Category Archives: Engineer Boots

Engineer Boots Gay?

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Search engines, Bing this time, never cease to bring me amusement.  Someone from Mineola, Texas, (about 80 miles east of Dallas) searched:

“Engineer Boots Gay?” and landed on my “Wesco Boots — Gay” blog post. 

I will not repeat myself (too much) from what I wrote yesterday.  I have learned that kids today use the word “gay” as a synonym for “lame.”  The concern expressed, if someone is searching for it, is to know the opinions of other people about engineer boots.

I have to say that engineer boots are among the most masculine in appearance and design.  Their design dates back over 150 years, to the days when trains were running into new territories in the westward expansion of the United States.  With a bold, rounded toe, single strap and buckle across the instep, the boots make a firm statement.  In my opinion, the statement is that the man wearing them doesn’t put up with anyone’s bullsh*t.  Most guys who are man enough to wear engineer boots — be it to have on while riding a motorcycle or just knockin’ about the neighborhood casually — are strong and confident.

In my opinion, if you have to ask, “engineer boots gay,” then you aren’t mature enough to wear them because you’re still worried about other people’s opinions.  When you grow up to become a man, you will realize that other people’s opinions about what you choose to wear on your feet are lame — not the boots.

‘nuf said.

Life is short:  wear boots, engineer style or otherwise.

Comparison of Chippewa and Wesco Boots

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I have been asked from time to time how Chippewa and Wesco engineer boots compare.  Nothing shows the differences and similarities better than a video.  Here it is! (see text summary below)

Summary of main points in the video:

Similarities of Chippewa and Wesco Engineer Boots
Note: these similarities are for stock Wesco Boss engineer boots. Wesco Boss boots can be made custom to different heights, number of buckles, color of leather, different soles, etc. But standard, stock Boss boots have these shared characteristics with Chippewa Engineer boots:

  • Made in USA
  • Construction and durability: both Chippewa and Wesco boots are very well-constructed and will last a long time, even if exposed to heat, water, mud, chemicals, oil, etc.
  • Leather: oil-tanned (dull finish) high-quality leather
  • Straps and buckles: One strap with buckle across the instep, one strap with buckle closure at the top of the shaft. (Custom Wescos can have no straps or up to four straps.)
  • Shaft lining: Unlined (though Custom Wesco boots can be leather-lined.)
  • Thread color: the thread color on the soles and boot stays is white on both Chippewa and Wesco boots (though custom Wescos can have different thread colors specified.)
  • Toes: Steel toe (Note: the stock standard Chippewa engineer boot has a steel toe.)

Differences

  • Height: Chippewa — 17″; Wesco Boss — 18″ (or shorter or taller, up to crotch-high.)
  • Weight of leather: Chippewa boots are made from leather that is thinner than the leather that Wesco boots are made with.
  • Weight of boots: Chippewa — 3 lbs (1.36kg); Wesco 18″ Boss — 6 lbs (2.7kg)
  • Sole: Chippewa — Vibram Nitrile (moderate traction); Wesco — Vibram 100 (big lug — lots of traction)
  • Customization: Chippewa boots cannot be made custom. You get what you get. Wesco boots can be made custom, with different heights, leather, number of straps, soles, heel height, and other options available — at a price!
  • Price: Chippewa — approx. US$200/pair; Wesco Boss — approx. US$500 (or more)

Life is short: know your boots!

Top 10 Countdown: 6 – 10

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In my third year of blogging, I have enjoyed writing posts about my various interests and my life — and I’ve averaged a post-a-day.  I may not be able to keep up that pace next year.

I reviewed the visitor’s stats for this blog over the past several months, and have determined what the most popular posts on this blog have been, as ranked by the count of the number of unique visitors to specific posts — thanks to Statcounter, which does the hard work for me.

Interestingly, one of the Top 10 blog posts was from 2008, and three of the Top 10 were from 2009.  The remainder were posted this year.

