Best but COMFORTABLE footwear for clomping around muddy field every day?

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mudder

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Not tack for the animals well maybe if we consider ourselves animals..Didn't see a better subforum to place it.

I had been wearing my walking boots every day in muddy fields and pretty much worn them out after 2 years or so. Pretty high priced ones too. Doing some research this seems to be fair wear for the duration but now I have been using them every day I have been recommended I might be better served with a different style of footwear for most of my time being spent in muddy field.

Some good points have been raised to me that they are not suited to being wet and dried constantly in short periods or rather not let to dry before putting on again less than 24 hours later, which is what I had been doing so I might be better either with work/safety boots or wellies.

My concern with wellies is they would not be as comfortable as hiking boots which is as important as being waterproof since I will be wearing them so much. I have gone with some mid priced workboots this time but maybe they too are not meant for constant wetting and rewetting. We shall see.

I had not considered anything but hiking boots for outdoor wear until recently as that is just what I had been used to buying historically but my lifestyle has changed a lot from the odd walking I did outdoors every week or two when a keyboard surfer was my main occupation to now where I am out pretty much every day of the week working in the field.

So I need an attitude adjustment I think as to appropriate footwear and open to suggestions from you all who have been at it much longer!

I would be interested not just in the footwear itself but also how often you wear them for how many hours each session and, importantly, how long that usage will last you before they require replacing.

Thanks.
 
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I've been wearing some Shires Moretta "Eleanora" boots daily for many hours in all conditions since I bought them in May, I can see them lasting another year at least. Although in the winter, I tend to switch to muck boots, I will probably still wear the Eleanoras for riding
 
I'm really happy and impressed with these two. They are both super comfortable (once broken in), durable and warm :

Summer, spring and autumn when only a bit of mud about - Hard Yakka Banjo boots. They are work boots but look like jodhpur boots, they have a chunky sole and steel toe caps. They are leather (dark brown, almost black), and having worn them for a couple of months are like slippers!

Winter, or when there's deeper mud - Dunlop safety wellies. They have a comfy sole and to make them even comfier and warmer I've added sheep's wool insoles. These also have steel toe caps.

(Steel toe caps are an essential for me after our 750kg IDxTB stood on my big toe! 😵‍💫)
 
Aigle parcours wellies for me, neoprene lined so nice and warm.. my first pair lasted over 8 years of daily use in the winter , mucking out, poo picking and dog walking and my second pair are on year 2 but sadly now only used for dog walking
 
HJJ said:
I'm really happy and impressed with these two. They are both super comfortable (once broken in), durable and warm :

Summer, spring and autumn when only a bit of mud about - Hard Yakka Banjo boots. They are work boots but look like jodhpur boots, they have a chunky sole and steel toe caps. They are leather (dark brown, almost black), and having worn them for a couple of months are like slippers!
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Interesting, so you haven't found the material breaking up as some have warned me is destined to be the fate of footwear which are made of leather which is having to get wet on a daily. Mind you with all the drought we had this year that does not really apply.

How long have you had them/do they last between pairs?

HJJ said:
Winter, or when there's deeper mud - Dunlop safety wellies. They have a comfy sole and to make them even comfier and warmer I've added sheep's wool insoles. These also have steel toe caps.
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Yes I find gel soles essential for me for nearly all footwear I buy.
HJJ said:
(Steel toe caps are an essential for me after our 750kg IDxTB stood on my big toe! 😵‍💫)
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Oof.
 
splashgirl45 said:
Aigle parcours wellies for me, neoprene lined so nice and warm.. my first pair lasted over 8 years of daily use in the winter , mucking out, poo picking and dog walking and my second pair are on year 2 but sadly now only used for dog walking
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Lots of votes for wellies then.

Why only used for dog walking, due to wear or lifestyle reasons?
 
splashgirl45 said:
Had a bad accident and have had to give up horses 😟
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I'm sorry. My lifestyle change was also for health reasons. Isn't it awful that one day you think you will be doing what you love until the end of your days and life suddenly puts a brick wall in front? Not to be Debbie downer but I am just tellin' it how it is. :) Of course we must then try and find new fulfilling outlets to fill the hole but it is challenging for sure.
 
mudder said:
Interesting, so you haven't found the material breaking up as some have warned me is destined to be the fate of footwear which are made of leather which is having to get wet on a daily. Mind you with all the drought we had this year that does not really apply.

How long have you had them/do they last between pairs?


Yes I find gel soles essential for me for nearly all footwear I buy.

