This may be well known brand to some of you out there fighting fires or logging. I've owned a pair of lace-to-toe smoke jumpers for 3.5 years now and i cannot wear them out. I wear them all the time. These things are bomb proof. Whites is a company out of Spokane Washington so some of you pacific northwest folks I'm sure are familiar.

A co-worker of mine had a pair of these when he started working for us. He was born and raised in Montana. At first i was pretty skeptical. The boots come w/ a $400 price tag. I had a tendency to wear out boots in 9 month increments. So the idea of killing a $400 pair in that time period was a huge turn off. Besides the boot looks a little weird. It reminded me of something built in the 20's. But as you look at the details of the boot you notice some things not on your average work/hiker.

For instance,
1. the soles on these are screwed on. I never had a pair that offered that but there were plenty i wish that were.
2. Every seem is triple stitched (haven't popped a stitch yet)
3. The tongue is stitched all the way to the top of the boot. (I have NEVER gotten anything stuck in the boot after putting them on. 3.5 years...)
4. They use only top grade leathers
5. "Meets or exceeds requirements of NFPA 1977, Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting, 2005 Edition" Whites Boots
6. They are completely re-buildable.
7. I've turned my ankle hundreds of times and never once have i injured myself. (you can practically run down a bolulder field blind and not hurt your feet or ankles :P )
8. Allow the ability to walk on water (ok not true but you could prolly water ski in them keeping your feet dry =D)
9. They take over 12 different measurements to get you a boot built for YOU. (White's keeps a permanent record of your specific dimensions on file for rebuilds or other model purchases) This is also nice if you have different sized feet. making a left size 12 and a right size 10 is all the same as having identical sized feet.

I could go on but i'm not trying to write book here. The price at first seems to be a con. But knowing that i've only spent the $400 in three years as opposed to the $800 i would have on redwings (don't get me wrong. i've spent hundreds on redwings and i still love them. good boots. but they aren't a White's boot). So the price issue and up not being an issue at all.

This is turning into a long ad so i'll shut up now (I'm not a White's employee btw. But I wish I was :P)

My whole point was supposed to be:

I trust whites and will own no other brand boot period!

"Life or death. White's Smoke Jumpers have often made the difference. Firefighters and smokejumpers have long depended on White's Smoke Jumper boots to get them through the toughest conditions. Now available in a lace-to-toe design for firm ankle support and adjustment, plus a deep-tread Vibram® outsole for excellent traction. So if your job puts your life on the line, trust in a pair of White's Smoke Jumpers." Whites Boots.

http://www.whitesboots.com/store/Whites_Boots.php

I'm the only fire guy I ever knew who swore by Red Wings. They're not in the same category as Whites, but they've served me well enough from the Sonoran desert to the Arctic tundra. I do wind up replacing them every couple of years, though.

And since we're on the subject of footwear, Muck's Chore Boots and Converse (along with the Red Wing Loggers) have seen me through pretty much every field situation.

http://www.muckbootcompany.com/

Disclaimer, disclaimer.

I have to ask... what's with the heel?

So how heavy are they?

Personally I had a pair of Wolverines that just got molded through after 10 years (darned basements!), and a pair of Chippewa's that are going strong, despite the leather wearing out at the tongue's base.

Anyway, interesting looking product. Kind of hard to justify that money on them though without actually trying/seeing them up close!

Lace-To-Toe Dri-Foot - Outdoorsman

look nice.

So far my Georgia boots have been great and at ~200 that's a lot!!

I have a pair of WESCO lineman's boots that are 12 years old. They are from the same area and made the same way. These are the boot of choice for climbing poles.

The heel is there to allow a deep pocket in the arch area for the gaff (pole climber) stirrup a solid place to grip the boot. It is also good for climbing extension ladders.

They weigh a ton, but I promise they do the job they were designed for. As an added benefit, the leather is almost cut/penetration proof. Can you say snake bite prevention???

I have heard of Whites.
I never have seen a pair.
From what I have heard they are in the same class as Wesco or Viberg.
http://www.workboot.com/

Wesco
https://www.westcoastshoe.com/wesco/

I think Wesco and Viberg are for loggers like what Danner
http://www.danner.com/home.do

and Dehner
http://www.dehner.com/index.html

are for the military types.
But I am not sure if Danner and Dehner are made as well because I have never actually worn them.

(I got a pair of Vibergs back in 1978.
They were quite heavy, but very comfortable. The only drawback was the weight, but they were triple soled, with the inner leather soles rivetted together with little wooden pegs.
The extra sole layers were for suppoert if you had to use climbing spurs.
I had to get them resoled in 1980, 1981, and again when I was in Ontario in 1983.
In 1984 they were retired because they simply wore out.
Pretty good boots except that the soles kept wearing out on them.)

If the Whites are as good as the Vibergs were then they should last you a good long while and they should get even more comfortable as you wear them.

Edit: @ Yelp.
Redwings are still very good construction boots, they are also pretty good for dress shoes and light hikers.
I have a pair of their dress oxford shoes.
Very nice.
To get the custom fit Redwings you need to order them out of the back of the catalogue.

No question asked, time is necessary for comfort. These boots took FOREVER to break-in even though I had them made for my feet. I am sure it is a function of the thickness of the leather.

Desperado;
I think you are right about the leather thickness and break in time.
With climber boots there is not a lot of flex in the soles.
It might not be so bad with the lighter soled boots.

The hardest thing for me was just getting used to the weight of them. That took months.

Someday I will post a pic of mine. Ugly as sin, but best boots I ever climbed in. I will say it was tough getting adjusted to the extra tall tops. If laced too tight they would cause cramps. Usually at the top of a pole!

White's (non-steeltoe) boots feel like featherweights after wearing Danner Quarry Steeltoes for the last five or six years now.

I 100% believe you get what you pay for when it comes to boots moreso then other items a person could purchase.