For the last several months, I have had the pleasure of wearing the Wolverine ReForce EnergyBound 6 inch soft toe work boot. My initial impression was surprisingly comfortable for a pair of leather boots that were not broken in yet. They felt like a comfy ‘already broken in pair’ but with the support of a new pair of boots. In my experience, leather boots can make your feet hot, so I was prepared for them to be warm to work in, but again I was surprised by just how comfortable they were.
As a construction worker who spends all day standing on hard concrete floors, the nice thick soles had my feet feeling just fine at the end of the day. The soles were firm enough that standing on a ladder doesn’t wear out your feet at the end of a long day, which is often the case with boots that do not support your feet properly. The Wolverine ReForce EnergyBound boots held up to all of the abuse that I put them through on the work site.
In addition to construction work on concrete floors, I also wore these boots while operating a walk behind brush hog for three days, clearing land that had been overgrown for years for my homestead. I was thankful to have a sturdy pair of leather boots for the tough work, dragging my feet through the thick growth, branches and thorns. That kind of abuse would have ruined the other boots I own but the Wolverine Reforce EnergyBound boots came through showing the dirt but the leather was none the worse for wear.
While I spent a week working that property, I forgot to bring my casual shoes so I had to wear the boots from the time I woke up until the time I got into my sleeping bag at night for just over 7 days. This did not allow my feet to breath, which is not a great idea with leather boots. This was just not a normal situation and just plain not very smart with leather footwear. I usually take off my boots at the end of the workday and put on recovery shoes. A little bit of foot powder in the boots at night, and the smell went away within a few days.
Another nice surprise was the grip of the tread pattern. Not every surface we walk on is flat and level. On a construction site, or in the woods while working or hunting, we will have to navigate walking over steep or unstable ground. Maybe it’s loose soil or maybe it’s ground that is broken up by an excavator. Being able to walk without my feet slipping is a must for safety and comfort. Walking over rocks and up steep inclines with little vegetation to stabilize the soil and had no problems with slipping as compared to when I walked the same areas in other boots.
If you are looking for a pair of work boots and especially one that can do double duty for bushwhacking or hunting, the Wolverine ReForce EnergyBound boots are worth a serious look.
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