Frustration trying to find boots

[Mazo EMS2]

Well, if you're willing to order shoes online, check out The Shoe Box, http://www.theshoebox.com/

They're in Black Earth WI. I and most of my co-workers get boots for work there, along with other shoes. The owner is pretty darn good at what he does. People from all over come to Black Earth for shoes.....it's crazy. But I guess when you find what you want, you get it. Check em out. Heck I could even pick them up for you and bring em to Spyderfest for ya.

Rick

[Wreckluse]

With the Cdn dollar in the tank, these guys are more economical..........plus they make great boots, with free shipping!
http://www.daytonboots.com

[robmorg]

With the Cdn dollar in the tank, these guys are more economical..........plus they make great boots, with free shipping!
http://www.daytonboots.com

Those look like a VERY good bet - made to order and the price is right. I especially like the Low Riders.

[ataDude]

It's time for a rant...

Do a search on Sidi motorcycle boots. When I rode, those were the boots.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Leather Motorcycle Boots - Red Wing Shoes

EE width only, no EEE. The local store was no help.

[pegasus1300]

We have a world class boot maker right here in Spring City UT. He makes boots to order and has clients all over the world.
Give him a call and tell him Paul DeGrey sent you. He may not remember my name but I live just down the street from him and visit him from time to time.

Don Walker
435 462 3330

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Have you considered checking out an orthopedic surgeon? They probably know folks that can custom-make shoes and boots for you.
I've got a "Charcot foot". (The left one...). Basically; the foot has turned itself into a balled-up mass of bone, with some toes sticking out of the far end of it...
I can still fit into a regularly-shaped boot with some orthotic wizardry, but I did investigate the other options when this first occurred.

The local ortho shoe supplier has their own shoe making operation. The guy who runs it makes boots, and would for me also, but lace up only. No pull-ons. I want a pull-on. I don't like messing with laces!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Victor is (literally) old world shoe maker. He and family immigrated here a couple decades ago from Latvia (sp). But you will need to come to Chelan as he will measure and measure and remeasure . His work is superior. So if you choose to do that...I have an extra bedroom ....

We need to encourage kids coming up through high school to go into boot making. The local guy in Ontario is much the same, but lead time is 6 months. I would be surprised if your local guy wouldn't also be 4 to 6 months lead time. A boot maker in Pendleton won't do pull-ons.

[sandeejs]

I don't like messing with laces!

I sometime set up an elastic "no-tie lace" for my riding shoes. I have to get boots and/or shoes with steel toes, Otherwise I get this awful pain in my toes.
Such is life.
~Sandee~

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

There's a shoe store in St. Paul Minn. that has a website: XL FEET.com
They specialize in W I D E widths. They sell Thorogood, Carolina, work one, all made in the U.S.A. Also Keen, Magnum Stealth, Hi Tec, and Propet Preferred (waterproof). I like the looks of the Propet Preferred boots. Also have dress shoes, walking shoes, casual, etc.
Prices are very good.
I don't know about the high arch, so I'd suggest a custom orthotic made to fit the boots.
Check them out.....you might find it worth your while.

There's a very interesting comment on the page for a Thorogood pull-on boot.

Due to the enormously high return rate and customer dissatisfaction with leather pull on boots for wide width feet, this boot has been locked. It can only be ordered by phone or email request, and the customer is responsible for all shipping charges both ways. We strongly recommend against pull-on leather boots for wide feet. Nearly 100% of men with wide feet ended up returning the boots based on fit, and either exchanged for a comfortable fit in a lace-up boot, or returned for a refund. This style of leather boot is just not friendly to wide feet, and we prefer that if a customer is going to have negative experience, they have it with a different company.

That's the main reason I'm looking so seriously at custom fit boots. I wonder how many wide feet are high arch feet also. They should say, "This style of mass produced leather boot..." I just talked to a rep at Wesco boots in OR and he mentioned the issue of tight fit across the top of the foot. I suggested sending a side photo of my foot up against a grid paper so they could see just high high my foot is. He said great idea, it'll help a lot!

If you go to the Weinbrenner website, maker of Thorogood, you'll see where their boots are only about 65% American content. The US definition of "Made in the USA" allows the inclusion of a significant proportion of foreign sourced components. The local ortho shoe maker said almost all of the uppers for Whites' boots are from China, but they still are allowed to call them "Made in the USA" because they sew the uppers to the soles in Spokane.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Try Cruiser Works Boots, I've had a pair for 15 years, just had them resoled last year. American made and waterproof, plus very comfortable.
https://www.cruiserworks.com/Product...Zip-Boots.aspx

Medium (D) and Wide (E or EE) only, no Extra Wide which is the same as EEE.

[SpyderAnn01]

Danner Boots. USA MAde..See if they can help.. The quality is outstanding..

That was going to be my suggestion too. Joe wears them for teaching motorcycle safety and he loves them.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Danner Boots. USA MAde..See if they can help.. The quality is outstanding..

Very few pull-on available, and none of them are EEE.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

At some point I simply asked myself, "Do I REALLY need boots to ride my Spyder?" And the little guy who often speaks to me from somewhere inside my head replied, "No, you fool. It's a Spyder!"

So now I wear a heavy pair of casual shoes with synthetic leather uppers and thick rubber soles. I treated them with some kind of waterproofing stuff that contains bees wax or something. They do just fine, and they are COMFORTABLE.

