Woodworking, whether in the shop or on a job site, is mostly practiced on your feet. So, what you wear on your feet is just about as important as all the tools you use. 

Over the years, I’ve mostly leaned toward fairly heavy boots, but they can be fatiguing after a long day on hard concrete floors. So, more recently I’ve been trying work shoes that offer lighter weight at the expense of ankle support.

But the folks at Wolverine asked me to try some work boots that land between those options, and, they said, apply the same technology used in modern athletic shoes to work boots for the skilled trades. That’s how the Wolverine ReForce EnergyBound 6-inch work boots wound up on my feet.

Foot-friendly features
At 6 inches high, these boots are much lower than my 9-inch high-top work boots, but they still offer more ankle support than my low-rise safety toe work shoes. The ones I tried don’t have safety toes, but a composite toe is available if your work requires it.

First impression is how light these boots are. And the EnergyBound midsole cushioning and DuraShocks outsole offered a concrete-killing comfortable feel right from the start. The boots are solidly put together with what Wolverine describes as its lightest Goodyear welt.

They are waterproof with full-grain leather paired with a wicking membrane to keep your feet dry even in inclement weather.

How do they feel?
With most of the boots I’ve worn over the years, there’s been a significant break-in period, but these were instantly comfortable. I especially could tell the difference on the hard concrete floors in my shop. Wolverine claims something called “reactive midsole foam” helps propel your feet forward like the construction of some athletic shoes. (Wolverine’s sister companies include Saucony and Merrell.)

Obviously, footwear is a really personal decision, but these boots really surprised me at how comfortable they were from the get-go. They are available in medium and extra-wide widths, in men’s sizes from 7 to 14, with or without a composite safety toe, and in 6- or 8-inch height. Learn more at wolverine.com.