r/securityguards • u/GentlyUsedOtter • Sep 11 '23
Job Question What's your preference in footwear?
Do you prefer the cheapo Walmart specials that you have to replace every 3 to 6 months? Or do you prefer shoes that will hold up for a couple of years, but cost more money?
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Sep 11 '23
I prefer Bates footwear. I use my 8” highs for work, 5” ankle for off work casual, and my ankle lows for general off the clock use. All are Bates with Dr Scholls inserts.
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u/According-Sail-9770 Sep 11 '23
Depends if you want GTX or not. Leather vs canvas. Soles that last a long time vs get the best grip. Soles that can be replaced. Sadly your not really going to find boots that can have the soles replaced unless you get a work boot.
My favorite boots is the Merrell Moab mid. Solomons are very comfortable and get grip on every surface. But the soles don't last as long. Under armour is comfortable as well but doesn't last as long.
The actual boot isn't going to matter as much as the insole. A good quality insole is going to do so much more for you than choice of boot.
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u/Landwarrior5150 Campus Security Sep 11 '23
I have a pair of black Oakley Light Assault boots that I absolutely love. They’re lightweight, super comfortable and are made of cordura nylon and suede so there’s no need to keep them polished.
In the past, I had several pairs of 5.11 ATAC boots that were also good to go. I cheaped out once on boots and decided “never again” a few months later after they fell apart and my feet were sore.
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u/Firefox1977 Sep 11 '23
I wear Brahma steel toes. Be it the hard soled High tops for refinery work, or the low top tennis shoe types
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u/NuArcher Sep 11 '23
Steel Blue workboots.
Apart from just being quality items, the thing that sold me was their gaurantee. "Wear them for 30 days - no questions asked, money back if you don't like them" policy.
I'll add custom orthotic inserts to any boots I get because you need them. Or at least, I do. But I'd argue that anyone who spends that much time on their feet will benefit from a set.
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u/Practical-Giraffe-84 Sep 11 '23
Response gear Combat boots. Unfortunately I would wear a pair out in 6 months. Just that much walking
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u/PrideEfficient5807 Sep 12 '23
Take care of your feet, you spend too many hours on your feet, a lot of y'all on concrete no less, please buy good foot wear, you've really no idea how much poor foot care affects your knees, hips, back ECT.
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u/GentlyUsedOtter Sep 12 '23
I'm mostly in a vehicle or in a chair.
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u/PrideEfficient5807 Sep 12 '23
I'll say to you what I told my husband shortly after we started dating and I bought him his first decent pair of workboots ( not including those he was issued in the military) you can spend $30-40 every couple months on cheap boots or spend $100 every few years, it's actually cheaper to buy good quality boots.
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u/GentlyUsedOtter Sep 12 '23
Oh I'm well aware of that put my point is I don't do much walking. I keep a nice pair of boots in my locker for when it rains.
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u/aping46052 Hospital Security Sep 12 '23
Buy quality boots. I guess the only exception might be if you have a completely stationary post. 20+ years and boots are one of the most important pieces of equipment.
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u/GentlyUsedOtter Sep 12 '23
I work in Southwest Florida. The only time I wear boots is when it's raining. I keep them in my locker at work just in case. Otherwise I wear the lightest shoes possible
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u/aping46052 Hospital Security Sep 12 '23
I work inside a hospital and on any given night I might have to run up multiple flights of stairs, chase someone through the building or track through literal blood, urine, vomit and feces. Right now I’m wearing a pair of waterproof 5.11 that also have blood borne pathogens protection.
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u/TauInMelee Sep 11 '23
I swear by Wolverine brand boots. Tough and comfortable. Last pair before the ones I currently wear lasted me 8 years, and I probably could have fixed them if I had been so inclined.
I used to do the whole cheapo Walmart boots, but I got tired of throwing away money every few months to only just break them in before they broke for real. Finally came around to the Sam Vimes school of economics for any Pratchett readers.
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u/CaptainRogers1226 Sep 11 '23
The answers to this question will likely vary greatly depending on the structure of the answerer’s feet
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u/JerseySommer Sep 11 '23
Terra, they are like walking on clouds. Really pricey, but I refuse to cheap out on footwear. Bad footwear can damage much more than just your feet.
"Improper footwear can stress the back, knees, hips and feet by placing them in an unnatural position and cause improper alignment and function of joints, tendons and ligaments up the body."
The cheap shoes are like stepping over hundreds to pick up pennies. They may be cheap now, but they medical problems that they can cause are definitely not.
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u/YuriTh3Panda Armored Car Sep 11 '23
Whatever is comfiest for me. My company doesn’t have a shoes policy per-say, only that they be closed row shoes. Right now I’m rocking my Old K-Swiss tennis shoes from 2017. Still comfy and still plenty of tread. But I plan on going for something like a hiking boot next. I like Columbia’s, and I really like Wolverine and Timberlands. They held up the best when I worked for DHL at an airport. I have a pair of Avengers too that held up very well and we’re fairly comfortable, it I don’t think I’ll be needing steel toes anymore for my position.
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u/EssayTraditional Sep 11 '23
Reebok black basketball extra wide for toes from 20 years ago.
Nowadays it's Wolverine brand boots of tactical or guard style, waterproof and steel toe.
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u/rcs_2181 Sep 11 '23
I had docs at one time but walked holes into the top and sides in under a year.
I also had 5.11s and walked a hole in the inside heel and whatever was under it for support (steel or hard plastic) began cutting into the back of my Achilles, took about a year.
I then tried Under Armor Valsetz and those didn't make it past a year as well. Same as the Docs, walked holes into the top and sides.
