Fit expectations for engineer type boots vs lace up boots ?

[TLW '90]

I have little experience with pull on boots, and absolutely none with any that have an adjustment buckle.

I recently bought a pair of Gokey boots off Ebay, and don't really know what kind of fit I should expect compared to a regular boot with snugged up laces.
How locked in should I expect my foot feel, and with my feet locked in should I have to mess with the buckles every time I take them off and put them back on ?

I wore them this morning to take the dog for a walk and run some errands, and while they aren't as snug as I'm used to with my regular boots I didn't exactly feel like my feet were really sloshing around much or enough to be a problem anyways.
They are an E width which isn't something my feet typically require ( who doesn't love toe room ), but I haven't put my feet on a brannock device since I was 6 so I don't really know for sure.

I really don't have any idea of what to expect.

 

[Drzdave58]

I have little experience with pull on boots, and absolutely none with any that have an adjustment buckle.

I recently bought a pair of Gokey boots off Ebay, and don't really know what kind of fit I should expect compared to a regular boot with snugged up laces.
How locked in should I expect my foot feel, and with my feet locked in should I have to mess with the buckles every time I take them off and put them back on ?

I wore them this morning to take the dog for a walk and run some errands, and while they aren't as snug as I'm used to with my regular boots I didn't exactly feel like my feet were really sloshing around much or enough to be a problem anyways.
They are an E width which isn't something my feet typically require ( who doesn't love toe room ), but I haven't put my feet on a brannock device since I was 6 so I don't really know for sure.

I really don't have any idea of what to expect.

Heel slip with engineers is common and to be expected imo. I’ve had 3 pairs so far and have experienced heel slip in all of them. Some people say they don’t get any but I think thats not the norm. Most people get used to it and accept it but some never do. I always loosen the lower ******** my boots. I find it makes the boots easier to get off and it helps with fit when done up. This doesn’t necessarily apply to the top strap tho.
Some people say they never loosen either strap so I guess it depends on your foot, everyone is different. I adjust my boots in different ways using heel lifts, insoles and different thickness of socks to get the right fit. I don’t think you will get as good a fit as you do with lace ups Imo.
good luck and enjoy your boots.

 

[TLW '90]

Heel slip with engineers is common and to be expected imo. I’ve had 3 pairs so far and have experienced heel slip in all of them. Some people say they don’t get any but I think thats not the norm. Most people get used to it and accept it but some never do. I always loosen the lower ******** my boots. I find it makes the boots easier to get off and it it helps with fit when done up. This doesn’t necessarily apply to the top strap tho.
Some people say they never loosen either strap so I guess it depends on your foot, everyone is different. I adjust my boots in different ways using heel lifts, insoles and different thickness of socks to get the right fit. I don’t think you will get as good as good a fit as you do with lace ups Imo.
good luck and enjoy your boots.

That's reassuring to know that I might not have much to worry about.

If I was 100% about the sizing I might not have been concerned in the 1st place.
I am sure these boots could be slightly smaller, but I like the toe room and around the instep & heel they are close enough that I can wear them without my thickest socks and not experience an unacceptable amount of slop.

 

[Drzdave58]

That's reassuring to know that I might not have much to worry about.

If I was 100% about the sizing I might not have been concerned in the 1st place.
I am sure these boots could be slightly smaller, but I like the toe room and around the instep & heel they are close enough that I can wear them without my thickest socks and not experience an unacceptable amount of slop.

Yes. Getting the sizing right is key, but can be a challenge with engineers.

 

[TLW '90]

Yes. Getting the sizing right is key, but can be a challenge with engineers.

Thankfully the heel on these Gokey boots isn't high which I think Is helping them have less slip than they might otherwise.

 

[Drzdave58]

Thankfully the heel on these Gokey boots isn't high which I think Is helping them have less slip than they might otherwise.

I prefer the low heeled engineer boots too but most of the popular brands are all high.

 

[TLW '90]

I prefer the low heeled engineer boots too but most of the popular brands are all high.

I never really was interested in engineer boots because I don't like jumping on bandwagons and because I can't afford to spend that much money on a pair of boots that might not fit right or just won't be liked.

These Gokey boots , I don't know if they really count as an engineer.
They're a moccasin construction pull on boot with the straps & buckles of an engineer.
Anyways I found them on Ebay for $70 and figured they could be a good way to give pull on boots another more fair chance.

 

[Pandemic]

I consider my engineers a good fit if I can walk around comfortably and not aware of them (like annoying levels of heel slip).

I don’t expect to be able to run in them like I can with my lace-up boots

 

[Drzdave58]

I never really was interested in engineer boots because I don't like jumping on bandwagons and because I can't afford to spend that much money on a pair of boots that might not fit right or just won't be liked.

