Alternative to Corcoran jump boots?

October 14, 2015 8:23 AM

The last two pairs of Corcoran jump boots I've bought each lasted about 8 months before they self-destructed. Does anyone make similar boots that won't need to be replaced every year?
posted by logicpunk to Shopping (12 answers total)

I've heard you can't go wrong with Frye. Though I've also heard that the quality has gone down and to get Red Wing instead, but I don't think they make a tall lace-up boot anymore. Some are close.
posted by supercres at 8:31 AM on October 14, 2015

How similar do they need to be and how much do you need to spend?

These Red Wing boots are all-black, similar height, but more worky than combaty.

White's Boots make some all-black boots of similar tye, and this link to Baker Shoe will also get you to a number of other options.

Dr. Marten's Made In England line doesn't have anything identical (all black, lace-up) right now, but they have all black chelseas and standard-sole lace-ups.

Basically, are you looking for an authentic combat boot, a black-lace-up with a sturdy sole, a fashion combat, a work boot? I'd say durable authentic combat boots will be the trickiest unless you go vintage.
posted by Frowner at 8:32 AM on October 14, 2015

Also, do you wear them every day, and what kind of care do you take of them? Eight months of daily wear before collapse is no good even if you are wearing them damp, etc, though.

The Trickers Burford is a fucking tank, but if you need man-made soles, you'll need to get them added. I can describe this process to you if you go this route, and I've had it done to a pair of Trickers - it gives you a thick sole with a vibram base.
posted by Frowner at 8:35 AM on October 14, 2015

According to some of the reviews on this amazon page, the new corcorans are crap, but if you get ones with "original" in the name, they are the original quality.

This boot might be what you want. They are $35 more than the ones you bought.

Wow, look at all the sizes!
posted by H21 at 8:57 AM on October 14, 2015 [2 favorites]

maybe too nike, but, well, nike.

(i think adidas do something similar - namechecked by william gibson somewhere near pattern recognition).
posted by andrewcooke at 9:39 AM on October 14, 2015

Response by poster: Sorry, I should have been more specific. I'm want something that looks similar (capped toe, non-treaded sole) to the corcoran boot. Basically the same boot but made by someone else. I'm not particularly hard on boots, I don't think (maybe 2-3 miles of walking a day, work in an office) - I had a pair I picked up second hand in a surplus store, already fairly busted, and they lasted a good three years before I got lazy and the leather rotted. The pair I bought to replace those is the one H21 links to (the "original"). After 6-7 months, the sole on one broke crosswise near the center - cracked all the way through. The pair I bought to replace those experienced a Heel Separation Event at month 8.

Thanks for the replies so far.
posted by logicpunk at 9:54 AM on October 14, 2015

Are you wearing them almost every day? You'll get much more life out of your footwear if you buy two pairs and rotate them each day. The moisture in your shoes makes them break down much faster. So you'll get much more life than just the 8 months + 8 months than you'd guess based on buying two pairs of the same shoes. I'd bet you'd get something like 3-5 years out of them, maybe with a resoling or two along the way.
posted by barnone at 11:23 AM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

have you looked for a cobbler that does business with real boots? Rocky, Danner, stuff that loggers and old school police wear? your sole breaking shouldn't be the end of a good boot, you just may have to find someone who really knows how to do it. Jump boots are a pretty specialized item, but their features are designed for not getting tangled in parachute lines and should be available in other brands.
posted by th3ph17 at 11:25 AM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you haven't had a good cobbler take a look at your boots, I strongly agree that you should do so. Depending on how the heel separated or the sole cracked, they may be totally repairable, and for much less than the cost of a new pair of boots. I wear Corcoran field boots, actually, and one of the reasons I like them is that their boots are Goodyear welted, i.e. the soles are constructed in a way that allows them to easily be repaired and replaced. I've had mine for four years, and have resoled them at least once or twice in the interim due to the heels wearing down. (My other pair of boots - a pair of Grinders that are similar in construction, though taller - had a cracked sole but that was also absolutely repairable.)

I also second rotating two pairs of boots and trying to care for the leather (my problems have mostly been related to not conditioning/cleaning my boots enough during the winter when exposure to a lot of salt and snow can really hurt the leather). Most of my boots over the past decade and a half have needed resoling or some other minor repair within two years or less (due to wear, if nothing else), but all of them have been wearable for at least that long afterwards (in some cases much longer) as long as I took care of them and had a good cobbler manage repairs.
posted by ubersturm at 12:07 PM on October 14, 2015

Danner Boots I've set the link to their "law enforcement" page where I saw similar boots to the corcorans. They also have physical stores.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 1:43 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

I see old stocks sold on Ebay all the time. I'd get a vintage pair or two. I like the ones with the meaty, diagonal zipper. Best boots EVAH!

You can also find them sometimes in costume stores because they're the original boots used in Ghostbusters.
posted by answergrape at 3:00 PM on October 14, 2015

I'll third the recommendation for Danner. I have two pairs of the Ft. Lewis (one insulated for winter use , one not) . They will run you over twice the price of the Corcoran ones, but with good maintenance and a replacing the soles when worn they will last for a very, very long time. With daily wear I have gotten 5 good years out of mine before they get too chewed up to use.
posted by Dr. Twist at 8:46 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]