Advice on Boots?

Well jungle boots are great, but not steel toe, and i walk hevey on my heel, insoles are seemingly a must. Thats where I have the problem. I need a breathable boot, water resistant sure, dont need water proof. My feet get hot n sweaty, i can always wear good warm socks, along with breaks for the winter, but then i need 3 pairs, winter, summer, and general. Thats why im so hesitant to buy really expensive boots. If my feet start hurting, (that hevey heel thing) i would suffer for years, i cant stand wasting money... (i know cheap boots are a waste) can ya tell im conflicted?

 

A little lol.
I'm flat footed so I always have to get arch supports, make due with unlined slip on's, all leather, steel toe. I change my socks accordingly, thinner in the summer and thick in the winter. There are boots out there with breathable uppers on them, as well as the safety toe shoes.

 

You obviously put more wear on them than I do so i don't they would last as long as mine, but I still think that when you look at it long term cost wise you would come out ahead with a quality boot. Figure 150 bucks once instead of 50 bucks 4 times. With the added benefit of feet not hurting.

Edit to add: and for what it's worth I only wear one pair all year long. From summer heat in South Texas to January in north Dakota. The type of shock I wear changes worth the climate but the boot stays the same. I clean them with a stiff brush at least weekly and oil them with mink oil monthly. While not "water proof" my socks stay dry no matter how bad the mud the rain storm is that I'm chaining down at the job site. When I'm done and back in the truck i put them under the hvac vent on the passenger side and slip on a dry pair for driving. Now if i could just figure out how to keep the rest of my clothing from getting soaked.

 

I get a new pair of Red Wing boots every six months. I have tried other brands but every other kind i've tried make my feet hurt more then they already do.

I have had flat feet my whole life which has turned into what my podiatrist calls collapsed archs. Basically the inside of my feet are tipping in beyond being flat. I have very expensive custom made arch supports. There isnt hardly a dollar amount you could throw at me to give them up.

 

No the soles are a combo leather and rubber , whites boots made them.
As for the Wal-Mart boots, you might as well cut some tire tread and strap to the feet, not much of a difference in my experience. I have a pair of cowboy boots that I purchased back in 1991, they are shark skin and ran me close to $500 several resoles over the years and the shark skin doesn't scuff like others. Bottom line you get what you pay for.

 

I wear Redwing, very comfortable, spendy, $300 after adding an insole. Composite safety toe rather than steel toe, too cold in Alaska to have steel wrapped around my feet.

 

Same here

 

That is the same pair I have now.
Had them for two years now and they are positively the most comfortable pair I have had. Even more so than the Wolverines I replaced with these.
Yeah I paid $200 out the door, But I believe in spending money on solid things like this. As a side note, mine are also labeled as Made in USA.