So here goes… the Top Blog Posts on this blog during 2010:

#10:  How To Tell If You Have Vintage Frye Boots (October 30, 2010)

This doesn’t surprise me at all.  Lots and lots of people are interested in vintage Frye boots, and learning how to tell the differences between Fryes made in the 1970s, then during the 80s and up to 2003 when the John A. Frye Shoe Company as we knew it closed and the name was bought by a series of companies that licensed the Frye label  to third-party shoe/bootmakers to make products under that name.

#9:  Tucking Pants Into Boots (October 10, 2010)

Again, not a surprise this ranks so high.  I get a huge number of visitors to this blog and to the “Cowboy Boots and Jeans” tutorial on my website from internet searches along the lines of “do men wear jeans tucked in or out of boots?”  I swear, I never cease to be amazed at the large number of internet searches on this topic — probably by curious, confused, and happy-to-be-anonymous guys asking this question.  (IMHO, if a guy has to ask this question, he has more things to worry about than this matter….)

#8:  What To Wear With Motorcycle Boots? (September 21, 2010)

Again, I am amazed how search engines are used with the most inane questions by the curious and happy-to-be-anonymous guys.  So, what to wear with motorcycle boots?  Easy:  jeans, leathers, or breeches.  Simple.  Better to be booted in long pants on a motorcycle than be an organ donor wearing shorts and sneakers… just sayin’.

#7:  Hard-workin’ Old Chippewa Engineer Boots (July 13, 2009)

This is the first of my blog posts from last year to be ranked among the Top 10.  I think the reason why is the image that I posted with it.  The post itself is rather dull … just an explanation of a busy day while wearing engineer boots.  This is where “Google Images” produces hits on this blog, because whatever guys search for about dirty, muddy, or well-worn engineer boots produces this image, with a link to this post.

#6:  Wesco Boots and Gay Culture (December 27, 2008)  [This was ranked #1 last year]

It is fascinating to me that this post would rank so high on this blog — its now over two years old. Why does it receive so many visits? I think for two reasons: the image shows up in high rankings on Google Image searches — a tough-looking, masculine biker boot on a Harley. Second, I think the topic itself draws a lot of visitors too. I see many search engines results for searches such as: “why do gay men like Wesco Boots” or “Wesco Boots Gay” or “Gay Boot Fetish” and so forth. I’m here to dispel the notion that only gay men wear Wesco boots, or that the boots themselves are gay. They’re just boots, and while I own a dozen pairs of Wesco boots, I have yet to see them make out with each other. 🙂

Check back tomorrow for Blog Posts ranked #1 to 5!

Life is short:  keep bloggin’!

Civic Life in Boots

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Yesterday I attended three homeowner and civic associations’ annual meetings. I was asked to speak and give updates about various things going on in our community: the county budget and its impact on taxes we all have to pay; construction of the most expensive toll highway in the country, going right through our area (can you tell I’m not a fan?); and development projects in the area. This is what I do. This is my life. I do it as a volunteer.

… and I attended these meetings dressed comfortably in a pair of Wranglers, a t-shirt from the local university which has my state’s name on the front, and 17″ Chippewa engineer boots. Why those boots, in particular? To be honest, they were the first boots I saw in the closet this morning, and I know they are comfortable. I drove to the meetings outside my neighborhood on my Harley, so I wanted biker boots, not smooth-soled cowboy boots. The engineer boots are my newer of the Chippewa engineer boots that I own, so they look good. My older pair of these boots are kinda dirty with residual mud stains, so they wouldn’t look all that good when walking into someone’s home or civic meeting space.

As usual: not a single person of the hundreds of people before whom I spoke said a thing about the boots. No one ever does.

Life is short: contribute to your community!

Like Your Boots Snug?

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I was exchanging email with someone who was asking me about being fitted for Wesco boots. Owning a number of pairs of Wescos, I have some experience that I was happy to share.

During our email exchange, he mentioned that he wanted his boots to be very snug (close) against his legs. He mentioned that with lace-up boots, it is easy to adjust the fit so they boots would be tight. Since he was considering ordering pull-on boots (like the Wesco Boss or Harness boots), he said that he thought having the boots lined with leather might make them more snug against his legs.

There are several things that I mentioned in reply, such as you will save a LOT of money ordering custom Wesco boots through a third-party retailer rather than the manufacturer.

