Near Bullet-proof Boots for the Toughest Environments!
Tanks. The best way to put it. These shoes are like bullet-proof tanks for your shoes.Comfort: There's going to be a decent break-in period for these and I'm not quite there yet. Be sure to have some flexible bandages (you know the name brand!) on hand when you're first wearing these. They may rub on some spots as they are highly rigid and stiff at first. Also, sometimes I like to double up on my socks when I'm breaking in new boots. This too seems to help. Beware though - They are HEAVY. These will not be the featherlight shoes that you were looking for.Slip Resistance: So far, so good. I'm in a lot of oily conditions on a regular basis. While there is no magic shoe that can be 100% slip resistant, these PRO's seem to stand up solid against slippery floors.Style: Well, they definitely have a style. Kind of a Frankenstein-like style. But you're not buying these to match the tux you're wearing at your sisters wedding. You're strapping these monsters on to save your feet, which they will do.Foot Protection: I really feel like my feet are bullet-proof in these shoes. But they're not, so don't go trying anything stupid, no matter how bad you and/or your drunk buddies think you should. Top, toes and bottom, you are covered. If you find a way to breach this protection and injure yourself, you probably shouldn't have been there and there's no shoe out there that could have prevented the injury. Again.... they're not really bullet-proof.... so no stupid human tricks, please.The only other thing I'll say is relative to lacing them up. This can be a little tricky. With the metatarsal guard on top, it's affixed by using the shoe laces. So this integration is part of the lacing up process. It might take a few tries and some good tugs, but once you get there, you'll be fine. What would be a nice feature if these had a zipper side to easily get them on and off, without sacrificing a nice tight fit.Would I buy them again? So far so good, but they're new. For now though, would say yes and that I recommend them. The reason I went with the Ambridge EMG's is because I've have other Timberland PRO boots in my foot arsenal. I have one pair of steel toe work boots that I purchased in 2013 and I still wear them today. The bottoms have a little unique-to-my-stride wear, which is expected. The outside of the boots have some battle scars but they are still fully functional. They have been used in machine shops and working outside for nearly 13 years and running strong. With that kind of track record, I expect the Ambridge EMG's to last me a long time.