I got a red wings one. It’s the most comfortable i ever wore. It’s been with me for 8 yrs. Mo signs of wear and tear on it unless for the sole.

eBay

My Sperry duckboots have been great. They have solid construction and are pretty easy to style with clothes imo. They're modeled after the ones popularized by L.L. Bean, but they're less costly. I can't speak to multi-year longevity yet, but perhaps someone else can?

Sorrell are absolute garbage now. Had a pair that barely lasted one winter before the rubber toe area started cracking (where it creases from walking). Bought at the end of a winter. Worn the next winter so they were not covered by the 12 month warranty. Got to love that 12 month warranty on a pair of $160 boots. Especially considering they were worn no more than 100 times.

Lowa

I've been looking at Kamiks, but I haven't bought anything yet.

IL here. I have 2 bean boots - original unlined and the shearling lined. Love both. Quality is still 100% there as long as you get the made in Maine boots.

I had a pair of wool-topped fleece lined Harris Tweed duck boots from LLBean when I lived in New York, lasting eightish years in my hands. Built like a brick shithouse, incredibly cozy and durable, I sold them when I moved to the PNW and actually turned a profit because they were limited edition. They were still very functional and undamaged despite years of commuting through nasty city snow and slush and salt, as well as some work on a boat in dry dock. If you got black ones they would absolutely be classy enough to commute in (though demand a change to indoor shoes in an office).

Pricier, but worth it especially if you want something with a lovely and durable real fleece lining.

Unfortunately I have heard that they went down in quality over the past few years

I love my Panama Jack boots (I have the Bambina Igloo model). Really warm, well-made and durable and waterproof if you take good care of the leather (never had a problem). I'm in my third winter with them now, wear them almost every day in rain and snow and they still look like new.

I swear by Hanwag from Germany, awesome quality, no idea about the availability in the US though.

It depends on the product line you purchase from. The Heritage Series is still the original quality made in the USA, the others are not and quality significantly suffers.

I had a pair of waterproof, thinsulate Kamik ankle boots. They were great for Canadian winters and classy enough you could wear them anywhere, wore them for about two years. But then during COVID I left them in storage and when I took them out two years later the soles disintegrated :/. Not the fault of Kamik, I learned that the rubber needs to be used or it falls apart. I think if it weren't for the storage they would have lasted a while, they were still going strong and winter is harsh up there.

Danner are US made and hold up awesome. I have 3 pairs of boots and shoes and never had any issues. They also look great.

Kennetrek Mountain Extremes, lifetime warranty and most comfortable shoe I've ever owned.

Of the brands mentioned, I think you can be choosey and find something that will meet the need. Single-piece leather construction boots... or as close as you can get to that... will be darn close to BIFL if not truly BIFL when maintained correctly. Choose good boot maintenance products with nontoxic qualities, keep your boots cleaned and well oiled to prevent water intrusion, and you should have a great pair for a very long time.

I personally sprung for Asolo boots a while back, and those look nearly as good as they did when purchased nearly 15 years ago. I use these to traverse hard ice, snow, mud, and everything in between. Manage the woodlot on my property. Scuff them against rocks on occasion when hiking too. They just keep going! They are thick leather, and with a thick pair of winter socks I've been comfortable down to -20F.

But you don't have to buy Asolo to get that, other companies also produce single-piece leather boots with minimal stitching. Remember, stitching = increased weakness in the material. Good luck!

Bogs

If it is made in the USA then it is good, if not, suspect

I've got a couple pairs of heritage redwings that have held up for 6 years now. I definitely wouldn't consider them winter boots for "snow and slush" though, and unless you have the full lug roughneck, traction is an issue on snow and ice

I got a pair of Vasque boots I love that are going on year 5 now with no signs of slowing down. I'd look at them and other mountaineering brands (if you want super high quality, La Sportiva, mammut, scarpa are made in Italy still..) , they'll be built a lot tougher than regular boots. I've also read good things about Arc'teryx boots

I have a pair of really cute Keen boots that I've had for about four years. I use them as winter boots and rain boots. Waterproof and really comfortable.

So looking into Danner after reading this comment, only about 1/3 of their inventory is made in the USA. Now, they are super forward and say which products are made in the USA (typically these products will have a US flag stitched onto it).