I also described the “unfortunate” thing that happens to your legs as you age. I hate to say it, but as you get older, your legs will become wider and you may develop problems like vericose veins. Even if you work out regularly, your calf muscles begin to lose tone and expand. Just a little bit each year, and overall they don’t get too big, but by your late 40s or 50s, your legs will probably be 1 to 1-1/2″ wider in circumference than they were at age 30.

If you like “snug” boots and fit yourself snugly by providing very accurate but close measurements of your calf circumference in your Wesco order, you will find that your boots will outlive your ability to wear them. Eventually, your legs will get wider and you just won’t be able to squeeze them on. Your huge investment now will be rendered useless to you, and either you may not wear the boots any more or sell them and be lucky to get half of what you paid for them originally. (Believe me, I’ve “been there, done that.”)

My recommendation: even though Wesco doesn’t recommend it, I suggest adding 1/2″ to 1″ to your calf measurement on the custom sizing form. (The main reason in my opinion as to why Wesco doesn’t recommend adding to your calf width measurement is that they know that legs get bigger over time, and that snug boots now will become non-fitting boots later. Thus, Wesco may get another sale later on when your boots don’t fit you any more.)

Another thing to know about is a major and frequently overlooked (or not thought-about) matter: as you age, your become susceptible to DVT — deep vein thrombosis. This is where a clot forms in a vein in your leg due to poor circulation. The clot could break free and end up in the brain, causing a stroke, or in the heart, causing cardiac arrest. it’s very serious, and happens more often than people realize. It could happen to anyone, but those who smoke cigarettes or take medications that affect blood circulation (such as pain killers, blood pressure, or certain asthma drugs), are more at risk.

When you wear boots snugly on your legs, you are significantly increasing the “odds” of getting a clot, even at a younger age, because snug boots will reduce blood circulation in the legs and feet. When you take your boots off – BAM! A stroke! I know someone who was 41 years old and had this happen. It wasn’t pretty.

My personal recommendation is to get boots that allow room around your legs so they are not squeezed. Consider if you will be wearing leather breeches or jeans tucked inside the boots.

So be careful and cautious before choosing to make your boots snug tightly on your legs. Just a word of warning, in case you didn’t know.

Best Value Motorcycle Boots

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I am writing this in response to several Google searches that continue to end up on this blog, on my post about “best motorcycle boots.” There is a difference between all the “bests”:

  • Best quality motorcycle boots
  • Best motorcycle boots for long-day comfort
  • Best value motorcycle boots

Let me offer some of my opinions for each of these qualifications. Remember, these are my opinions and yours or your Uncle Pete who has been riding since forever may be different. I have been riding a motorcycle for more than 30 years, and have tried and worn probably over 200 pairs of boots while riding during that time. I summarized this experience along with some research in my Guide to Motorcycle Boots that has won rave reviews and upon which this blog post is based.

In my post on “best motorcycle boots,” I commented on the durability, sole, comfort, fit, and value of Chippewa Firefighter Boots. I still believe that Chippewa Firefighter Boots fit all of those criteria exceptionally well.

But in the three categories listed above, here are some more of my opinions.

Best quality motorcycle boots: By far, the best quality motorcycle boots must be Wesco Boots. Currently I have 11 pairs of Wesco Boots and I find that their quality and durability is second-to-none. You can tell that by the construction and attention to detail, as each pair of boots is “built” individually by skilled bootmakers working at their facility in Scappoose, Oregon. Their “Boss” and harness motorcycle boots are of exceptional quality, and will last well beyond the lifetime of the wearer.

Features of quality in a motorcycle boot that I look for include:

  • All leather construction (no plastic anywhere)
  • true Vibram soles (not cheap rubber, “nitrile,” or similar knock-offs).
  • stitched, not glued, soles. Boots with stitched soles can be resoled if necessary.
  • leather lined boot shafts.
  • Materials and craftsmanship that shows in every detail of construction. There are no blemishes in the leather, and all stress points are double-stitched.

By all means, Wesco Boots are the best quality, but they are about the most expensive of the “biker boot” variety (motorcycle police patrol boots can be equally as costly, but that’s for another blog post.) However, Wesco boots are also the heaviest of all biker boots, and boots that are heavy to lug around on the feet can become uncomfortable on a long day’s ride.

