A Warning to buyers of Steel Blue Work Boots

[tims1959]

I purchased a pair of brand new SteelBlue works boots of a guy recently. They turned up in the original box and looked brand new.  About 4 months into there use, I noticed the moulded sole on one boot was starting to come adrift.  The other boot wasn't as bad but showing the same problem. I contacted the local distributor who sent a rep out to take the boots for closer inspection. After not hearing from them for a while I emailed to ask what was going on with the boots. This is his reply

After having a look at your boots, they have what we call Hydrolysis which is when the sole starts detieriarating when the chemicals break down. The chemicals break down in old boots that have been sitting on a shelf, under a bed or in a cupboard for a long period of time. Usually 3 – 4 years. We get this a bit with guys who worked on the mines 8 or so years ago and were issued 2 -3 pr a year and thought they would save the boots up. Now we are finding that they are selling them to mates etc. Your boots were made in August 2004 which makes them nearly 9 years old. There is nothing we can do with these boots as they sole will just keep crumbling away.

Amazed me.  So just let it be a warning to would be Steel Blue boot buyers . Buy these boots off major boot sellers by all means, they really are a comfortable boot, but anyone else who may have a pair for sale and can't give you a purchase date, I would steer clear.

[drz250k]

I had a very similar experience with a pair of Oliver work boots, these boots were in the company storeroom at my workplace and due to my unusual foot size they had been in storage for about 8 years, they lasted less than a week before the sole just disintegrated, I contacted the supplier and they gave me much the same spiel as you were given, that the sole has a conservative life span of 3 to 5 years, if I remember rightly i was told it had something to do with the manufacturing process used for the rubber to Make them chemical resistant. Go figure

[lyndal1838]

It is not just restricted to work boots either.  My husband has steel capped work shoes that have developed cracks right across the soles.  At the ball of the foot the shoes have almost split in 2 after a few months wear.  My OH is not an unusual size and the company has only been issuing shoes for about a year, maybe less.

I also had a similar experience with a pair of sandals of my late mothers...from the time she bought them to the time I was donating them would have been about 5 years and they had quite limited use in that time.  They were also splitting across the moulded sole.

[bsal6160]

Why should this be of any surprise to people when considering that car tyres have a shelf life of 7 - 10 years.

[tims1959]

Well it was a surprise to me as I have gotten 6 to 7 years out of a pair of Dr Martin work boots  that had the soles stitched to the leather. Eventually wore the sole right out. No crappy synthetic rubber deterioration there!  I personally feel a work boot that doesn't see harsh conditions should have a longer service life than a few years. Before this latest problem,  I had a new pair of Steel Blues I purchased from a retailer that only lasted 18 months before the front of the sole developed a split all the way through. Retailer recons 18 months was pretty good.    I disagree.

Have now lashed out and purchased a pair of Altberg boots from England. Too early to tell how durable they will be but they look and feel very well made.

[theyre_dreamin]

I hve had the worn soles collapse on 3pair of my SB boots, with daily wear. The uppers were still ok, tho they were coming away a bitat the sides as theboots don't like being wet. I was told by shop that 18 months is good life span. But they would say that, eh?

[aps1080]

tims

Doc Martins are a different breed of boot. I still have my 11 holers from the 80's !!! LOL And the rubber on the soles is still good even though they have sat in the garage for $30 years.

[2106greencat]

Well, that's nice isn't it ? The seller most likely had no idea of the problem either hence selling the boots as new.

IMO if the manufacturer did not print this problem on the label/packaging they should be responsible, especially as it must be quite evident that the use has been minimal.

 edited: Not replying to you aps, sorry, just hit the reply button closest to me, my sarcasm is aimed at the manufacturer.

[aps1080]

2106
No worries, wasn't taken that way.
I disagree with you though. Most boots like this are made to be worn and worn out, often pretty quickly.

They don't factor in the fact that some may sit on a shelf for a while - years or be held by a worker for years and then moved on.
Personally, the quality of boots in general has gone down over the years. That is just my HO.

I just went and checked my spare set of Elk land boots I have, 10 years old, purchased when I found a set that I liked and

fitted me like a glove so got some spares. The rubber on them is fine. That is the 3rd pair, I am still wearing the 2nd pair and will get a few more years out of them yet.

[harley_babes_hoard]

it happens with Blundstone boots as well. I had a pair I hadn't used for ages in the wardrobe, looked in thereone day for something else and noticed all the sole had perished and crumbled off the shoe completely.