Mine usually last 2 years. But I use them longer than I should. The sides separate from the soles a little bit, long before I get new boots. So my socks get wet when the floor is wet. Sometimes I put plastic bags over my socks before the boot goes on. The sole outlasts the leather, always. For the last 30 years, I have always worn steel toed Red Wings except this last time. I had bought Worx "by Red Wing" but different from a real Red Wing. That was the worst pair ever. I'll never buy Worx again. The Worx lasted 22 months, but I should have ditched them after 11 months.
The young lady at Red Wing, like all the Red Wing people, said I need to treat the leather with the mink oil. It's weird to put oil on an "oil resistant" shoe isn't it? Anyway. I paid an extra $8.00 for the oil, and I used it. But can I do it monthly? I don't know. It will be interesting to see if it makes a difference.
I don't want to use those "shoes for crews" that Safeway and others offer. Remember Kinney shoes? They were real inexpensive. I think I bought a few pair of Kinney brand boots for around $29.99 when I was new in the business
-- Edited by Burgermeister on Friday 8th of May 2015 08:18:59 AM
It really depends. The only boots I've worn the last 7-10 years were Redwings that my dad would give me after he was done with them. He'd get vouchers from work every year and buy a new pair. He'd wear a pair for a year or two, and then give them to me. I'd usually get another year or two out of them. I recently bought a brand new pair
about a month ago, but still wear a four year old pair on occasion. They probably should have been thrown out a year ago. There is no tread left on the bottom and there are four
or five spots in the leather that are torn all of the way through. The shortest life of the Redwings boot I've had was when I lived in Alaska. The constant trudging through three feet of snow and being constantly damp worn them very quickly; however I don't think another brand would have stood up nearly as well. I've tried other brands before, but nothing has ever felt great for my feet. The durability and quality were just an added bonus. I did have a pair of Walmart boots for a short while, but they seen the duct tape treatment way too quickly. Considering the conditions we work in, it sounds like your boots are doing what they should. I never used mink oil until I bought this new pair, but having used it now it seems like a no brainer. I know the recommendation is for once or twice a year to use it, but considering the constant dampness I don't know if it would be beneficial or detrimental to reapply more often.
