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Every man worth his salt should have a pair of quality work boots in his closet.
They’ll keep you comfortable through those long days on your feet from sunrise to sunset, they look great in the boardroom on casual Fridays, and you can wear them straight from the office to the campsite when you hear the call of the wild.
Even better, invest in a good pair of work boots now and you’ll be set for years — maybe even decades — as premium leather just gets better with age, and you can resole them every few years to prolong their lifespan.
While there are a number of different types of work boots you can choose from, we prefer American-made boots that reflect the heritage of the American working class.
You can find cheaper work boots from international manufacturers, but in a world where you get what you pay for, you can’t beat the timeless quality of American-made designs that outfitted metalworkers, miners, construction workers, and farmers over a century ago.
We’ve hand-selected some of the best American-made heritage work boots from two specific styles: wedge sole work boots, and service work boots.
The differences are subtle, but wedge soles eschew the traditional heel in favor of a thick, uniform sole. Built for long days on hard, flat surfaces, wedge soles remain a favorite of construction workers, manufacturers, metalworkers.
On the other hand, service work boots with a traditional heel offer better traction and perform well on uneven surfaces. They’re the boot of choice for outdoor workers like miners, farmers, and railroad workers. Service work boots also tend to be more fashion-forward, ideal for formal settings.
Every pair of work boots that we selected is designed and manufactured in the USA. All of the shoemakers are masters of the trade, outfitting the working class for over a century. For each, we consulted the ratings and recommendations by folks like you, with a wide range of price points to accommodate any budget.
Wedge Sole Work Boots
Red Wing Classic Moc
Red Wing started making their popular moc toe (moccasin toe) work boots in the 1950s, with crescent-shaped toe stitching inspired by the traditional moccasins worn by North American Algonquian Indians. Initially designed for sportsmen, these boots enjoyed immense popularity with factory workers and farm hands for their durability and all-day comfort. Almost 70 years later, Red Wing’s moc toe work boots remain a staple in the working man’s closet.
The Red Wing Classic Moc combines the popular moc toe style with features from the company’s original line of work boots from back in 1907. These vintage classics feature a 6-inch moc toe with Oro Legacy leather, a white Traction Tred rubber outsole, a Norwegian-like Goodyear Welt, triple stitched seams, and leather laces. The oil-tanned leather from the legendary S.B. Foot Tanning Company resists water, stains, and perspiration — guaranteed to age like a fine wine over years of use.
Wolverine Louis Wedge Boot
A legendary name in the work boot industry, Wolverine offers unmatched craftsmanship with over 130 years of experience. Wolverine keeps their manufacturing stateside, with their design department operating in Rockford, Michigan, where G.A. Krause started the company back in 1883.
The Louis Wedge Boot is part of Wolverine’s 1000 Mile line of boots. True to the name, every boot comes with a 1,000-mile guarantee, with the flexibility to be resoled numerous times to extend their lifespan. The Louis Wedge Boot features a rich, full-grain leather upper, a Wolverine burgundy top-speed-hook accent, moc toe detailing, and Goodyear Welt construction.
Thorogood American Heritage Moc Toe
Manufacturing quality footwear in Wisconsin since 1892, Weinbrenner Shoe Company offers their impeccable flagship boot line: Thorogood Shoes. A pioneer since the day their first boot came off the line, Union Tradespeople in the USA handcraft each pair of Thorogood’s American Heritage footwear to this day.
Made with tobacco oil-tanned, full-grain leather, the Thorogood American Heritage Moc Toe offers exceptional durability, breathability, and water-resistance. They feature a Poron comfort cushion insole, fiberglass shank, MAXWear Wedge slip-resistant outsole, and Goodyear Storm Welt construction. The boots also include a removable Ultimate Shock Absorption footbed — which comes in handy on those long days on your feet and constantly on the move.
Danner Bull Run Moc Toe
Charles Danner started his own shoe company in 1932 with a goal to manufacture premium, American-made shoes for a fair price. Over 80 years later, the Danner Bull Run Moc Toe stays true to Charles’ guiding principles as a kick-ass work boot offering incredible looks and everlasting durability without breaking the bank.
The Bull Run Moc Toe features full-grain, oiled leather providing liquid-resistant and requiring significantly less maintenance than standard leather work boots. The lightweight and breathable unlined leather upper keeps your feet cool in warm weather while molding to your feet for the perfect fit.
The boots include electrical hazard (EH) protection — great for construction workers — with non-conductive electrical shock resistant soles and heels. The non-marking, oil-and-slip resistant Danner Wedge outsole delivers optimal cushioning, support, and traction without weighing down the shoe. Danner’s engineering makes for maximum comfort during long days on hard surfaces.
