Iโm a big fan of cowboy-style work boots. You can often find them with and without steel toe, as is the case with a pair of Oliver Western work boots I received for review. My pair was in the soft toe format, but you can get these Oliver cowboy boots with a steel toe option forย only a $10 premium. These donโt work well for me during the summertime here in Florida, but during the cooler winter months when I wear work pants, they do nicely.
If youโve never heard of Oliver Safety Footwear, you should have. The company, now part of Honeywell Safety Products, ย dates back to the mid-1800s. James Oliverย wasย a bootmaker who traveled to the gold fields of Ballarat Australia. He didnโt strike gold, but he came back with a comprehensiveย understanding of what aย mining worker and farmer need in a boot. That knowledge has progressed with technology, andย innovations like Poron XRD are allowing for better and more flexible protection across the top of your feet. Oliverโsย NANOlite footbed is unique in its ability to both cushion and massages your feet as you walk.ย Theirย NATUREform wide profile steel toe capsย are also engineered as much for comfort as they are for protection.
Oliver Safety Footwear has well over a dozen specialized styles of boot for both men and women. Their boots are specializedย for the oil and gas, mining, and heavy metal fabrication industries.
Editorโs Note: Check out our best work boots review article for our favorite products for all applications.
Oliver Western Work Boots Features & Use
Our particular Oliver Western work boots came in brown, though they just discontinued a popular camouflage version. This is an 11-inch pull-on bootย with or without a steel toe. The retail pricing is $175 for the soft toe and $185 for the steel toe model.
While the Oliver Western work boots are technically a pull-on rigger style, the stitching and style make it very much a hybrid 11-inch cowboy work boot. Our modelโs non-safety toe gave it a bit less weight, and the square shapeย remains to give it a firmย look.
Being a fan ofย Western cowboy work boots, I love when I find a new model with the classic patterned stitching (in this case red). More than just a pretty design, however, the Oliver Western work boot uses a tried and true Goodyear welt construction. This involvesย aย welt thatโs stitched to the upper and a strip that is cemented to the insole of a shoeย to attach the sole. The outsole is thenย cemented as well as stitched to the welt. Itโs not the easiest way to handle a sole, but itโs considered one of the best.
To get the Oliver Western soft toe boots on,ย durable pull-on loops are provided. Theseย are solid loops of leather that are through-stitched, straddlingย the 11-inch bootโs double stitched side seam. Inside,ย the Oliver Western work boots haveย an impressively constructed footbed. You get a ton of cushion from the removable dual-density poured polyurethaneย and open-cell foam construction.
The electrical hazard rated outsole rounds out the feature set, and the Oliver cowboy boots meet ASTMย F2413-11 electrical hazard certification.
Oliver Western Work Boot Specs
- Non-Safety Toe (Safety toe model available)
- Sizes: 7-14 mens (US)
- Height: 11-inches
- Rubber heel guard
- Goodyear welt construction
- Dual-density pouredย PU footbed
- Meets ASTM F2413-11 EH
Conclusion
Using a Werner podium ladder, installing ceiling fans, and replacing the radiatorย on a Jeep Liberty allย had me wearing the Oliver Western work boots. They held up under greasy concrete, mud, rain-soaked steel, and more. I love a good-looking boot, but one that doesnโt slip and slide on you is even more impressive. The footbed is one of the best Iโve yet seen, with an extra thickย base, plenty of arch support, and a nicely cushioned heel.
The Oliver cowboy boots can beย worn for a full 8-hourย workday. While greatย on the job site, theyย also look great for casual wear. And thatโs the real issue. With boots that look this good and wear so well, you may want to pick upย aย couple of pairs!