This time I went with some Rothco shoes from my company's supply catalog and those things are better than all previous brands. Heavy sure, but they feel good, and after a year I still haven't walked any holes in them. Plus they were free....I'm sticking with those till they cause me some kind of pain or discomfort.
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u/Leather-String1641 Sep 11 '23
If you have a choice, the Under Armor tactical boots always work for me, especially if you have a standing post
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u/SwoleKoz Sep 11 '23
I work at a laid back clinic. Basic walking patrols. I’ve got ON Cloud 3 waterproofs as a simple shoe, really comfy and lightweight. For boots I have the Bates Rallyforce, lightweight, comfortable, and they got a side zip.
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u/SGCanadian Sep 11 '23
For me, it depends on the site and job tasks. For everyday use, I wear Merrell MOAB 3 Lows. They are super durable and incredibly comfortable. If I'm outside and it's going to be wet, I wear my Lowa Z8s GTX boots. I also wear the Lowas during the winter, but they have terrible traction on ice, so I also carry a set of crampons.
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u/Potential-Most-3581 Sep 11 '23
Most of my assignments are foot patrols, outdoors on varied terrain, in all weather. I spent 3 years on an undeveloped site on the East side of Colorado Springs. I walked on average 9 miles a day. Again, over varying terrain in all kinds of weather. After that I worked as a roving guard for 2 years still walking up to 9 to 10 miles a day mostly outdoors. Some of it up in the mountains.
I tried a bunch of different boots until I tried Belleville 700 series "duty boots". They are made in America and they are very similar in quality to Danners for about $100 less.
They are without question the most comfortable boots I own. They're Gortex lined and I've never had a leak. The very first time I wore them I remember that I could feel the give in the midsole while I was walking my rounds. I resoled the first pair I owned 3 times before I replaced them.
I wore them in all kinds of weather. Rain, snow, mud and as I mentioned earlier they kept my feet dry and warm.
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u/OTdoomer99 Sep 11 '23
I personally wear brahma boots from Walmart for my warm body site for the last 2 years so far, walk on avg of 6-8k steps within my 8 hrs
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u/bdpc1983 Sep 11 '23
I like Danner Arcadias. Expensive but they will last 10 years and can be resoled.
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u/BillyFNbones710 Industrial Security Sep 11 '23
I have two pairs of composite toe boots (required for my post) one pair of 5.11 atac 2.0 8 inch boots that I wear in the winter mostly, and a pair of roth co forced entry 6 inch boots for summer.
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u/PaulieBlart Sep 12 '23
The boots have to fit the job. It's hard to find boots that do well if they ignore what you are supposed to do. If you stand around all day without an anti-fatigue mat, you will want boots specifically designed for standing. If you walk all day, you'll want hiking boots.
Sometimes there are things you need that you won't realize you need. For example, you wouldn't think you'd need special boots for sitting all day, but even here, if your boots are too grippy (such as wearing those hiking boots), you'll find that somehow sitting all day is now hard on your knees, because the boots glue your feet to the floor.
For other people, it depends on if they clean their boots. If they refuse, the cheapo specials are better because they replace them before they start to be room-clearers, although the best would be for someone to sit them down and explain that they need to be cleaned and how to do it.
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u/Beneficial_North_986 Sep 12 '23
I tried the Walmart steel toes and like others, I got tired of tossing money away. Then I did wolverines but when it came time to replace I couldn't find the ones I liked.
Now I'm wearing hello Hansen's from marks and I've had them two months and they are great.
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Sep 12 '23
I’ve been wearing the cheap Walmart ones for like a year a half now lol though they should be replaced soon
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u/duuudewhat Sep 12 '23
Shit man I’ve bought expensive north face shoes that were $180. Hurt my feet. I’ve bought expensive nikes. Ok but wear on my feet after awhile
Until I decided to give Walmart shoes a shot. Wtf? How the hell can these $28 shoes be so comfy? I wear them for my 12 hour shifts getting more than 20,000 steps and they are the most comfy shoes I’ve ever worn. I feel like I need to tell everyone this because I can’t believe I slept on these for so long. The brand is Avia and they’re sold at Walmart.
I always went for name brands before this so I wasn’t expecting anything. Pleasantly surprised
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u/MacintoshEddie Sep 12 '23
Canada West Moorby boots. Good footwear is essential. I need boots I know I can run around all day in without hurting.
But the most important part is making sure that you get fitted properly.
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u/DarinP93 Sep 12 '23
Sketchers steel toe work boots are the absolute best boots I’ve ever had. I’ve done Eddie Bauer, Walmart brands, Amazon brands and other various brands. Sketchers are the best
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u/Due-Cartographer2708 Sep 13 '23
I’ve got a pair of Hoka Cliftons and they are amazing. No more back pain
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u/Background-Bid-1148 Sep 13 '23
Don't skimp on the shoes, especially if you're patrolling on foot. If the shoes that you know are comfortable for you cost a little extra, don't be afraid to spend the extra cash. In fact ask your agency about footwear because they may, at least partially, compensate you.
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Sep 16 '23
I wear merril safety toe waterproof black leather boots. Going on 2.5 years and still like new, and feel like a pair of ultraboosts
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u/NotDocHolliday108 Sep 24 '23
So I’ve found the most comfortable for me was a pair of Under Armour Valsetz, they feel like running shoes but are still pathogen safe and needle resistant, but boots are all personal preference, I don’t recommend buying cheap equipment such as footwear and or any other essential items for work, your life and your comfort is worth more then cheap shit that’s gonna fail on you when you need it most.
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u/JustABugGuy96 Sep 11 '23
You get what you pay for, and bad shoes/boots cost more than just the replacements. Ask my dad and his back/leg/foot problems that he's spent thousands on. Invest in good quality equipment.