These Gokey boots , I don't know if they really count as an engineer.
They're a moccasin construction pull on boot with the straps & buckles of an engineer.
Anyways I found them on Ebay for $70 and figured they could be a good way to give pull on boots another more fair chance.

It's fun to be able to try different boots and brands, but it can become addictive for sure. It took me some time before I took the engineer boot plunge tho but I'm glad I did as I have enjoyed the experience.

 

[Carlos840]

All i wear are Engineers, i never use the straps, to me they are decorative.
All my Engineer have some heel lift, and my foot is quite mobile inside the boot, i don't consider heel lift "annoying", i consider it normal.
When i first moved from lace up shoes to boots i bought my first two pairs too tight and ended up never wearing them.
IMO you need some space/movement for them to be comfortable, not like lace up shoes/boots.

 

[Bfd70]

Because they lack the adjustability of laces how they fit depends 100% on your foot type. I tried 5 brands of otr engineers and all were way too loose. I have low foot volume. My custom pair fit perfectly and have zero heel slip

 

[Drzdave58]

Because they lack the adjustability of laces how they fit depends 100% on your foot type. I tried 5 brands of otr engineers and all were way too loose. I have low foot volume. My custom pair fit perfectly and have zero heel slip


Nice...can I ask who made your custom pair?

 

[TLW '90]

Because they lack the adjustability of laces how they fit depends 100% on your foot type. I tried 5 brands of otr engineers and all were way too loose. I have low foot volume. My custom pair fit perfectly and have zero heel slip

And that's one reason why I have not really gotten interested in engineers.
I will look at pictures of a nice pair, but that's it.

 

[TLW '90]

By the way, these are the boots in question.

 

[AeroFan_07]

^^ Well that's a first for me - Moc-Toe engineers. Nice looking boots.

I know @Carlos840 is one who wears engineers all the time including for work and manages to love them. Likely also due to his preferred sole type (discussed at length elsewhere) of the wedge sole design. This is a little less common on Engineers, but after reading through the extensive discussion on these I stopped by a local boot shop and tired on several pair of (lace up) boots with the wedge soles. I am still not quite ready to take a plunge on a pair of them (yet) but I can certainly see how they are comfortable indeed.

I found a quite informative article about the history of Engineering boots. Note especially the part that "train engineer" boots is rather a myth, and these boots were really more marketed (once they really got going) as Engineering boots.
https://standardandstrange.com/blog...TfSmmfLNIE44nmnaJu0ZEmfT-FZ1LxvT8c_uyQakLuyj7

 

[TLW '90]

I certainly thought they looked nice, and they have a more natural leather than the pebbled Bullhide used today.
I don't really know if these would be considered an engineer boot , they pretty much fit the form but Gokey has always made and sold them as a pull on hunting boot as does W.C Russell with their version of this style.
https://www.gokeyusa.com/home/gokey...AW0sBsuTtTR0YV1P3aRVFtfoOrK4iIy43r5ZWe-Et7Vhw
This pair is about 40 years old or more and there are some differences, but they are mostly the same boot offered today.

 

[Carlos840]

^^ Well that's a first for me - Moc-Toe engineers. Nice looking boots.

I know @Carlos840 is one who wears engineers all the time including for work and manages to love them. Likely also due to his preferred sole type (discussed at length elsewhere) of the wedge sole design. This is a little less common on Engineers, but after reading through the extensive discussion on these I stopped by a local boot shop and tired on several pair of (lace up) boots with the wedge soles. I am still not quite ready to take a plunge on a pair of them (yet) but I can certainly see how they are comfortable indeed.

I found a quite informative article about the history of Engineering boots. Note especially the part that "train engineer" boots is rather a myth, and these boots were really more marketed (once they really got going) as Engineering boots.
https://standardandstrange.com/blog...TfSmmfLNIE44nmnaJu0ZEmfT-FZ1LxvT8c_uyQakLuyj7

You honestly won't regret it, your feet will thank you.
LIfe is too short to wear uncomfortable boots!

 

[Bfd70]

By the way, these are the boots in question.
View attachment 730410

https://russellmoccasin.com/collections/the-zephyr

Russel has been making those a long time. There are less expensive options

 

[TLW '90]

https://russellmoccasin.com/collections/the-zephyr

Russel has been making those a long time. There are less expensive options

Yeah, the Gokey classic is a couple hundred bucks cheaper than Russell.
Russell boots look better than Gokey to ne though because of the extra piece they sew over the moc seam which gives them the nice finished look and more pronounced moc toe.

 

[cbez]

I have very slight heel slip/looseness on the heel in my Argo engineers. Other brands I've tried had more and I didn't really like it.

I don't think engineers will ever be as snug as lace ups.

One thing I've noticed is the strap doesn't seem to really do much on any pair I've had. They definitely don't cinch you in.