Oof.
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I got my Hard Yakkas in April, they are my first pair and have worn them every day for around 3 hours per day, lots of trudging across fields to catch / feed horses, top up water, poo pick, move fencing, checking boundaries, checking for toxic plants etc. However it has been an exceptionally dry summer so they've only seen a bit of shallow mud (couple of inches deep), just in the last week or so. Their grip is fantastic!

The leather feels pretty heavy duty and they are not yet showing any signs of wear and tear, so think they will be robust and last a few years. A few times I've got my foot caught up in bramble and pulled my foot through - the boots aren't even scratched. As they have elasticated ankles like jodhpur boots, they aren't ideal for deep mud, my intention is to keep these as fair weather boots and let my Dunlop wellies keep me sane when the deep mud is with us.
 
I also have Aigle Iso Parcours. They're on their 7th year this winter, I realised the other day. I add in sheepskin insoles for extra warmth (Raynauds) but I live in them during October to March unless it's dry, when I use hiking boots.

I don't think you'll find any work boot that does better than hiking or wellies unfortunately. My OH is yard based (not mud, but often wet) and he gets new boots once a year.
 
HJJ said:
I got my Hard Yakkas in April, they are my first pair and have worn them every day for around 3 hours per day, lots of trudging across fields to catch / feed horses, top up water, poo pick, move fencing, checking boundaries, checking for toxic plants etc. However it has been an exceptionally dry summer so they've only seen a bit of shallow mud (couple of inches deep), just in the last week or so. Their grip is fantastic!

The leather feels pretty heavy duty and they are not yet showing any signs of wear and tear, so think they will be robust and last a few years. A few times I've got my foot caught up in bramble and pulled my foot through - the boots aren't even scratched. As they have elasticated ankles like jodhpur boots, they aren't ideal for deep mud, my intention is to keep these as fair weather boots and let my Dunlop wellies keep me sane when the deep mud is with us.
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Fingers crossed. :) I read that a problem with the leather types is the salts from the wet also leads to their corrosion.

Regardless my expensive boots lasted 2 years which from what I read is the 'normal' upper limit for hiking boots and any footwear in general really I think for heavy usage.
 
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Percussion "sologne" wellies ... I walk dog twice a day and do yard chores all winter and feet are comfortable and dry.

Tried muck boot wellies and had sore feet in a week.
 
Fransurrey said:
I also have Aigle Iso Parcours. They're on their 7th year this winter, I realised the other day. I add in sheepskin insoles for extra warmth (Raynauds) but I live in them during October to March unless it's dry, when I use hiking boots.

I don't think you'll find any work boot that does better than hiking or wellies unfortunately. My OH is yard based (not mud, but often wet) and he gets new boots once a year.
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I don't have a problem with it so long as it is 'normal'.

2 years, which is what mine lasted was fair enough but I had false impressions they would last 5-10 years based on some things I read online which seems a false promise and only happens in exceptional circumstances but more likely the users were not using them every day.

What was a nuisance was when I bought the cheap hiking boots from decathlon and the like and would find myself having to change them every couple of months once I began using them more than I used to. I had barely broken them in before they were duff!

2 years is not bad if that is all one can expect. It is what it is regardless. :) Just wanted to ensure I wasn't missing a trick with other types lasting longer, which doesn't seem so from the responses.
 
Just a hint of warning….I used to live in wellies (mostly because we had a collie cross and I walked miles in them with him). I didn’t realise how badly they were screwing my back, more specifically my sacroiliac joints, up - after all they were comfy (Hunter and then Aigle), and seemed supportive what with having arch support. But no, turns out they were doing me no favours at all. They don’t really support your foot or joints at all - just too loose and a bit squidgy (don’t get me started on Crocs, which are similar essentially). Now I wear walking boots (with gaiters if it’s muddy). Much better.

Hopefully your back is fine and always will be. But if you do start wearing wellies a lot and start to notice issues, bear this in mind perhaps.
 
Burnerbee said:
Just a hint of warning….I used to live in wellies (mostly because we had a collie cross and I walked miles in them with him). I didn’t realise how badly they were screwing my back, more specifically my sacroiliac joints, up - after all they were comfy (Hunter and then Aigle), and seemed supportive what with having arch support. But no, turns out they were doing me no favours at all. They don’t really support your foot or joints at all - just too loose and a bit squidgy (don’t get me started on Crocs, which are similar essentially). Now I wear walking boots (with gaiters if it’s muddy). Much better.

