Dakota Boots

[mel_eff]

http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

I bought these a few days ago. They are really comfortable and have quadruple stitching on the sides.

Any thoughts/horror stories/good things/tips on Dakota boots?

[dreamofcream]

Buy Gaiters and something to waterproof the boot. Shoe Goo is good also. Keep in mind these more than likely will break, either on the side where there is "quadruple stitching" or the actual sole of the boot will break and the rubber will come off , typically from climbing over stuff, screefing or using your kicker. By the time my month and a half of using more expensive (not necessarily better, never used these ones) Dakota boots, I could see the steek shank because the rubber was gone, and could see my sock through through holes on both boots. Hopefully yours work out better than my three pairs, of four, in two years.

[mel_eff]

Good to know, thanks. They're my first set of steel toes, last year I rocked some self-waterproofed Merrells and they were bloody destroyed by the end. Hope these ones do okay. Boots are such a touchy thing in planting...I almost don't think it matters what kind of stuff you buy, it all ends up being nothing more than fire fodder by the end of the season.

Thanks again for the reply on that

[Guillermo]

Make sure then when you look at buying boots, they have a Vibram sole (I dont think these ones do). Most other soles simply cannot withstand the stress of constant screefing for more than one season. I've never seen a Work Wearhouse work boot last for more than one season of planting, but if you take care of them and don't dry them with heat, they might just make it to the end of july. That said, If you will be planting for the next couple of years, you may want to invest in a pair of mountaineering boots. A good pair of lasportivas or scarpas will last you at least two seasons if you take care of them. Just make sure that they dont have that foamy shock absorbing compound between the sole and the boot that seems to be all the rage now, as that will deteriorate rapidly when planting.

[somesilviguy]

Keep your receipt

(I think I made a post a long time ago about this.)
At the end of the season you can return your boots bought from mark's work warehouse for any reason whatsoever, just don't elaborate that you took them planting; say something like the stitching or the steel toe is rubbing your foot wrong now and wasn't before. Presto! Full money back in the same form you payed.

[jack]

I have used dakotas for the past three years at a fly in fishing resort (not quite as hard as planting). I have found two things, 1. the front part of the insole by the toes wears out, so I buy one of those really comfy extra insoles and found it helped with that. 2. They also tend to crack wear the sole and leather meet, as said above, bring shoe goo and dubbin to help avoid this. I'm bringing a pair planting to see how they do.

http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

About the recite thing, if everyone starts abusing this it won't be available for long. Use it when its legitimet, but please don't abuse it.

[somesilviguy]

...About the recite thing, if everyone starts abusing this it won't be available for long. Use it when its legitimet, but please don't abuse it.

Nah, stick it to the man!

[Slowsis]

I have planted in a similar style of Dakota boots for the last three seasons (the 400 model) and have found them to be very comfortable. The only problem is that they will blow out on the sides by the two and a half month mark, and your last few shifts in them wont be great.

Wearing them with Bama's I've never gotten a blister. No joke. My first season in Vikings was all about the blisters.

[E.E]

I almost don't think it matters what kind of stuff you buy, it all ends up being nothing more than fire fodder by the end of the season.

This is untrue. There have been productive discussions in these forums about keeping boots viable across multiple seasons. The tl;dr is buy good boots, clean them constantly, lubricate/waterproof them constantly, and get used to slightly damp feet because those boots are never ever going near a heater.

[gilkie]

I almost don't think it matters what kind of stuff you buy, it all ends up being nothing more than fire fodder by the end of the season.

This is untrue. There have been productive discussions in these forums about keeping boots viable across multiple seasons. The tl;dr is buy good boots, clean them constantly, lubricate/waterproof them constantly, and get used to slightly damp feet because those boots are never ever going near a heater.

Screw productive discussions, I burn everything each year in hopes that the annoyance of buying new stuff every year will discourage me from going back out into the bush and encourage me to stay in the city for once and getting a real job!

[mel_eff]

Never works, does it?

Ah I can just smell swamp goo and moose shit already...two more weeks!

[steel8909]

I have used dakotas for the past three years at a fly in fishing resort (not quite as hard as planting). I have found two things, 1. the front part of the insole by the toes wears out, so I buy one of those really comfy extra insoles and found it helped with that. 2. They also tend to crack wear the sole and leather meet, as said above, bring shoe goo and dubbin to help avoid this. I'm bringing a pair planting to see how they do.

http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

About the recite thing, if everyone starts abusing this it won't be available for long. Use it when its legitimet, but please don't abuse it.

Yea hyper-dri dakota boots are great.

I just bought these ones http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

[dusty]

Yea hyper-dri dakota boots are great.

I just bought these ones http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

I bought a pair of those exact boots in 2008. I wore them for about 2 weeks before the planting season to break them in and they were very, very comfortable. The fun ended the moment I hit the block. Within one shift, an enormous hole (about 3 inches long) opened up on the seam to the inside edge of the boot running adjacent to the laces, that went right through to my sock. It didn’t just go to the next inner layer, not to some layer of waterproofing plastic you might have expected to see, no, right to my foot. The next shift, the exact same thing happened to other boot, in the same spectacular fashion. I haven't had a pair of boots implode quite like these ones did.

