This week I'm listing the things that I like the best. I say, why not start from the bottom up. First things first then - boots.
Most folks don't give their footwear much thought. You see a shoe you like, and try it on. If it fits your foot (and hopefully the budget) you buy it and take it home, likely to be worn about 3 times a week for an average of 10 hours a day. An exception being the fashionista, who will take an entire paycheck to buy a shoe that she'll wear twice, all the time cursing to herself that she'll never buy something so uncomfortable, again. The lineman tends to approach footwear with a long view.
Footwear in the line trade is not something that is entered into lightly. Easily understood, once you consider the fact that a lineman's day is mostly spent on his feet. Even more understandable once you take in to account that a day for a lineman can be anywhere from 8 to 40 hours long.
As a lineman, when you show up at work, there is a tacit understanding that the hours of your workday that while defined somewhere in a union contract, are more or less arbitrary points of reference which define when the overtime and double time pay begin. When you walk through the gate at the yard, you know that there is more than an outside chance that everything can go sour today, and you will be working some long hours to make sure that the good folks at home can turn on the heat and watch the game. It's just part of the deal.
When you spend that long on your feet, you think more about what your footwear needs to do for you. You'd be surprised at just how long a group of linemen can sit around talking about their boots.
Shanks, insulation, leather pads, kevlar, waterproof liners, Vibram soles, boot height - the list goes on and on and on. And everyone has an opinion. You have to. When your footwear is going to cost you the equivalent of 1 or 2 days pay, you think about it. What has worked for you in the past, is what you carry forward with you.
That said, here are my favorites (and current footwear choices) in the pantheon of things which a lineman likes.
Danner and Hoffman boot companies have joined together to create a Frankenstein creation that does exactly what you want. Danner comfort and Hoffman performance. I was on a pole for about 6 hours the first day I ever wore these. They felt as comfortable as slippers the whole time.
I just bought a pair of these a week ago, and have been absolutely pleased with them. I've always wanted a boot that I didn't have to spend the time to lace up. I always like having a boot be watertight. This boot has been great. I was up on a pole doing a backyard easement pole change out for about 4 hours, last week, and these boots performed great. Especially considering that after that pole change out I helped replace another rear-easement SP transformer that went catastrophic, and then replace a power pole and two spans of 4 ACSR that were taken out by a wayward eucalyptus tree. That was a 20 hour day, my friends. And the boots carried me through all day and night. The best part was when I got home at 5 in the morning, I didn't have to unlace my boots at the door. BONUS!
When the snow starts falling, you'd best reach for your pacs, Slim. These boot have taken me through many a winter storm season. They're waterproof, felt lined for warmth, steel shanked, and ready to take on whatever comes their way. When I was a mountain power lineman in the Central Sierra Nevada, I kept these boots in my rain gear bag. If I knew I was headed out for a boggy, sloggy, wet, cold adventure, I never left the yard without strapping on my White's Pacs. They're just as comfortable on a pole as they are on a trail. They work well with your snowshoes. They just look good, too.
As far as boots go - those are my favorites. I'm interested in finding out what other guys have found to be a good boot. What do you wear, and why? Calling all lineman lurkers.
Another question. Are there any other Linework related blogs out there? Let me know. I'd love to link up.
Coming up this week.
Hand Tools
Lineman Gifts
14 comments:
Redwing's. 27 years of comfort, right out of the box or on a pole all day.Hall's sells the same boot with their name on it but when you say new boots I say Redwing.
My daddy, a retired lineman, always wore Wesco boots, and it was my job at the end of the day to unlace them and take them off his tired feet. I still to this day can smell the dusty hot leather (we lived in Arizona)! As I took off his boots he'd ask me about my day and--since it took a while to get those tall beasts off-- we'd chat. I'm not going to lie, I didn't like doing this job. I hated the feel of the dirt on my hands and the smell when the boots came off, but I loved the time with my daddy and the older I get the more I cherish the ritual we had. Anyway... I found your blog googling for work boots. Thanks bringing back a very cool memory! Be safe out there!
I've got the trooper lineman boots too and love them! Fast break in and totally waterproof ands warm (I've got the insulated version). Had the hall's slip ons and thrashed them in one week in an ice storm here in Kentucky in 09 not the boots fault, the ice just cut right through the leather. Next on my list is the whites pac. Heard nothing but good about them!
Electricians are always putting their lives at risk when they scale the poles to correct faults in power lines. A miscalculation or slip can be catastrophic. However, they reduce this risk by wearing safety clothing, and especially shoes.
Several features make Red Wing Men’s Iron Ranger our top lineman boots even our top choice. Among them which are leather material. It is not every day that you get full natural leather boots and so it is something worth the applause. But what’s the big deal with having leather? – You may ask. The shank is steel and the insole, pure leather.
Well, natural leather is quite durable in comparison to its synthetic material counterparts. It is also relatively breathable and flexible. We were able to confirm this, and true to these qualities, the boots were genuinely comfortable – of course not the comfort you get from sneakers.
Linemen need all the comfort they can get from their shoes. That is what the cork midsole do in this boot. Read More
Awesome! No words. You always go one step beyond.
There is so much great, useful information here. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Read our guide if you wish.
the shoesfinder
Thanks again :)
What an informative article on lineman boots? Really helpful!
I have also written an article on lineman boots.
Yeah you are right
Of course it is
This article is relly wonderfull and i liked it so much
Millions of thanks
Yes they makes our life easy by taking risk
Brother your story was awesome and i love Arizona
While playing any sports we must wear boost so we can reduce the chances of injury, am i correct?
Awesome! You have made it great and nice
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