when the unstructured toe begins to collapse. The insole insert, although not pretty, is very supportive and very comfortable. It has quite a pronounced bump for arch support that may not be suitable for all feet, but felt rather nice and supportive on mine. It comes out easy enough and you can certainly swap it out for something else once it wears out. There are some complaints about how thin the leather is, but I believe these reviewers are wearing the shoes for the wrong reasons. Many of these reviewers use the boot for heavy-duty work, which isn’t advisable. These are also the same people who see the sole fall apart in just a few months. I showed him a picture and he was amazed....I guess I still need to teach the younger generation our Navy history...lol. This boot is fortified where it counts most though. I can immediately tell that the footbed is substantial. It makes a solid sound when tapped, and just the sheer weight of it assures me that Golden Fox delivers on their steel shank promise.

Introductie van onze handgemaakte museumkwaliteit reproductie van de WO II Duitse M43 Rough Outs Low Boots, een perfecte aanvulling op elke vintage laarzencollectie.

The inside of this boot is incredibly comfortable and I was amazed how they seemed to loosen up with my first few steps in them. Nothing pinched or grated against my feet. My foot also felt very secure and supported in them, which is reassuring. I never felt as if I was wearing bargain boots. Got somewhere to be? Here’s the long and short of this remarkable boot so that you can decide if it’s right for you. Pros So many of the M-43 boots were made and they were so popular that they became commonly available in military surplus stores as well as popular shoe brands adopting the style. The service boot style remains popular because it is the perfect refinement of a functional practical boot assuming a pleasing form. Plus the 6” height is perfect for fitting with most pants. If you’re seriously considering Golden Fox service boots, the two main things to think about are budget and what you’ll be using them for.

However, it was bendy enough on day one and is even more flexible now that I’ve worn it for a good week. This also surprised me since I couldn’t even bend the sole with my hand when I took it out of the box. In 2016, when Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson announced the Navy would ditch the “blueberry” NWU Type I uniforms he also vowed to deliver new and improved safety boots for the fleet. The eyelets are well finished and have no sharp edges. Around the eyelets on the inside is tough pigskin to reinforce them and this extends to around the collar. I appreciate this attention to detail and the strengthening at the wear points. Rugged and supple-looking, the material on this boot has a lot of character to it. It’s built with crazy horse leather, which gets its name because it’s often used for horse riding saddles. It’s full-grain leather that’s been soaked in coal tar dye, which gives it a distressed look that takes to scuffs well. Where the most confusion and grievances come from is with the sizing. Golden Fox recommends sizing down just a half. Some reviewers say they run extremely large, while others say they don’t run large enough to merit sizing down.

These boots are a bit of a project in putting on. I find that I need to loosen the laces or unlace them down to the 4th eyelets before putting my feet in. Once I l get my foot in there, the comically tiny pull tab is no help. These are not boots that you grab when rushing out the door in a hurry. To modern eyes these are toned-down, military-style, 6” boots that have a vintage air and look amazing with everything from khakis to jeans. You can basically wear these anytime you would wear moc toes. They definitely have more of a rough and rugged look, certainly suitable for casual adventures. One of the strengths of these boots over many other brands at this price point is how easy these were to break in and how extremely comfortable they felt while wearing them. These boots run a touch big, but they are not particularly wide, so if you have wider feet as I do, you may want to go longer to make up for the narrowness. I did find that they loosened up nicely and shrunk down where I needed them to except at the toe box, but that may be because there is a tremendous amount of room there. Chamois in general deserves its accolades as a do-everything rugged leather that’s still darned beautiful, and it rewards heavy wear about as well as anything out there. Especially when flipped to its reverse side, the “fat-liquored” leather has a truly unique feel to it, and is unafraid of basically any elements. It’s also legitimately self-healing—even nice big scratches will generally disappear just by…walking. And the nap only gets better with wear. Wonderful stuff. The Sole: Dr. Sole Raw Cord Full Sole