Timberland’s PRO Helix work boots are said to offer heavy-duty features with a lightweight and comfortable design. Curious to see if the boots were truly as lightweight and comfortable as claimed, I put a pair of the new Helix boots, non-waterproof safety toe version, to the test.
First, let me just say that I am extremely critical of both casual and safety footwear, and don’t accept any compromises. I expect boots to be comfortable all day long, and I expect them to provide years of use.
Advertisement
Comfort
Although the boots required a short break-in period, I found them to be exceptionally comfortable. They are as lightweight as advertised, and I had no problem wearing them for full days straight, even in warmer weather.
The sole is comfortable as well, slightly springy, but not spongy. I had my doubts about the anti-fatigue “energy boosting” shock absorption, but it proved to be effective.
For the most part, the boots did not feel bulky or heavy – they were just as comfortable as my favorite 10-year old 6″ boots are.
Protection
The entire PRO Helix lineup features a full complement of safety features, and I was especially curious about the non-slip outsole. I wore the boots through mud, rocks, smooth wet floors, oily floors, sawdust, and icy pavement (thanks to an early April snowstorm). The Helix boots provided exceptional gripping power in each case.
Durability
Advertisement
I am a fan of Timberland’s non-safety casual boots and have managed to wear quite a few pairs down to the last 1/8″ of outsole, so my expectations are pretty high these days. The Helix boots are made from thicker leather than I expected, so they should be able to endure a lot of use and abuse. The outsole is pretty thick as well, and seems to wear evenly and slowly.
Conclusion
Overall, I definitely find these boots to be recommendable. Aside from a bit of heel discomfort due to the boot’s initial rigidity and my wearing of too-thin socks, the boots broke in nice and quickly. I found that the boots provided adequate support and impressive outsole grip in any situation I could devise testing them on.
Timberland PRO Helix work boots range in price from $130 to $160 and are available at a number of an online retailers.
Timberland PRO Helix Work Boots via Timberland
Timberland PRO Helix Work Boots via Amazon
Due to the personal nature of the review sample, I will add it to my work boot rotation to see if my opinion changes over time. But after quite a few days and many hours putting the Helix through its paces thus far, I can’t really find any flaws.
Thank you to Timberland for unconditionally providing the review sample. Our policy for review samples is to donate or give them away, or to retain them for benchmark and comparison purposes.
Michael Quinlan
Thanks for the review. I know commenting on this post is like resurrecting a years-old thread in a forum, but I happen to be in the market for a new pair of boots, came across these (I’m a fan of Timberland), Googled for reviews and… here I am. I’m glad I found your site a while back, I’m still finding useful bits from before my discovery.
The real reason I’m commenting is that there are no other comments, and I wanted you to know that your article is appreciated.
Dave fox
I too will be torture the same boots but safty toe version . I’m a union pipe fitter and rarely buy boots from china made factory’s . But I need a pair of boots ASAP my pull on cowboy boots w safety toe just killed my feet on concrete all day but in the field I love them so I will be welding pipe in a moly. Mill for a couple of weeks and it’s ruff on boots so I will let you know but I wore them all. Day yesterday and was impressed so far thanks for review
Rick Glenn
I bought a pair of these boots recently, and really liked the fit and comfort. The down side is that the glue used to attach the soles to the uppers failed miserably, on that pair and a second replacement pair. I chose a different brand after that.