Nicks Custom Boots Traveler Work Boot
For a high-fashion wedge sole work boot, check out these Traveler Work Boots by Nick’s Handmade Boots. Making custom boots in Spokane, Washington since 1964, Nick’s uses premium, full-grain leather and Old-World construction techniques making for durable, repairable, fully rebuildable boots engineered to last for decades.
The Traveler Work Boot pictured here features handmade, welted construction built with Seidel tobacco leather — a lighter American leather easier to break in — for a contoured fit. Don’t overlook the Cushioned Christy Vibram sole either, offering a traditional arch and heel.
Service Work Boots
Original Chippewa 6” Service Boot
When you have some extra time on your hands, take a few minutes to read through Huckberry’s origin story. We at Territory Supply respect the hell out of homegrown brands bootstrapped with passion and hard work, so we found inspiration in the story of how Andy Forch and Richard Greiner left their cozy office jobs to start a truly unique outdoors company. If you don’t have 5 minutes to read their story, that’s okay — you can support their business by purchasing a pair of their Original Chippewa Service Boots.
The Original Chippewa Service Boot hearkens back to the good old days with a timeless silhouette reflecting the heritage and authenticity of American craftsmanship. The boots are constructed with full grain American Hide leather, and every pair is handcrafted by union tradesmen in the USA.
They feature a Goodyear Leather Welt, a Texon insole with a Maple Leather heel, and a Vibram V-Bar outsole. These boots don’t require any breaking-in, so you can wear them into the woods straight out of the box.
Red Wing Iron Ranger
When Red Wing Shoes opened shop in 1905, they quickly developed a relationship with the iron miners in Minnesota’s Mesabi Range. The miners needed tough work boots that could handle the harsh conditions of daily wear and tear in a mine pit, but the boots needed to be comfortable enough to spend 8+ hours a day on rocky, uneven surfaces. Red Wing answered the call with their Iron Ranger service boots, a line of dependable, sturdy, and comfortable work boots still available today.
The Iron Ranger is constructed with thick, premium Copper Rough & Tough leather, a comfortable cork midsole, a Goodyear Welt, and an oil-resistant and slip-resistant Vibram 430 Mini-lug sole.
The double-layered steel-capped toe was a critical feature for those early miners who worked with heavy machinery, so it’s still part of the boot design today — providing you with an extraordinary level of protection against injury. The boots also feature triple stitched quality, speed hooks, and chrome hardware.
Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot
We referenced Wolverine’s original 1000 Mile boot earlier, and here it is. Sometimes referred to as America’s original work boot, we love to see it handcrafted in the United States with locally-sourced materials. The premium leather upper comes from the Horween Leather Company in Chicago, Illinois.
The classic leather outsoles with a Vibram heel come from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the flat waxed cotton laces hail from Landrum, South Carolina. When all of the pieces come together, Wolverine manufactures the boots in their hometown of Rockford, Michigan. If you can find a work boot more American than this, we’d love to see it.
The pattern Wolverine uses today is a modernized version of the 1914 original. Thanks to the Goodyear Welt construction and overall boot design, these boots can be resoled for a significantly longer lifespan. The premium Horween Leather just gets better with age, so it’s truly a boot can last 1000 miles.
Thursday Boot Co. Vanguard
The Vanguard boot from Thursday Boot Company is a trendy rendition of the classic 1940s American service boot. It’s an artful blend of functional durability and modern style, and with an attractive price tag, it’s a staple in the discerning boot enthusiast’s wardrobe.
Vanguard boots feature a full glove interior lining with Cork & Poron footbeds conforming to your feet to guarantee a perfect fit and optimum comfort. On the outside, the leather upper is tanned and oiled to improve with age, and the leather laces give the boots a clean, sophisticated look.
Its Goodyear Welt construction provides a water-resistant and resoleable design, and the rubber outsoles offer an improved grip to keep you from slipping.
HELM Zind Boot
HELM designs boots to look great in the boardroom and function even better in the workshop. Handmade in Austin, Texas, each boot undergoes a process involving 14 master artisans and over 153 steps for each boot.
Only using premium leather and materials, the craftsmen honor timeless construction traditions to deliver boots that truly stand out. In fact, you can pick a pair of HELM boots out across the room by looking for the distinctive white line around the midsole — a thin layer of rubber substrate providing additional support and demonstrating HELM’s attention to the details.
The HELM Zind Boot draws inspiration from classic railroad boots. They’re constructed with rich, full-grain Natural Horween Chromexcel leather, and are fully lined with black leather on the inside. The boots feature a Blake Rapid Stitch Welt construction with a black double stitch throughout, antique brass eyelets, 46” waxed cotton laces, and a reinforced leather pull tab.
On the bottom, you’ll get a Fineline sole for better grip and durability throughout all four seasons.
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Seen in: Footwear, Gear, Lifestyle, Made in USA