Maybe I'm just old school, but I'm not ready to risk sliding down the asphalt at 70 mph, or more likely even at 35 mph, without some good leather around my feet! I have found leather to be the most comfortable on my feet and I plan to wear these for a lot more than just Spyder riding!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Well, if you're willing to order shoes online, check out The Shoe Box, http://www.theshoebox.com/

They're in Black Earth WI. I and most of my co-workers get boots for work there, along with other shoes. The owner is pretty darn good at what he does. People from all over come to Black Earth for shoes.....it's crazy. But I guess when you find what you want, you get it. Check em out. Heck I could even pick them up for you and bring em to Spyderfest for ya.

Rick

Big inventory looks like. Wonder if he has EEEs in stock like practically every other retailer does not. With a retailer I would have to go to the store and try them on. Otherwise I fear I would end up wasting a lot of time ordering and returning.

The only retailer I've contacted that is at all promising so far is Boot Barn. He suggested a couple of Boulet boots out of a list of seven I asked about that would maybe work for high arch, but they're special order from Canada with 4 - 6 weeks ship time. I can get the custom fit one's from Wesco in close to that same time frame and be 95% sure they'll fit right!

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Do a search on Sidi motorcycle boots. When I rode, those were the boots.

Not leather and no width options.

[ataDude]

Not leather and no width options.

Don't know about the size options but they certainly were leather when I was buying... made in Italy.

These are what I used and they are, in fact, leather. But... no width choices.
http://www.jpcycles.com/product/606-...+NON-BRAND+PLA

[trikermutha]

Very few pull-on available, and none of them are EEE.

Have you called them or just looked online?? Just wondering?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

We have a world class boot maker right here in Spring City UT. He makes boots to order and has clients all over the world.
Give him a call and tell him Paul DeGrey sent you. He may not remember my name but I live just down the street from him and visit him from time to time.

Don Walker
435 462 3330

We need more of his kind in this country! His ten year old price page shows his price is on par with the local guy in Ontario and Wesco. Lead time is probably about the same.

I've pretty much decided to order from Wesco. I hear and read nothing but good about them. The rep I talked to on the phone was very knowledgeable and helpful. I asked him about the length of the instep strap on their Boss motorcycle boot. He said save your money and go with the standard length. There is no functional benefit to a longer strap. Some guys like the looks and will pay $30 extra for them.

[pegasus1300]

The local ortho shoe supplier has their own shoe making operation. The guy who runs it makes boots, and would for me also, but lace up only. No pull-ons. I want a pull-on. I don't like messing with laces!

So have him make you a set of lace up and then add a full length down the back or on the side. Put the boots on and lace them up until comfortable then take them off by undoing the zipper I have been doing this for years, when I wore safety boots and now have it done to my motorcycle boots. I think it works great.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Don't know about the size options but they certainly were leather when I was buying... made in Italy.

These are what I used and they are, in fact, leather. But... no width choices.
http://www.jpcycles.com/product/606-...+NON-BRAND+PLA

The Canyon series is the only one I find on the Sidi website that is leather, but there are no width options.

[ataDude]

The Canyon series is the only one I find on the Sidi website that is leather, but there are no width options.

"• Top grain leather construction" from the link I provided.

But... you are right... there are no width options as I said before. Nothing further required, here.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

So have him make you a set of lace up and then add a full length down the back or on the side. Put the boots on and lace them up until comfortable then take them off by undoing the zipper I have been doing this for years, when I wore safety boots and now have it done to my motorcycle boots. I think it works great.

Add in zippers is what I've done with my Hathorn Ranch Packers. They work good, but I really want the motorcycle/engineer/wellington style. Your suggestion is what I would have done if I had to give up the search for a good fitting stock boot, and decided to scrap the true custom option.

Whites won't install a zipper and Wesco doesn't list them as an option either. There are a lot of other m/c boots with side or back zippers, but here again the arch height is the problem. And a lot of them use plastic zippers, not brass ones. As hard as I have to sometimes pull on the zippers on my Hathorns I fear plastic zippers wouldn't hold up long. An option I checked into is adding a side zipper into a stock pull-on. That is quite easily done and would cost about $50, but here again, finding a stock boot that will fit comfortably is the hurdle.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Have you called them or just looked online?? Just wondering?

Website only. There is no option given for ordering custom fit boots. Almost all of their offerings are lace up. They appear to ignore the motorcycle/engineer boot market altogether. I think they have gone the route of Whites and others where they buy many of the components from China and sew them together in Portland. That way they can claim USA made.

[pegasus1300]

Add in zippers is what I've done with my Hathorn Ranch Packers. They work good, but I really want the motorcycle/engineer/wellington style. Your suggestion is what I would have done if I had to give up the search for a good fitting stock boot, and decided to scrap the true custom option.

Whites won't install a zipper and Wesco doesn't list them as an option either. There are a lot of other m/c boots with side or back zippers, but here again the arch height is the problem. And a lot of them use plastic zippers, not brass ones. As hard as I have to sometimes pull on the zippers on my Hathorns I fear plastic zippers wouldn't hold up long. An option I checked into is adding a side zipper into a stock pull-on. That is quite easily done and would cost about $50, but here again, finding a stock boot that will fit comfortably is the hurdle.

At the end of the order form Wesco has a place where you can put any special instructions that need to have done and they will get back to you on availability and price.