Though Danner makes a damn good boot, they're pricey. Now I wear totally waterproof steel toe 511's from their Atac series, and love them. They make footwear for police officers, fire fighters and other first responders. Best damn boots I ever had, and half the price of Timberland (who suck now) and much less than Danner. I beat the hell out of my boots since they're generally the only footwear that I wear whatever season or weather. I used to always wear Timberlands but they stopped making anything in black in the womens/kids range, and after my last pair that cost twice what I paid for the 511's fell apart in less than two years (the soles totally separated from the uppers and wore down past the waffle in less than a year) I decided I'd never get Timberlands again. Timberlands used to be such excellent boots, but they totally suck now though they're still pricey. They also stopped making them in the sizes 5 and 6 in mens shoe sizes that I need since I'm small with small feet. Danner and 511 are the only companies I could find that still make size 5 in mens sizes (I always get the mens boots since there's a much wider variety of them). The one thing I love about the 511's is that they have excellent arch support. With all the dancing I've done since I was a kid I have high arches and could never find either boots or sneakers that didn't seem to be made for flat footed people. Because of that they're MUCH more comfortable for me to wear than any other footwear I've ever tried.
Once I gave up on Timberland I had no idea what other company to try, so I figured that the people that HAVE to have really excellent footwear would be police, soldiers, firefighters and the like. I asked all the cops that I knew what companies they used for their footwear, and they all said either Danner or 511. I also went to an online forum for police officers and was about to sign up and ask that question but someone else already had, so reading through that thread I was seeing the same recommendations - Danner or 511. I mostly decided on the 511's because of price though I do like the high arches they have but if I had the money I'd probably go with either one as long as Danner had those great high arches that for me are a God-send.
I LOVE these boots! I've had them almost three years now, and aside from a little scuffing on the top of the toes where I've hammered them on rock or concrete to get mud out of the waffles they're like brand new, and the waffles haven't worn in the slightest. They were stiff as hell when I first got them, but after wearing them constantly for not even a week they were totally comfortable, and I never got any blisters or even abrasions (they just felt stiff and clumsy until they got broken in). I've slogged through deep puddles and even low creaks, downpours of rain or snow and never got a single drop of moisture inside them, while at the same time they're breathable, and even with double socks my feet never sweat at all even in the summer, and they don't hold any foot reek like my Timberlands did.
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