Several tool and equipment brands have their own lines of work boots. Dewalt, for example, has quite a few different styles of work boots, work shoes, and other types of safety footwear.
Could Milwaukee Tool come out with their own work boots? Sure. Should they? Would they?
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At the time of this posting, Milwaukee Tool does not make any work boots or safety shoes, and I don’t see this changing any time soon.
Milwaukee has come out with new safety gear over the past few months, including work vests and a new line of knee pads. This is all on top of their huge 2019 launch into the safety and PPE product category.
Milwaukee Tool now has hard hats – plus an entire accessory ecosystem – quite a few different styles of work gloves, respirators, safety glasses, ear plugs, and more.
The brand has an astonishingly vast product line of heated gear, as well as non-heated workwear.
But there is one category Milwaukee Tool hasn’t entered yet – safety footwear.
Is this because the market is too crowded? What could Milwaukee Tool being to the work boot industry that other brands aren’t doing or couldn’t do just as well?
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Personally, I don’t think this is a tool-related product category that Milwaukee would be eager to touch.
For one, where would the products see exposure? Milwaukee has carved out a nice-sized section of wall space in the PPE and safety gear section at Home Depot stores. Would they have the same breadth and selection of safety gear if not for their widespread availability at Home Depot stores?
While Milwaukee of course has many other high-volume dealers and retailers, nobody can deny the high visibility of their safety products at Home Depot stores. Promotional displays on the sales floor provide visibility boosts at least a couple of times each year.
Sure, Milwaukee could put a boot or two on display in stores and provide ordering details, but stores can’t carry x-number of boxes of y-number of boot sizes.
Looking online, Home Depot’s online store carries a lot of different work boots – there are 1,173 work boot listings – but none of them are available at stores.
On the other hand, Milwaukee’s heated gear and other cool weather workwear tend to sell out each year, and having different color and size options don’t seem to have hindered things. Jackets and shoes aren’t quite the same thing, though.
Milwaukee doesn’t need for tools or accessories to be available in stores in order for the products to be successful.
I am sure that work boots and other footwear products experience a much higher return rate than other types of safety gear, such as work gloves.
There’s also a question about what kind of market share might they expect to compete for. There are a lot of players in this game, and it would take a lot of fierce competition to win over even a tiny piece of the pie.
I think that this is a category that Milwaukee Tool can get into, but not without hurdles, risks, and limited payoff.
With all that said, I’m curious – would you buy Milwaukee work boots? Is this the first time you have ever connected “Milwaukee Tool” and “work boots” in the same thought?
Despite my somewhat pessimistic outlook about this, there’s one nagging question I cannot seem to dismiss. Dewalt is subject to the same market factors and product-specific complexities that Milwaukee would face. Assuming that Dewalt has a consistently profitable presence in the work boot industry, wouldn’t Milwaukee Tool enjoy the same?
Joe
I would buy a pair if pricing was right. I have a pair of DeWalt work boots I purchased at Meijer last fall for around $80 and they’ve held up well. Give me a no frills, no thrills work boot for under $100 that I can get at least 6 months to a year out of… I’m good with that.
fred
Seems like a trend. As you point out SBD seems to milk the Dewalt name for everything that its worth. The CAT brand seems to have appeared on clothing and boots. I think their boots are made by Wolverine. For me I’m not such a fan of any brand to want to walk around wearing clothing emblazoned with their brand name. But I guess that others like the possible cachet that is associated with some brands using their name or initials on their products.
Stuart
I don’t think it’s a trend with Dewalt, as I am fairly certain I’ve seen Stanley work boots for a very long time. Stanley availability seems to have shrunken as SBD segued towards Dewalt-branded boots.
CAT has been licensing all kinds of tools and workwear products. Dewalt works out licensing arrangements as well, especially when it comes to safety products and now personal electronics accessories, but they seem far more restrictive as to what they’ll put their name on.
fred
I think you are right about Dewalt – and also their safety items. The last time I looked – their goggles/safety glasses were made by Radians
blocky
I just picked up some aluminum toe Stanley boots on clearance. They’re quite good even at the retail price of ~$80. My Dewalt boots were about $55 on sale, also totally decent, quite comfortable and reasonably hard wearing for me.
Deciding factor for me was that they offered E width – I got a wide foot. Generally when that’s an offering, form and function were prioritized over flashy stuff.
I take it as given that brand name in these instances is only a rebadge and/or design collaboration.