I‘ve heard great things about Danner, but just wanted to comment this for anyone else reading.

They are having a decent sale right now and I am actually looking at buying a pair that are imported since the price is really good, as are the reviews and it might be worth the gamble.

Llbean bean boots still made in USA still water tight. Can be resoled for around $40 when they wear out. Make sure they are the USA made boots.

Watch the rose anvil video on them though, they don’t hold up to the standard of the bean boots

Rose anvil is a great channel for deconstructing boots and putting them to the test. This video he does several pairs of duck boots.

https://youtu.be/Vv9KoWo2Zdo

I'll definitely check it out, thank you!

I'm on my second pair of kamiks in 10 years. I love them and one of the only women's boots that actually had the cold rating right on the tag. Mine are good to -40°f so when paired with a decent pair of wool socks work great for MN winters.

Winter boots get beat up and often don’t last a lifetime no matter what brand you choose. My Chippewas and my Wolverines lasted several years each. Timberland Earthkeepers were the worst. On a pair of Lems Boulder Boots right now. Once they wear out maybe I’ll finally try the Iron Rangers.

None of those are winter boots. Iron rangers in particular.

I wear single piece leather boots all winter in Wisconsin with good socks. But if someone is looking for insulated and considering LL Bean and snow, not sure how great it’d be. I wear Chippewa Apache 6” or Thorogood Moc toes (both steel toes) and I’m fine. But if I’m in deep snow or outside for extended periods of time I use my Rocky’s

Yeah just go to "store" and buy "boots"

I have had a pair of Pajar boots for at least 5 years now. I love them, they keep my feet warm and dry and they aren’t too bulky. I can’t recall the exact model but they are nylon with rubber soles and toes. Solid nylon ‘tube’ so no snow can get in around the tongue.

You need to read more online as what you've posted so far shows a lack of research. One example: Timberland. Timberland makes over 100 different types of footwear for men. Some of them are terrific. Some of them are normal and are meant to be tossed after say a year. People often disparage brands such as this because they purchase the on sale $50 Timberland glued construction boots and expect the lifespan of the $250 Timberland PRO goodyear welt construction boots. Repeat this with other brands like Red Wing, Allen Edmonds, etc. There are many footwear ignorant people on the internet.

Here is your help and please listen with an open mind as I know stuffs:

1. You don't know your shoe size. You need to correct this or you will fail hard. https://www.newbalance.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-NBUS-NBCA/default/dwc8bbcac1/pdf/Womens_Printable_Sizing_Tool.pdf is one method, but you should use a Brannock Device for best results. You will find out that you have, say, 10EE feet. EE is important as there is not such thing as "wide" as that varies from maker to maker with no solid size. And many quality shoemakers make 10EE boots which will be 100% better fitting than a nebulous "wide".
2. The hallmark of BIFL footwear is goodyear welt construction so you can have them resoled later. You must know this as part of the looking process. And know that not all makers make 100% quality footwear. For example: Timberland and Red Wing make super quality BIFL boots and they also have some normal boots which are not super quality. If you buy without knowing if they are goodyear welt construction....you may step in the bear trap.
3. Know your men's size. As part of item 1 above, perhaps measure with the men's Brannock and write this down. This expands the pond of purchase as, generally, there are more men's boots than women's....and respectfully, since you have large feet, this works greatly in your favor!
4. Lastly budget. $800 boots are a thing and we don't know your budget. For some $800 is a yawn figure, for others its a hard pass. So we can't recommend without this metric. Very generally BIFL boots start at $200ish and anything south of that should be looked at hard, unless there is a terrific sale.
5. Since you are in 'Merica, the easy button is to walk into a Red Wing store and get a real fitting from Al Bundy in the store via a Brannock Device and tell him your budget and you only want to see goodyear welted non-safety toe boots.

I love my danners. i wear the mountain light ii in all four season, they are the most comfortable boots I have ever tried and haven’t really worn anything else since putting them on 3-4 years ago. The soles are soft so they will wear if you walk a lot on cement but you can always get them resoled.

Schnee’s PAC boot. /thread

You’re buying crappy boots to begin with.