Hopefully your back is fine and always will be. But if you do start wearing wellies a lot and start to notice issues, bear this in mind perhaps.
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I can relate to this! I get awful foot and calf pain if walking in wellies after a break of not wearing them, it does eventually settle but it’s obvious not doing my legs any favours! I also prefer to wear walking boots or supportive waterproof trainers for any amount of walking x
 
I knackered my feet wearing my wellies too much (Le Chameau too, so not cheapos). I've not sorted my winter footwear yet but thought I'd add another cautionary note.
 
I find ariat the comfiest wellies, the ones with the steel shank for extra support and to stop them twisting on uneven ground. However they never lasted more than a year, always split on the leg where they crease when I drive.

I bought le chameux years ago and never wore them because they were far too soft and unsupportive but ended up in them when the ariats gave up mid winter. I added a good plantar insole and they're so much better and show no signs of giving up after 3 years use. I really need to size up with the insole though so would do that next time.
 
Burnerbee said:
Just a hint of warning….I used to live in wellies (mostly because we had a collie cross and I walked miles in them with him). I didn’t realise how badly they were screwing my back, more specifically my sacroiliac joints, up - after all they were comfy (Hunter and then Aigle), and seemed supportive what with having arch support. But no, turns out they were doing me no favours at all. They don’t really support your foot or joints at all - just too loose and a bit squidgy (don’t get me started on Crocs, which are similar essentially). Now I wear walking boots (with gaiters if it’s muddy). Much better.

Hopefully your back is fine and always will be. But if you do start wearing wellies a lot and start to notice issues, bear this in mind perhaps.
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Oh wow, something I hadn't considered at all. Thanks for the warning.

I was actually just about sold on the idea of wellies as I just received my second pair of new walking boots on the post yesterday which leak when I dipped them in water to test their capabilities (below the bellows tongue of course).

This is a nuisance then; I am going to have to keep wading through the sea of none waterproof 'waterproof' hiking boots until I find a good one.

Better that than back issues unless anyone has any counter examples of welly types which offer the support of hiking boots? or at least good enough to not muck up ones body.

After one particular occasion of a whole day overdoing it carry around concrete slabs and railway sleepers which took weeks for my back to get back to normal I know that is one area not to chance fate with.

It is a really good point I had not thought of at all in my considerations as to what footwear to choose. I suppose I have been unwittingly blessed up to now having preferred hiking boots as my default footwear.

Is there not something in between? Like logger's boots or such? which I have had recommendations for - not in the department of foot support though just for ruggedness and more suited to muddy work. Never looked at them before but just the first glance they look promising. They have the classic walking boot look about them, before the fashion became for walking boots became to look like high ankled trainers! as in the old school british walking boot.
 
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It’s the lack of breathability too in wellies. Not healthy at all if worn for hours. I will be back in walking boots soon. Have sprayed my trainers with waterproofing spray to get last few days out of them. Then will be looking at some trail running shoes next but appreciate they’re no good for proper mud.
 
Jambarissa said:
I find ariat the comfiest wellies, the ones with the steel shank for extra support and to stop them twisting on uneven ground. However they never lasted more than a year, always split on the leg where they crease when I drive.

I bought le chameux years ago and never wore them because they were far too soft and unsupportive but ended up in them when the ariats gave up mid winter. I added a good plantar insole and they're so much better and show no signs of giving up after 3 years use. I really need to size up with the insole though so would do that next time.
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It is sounding like a case of pick your poison then and was not missing much by using my hiking boots everyday and indeed seems better than some using wellies!

Your second paragraph covers a thought I had just had too. If people's complaints with wellies is they can cause posture problems then would a good quality pair of orthopedic insoles not solve the issue?

When I got this last pair of hiking boots their insoles were awful, in stark contrast to them being fantastic in every other respect, and I while looking there are some really high falluting insoles on sale that go into £100 or more from what I recall. One would hope they did something spectacular for that kind of price.

Breathability as noted above seems another valid argument against wellies.

With all the feedback I am thinking I might as well just get another pair of these £200 odd hikiers I had. They were incredible while they lasted, which was about 2 years which seems on par with anything else I might get for every day use from what people have said.
 
pistolpete said:
It’s the lack of breathability too in wellies. Not healthy at all if worn for hours. I will be back in walking boots soon. Have sprayed my trainers with waterproofing spray to get last few days out of them. Then will be looking at some trail running shoes next but appreciate they’re no good for proper mud.
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Are you familiar with the company Altberg? Highly regarded in the hiking boot community. Not bought any myself but have read many mentions of them and they supply the military and police force with footwear so I suppose that is a badge of honour for them.

I mention them as they do more of the classic heave duty walking boot and also workboots for the forces rather than the light and probably less hard wearing goretex hiking boots that seem so popular now.
 
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