These boots are awful! What do you use?

[firemedicbill]

My department just bought everyone new bunker boots. They are 10 inch leather zip-ups. The problem with them is you can't leave your gear around them because you can't get them unzipped and zipped. When you have to bunker out you have to put on your pants, then pull them way up, put on the boots and zip them, and pull the pants down over them! What a pain!

What kind of boots does everyone else use? Pros and cons?

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firemedicbill
2 in, 2 out!
FiremedicBill's Homepage

[JBROWNL8]

Bill, are the Warrington Pro's?
I wear Warrington around the station and for calls also, so I needed a way for them to slide through the bunker pants. What I did was ground the back of the heel with a grind wheel with a steel bruch attachment. All I did was rounded the heel enough to where the heel would slide through with ease. I have been wearing these for several years now, and I love'em. Stay safe JB

[Firelover]

Got to go with Black Diamond FF Boots. They have really convinient loops at the top of the boot that makes it really easy to pull on. Not much else that I can think of for now.

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Joel

If you sent us to HELL, WE'D PUT IT OUT!!

[NFDLT55]

I use Fire Walker's 'Ranger' boot with steel tip and shin pads as my tun out boots. They're great boots. I love them. I couldnt ask for anything better when it comes firefighting boots.

[FitzBFDT2]

I use 10" Warrington Pro and don't have any problems with putting them on. I leave them in the pants and when we get a run, I jump in them and pull the pants up. As I am responding on the rig, I reach down and zip them up.

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Kevin M. Fitzhenry, [email protected]
Firefighter, Truck Co. 2
City of Bayonne (NJ) FD
www.bayonnenj.org/fire/

[Truckie Trash]

All I gotta say is Pro Warrigntons boots best in the business, wethere its the zip-ups or bunker boots. Check em out at there web site www.warringtonltd.com

[RS-1Alum]

Bill

Why not wear the boots all the time? Just have your bunker pants retrofitted with a long zipper up the inside seam of the pants. You can fold them down kinda like the others and jjump in and zip them instead of the boots.

[Truckie Trash]

Firemedicbill,
I forgot to add. You should be glad your dept. issued those boots. Im in a department that issues heavy @$$ rubber boots. And Im tryin to gather money to buy Leather boots Warrington Pro's specifically. Leather boots are way more comfortable and lighter. And look alot better than those rubber clod hoppers.

[GTFDLt61]

Bill,
I have just bought my second pair of the boots you've been issued. I used the first pair for 6+ years, and loved them. The only problem that I have with the leather boots is in the extreme cold, (which won't be a problem for you judging by the pics on your website) the soles are stiff and can make 'em slippery. You will get used to the zipping, or you could do what I ended up doing after the 2nd pair of zippers I broke, and that was just tie them (when I remembered or had the time to). Good luck, they're great boots, enjoy them.
Take care, stay safe, Russ...

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[This message has been edited by GTFDLt61 (edited 02-03-2001).]

[CFDENG23]

If your Dept. is going to issue zip up style only then they need to go with zippered inseams like one poster mentioned before. If you are stuck without zippers the easiest thing to do is just keep em hanging on the apparatus and pull em on like pants. Taking them off will require you to take your boots off first but you should never have to get your bunkers off in a hurry. Personally, I wear warrington pros 10" zip up for station wear, and 14" pro pull ons in my gear. To me the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience.

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Views stated do not reflect that of my department or local.

[firemedicbill]

Yes, the boots are Warringtons! And I sure am not complaining about the money they spent. I just wish they had gone with pull ups.

As for wearing the boots all the time I am not aloud to. My department makes us wear a type of black leather Rocky shoes unless we are on a fire call. Our district is full of million dollar homes and the powers that be do not want us tramping into people's homes in our boots. Our department does ALS first response for medical... county does transport.

Believe me, I know we are lucky the department spends money on us. Just wish we had more input into what they buy. The boots are nice, guess we'll all get used to zipping them up on the way to the fire!

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firemedicbill
2 in, 2 out!
FiremedicBill's Homepage

[This message has been edited by firemedicbill (edited 02-08-2001).]

[Corvin]

I've worn the Warringtons before and prefer them to the Ranger pull-ups that the dept is issuing today. I also prefer a set of firefighting boots that are not my boots for station wear. I don't like the Pro's for med calls or station stuff when I can be wearing my Rockies.

Today however is 25 degrees and it is raining in Iowa on ice and 12" of last months snows and I miss my rubber boots a little bit (yes yes I know, real men all wear leather boots and lids, never rubber)

Try this FireMedicBill. On the zip up leather put a lanyard or a big loop keychain ring. When you shove your bunker pants down, make sure you pull the ring up so you can reach it even though the shoes are unzipped. Step back in the shoes/pants down, pull up the lanyard on the zipper, pull up the pants. It's what I do.

Good luck

[KS.KE,EMT/FIRE/RESC]

I'd have to agree with NFPLT55 Ranger's fire-walker boots are a great joy to wear after wearing some of the heavier rubber styles out there. Our dept. went with the "shoe fit" boots and we all were a little leary untill that first night when your on your feet for several hours at a working fire. WOW!

[OSIRIS500]

got to go with PRO WARRINGTON's 14" bunker style boots, I like them better them the zip ups.

[Firefighter194]

Bill,
I have a pair of 10" Black Diamonds which I have had for 6 years now. They are the most comfortable boot I have ever worn, and I have tried alot of them, from Warrington Pro to Servus to name a couple.