Out of stubbornness, I did not attempt to return them to Mark’s until after 2.5-3 months of use once the season was out. I believe it is around this time that the Mark’s location in Calgary where I tried to return them caught on to the fact that many people (or maybe just me) were essentially “renting” boots from them, given their 100% satisfaction guarantee. After 20 minutes of in-store bickering they would not accept a return on them (that is how bad of condition they were in, and just how big the holes were). Afterward, I traveled to a different location and the cashier didn’t even look in the bag before giving me a 100% refund.

Prior to their implosion, I will admit they were very waterproof and comfortable but the craters that opened up in each boot after only 2 weeks did not quite help this. I don’t know how attached you are to those, but from personal experience, it is those exact boots that are the reason I will never buy another pair from Mark’s.

[steel8909]

Yea hyper-dri dakota boots are great.

I just bought these ones http://www2.marks.com/productdetails.as ... enDocument

I bought a pair of those exact boots in 2008. I wore them for about 2 weeks before the planting season to break them in and they were very, very comfortable. The fun ended the moment I hit the block. Within one shift, an enormous hole (about 3 inches long) opened up on the seam to the inside edge of the boot running adjacent to the laces, that went right through to my sock. It didn’t just go to the next inner layer, not to some layer of waterproofing plastic you might have expected to see, no, right to my foot. The next shift, the exact same thing happened to other boot, in the same spectacular fashion. I haven't had a pair of boots implode quite like these ones did.

Out of stubbornness, I did not attempt to return them to Mark’s until after 2.5-3 months of use once the season was out. I believe it is around this time that the Mark’s location in Calgary where I tried to return them caught on to the fact that many people (or maybe just me) were essentially “renting” boots from them, given their 100% satisfaction guarantee. After 20 minutes of in-store bickering they would not accept a return on them (that is how bad of condition they were in, and just how big the holes were). Afterward, I traveled to a different location and the cashier didn’t even look in the bag before giving me a 100% refund.

Prior to their implosion, I will admit they were very waterproof and comfortable but the craters that opened up in each boot after only 2 weeks did not quite help this. I don’t know how attached you are to those, but from personal experience, it is those exact boots that are the reason I will never buy another pair from Mark’s.

Weird. The reason I bought those is because people I knew used them last year and they lasted the season atleast (reasonably ). Maybe yours were just defective? Last year my boots(not sure what brand but they were about $100) only lasted 3 days when the sole tore off and the treads completyl worn lol

Also where do you buy your boots now? Marks is the only store that I know of that sells decent work boots.

Anyways I'm also bringing rubber boots for those pouring rain days or when working in the swampy areas. Hoefully that will preserve the dakota boots some.

[Guillermo]

Don't buy work boots period. They simply aren't meant to be to be traveled in that much in one day, let alone an entire season. Get a good pair of mountainnering boots or backpacking hikers. They are designed to be actually walked in, not just have shit dropped on the toe, and mountaineering boots are desinged to take crampons and be repeatedly kicked into ice. They are waaaay more comfortable, way more durable, and in almost all cases way more waterproof.

[Slowsis]

Don't buy work boots period. They simply aren't meant to be to be traveled in that much in one day, let alone an entire season. Get a good pair of mountainnering boots or backpacking hikers. They are designed to be actually walked in, not just have shit dropped on the toe, and mountaineering boots are desinged to take crampons and be repeatedly kicked into ice. They are waaaay more comfortable, way more durable, and in almost all cases way more waterproof.

The contract I plant on requires a steel toe. I have yet to find decent hikers with a steel toe. All the one I have come across have way to may seams around the toe area, or are as big and heavy as Dakotas anyway.

And comfortable? I have been wearing the same brand of work boot for the last three season (with bamas) and have never had a blister, or any foot discomfort that I haven't witnessed someone in hikers experience.

And as far as waterproof goes, the much lower tops of those mountaineering boot will be really useful during a swampy walk in, when the 6 inch deep water goes over the top of your boots, but not mine.

Also, a good pair of work boots comes in at $150, where a good pair of hikers or moutaineering boots comes in at close to $300.

Not saying that work boots are the only option, just saying that the statement "don't buy work boots period" is ridiculous.

[Guillermo]

Well, to each their own. There really is no one right answer, but when my foot was freed of the sweaty bama sock and went in a really nice, well fitting, Italian made leather boot, it was like my eyes had been opened and I will never go back. And you're right, steel toed hikers do suck balls, but I would be surprised if anyone ever checked for a steel toe, and if they did, almost all mountaineering boots have a hard toe cap, usually lighter plastic, and that might be enough to get away with. And as for the cost, $150 for a lower quality work boot, or $300 for a boot that will last for at least 2 seasons and be guaranteed to keep your foot dry for those low puddles or trench bottoms? I have never seen anybody using a work boot that didn't have at least one hole form after a month or so of use, and these holes will soak your feet in even the smallest of puddles. For ontatrio, where the land is relatively flat, work boots may be fine, but in BC, where it's very often steep and slashy, mountaineering boots will make you're feet so much happier.

[Slowsis]

Well I work in Alberta....a combination of the two.

And I work for Weyerhauser, on a contract that is so safety-ridiculous you couldn't even imagine. Yes they check your steel toes. I've seen people have to sit in the truck after getting talked to by the foresters. Better safe than sorry. If you're wondering why I would bother going back to such a place...it pays well. :)

[Guillermo]

Ahhh.. well then. Work boots it is I guess. Unfortunately theres not many other options out there, but if you've made work boots work, more power to ya.