Ex_dtw2003
CAT boots have been around FOREVER. I went through 3 or 4 pairs back in the 90s as a high school and college kid. They were comfy amd chunky and back in the grunge days really dug them.
Leo B.
I try to not buy too many of any one brand’s products, and I don’t think those around me could handle Milwaukee boots in addition to the tools! I’m sure they would be decent boots though, if they decided to enter the market. I’d be okay without them ever dipping their safety toe into that particular slice of the market, however. I think it would end up making a more muddied category than a clear winner, but I’ve been wrong before.
Champs
Sure, I’d wear Red… Wings.
Feet come in a lot of different sizes and shapes. You become very aware of when you buy fancy cycling shoes. So when it comes to footwear, the brands I trust for fit and finish are very personal and would not be chosen for being Only Heavy Duty.
fred
When boots were (or are) made by hand a form called a Last was created to fit the exact shape and measurements of your foot, ankle and calf. In centuries past these were painstakingly carved from wood. Today they may be molded and/or machine finished. To Joe’s point about value – a custom made pair of boots may fit your feet very well but they will cost way more than that under $100 sweet spot price.
If you are a Sherlock Holmes fan – and visit Baker Street – you might stop in at the nearby James Taylor shoemakers – who will fit you up with what they call a bespoke pair of custom made boots staring around £2000.
I stopped by one time – did some window shopping – and decided that my Wolverine Hudson’s that sell for around $80 fit me well enough.
joseph
I’d wear them if they fit, are comfortable, and are priced well enough to make me consider swapping.
X lu
Isn’t the core question, do they solve a unique problem or provide a unique solution? Just slapping your brand on products made by others doesn’t usually accomplish this. Smells like a licensing deal for the name and a cheap money grab would be how they would do this (and I assume DeWalt) did. I have found when a brand does this it is an early predictor of future failure. So for me if they were to do this, I would likely not further expand my investment in Milwaukee but begin the transition to other systems and de-risk.
MM
My thoughts exactly, well, except I don’t think Dewalt is going anywhere anytime soon.
And really this is frustrating because I think there IS room for significant innovation in boots and shoes, it’s just that nobody has bothered to do it yet. Many years ago, before industrialization, shoes were made-to-measure by skilled craftsmen. They fit perfectly because they were made specifically for your feet. The industrial revolution brought us a few steps forward: now nearly anyone could afford shoes. But it also came with a few steps back: that came at the cost of simplifying the shape of the human foot to a single “size” number, or perhaps two if you were lucky and “width” was a choice too. We got cheap shoes but they certainly weren’t good shoes.
Now we have a chance to allow modern technology to solve this problem. I’m envisioning a situation where you walk into a shoe store, step in a device that takes 3D scans or photos of your feet from a variety of angles, and then computer-operated machinery in some faraway factory springs to life crafting your bespoke pair of boots without you having to pay haute couture prices. A week later they show up at your doorstep. You want to get my attention for boots and shoes? Do that.
Koko The Talking Ape
Companies often slap their names on products just so a competitor won’t have the space entirely to themselves. Products act as marketing for other products, so even ordinary boots with the Milwaukee name would help support sales of their other products, and vice-versa.
Wayne R.
I was working a remote job; one site was under construction and I needed the whole vest/eyes/hardhat/steel toes combo to get in. My Red Wings were at home and I found a pair that fit (14) at the regional WalMart. I think they were Dickies from, well, you know.
Those things had a toxic waste stink to them that was scary. I didn’t wear them any longer than necessary.
Sticking with Red Wings.
Mr. X
I prefer to buy the best tool for the job (for me). For work related stuff: Work boots: Red Wing, Work clothes: (usually) Carhartt, drink container: Yeti, Mobile phone: iPhone (still using a 7+). As far as actual tools go, the only reason I see to stick with a specific brand is a cordless system because it makes sense to use a common battery, and I use Milwaukee. For other stuff, get the best tool for the job, for YOU. It also makes sense to use tools and equipment from a manufacturer with a proven track record in that area. I have a mix of corded tools from Milwaukee, Dewalt, Bosch, Makita, and Fein, all chosen based on effectiveness, and reputation for function and reliability, not simply brand.
