Viewing post #1576532 by bloominholes2fill

@Seedfork Mucks sure do look like a fabulous boot! I can certainly understand where they are perfect for many a gardener! Especially for your bog area!! There a few concerns, in my particular case, though, because I'm a bit of an anomaly , 1.) I need to be able to fit an ankle brace, with metal stabilizers, in my left shoe, 2.) I can't have sweaty feet bc of, 3.) I need absolute warmth for extreme cold temperatures (Not that I work in extreme cold temps, by any stretch! ), where sock layers just aren't enough. The boot itself must have beyond excellent insulation on the inside of the upper and the foot bed, especially in the toe area, bc I was frost bitten in my teens, and, by the grace of God, still have my toes.

Early on, I had a pair of Columbia Bugaboos, for winter, and they were excellent boots for working in the gardens, as well. Waterproof and a proven sub-zero rating for warmth. The only issue was that they made my feet sweat, in the warm months! I wore them out, though, which is why I've opted for my used Timberlands. The leather is more forgiving for the different positions that one's foot winds up in, when gardening. They passed the temperature test, last Winter, for shoveling snow. No issues with the toes afterward. , and they allow the feet to breathe, in the summer months.

No matter the insulation inside the boot, a rubberized type of upper (and even man-made leather) will get cold, stay cold, and transfer that cold inside the boot, for the duration of being subjected to winter type temperatures. Therefore, even the Mucks that have, what the company advertises as sub-zero warmth ratings won't quite convince me, in particular, that they'll keep my specific toes from frostbite, as long as the boot is subjected to the cold, of which sock layers, can't remedy.

Like I said, Mucks are a great boot for many a gardener, undoubtedly, but a great gardening boot is subjective, I guess, with as many different needs as there are gardeners out there. And a boot that may be warm enough for one individual, may not be remotely warm enough for another, such as myself. I just have to go with what I know works for me, as an anomaly, ....as do we all, but I figured my original comments might strike a chord, for the more typical gardener, than myself.... ......which I also need good traction for a hill, stability, wear and tear factor, and water/mud resistance.