Boot Buying Info
To work on the Davis Fire Crew, you must own a pair of all-leather
workboots that meet the USFS standards for firefighting.
They must have:
- at least an 8-inch
All-leather upper,
from heel to top of ankle (most wildland fire boots
come in 8", 10", and 12" uppers),
-
a lug sole made from
non-skid, "Vibram®"-type material
-
DO NOT PURCHASE BOOTS
WITH A STEEL TOE (heat up rapidly and very uncomfortable to
hike in)
They must not have any plastic, vinyl, foam, velcro, etc.
anywhere on the exterior of the boot! No Timberland, Caterpillar,
etc, hiking boots.
The sole must be the lug-type necessary for traversing
difficult terrain and made of a non-skid Vibram® type
material. The Forest Service no longer requires a Vibram®-brand
sole, however you will find that most fire boots use Vibram®-branded
soles, which have a yellow Vibram® logo on the center of the
bottom of the sole. Get soles that are STITCHED on
(glued soles melt off when walking in heated embers).
Some boots have small screws reinforcing the sole-boot
attachment.
It's up to you how much you want to spend, but good boots
are perhaps the most important piece of equipment to a
wildland firefighter.
Don't try to save a few bucks by borrowing your cousin's boots
that are only half-a-size too small. When you can't walk anymore
because your feet are now two bloody stumps, you'll wish
you'd sprung for some good boots! The most important things
to remember are:
- Make sure your boots fit! When you try
them in in the store, make sure you are wearing thick hiking
socks like you'll be wearing this summer! If you will be
adding an insole, make sure there is enough room in the
boot. If you order your boots by phone or internet,
be sure to go to a shoe or boot store beforehand to have
your shoe size accurately measured, again factoring in thick
hiking or logger socks and any insole that you might add.
- Break in your boots! You must break in
your boots before you try to fight fire in them!
Start by wearing them
around town, then progress to longer hikes or climbing
stadium stairs in them (your boots need to be flexed liked
they will when you're climbing steep hillsides), and keep them well-oiled.
If you try to get through field training in brand new boots,
you'll be very sorry!
- Buy the proper socks! Wool or wool-blend
hiking or logger socks are nearly as important for your feet
as a good pair of boots. Unlike cotton socks, they
wick moisture away from your foot, reducing discomfort and
blisters, and provide much needed cushioning. Buying a
$15-$20 pair of WigWam®
or similar brand socks may seem like an expensive
investment, but trust us - they're well worth it and you
will thank yourself. We recommend our firefighters
bring 3-5 pairs of quality thick wool hiking socks with them
on each dispatch.
Below are some places where our firefighters have been able
to find quality boots at reasonable prices
(updated April 2008).
- Davis-area crew members:
Many DFC firefighters
local to Davis purchase their wildland firefighting boots
from Emil's Family Shoe Store in Woodland. They can
help fit you, and they sell accessories like boot laces,
boot oil, etc. Be sure to mention that you're part of
the Davis Fire Crew, as in past years they've given our
members a discount and included some free necessities like
thick hiking socks and boot oil. Emil's also is the
local source for boot repair, so get your used boots
repaired here too.
Emil's Family Shoe Store (dealer for Danner, Red Wing,
Thorogood, White's, & Hathorn)
508 Main Street
Woodland CA 95695-3434
(530) 662-3827
View Larger Map
Directions (from Davis): take Highway 113 north from Davis to Woodland,
take Main Street exit. Turn left, heading west on Main
Street. Go for several blocks, across the railroad tracks,
and continue west for 5 more blocks into the downtown
business district. Emil's is on south side of Main Street,
between 1st Street and College
Street. Large sign on exterior of building- you can't miss it.
- All major wildland fire boot makes are
available online and/or through local dealer boot stores.
Here are some
$-$$ Bailey's-
Arborist and Forestry Supplier from Laytonville, CA.
(Hoffman, Bailey's) Quality boots starting at $110 and up to
$250:
$$
Danner Boots-
Portland, OR. Look under "Work" boots for their
wildland fire boots. Purchase online or use dealer
locator to find a local store (Emil's, many in Sacramento and
Bay Area, etc.)
$$-$$$ Drew's Boots-
Klamath Falls, OR Work boot dealer with emphasis on
wildland firefighting boots. Market their own line of
quality Drew's firefighting boots, as well as offer Danner,
Hathorn, La Sportiva, Nick's, & White's wildland fire boots.
$-$$$
eBay.com. Search for "wildland boots".
High-quality
used boots (Nick's, White's, etc.) for under $100.
$-$$
Pro-Warrington Total Fire / Ranger® Wildland Firefighting
Boots
- Firefighting boot manufacturer makes two models of wildland
firefighting boots: the 8-inch Ranger 3050 and the
10-inch Ranger 3060. The Ranger 3050 retails for $142.32
at
American-Firehouse.com and $150.00 from
thefirestore.com and
Fuegostore.com. The Ranger 3060 sells for the
bargain price of $185.00 at
Fuegostore.com and
thefirestore.com and $231.15 at
American-Firehouse.com
$$
La Sportiva "Glacier" Mountaineering Boots
- Italian mountaineering equipment manufacturer produces a
line of 8" high, all-leather, Vibram®-soled mountaineering
boots that have become popular with many Hot-Shot crews and
Forest Service employees. The
Glacier
and the
Glacier EVO are the only two of La Sportiva's many hiking
and mountaineering boot models that meet the US Forest
Service's specifications. Many wildland firefighters
have posted good reviews of the La Sportiva Glacier online.
Extremely comfortable, break-in quickly, and waterproof,
however outsole is not stitched on like on traditional
wildland fire boots, so they may not last as long if you're
working in hot ash and embers. The Glacier retails for
$235.00 and the Glacier EVO retails for $250.00 online at
La Sportiva
N.A.,
BackCountry.com,
REI, etc.
Drew's Boot's
(see below) offers the La Sportiva Glacier for $225.00.
$$-$$$ Nick's Boots
- Spokane, WA Manufacturer of custom line of Hot-Shot
boots and Danner boots dealer.
$$ Red Wing
Boots . Search for "wildland boots". Use the dealer
locator to find a store near you (Emil's, many in
Sacramento and Bay Area, etc.) or search for an online
retailer.
$$
Thorogood Boots from Weinbrenner USA - Merrill,
WI - Leading manufacturer of structural firefighting boots
offers several leather wildland firefighting boots at prices
from $180-$220. Search for "leather wildland boots". Use the dealer
locator to find a store near you (Emil's, many in
Sacramento and Bay Area, etc.) or search for an online
retailer (Code-2.com,
FireSafetyUSA.com,
theFireStore.com. Close-out discounts available from
online seller
theBootPro.com - savings of 10%-50%.)
$$$ West
Coast Shoe Company (WESCO) - Scappoose, OR. Find a local
dealer or order stock sizes online at the company online
store or through numerous online dealers
- 10" Firestormer Lace-To-Toe Vibram Stock Boots $435 from
WESCO online store, available for much less ($310-$375) from
many other online retailers (Boot.com,
ShoeShackOnline.com, etc.)
$$$ White's
Boots- Spokane, WA (White's, Hathorn). Use the dealer
locator to find a store near you (Emil's, many in
Sacramento and Bay Area, etc.). They do not sell fire
boots directly from their website, but you can buy stock
sizes through other websites (like Drew's above).
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