Chippewa Men's Graeme 6 Inch Waterproof Composite Toe Work Safety Shoes - Review

If you need a good boot for work and you have wide feet. These are the boots to get it's hard to find a steel toe or comp toe that actually doesn't hurt your toes. Highly recommended if you have wide feet I have tried hundreds of dollars in different brands. These are the most comfortable that doesn't hurt my toes or feet

Great price

I needed boots for trail work in Arizona this spring, they needed to be in my humble price range, waterproof, relatively lightweight, all leather construction, safety toed, with an aggressive tread style. It was harder than expected to find something that fit the bill. I chose these boots because they met my criteria and I understood Chippewa to be a heritage brand, used by generations of ranchers and foresters.First of all, I was given the impression that these boots are made in the United States. This is false. THEY ARE MADE IN CHINA. This is a shame. It shows.The second time I cinched the laces down to secure the boot to my foot, the right hand speed-lace eyelet on the right boot broke, this should have been a major red flag. However, thinking it a fluke, I had it repaired at little monetary and environmental cost at a local repair shop.To break these boots in before taking them on the trail I have been wearing them to do medium duty industrial work (I am currently a scenic carpenter for a theater company); i.e. assembling wood and steel structures, loading and unloading trucks, climbing ladders, etc. Within just two weeks the toes of the boots were excessively shredded and gouged. I don't wantonly kick things to test my safety toe, nor do I consider the conditions of use so far to have been abusive. I even spent my first week wearing them extra careful; boot wearers-you know the 'fresh boots' tiptoeing you do. "Industrial Quality" boots should stand up better to what I would consider this medium duty use.The medium toned material between the sole and the upper is some kind of high density foam that appears to serve no purpose (as it does not extend under the rock hard footbed for padding, and simply rings the outside of the boot to make it look fast or something) and that has quickly gouged and already is separating from the leather upper at the bend of my toes, where I expect to have my first water leaks. (I haven't even tested their waterproofing yet)Initially I was impressed with the laces, appearing to be a waxed cotton weave of some kind, they held fast and were easy to tie, however within just weeks, the outer sheath was allowing the bright white synthetic core to divest itself hernia-style from the sides of the lace, resulting in not only unsightly and odd-laying laces, but difficult to tie and lace laces; not to mention the obvious compromise of strength. I have replaced these with some Kiwi laces off the shelf.This may not totally be a quality issue, but something to consider additionally, if you still need convincing to stay away from these crap boots; the removable insoles are awful. They are slippery and even tied as tight as I could get them, with good, thick Smartwool socks my feet slipped fore and aft and friction-burned all day (yes, the boots are the correct size). I have flat feet (sorry Uncle Sam) and the provided insoles do absolutely nothing for arch support. Thank the gods for Dr. Scholls.One last thing to hopefully convince you to avoid these things, the gussets (the sides of the tongue that are attached to the sides of the boot under the rows of eyelets) are extremely stiff and, I think, double layered leather, which meant a very painful break-in period of pressure and poking before that leather softened /my (already hobbit-like) feet toughened up.I do intend on taking these biscuits to Arizona to prove a point and to completely trash them and hopefully earn enough money to get a custom pair of American made Whites or Danners or Thorogoods that will last me more than a month.Don't buy these boots unless you love China and hate your feet.

When i buy a boot I look for multipurpose footwear that can be used for a variety of outdoor and indoor activities. The primary reason for the purchase was to replace a pair of Timberlands that I have had for years used mainly for outdoor work including construction, landscaping, hunting and hiking. I was simply looking to try something different, so I read the positive reviews on this boot and decided to give it a go. So far after about of month of heavy use (including all the above activities), the boots have performed well. I would definitely recommend the purchase. The boots are comfortable and well-suited for multipurpose activity. The boots have received 4 stars because my only issue to date is the lacing strategy doesn't provide a top eyelet pair allowing for a secure pull- the half-loops have a tendency to slip. A note on sizing, these boots for me ran 1/2 size large, but Amazon makes the exchange an easy one.

I bought these for my fiance who works outdoors doing all sorts of crazy things in every weather condition imaginable. I asked him about how he likes the boots, and he says "I bought a size 8 so they would be wide enough for my feet. If I had bought a size 7.5 (his actual shoe size), they would have been too narrow." So if you usually prefer a wider shoe, you may want to consider going a half-size up.He also says: "I wear them all day. I want to get like gel insoles cause they aren't the softest to be just standing on. I've worn them 10-14 hours and only start hurting near the end but that's just fatigue." So there you have it. You can wear them all day, they aren't as comfortable as tennis shoes but that's how boots are, so if you have sensitive feet or know you have had issues before, you may want an insole of some kind. Having said that, he wears them for very long periods and has no issues with his feet (no bunions, no blisters, nothing like that).They aren't made specifically for arch support, and he says "These don't really have a huge arch support. Just enough for me to know I have it there but nothing that really sticks out if you have high arches." So there you go.Having said that, he got very sad when the shoes started to scuff because he said they look so nice. ;) That's what happens when you work! But yes, he loves them. I also have composite toe boots and I will say, I have dropped 200lbs of sand directly on my toe and had nothing happen (I didn't even feel it). They are a must-have for people who work around heavy stuff that might fall on their toes.

I bought these for my husband who installs fiber. They’re lighter weight than steel toed boots but still offer great protection. These are not shanked but that doesn’t seem bother the hubby climbing ladders all day.

I bought these boots to replace a same model pair I wore almost everyday for two years. I was very happy with old pair and they are still going strong, but, starting to look their age. I am able to wear these boots all day long with no foot fatigue. The new ones seem to fit a little tighter but I think they will stretch out over time. These of been some of the best workboots I have bought in many years.

I owned a pair of these boots and wore them out. I loved the boots and decided to purchase another pair. I can now only find these online. I returned two pair because the tongue squeaked against the upper. The first pair quacked like a duck when walking on the right boot only and on the left side on the second, replacement, pair. It quacks may have gotten better after break-in, but I wasn't going to take the chance and finally returned both pair for refund. I will try finding them in a store somewhere during my travels.