Bates Men's 8 Inch Leather Nylon Side-Zip Uniform Boot

I normally wear a 12 , but ordered an 11.5 because I read these ran big. indeed they do , bigger than Nike 12 , in fact. When i first put them on , the odd thing about the sizing was the height from arch to instep. There was so much space above my foot , I almost sent them back. But , I decided to put an aftermarket insole in them on top of the factory insole. Not only did this make them a perfect fit , but they are now the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. I walk miles a day in them for work and have ZERO foot pain. These are not listed as waterproof by Bates , but , so far they seem to be. I ride a motorcycle in Florida. It rains about daily in the summertime and my feet stay dry. Break in time was about 3 days. They are far cooler (temperature) than my Nike or Doc Marten boots. The zip side is amazing for ease of access. Absolutely love these boots. Buy them and you will not regret it.UPDATE: Two things to add.First , some d-bag ran a stop sign in front of me in a slick a$$ parking lot. I went down , not too hard , but , it was still a wreck and a 25 mph butt slide on some asphalt. I got up more angry than injured. When I got home , I noticed a large tear in my jeans , ankle to shin. I looked and my boots and sure enough , there was the scar that was meant for me. Thanks , boots.Second , these were waterproof for about 3 weeks , which for me was approximately 20 hours in the rain. Yesterday , I felt the water seeping in while on the road. SOAKED. D'oh! I bought some spray on repellent and coated them. Hope this does the trick. I fargin' hate wet boots.

Good boot for a great price when I purchased; however, it took some time to get used to the extra space it has. I wear a 13 EEE and when I put my foot inside, the front width was perfect, but the rear was a little bigger than expected. Also, it seems longer than a 13, so I measured with a measuring tape and it is just shy of 13.5 inches, close to 13 1/4 maybe a little more, but not exactly 13.5 even though it says size 13 on boot. Width is easy to manage with slightly thicker socks, traction in snow and on ice is pretty good considering, and feet have stayed dry during the recent 2 day rain storm we had in JC, NJ. Like the boots, but not sure if I will buy again. The heels do hurt for some time before breaking them in, and while standing for long periods of time, which I do for work. I've tried other Bates boots before and these definitely are not worse, but there is always room for improvement, hence my 4 star rating. Maybe better cushioning for feet and shorten the length so it is closer to true fitting. My feet still slide even with the laces tied tight. But, quality material nonetheless on the outside. Would I recommend these... Sure, but if a better boot could be found for cheaper, definitely grab them especially if you've worn the other boots before and liked the feel. I think next time I will go back to my Rocky bbrand and keep these as back ups.

I put about 10 miles a day on these and they last for two years under that kind of abuse. Before I found these boots, my feet hurt tons from all that walking and running, probably from the lack of good arch support. These seem to fit my feet much better and have better support so I don't hurt nearly as much as I used to, even after an extended shift.

Haven't had this boot for very long so I don't know how long it will last, especially if your in the mud, doing construction work. Once you get the laces tied up won't need to untie them again with the side zip just unzip and re-zip when needed. I primarily buy boots due to the fact they are the type of footwear you can go to a lot of places with, without having too much of an issue. The only downside for me anyways when I kneel down and bend the front part of the boot where my toes are, the boot does squish my toes a bit which do bother me, but I have only had these for a week or two so they could still be being broken in.Another con but not the reason for the lose of the star is these don't have a steel/composite toe in which I like due to random objects falling on my feet.Overall (so far) its a good boot it works, and the zipper on the side makes it very fast to get into and out of the boot.

I bought a pair of these 3 years ago following a foot injury that deformed my foot. I work in security and public safety. I walk a minimum of 7 miles per shift. I never have had a problem with these boots. I have scuffed the leather and the scuffs are difficult to polish over. Anyone who knows how to polish a boot can make the scuffs acceptable for inspection. They are at the point now after 3 years they are breaking down. They have a very durable sole, well constructed toe box, and heal cup. The side zipper after 3 years is like new. They absorb the shock from walking on concrete surfaces very well. I tried a different manufacture and have made the decision to return to Bates products. I'm not saying they are water proof but I have never gotten wet feet in many shift in the rain. During winter months never had a problem with warmth. I have found these to be a good sturdy boot. They are price effective and a quality purchase.

Good boots

Boots fit on the large size but I fitted a gel insole to solve the issue. Nice boot

Love these boots..i use them every day and after a few mounth they still look new. This is a big surprise since i normally destroy a pair every 3 months

Garbage quality .. materials did not last .. complete waste of money

Do not buy these boots regardless of what others say. I bought these boots on December 26, 2017. Today's date is January 14, 2019. They lasted just over one year. ONE YEAR!!! and there is a hole near the toe. As you can see in the photo. I am a security guard. Yes I do a lot of walking. no good. Don't buy!!!