Most comfortable motorcycle boots: Face it, a long day in the saddle means that you have to accommodate anything that can cause discomfort on a ride. The feet that begin to hurt if the boots you’re wearing are too tight, too loose, flimsy, or heavy. You can’t count the number of times that you have to bend and flex your knees and put your boot down on pavement while stopped. You put pressure on your feet when operating a motorcycle and when taking breaks, and certainly when you arrive at your destination by walking around. Sometimes destinations involve hiking or walking on rocky terrain, so a comfortable motorcycle boot will do double-duty, serving both to provide protection to a motorcyclist, but also as a hiking boot.

A comfortable motorcycle boot will have built-in high-quality insoles, and the boot will be lined with leather or specialized fabrics (like Cambrelle). The boot can be short or tall, but no taller than the back of the knee while seated. (If the boot is taller than that, it will grind against the back of the knee and cause sores.)

Also, a comfortable motorcycle boot will “break well” at the ankle. What I mean by this is that the bend of the boot in the back where the shaft meets the foot — often right at the height of the soft tissue at the back of the ankle — is straight across and doesn’t bend sideways. A “bad break” is all too easily felt when the inside of the boot rubs against the ankle and causes blisters or bleeding sores. Good “shortie” boots have a padded ankle collar which prevents this problem from happening. Good tall boots perhaps need some “training” at the ankle before wearing them regularly.

Personally, I have found that Chippewa oil-tanned Engineer Boots are about the most comfortable of the traditional “biker boots” I have worn. They are well-constructed, have replaceable soles, and are durable. I have had one pair of these boots for over 20 years and they are holding up fine, even when they have tromped through mud or water.

Best value motorcycle boots: So this brings me to what I think are the best value today in motorcycle boots. Sometimes it is easier to say what is NOT the best value: Boots that cost less than US$100. There is a reason for that — poor quality materials (including blemished leather or leather feet and plastic shafts), workmanship that may include child labor in poorer countries, glued soles, and soles made of soft material that will leave black melt-marks on hot motorcycle pipes. Unfortunately, most “Harley-Davidson” and “X-element” brand boots fall into this category.

What, to me, composes good value for an investment are boots that will be able to withstand the typical uses that a motorcyclist will subject them to: lots of flexing at the ankles and a need for “grip” by the sole on pavement when stopping and starting a bike. The soles should be replaceable, so they should not be glued on. That’s why the cheaper boots referenced above are not a good value, because they have glued soles. Also, often cheap boots are unlined, which actually makes them hotter on the feet, and less comfortable.

Boots with good value will last for years of typical regular use. That’s why I continue to go back to Chippewa Boots for both value as well as comfort. You can get them short or tall, and know they will last a long time. They are not expensive when you consider that you are making a long-term investment. Think of it this way: spend US$89 on a pair of boots and wear them for a couple years, then they fall apart or you need to replace the soles and you can’t because they are glued, not stitched. So in one or two years, you have to buy another pair. Alternatively, spend US$200 on a pair of Chippewa boots, and they will last ten or more years even with heavy use. Annualizing the cost, the Chippewas “cost less than half” as much as the cheaper boots cost. That is how you compute value. Don’t go for cheap — go for “relative expense” compared with “a boot’s lifetime.”

My two cents. What are yours?

Life is short: wear your boots!

Boots In, Boots Out

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This may be hard for some people to believe, but I am not trying to establish a record of how many pairs of boots can be owned and worn by one man. I did, however, briefly hit a new record by receiving a new pair of boots — Guide Gear engineer boots — that I picked up on a surplus sale for only US$20. This brought my collection up to 150 pairs of boots.

However, the very next day, I shipped a pair of my boots to a buddy (he will reveal himself at a later point in time.) These were my Chippewa lug-soled engineer boots that I bought on a close-out sale in 2007.

The Chippewa boots were labeled size 10-1/2D yet my feet swam around in them so much that they were more like an 11EE, which is my friend’s boot size. No matter how thick my socks nor how many additional insole/inserts I put in the boots, my feet continued to “swim around” in the boots and therefore they never felt right. They’re great boots, but not my size and since they were a close out since Chippewa stopped making them with a lug sole, not avaiable in my size.