Buying a pair of boots, or clothing (heated stuff excluded, see cordless system comment above) based on brand loyalty is kind of silly. I think Red Wing has a pretty good track record making boots, and the ones I buy are American Made. Pretty sure the Dewalt boot is imported and was farmed out to the low bid boot manufacturer. I’m certainly not buying a Caterpillar branded jacket because Cat makes a great front end loader.
Buy the product, not the brand.
MM
“Buy the product, not the brand.”
Agreed. I always thought it was strange when, for example, a cordless tool maker like Dewalt or Milwaukee decides to get into making unrelated tools like tapes, squares, or wrenches. Just because a brand might be known for good power tools doesn’t mean it makes a decent ratchet. To be fair it sounds like at least some of the time the tool companies are listening to their users and are honestly making an attempt at improving those “me too” products. The Milwaukee Fastback knives are well regarded, for example. Dewalt has been talking about their tape updates recently, etc. But I’m not sure how these boots are supposed to be any better than the alternatives. I’m not going to hang up my Nick’s anytime soon.
Koko The Talking Ape
If I were Milwaukee or DeWalt, and thinking about branding, marketing and selling (not necessarily designing or manufacturing, mind) a new line of products, I’d make sure it had at least a reasonable level of quality, so as not to tarnish the rest of the brand. Reputations in tools and other equipment are hard won, and easily lost. The particular purchasers for these things are knowledgeable and demanding, and they talk to each other, as illustrated by these comments and the forum.
(I’d also make sure I could sell it at a comparable cost to the competition and still make some money.)
So knowing that, as a consumer I’d be inclined to trust the durability and quality of a Milwaukee-branded boot.
What I wouldn’t trust at all is the fit, because for some reason, boots are routinely made not to fit human feet. I’m slightly out of the norm, so basically there is one single brand that works for me (Keen), and not even then, not always. But even for “normal” feet, I’m positive boots could be made to fit better. The would just look odd, at first.
Jim Felt
Agreed. But just try buying actual US made “shoes”. Maybe New Balance?
So I try to buy European made shoes. There’re still a few. Darn few.
Boots I don’t usually wear but Danner is based a few miles north of me. And some are still manufactured “here” as are some industrial Keens. Including pairs I own. Danner’s nearly next door to Leatherman and both are across town from Gerber Legendary and the Keen assembly plant.
Kentucky fan
Lowes where I live has started carrying Dewalt boots I wouldn’t buy them personally. I’m a red wing guy
Koko The Talking Ape
I would consider them, though the critical question would be whether or not they fit, and I’m willing to bet they wouldn’t.
The reason is that almost no boots fit, especially in the toe. Keens sometimes come close, but that’s it. Not Redwing, not Merrill, not Frye, not Chippewa, not Wolverine.
I don’t understand why boots aren’t shaped like an actual foot. Just look at your foot, and look at a boot. Not the same shape. Why do they do that?
blocky
Now I want to see your feet.
Koko The Talking Ape
😀 I don’t have a picture of my feet handy, but I have unusually long toes, and they splay slightly. The reason may be that I didn’t wear closed-toe shoes often when I was growing up, and the shoes I did wear were probably too big. But I’m told that my feet are closer to the typical stone-age man’s, before people routinely wore shoes (that don’t really fit.)
That also might be related to my case of Morton’s toe, which makes my big toes seem substantially shorter than my second and even third toes. It’s not the toe itself that’s short, it’s the first metatarsal bone in my feet. It’s not rare; up to 1/5 of the population has it. Re boots, it means that arch supports are shaped wrong (though that’s not a big issue, because most boots hardly have any arch support anyway), the boot flexes in the wrong place (not a big deal with soft-soled boots), and the toe box isn’t big enough (a big deal.)
Anyway, I don’t know why bootmakers don’t make wider toeboxes. People with wide toes need them, and people with narrow toes won’t mind them. But the boots would look odd, and we working folk are very appearance conscious! 😉
Joatman
Is that where the “Talking Ape” came from? Absolutely no disrespect here. I’m a fan of your comments.
To the topic….I think the Die Hard Milwaukee fans will follow trend here. But I have to admit, their heated gear is top notch quality despite the prices. But I couldn’t walk out of my house carry a tool bag full of tools….wear a jacket….and boots all by the same manufacturer. Same as what Leo B. said above. Let’s face it, Dewalt isn’t in the shoe business, they’re just banking on their name.
Koko The Talking Ape
🙂 No, the name comes from a famous gorilla who learned sign language, adopted a few kittens, taught scientists a lot about ape cognition, etc. She’s a she and I’m not, but oh well.
