BatesMen's Gx-8 Composite Toe Side Zip Work Boot

I wear a 10.5 US in Nike Free Run running shoes, and needed 11.5 US in these boots to get a good fit across the bridge of my foot, immediately behind the toes. They said 3E, but came in extra wide. A true 3E probably would have been fine in a 10.5.This is the fifth pair of Bates I have owned and they're great boots. For work I wore the Bates Ultra-lights in black 5 inch zip up and they were great, but after a year the heel was worn down and my feet were rolling to the outside of the foot bed. Pretty good life for a 325 pound guys work boots. I wanted to try these out because they apear to have a better arch. After wearing them for a month I'm pretty sure the tread will last a bit longer and the arch support is slightly better. My only complaints are that they don't come in a 5 inch side zip, or even better, a low cut shoe. The 8 inch are fine, but your feet can get pretty hot during the summer. And you'll want to find your favorite aftermarket, Dr. Scholls, etc. inserts to replace the thin, cheap ones that come with them.The composite toe is great, and is so much more comfortable after a 12 hour shift. It seems to be able to accommodate wide feet better than steel toes as well.

I was active duty for 6 years, 8 months, 22 days... Went into the reserves (for one reason or another...). Foot wear is always important. It was engrained from the start of my military career.Anyone who has worn a 8-inch high boot understands that there is (typically) a break-in period for a boot. Whether for PT, hiking, work, etc... There alway's seems to be a painful break-in...Not. With. These. Boots.They move and groove, and from the get-go, they are comfortable and breathe! Light-weight, and nice on the feet. Between construction and hiking, these boots are a real top-notch go-to. Very supportive. Ehhhh, the price is a bit high... But I'd slap these on and pay the price any day, over a 30 dollar pair from Wally World.Re-lace them properly, and coat them with a water-repellant or water-sealer. They are ASTM and EF rated. Once they're laced, you essentially never have to tie them again with the side-zip. They are comfortable, and they don't have the "Oh I need to get these boots off, I've been in them 12 hours" problem.Fits as expected. No issues (yet...). Laces are quality. Seller was quick. My foot is essentially encased in the comfort of a pillow. Light-weight and robust. You'd be a fool not to get these, regardless of the work or task.

I've always been a Bates fan, but not every Bates boot I've owned is fail proof. The GX-8 with the composite toe was a bit stiff for about a month, but is now comfortably broken in. The comp toe is noticeable, but I haven't had the opportunity to test it. The side zipper is so-so. I find it equally easy to just untie my laces. So far the stitching and glue has held together. I've had two different models suffer from stitching problems. One from a pair barely a week old. Bates Shock FX extra wide. The funny thing is, I have the exact pair back at home withstand weeks of tree cutting, brush clearing and fence installation with zero problems. The other pair was a Delta side zip Uniform boot. Stitching came loose after about a year. Besides the stitching the Delta was my most comfortable pair.The GX-8 had a very hard insole and the arch support was barely there. The insole is still a bit stiff. I may replace the insoles with something else. Other than that, a solid boot.

Pretty amazing quality. Definitely fits the $150 price. It's very well crafted, everything feels and looks premium.Very comfortable. It has a tight fit to the heel, hugs up to the ball of your foot and opens up a bit for your toes to wiggle around. A perfect fit for me.Walking in them feels better than any boot I've had before. Even though my right foot is injured so the firmness of the new boot does hurt a bit.The insole has a thick, soft cushion for the heel, while it does thin out towards the toes.I picked these after trying on the Black GorTex GX8 with no toe protection at Scheels. GorTex is just too hot. Even in winter GorTex boots bake to an unbearable level.The standard boot with the addition of a composite toe is just what I need for shop work as a Service Technician.My last pair of boots are a pair of 2 y/o Merrell which is essentially Bates.They were also very comfortable. The only issue I had with those is that the sole wasn't 1 piece. So the nubs in the middle wore down and kept making annoying flapping noises with every step. I could actually feel it each time too. Other than that I'd still be wearing them. Unlike those these appear to be all 1 piece I hope.This is only day 1, I will update this review as time goes on.For me, these are the better buy over boots like Red Wings. Last time I tried those out they all had cardboard insoles and awful form to your foot. Red Wings are less comfortable than Walmart Boots.1 year update: still very comfortable boots. Heel liner blew out as usual but feels fine. The hard heel cup or w.e it's called feels good still.Insoles lasted 6 months, easy fix. Still very usable boots. Not waterproof, but I used them all winter in North Dakota.Only switching to a pull on boot like Ariat because I need new tread for winter and waterproofing.Although these still grip well on the auto shop floors.Zipper works great, no issues. Soles haven't come undone and the glue holds strong.For a fairly lightweight comfortable boot I highly recommend.I tried on the waterproof black leather version inside Scheels. Very stiff, didn't like em.Also these laces are great, they don't seem like they hold very tight and could come loose at any moment, but they somehow hold steady.I still stand by my dislike for Redwing. I tried more out. Still garbage.