The Best Work Boots for Men Lay a Strong, Stylish Foundation

Danner’s chops are well-known to hikers, but the Oregonian boot maker’s prowess naturally extends to workwear too. The Rain Forest boot is our favorite among its roster for its boss-level quality and striking good looks. Like most of Danner’s shoes, these are built with the brand’s signature stitchdown construction which not only results in a roomier and more comfortable toebox, but can be resoled several times over.

With full-grain leather uppers, lace-to-toe lacing system for enhanced sizing, waterproof Gore-Tex lining, a lightweight and supportive fiberglass shank, rugged Vibram lugged soles, electrical hazard protection, and a 365-day guarantee, these are stuffed to the gills with premium details. In other words, they’re the work boot upgrade you should consider once it’s time to retire your intro pair.

Best Truly Indestructible Work Boots: Nick’s Builder Pro Boots

Materials: Full-grain leather | Construction: Stitchdown | Other details: Steel shank, leather midsole

Nick’s Boots is a legendary boot brand that hails from Spokane, Washington, and one of the few esteemed labels that give the Pacific Northwest its well-known prowess for bootmaking. Beloved by hardworking loggers and firefighters, as well as the forum-roving menswear nerd, Nick’s handmade boots are hailed as among the best and we just so happen to agree. There’s no bad choice if you’re choosing from Nick’s canon of indestructible boots, but the cream of the crop is its Builder Pro boots.

These boots are fully customizable from the leather uppers to the eyelets to the arch-level to the soles and more. With a plethora of high-qaulity full-grain leathers, unbeatable construction with full-leather midsoles and insoles, these boots don’t compromise on anything. That said, that amount of thick leather means you’re in for a brutal break-in process. Once you get past the gauntlet, though, you’ll have the most comfortable pair of boots, perfectly molded to your feet. But with a steep price tag and a long wait period, are these heirlooms worth it? We think so.

More Work Boots We Love

What to Look for in a Great Pair of Work Boots

As you might be able to tell, we work in fashion, not on a construction site. So we won’t pretend that our picks for the best work boots will be approved by any union (though, some actually are). We could’ve sought out work boots that boast of all the necessary certifications, sure, but we could only take the cosplaying so far. Workwear style has influenced the modern menswear wardrobe in so many ways, from chore coats to blue jeans, and the hardy work boot you see here are just more stylish examples.

That said, we looked for boots that fit a variety of molds, from the strictly utilitarian to the exclusively stylish. Even if a self-described work boot isn’t totally compliant with construction site safety standards, it still needs to be practical and well-built. Ideally the best work boots are made with full-grain leathers, and resolable construction. Comfortable soles, stabilizing shanks, and waterproofness were additional factors we considered. All in all, the work boots we chose are all great values, no matter what you’re willing to pay.

How We Test and Review Products

Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.

Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.

How We Make These Picks

We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.