I’m not sure how your comment re brand loyalty is related? Maybe you were responding to another comment.
Anyway, not buying too much of one brand, maybe there are practical reasons for not buying too much from one brand, but if you’re just concerned about how that would look, I’m sure nobody would care, or even notice. If you like, you can wear a t-shirt or ball cap from some other brand. Or get a Husky tool bag.
MM
Talk to a bootmaker who takes measurements of your feet and makes the boots to order. I have boots by both Nick’s and Frank’s and they are amazing. Not only am I less tired at the end of a day’s work but I feel a lot more stable and secure when I work, I can carry heavier loads comfortably, etc. They are known for wildland firefighter boots but make other types of workboots and shoes as well. I got turned onto them looking for boots that could take abuse in a fab shop dealing with slag and hot bits of steel on the ground. What I found was an epiphany.
At least one of them has videos up on YT of how and why the boots are shaped the way they are, as well as discussing the different options for the shape of the toe box, etc, though at this point I can’t recall which specific video it is otherwise I’d link it. And I also notice that these old-style handmade boots are made to a shape much closer to a human foot than a generic off the shelf boot.
This is not the video I was thinking of, but it is the first of 4 that are quite informative and show the process of the boots being made in Spokane, WA.
Koko The Talking Ape
Thank you sir! I’d never heard of Nick’s or Frank’s.
Just eyeballing Nick’s webpage, it looks like you can custom order things like stitch colors, ornaments, materials, soles, etc. but not on a custom-made last. Is that right? Again, just eyeballing the boots, it doesn’t look like the toe is wide enough.
Ideally (for me and I’m sure some other people), the toe box is slightly wider than the ball of the foot, so the boots look like duck feet.
MM
If things are still the way they were when I ordered mine, they have three basic types of last for you to choose between, and everything is based on measurements of your feet. They have a fairly elaborate set of measurements they require. If your measurements don’t match an “off the shelf” last, they modify the last to suit when they make your boots. For example, in my case my right ankle is larger than my left due to an old injury. My left foot ended up using an off-the-shelf last, for my right foot they added extra material to it to compensate for the ankle. Eyeballing the designs is a bit misleading since everything would be made to your measurements if you were to order a pair.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well, I’m a little confused. On Nick’s website, you can order made-to-order boots two ways: with an in-person fitting, which makes sense to me, and with the size you select, which doesn’t.
The size you select is just your normal boot size and width. So that’s just two measurements. I don’t see how they can call those boots “custom fitted.” They’re “custom,” because you still can specify the color, type of leather, etc. But they aren’t “custom-fitted.”
(You can also have a try-on pair shipped to you, with a wait time of 6 weeks, costing $60 extra, which also doesn’t make sense to me. Why can’t you just buy a pair and return them if they don’t fit?)
I hope when you visit their store, they take more than just the two measurements. (Also, they don’t say where their store is, not even on their “How to be fit” page.)
Frank’s page seems to be down or something.
Michael Hegg
Only if they are Red 🙂
Flotsam
This is just stupid, nothing but branding. Neither Milwaukee, Dewalt or Caterpillar make boots . Now we’re in Sears territory
Bob
I dont care what Milwaukee or dewalt slaps their name on. I have worn red wing pecos boots for years. My denim tuxedo is USA made, gave up on carhartt and levis when they went offshore
Geoff
Timberland Pros are by far the best work boots I own. Made the switch from Danners years ago and never looked back. The only other boots I’d consider are custom Westco for climbing.
JoeM
I would not… I have very wide feet, and I have flat feet/collapsed arches. I am looking into replacement work boots that I can still walk in after an hour. I’ve checked out the Work Boot offerings from every work gear place I can find, and they just don’t make EE or EEE width boots. If they do? I haven’t found them.
I’m on a last-ditch-effort to look into Blundstones, see if they can do the job. An arch support insole I can handle easily, but a standard or narrow boot? I can’t use at all.
Economically? I don’t think it’s wise for Milwaukee to enter Work boots. Major tool brands such as DeWALT tend to only go for single-year lifespan construction on theirs, and Milwaukee probably doesn’t want that reputation attached to their name. DeWALT/SBD don’t seem to care that their boots are not lasting more than a single year, but then again, DeWALT/SBD have shown they are rapidly caring less about their reputation these days than they have in the past.
