****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I am a construction worker (site superintendent) on a 1.3 acre home development in southern California. I needed a boot that is light and comfortable, has the ability to walk around all day comfortably but be durable to dig with shovels and get traction in mud, safely toe kick materials/large objects out of the way, while still be able to feel the pedals of equipment, drive machinery or just my pickup truck with my feet. I didn't totally believe the other reviews but gave these a try anyway since my old $50 dollar steel toe "muck out" boots were painful and stiff and were never that comfortable, not the best traction in mud, and were abusing my size 10 feet. Wore my old boots for about 8 rainey seasons (8 years) in Oregon so I know what I'm talking about. I have to say, these Bekina boots really impressed me. They have a semi aggressive tread that gets traction in the mud, but easy to clean with a boot brush or hose bib, and super flexible and positive feeling under my feet to drive equipment or my truck. Where the material folds at your ankle when you bend it at extreme angles, it doesn't bind up like rubber and rub you raw. This material is closer to wetsuit neoprene (but definitely NOT wimpy wetsuit material) in it's flexibility compared to rubber, while still being stiff enough to stand up on their own. These boots are really the best blend of traction and walkability/driveability, durability and comfort. The only things I would say is that they are just slightly tight over the top of your foot but really not too bad. Not really a complaint, just feedback to potential buyer. Any looser and the boot would probably be too loose. Just tight enough that at the end of the stroke of putting them on, there's a bit of a bend you need your foot to pop through and you can feel it grip the top of your foot the rest of the day. But it's a gentle grip as this material is really cushiony and stretchy. I'm very impressed. I got the steel toe version and they are probably half the weight of my rubber muck outs from the Construction supply (not gonna name names). Only been wearing these a few days but, man oh man, I don't mind wearing all day. My other rubber boots I can't wait to get them off when the day is done. These, I wear at home after work too. They are soft on their own and then come with an insert that's pretty good in itself, and the combo of the two will have you jumping off the tailgate of a truck onto hard concrete without sending a shock up your heels.In summary these are soft but durable, comfortable but built for hard work. The tread design is the best compromise between a mud terrain and a highway tire.Only negatives are slight, they are not really warm as the marketing may lead you to believe however they are definitely better insulated than rubber. And they fit your foot just the slightest bit tight. But no big deal. All in all, 5 stars, I will be buying another pair when these things wear out (if they ever do - the material is pretty tough).Really happy with these.
