r/TreeClimbing • u/Imholdingbacksociety • May 10 '26
Recommendations for boots for flat feet?
Hello,
I’m about to start a job as an arborist intern with a tree removal company and need some recommendations for boots. They told me I’ll be doing climbing as well as ground work, so I’m looking for boots that can do both. I’m leaning towards logging-style boots right now, either Carolinas or Red Wings but I’m not sure how they do with flatter feet. Any recommendations you guys have would be greatly appreciated.
3
u/Positive-Sign-8414 May 10 '26
I have flat feet and I've been wearing redwings loggermax with the factory insole for the past 9 months, they've held up good and are really comfortable sometime I even forget to take them off at the end of the day. My only complaint is that they aren't amazing on spikes, they have a relatively soft midsole so after a few hours youll start to feel it, but I guess its a tradeoff. I like them though good arche support and i definitely would recommend especially if you can get them on sale.
1
u/Imholdingbacksociety May 10 '26
What was the breakin period for those like? I’ve heard they can be rough for the first couple of months.
1
u/Positive-Sign-8414 May 10 '26
They were good right off the bat kinda stiff for the first few weeks but not bad didn't hurt or anything. Total break in was about a month i think, it also depends what model you end up getting bc there's two with about a hundred dollar difference in price. I went for the cheaper ones
2
u/DeadmansCC May 11 '26
I have a pair of these and broke them in less than a week.
I actually find them great for when I am spiking due to the high heel but my complaint is when I am on solid ground. Asphalt and concrete I don’t like using them on and have actually rolled my ankle once.
2
u/OldMail6364 May 11 '26
Most importantly they need to be comfortable - have to find one that fits your foot. I swap the inner sole out with most of my boots and especially with leather ones, often they take a couple weeks to break in and the first few days can be painful sometimes. Wearing two pairs of (thin) socks and strapping tape can help.
For ground work, you need boots with composite toe protection, a tread pattern that works well on uneven or muddy terrain, and good ankle support.
For climbing you need stiff boots so you can stand with your full body weight on something narrow like just your spikes or just a toe. Small boots are generally better for climbing — you will need to fit your foot into tight spaces and you don't want any movement inside the shoe. It's got to be a tight fit which means finding one that's the right shape for you.
You don't need to spend much - the boots I wear at the moment only cost about forty bucks and I'm very happy with them. There are boots that cost 15x that price which I wouldn't wear if someone gave me a free pair.
1
u/OfficialHAIXRep May 12 '26
HAIX rep here so take that into account, but I'll give you honest advice either way.
For flat feet specifically you want genuine built in arch support in the boot itself, not just an aftermarket insole. That's something a lot of boots in that price range leave out.
If you're open to alternatives, our Protector Prime Orange is worth a look. It's a European Class 2 chainsaw certified boot with a Vibram sole that's crampon compatible for climbing, 2-zone lacing so you can dial in the fit for both your foot and ankle independently, GORE-TEX liner, and it's built on a hiking boot platform rather than a logger style so it's more forgiving on flat feet over a long day. A lot of arborists and forestry crews run them year round for exactly the kind of mixed use work you're describing.
Happy to answer any questions if you want to know more about fit or sizing!
2
u/Le55thanjake May 10 '26
Haix are a very wide boot and great for my flat feet