Now… Speaking from North of the Border… if either company could manage a partnership with… I dunno… Sorel? Maybe, just maybe, they could salvage the Work Boot thing. Timbaland, Blundstone as I mentioned for myself earlier, hell Doc Martins would make better partners to make their work footwear for them. These are all multi-year quality footwear companies. That’s the line I would have to draw for Milwaukee. Unless they can get a big name in work wear to partner with them, they should stay out and not risk the blow to their reputation for quality. A move DeWALT didn’t do, and I am deeply disappointed in them for it.
Adam
Generally speaking, I trust brands that are dissected and examined in detail to be well-made, protective, and lasting. I love watching Rose Anvil’s YouTube channel for exactly that reason. I wouldn’t think twice about spending $1000+ on a pair of fitted work boots if I was working a job and wearing them for 8+ hours per day. Just like a mattress or an office chair, it’s something you spend 1/3rd of your day using, so it better be the best available.
Chris S
Not if they only cater to the average foot. Dewalt has more inventory of 10 and 10.5 than I’ve ever seen (just look at home depot’s deal of the day when dewalt boots show up, its like it’s the only size they have or something). I wear a 15 4E and I don’t know how many people have told me to buy [X brand] because of how great they are, but I find they only go up to size 13. I don’t want to buy $200-$300 boots for every pair. I want options when I have to step in a muddy trench.
Some more of these manufacturers are going to need to step up. The population is getting bigger (not just fatter). I was 6’2″ in late middle school/early high school and was a “giant”. Now I feel absolutely short compared to a lot of people coming out of school and getting into the workforce.
I feel like I used to hear a lot more complaints of hormones in food and such years ago…now it just seems like a given.
Side note…someone needs to sketch the future Milwaukee boot. I imagine it will be like the AR15 of boots. Milwaukee flashlights, knives, and sharpie clips up and down both sides. Like a boot “packout” equivalent.
JoeM
It’s stupid, isn’t it? Yeah, I’m overweight for my height, but I have 11 EEE Flat Feet due to genetics, not weight. Let’s put aside the fact that Women are a consideration in the industry and trades for a moment… Us dudes are nearly double the size we were 10 years ago, let alone a generation ago… Some of the best construction people are taller, and stronger, than their parents were, in the same trades.
Naturally… our feet are bigger! What are these brands thinking? Just because feet have been a certain size and shape for a century, doesn’t mean it’s what we need now. And we can’t “vote with our wallet” because… some purchases are out of desperation just to have something on our feet for safety, and we don’t have any other options!
Which also kinda begs the question… Are they expecting Women to be buying Men’s work boots? Because… as trends go… Those are the only feet still in that particular shape now… The Size 10 “Regular Width” footwear? Yeah… they’re an insole away from being a woman’s boot only. I have female friends who have inspection jobs, and they’re calling Men’s work boots “The Most Comfy For All Day Use.”
What’s going on? How is footwear somehow falling behind in demographics?
OldDominionDIYer
If they were high quality and decently priced I would at least try them, but the real test is comfort I’m to old to wear work boots that aren’t comfortable.
Patrick McIntosh
I would happily buy Milwaukee or DeWalt boots, as well as Cat, and any other brand that offered them in my size. I’m a size 15EEE. DeWalt and Cat as well as a plethora of other boot manufacturers seem to think that feet sizes stop at a 12. I’m guessing that these companies think that only little people need safety/work boots. Anyone above that size obviously doesn’t work in an industry that needs safety/work boots.
Eric
Nope, no way. I’ll stick with Thorogood, or US made Keens, or US made Carolinas. Point being it’s still pretty easy to find nice US made work boots. F Milwaukee, like one of the previous posts said its now just starting to become a brand.
Dominic S
Depends who makes them, as others have pointed out the fit and quality are key.
Nathan
to parrot others – who really makes them and how do they work/feel.
I have no issue with CAT boots – had some once I think back then they were rebranded wolverines. ro something like that – didn’t matter. The price was crazy cheap – well made water proof – etc. fit the bill and worked well for about a year.
I normally wear red wings – get this they make other brands too.
Now being milwaukee and tti owned I’d suspect they would use an offshore maker for their boots – not that I would automatically think the dewalt ones where made stateside.
so price would have to be right – for the quality and location of make. but today I put on red wings because they are made in america and high quality. yes they are probably the most expensive ones I can buy – but they work very very well