So, for now, my boot collection remains stable at 149 147 pairs (oops, in June, I had to discard a pair of Harley Harness Boots and a pair of Corcoran Field Boots, but I forgot to delete them from my list until now.)

One pair in, one pair out… and that’s probably what it will be like for a while. Again, believe it or not, I do not envision buying any more boots, but I’m not one to turn down a great deal or opportunity.

Life is short: wear your boots!

It’s All About the Boots Part 2: Biker Boots

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I am an avid motorcyclist. I have been riding motorcycles regularly for 32 years. Currently, I have a Harley-Davidson Road King Classic, which I bought new last year (2008). I had the handlebars replaced so the bike fits me better. I also had the instrumentation changed to have a combined speedometer/tach. Otherwise, the bike is stock.

When it comes to boots for the bike, my three favourite pairs of biker boots are:

  • stock Chippewa Firefighter boots
  • custom tall Wesco Harness boots
  • stock Chippewa oil-tanned Engineer boots

Tall boots usually need to be made custom to fit my muscular calfs. However, tall Chippewa Engineer boots are made with a rather wide calf, so no further adjustment is necessary. (That’s good, since you can’t get them made custom, anyway.)

Wesco Boots are by far the most durable boots I have ever worn while motorcycling. The only challenge I have with them is that they are very heavy, and sometimes get hot out in the sun when riding all day on big Harley with an air-cooled engine. On those days, in particular, I prefer to wear my Chippewa Firefighter boots, which are durable and exceptionally comfortable.

Meanwhile, enjoy the video titled, “It’s All About the Boots Part 2: Biker Boots” to see these boots closer up and in action.


Erosion Control Makes Muddy Boots

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We have a “babbling brook” at the far edge of our rear property. The brook has been babbling away at the edges, enough to cause some erosion that we don’t want to have happen. We were about to lose some Hellibore to the stream.

Yesterday, my partner and I spent several hours working on the problem. Deepening the stream channel, and removing some rocks and placing them as rip-rap along the edge so the water won’t erode more of the soil.

As I was working away, my partner stood by to hand me tools of the trade as I needed them — crow bar, sledge hammer, shovel — and we got the job done. While I’m sore as heck today, I can tell that the water is flowing more freely since it rained last night. Opening the stream by removing debris and huge quartz rocks will prevent more erosion of the soil. I bask in the soreness of a job well-done.

As I was finishing up, my partner smiled and said, “do you want me to get the camera?” … he knows that sometimes I take pictures of hard-working boots like these old muddy Chippewa Engineers, which seem to be designed for that purpose. A hard-workin’ man’s boots that have withstood a lot of this kind of work in the past, and keep on goin’.

Maintaining Shine on Chippewa Hi-Shine Boots

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Here I am in Sunday afternoon’s attire, out back, takin’ a break from reading, writing, and baking. I really mean it when I say that if you’re going to invest in leather, to wear it more than once-a-year to leather fetish events.

I’ve been asked from time to time how to keep a good shine on boots like Chippewa Hi-Shine engineer boots. While the boots are made of all leather, there is a thin plastic coating on the boots that makes them shine.

For many years, bike cops have used spray furniture polish on Dehcord, which is the plastic that stock Dehner boots are made of. My bike cop tenant swears by the practice of wiping down his Dehner boots with a damp cloth when he gets home, then after he takes his boots off, he gives them a light spray of household furniture polish and wipes the boots down again until they glisten. And his boots always look sharp!

So I tried spraying my new lug-soled Chippewa Hi-Shine boots with a little furniture polish and wiping them until there was no residue left. The boots look great! It really works!

I wore these boots to work today (dress pants over) and a couple of security-type guys in a meeting I attended at oh-dark-thirty this morning noticed the boots and asked me a lot of questions about them — what brand, how they feel, and how I keep them so shiny. I guess the treatment works! And as a side-benefit, dust will be repelled, too! Who could ask for more? (LOL!)

Life is short: wear your boots (and leather, when you can!)