I Need A Specific Brand And Model Of Boot With No Metal, At All

[GoodAmount]

I wear Oliver AT45 boots. No metal, great toe protection for rolling boulders, high tops give a bit of extra snake protection and they cost marginally less than Keens.

https://www.oliver.com.au/45-series-150mm-black-zip-sided-boot-45645z

[Gold Catcher]

These work really well for me

[Aureous]

16 minutes ago, GoodAmount said:

I wear Oliver AT45 boots. No metal, great toe protection for rolling boulders, high tops give a bit of extra snake protection and they cost marginally less than Keens.

https://www.oliver.com.au/45-series-150mm-black-zip-sided-boot-45645z

Oliver boots are now made in China and hundreds of bad reviews are now showing that the quality has dropped dramatically since. Most Aussie detectorists are using Redback and Blundstone. Myself, I use nothing but Redback 'Banana Suede' slip-on work boots and have for many years. Super comfy and last for 2-3 years before replacement is needed.....I wear them every day without fail. In a single year they would walk 2500km (thanks to Samsung health app) and boot-scrape C.50,000 metal detected targets. Worth every penny 🙂 

[jasong]

These Wolverines have become my standard metal free, slip on, composite toe, waterproof detecting boot now. 

They go on sale for like $85 occasionally, in places. I have 2 pairs and haven't worn either out yet, the soles are vastly superior to the military/duty boots most people use for detecting, and the stitching stays together far longer too. The insole is also better, and the composite toe seems stronger than the Bates. These have lasted me 1.5 years with no major damage while the Reebok/Bates/5.11 style duty boots are usually nearing the end of their usability after 2-3 months in the field with me. 

Tom (forgot his handle) who used to work for White's recommended these Wolverine in another thread a while back, and no one else seems to talk about them. But in my mind are the best all around boot for detecting, machine/construction work, and the swiss army knife of footwear for people who like to wear boots instead of shoes daily. 

[GoodAmount]

1 hour ago, Aureous said:

Oliver boots are now made in China and hundreds of bad reviews are now showing that the quality has dropped dramatically since. Most Aussie detectorists are using Redback and Blundstone. Myself, I use nothing but Redback 'Banana Suede' slip-on work boots and have for many years. Super comfy and last for 2-3 years before replacement is needed.....I wear them every day without fail. In a single year they would walk 2500km (thanks to Samsung health app) and boot-scrape C.50,000 metal detected targets. Worth every penny 🙂 

I must’ve got a pair of pre-China-built AT’s. I bought them two years ago and I’ve been out boot scraping in them 3-4 days a week and they’re still going strong.
 

My second pair of Rossi’s on the other hand suffered from the build quality issues you describe. There was a massive difference between pre and post China builds. The first pair lasted for years but the second fell apart within months. It’s sad to see high quality brands lose their edge when they succumb to the lures off-shoring manufacturing.

[Jim in Idaho]

5 hours ago, GeoBill said:

Jim, if you have a Big5 near you, might try them. They usually have a fairly cheap selection of 'hiking' shoes and boots. Can't remember the brand I bought several years ago, maybe Eddie Bauer or Hi Tec, but I took a pinpointer in with me to check if there was metal in the sole.

Didn't last more than a year but for less than $20............

Bates also makes some pretty reasonable metal-free boots.

(ah, just realized I was typing while you were posting the above reply)

Aah heck, Bill, my deal with Doc fell through...he's out of 13's, and can't get any more. I'm back to shopping again.

Jim

[Jim in Idaho]

3 hours ago, jasong said:

These Wolverines have become my standard metal free, slip on, composite toe, waterproof detecting boot now. 

They go on sale for like $85 occasionally, in places. I have 2 pairs and haven't worn either out yet, the soles are vastly superior to the military/duty boots most people use for detecting, and the stitching stays together far longer too. The insole is also better, and the composite toe seems stronger than the Bates. These have lasted me 1.5 years with no major damage while the Reebok/Bates/5.11 style duty boots are usually nearing the end of their usability after 2-3 months in the field with me. 

Tom (forgot his handle) who used to work for White's recommended these Wolverine in another thread a while back, and no one else seems to talk about them. But in my mind are the best all around boot for detecting, machine/construction work, and the swiss army knife of footwear for people who like to wear boots instead of shoes daily. 

Oh Boy...I absolutely hate slip-ons of any kind, Jason. I really like my boots tight on my feet.

Jim

[Gold Ryder]

Bates! The best Ive used. I like the Keenes but I get almost zero foot fatigue with Bates.

[Jim in Idaho]

1 hour ago, Gold Ryder said:

Bates! The best Ive used. I like the Keenes but I get almost zero foot fatigue with Bates.

The problem is searching out boots that don't have metal eyelets. You do a search and everybody says "metal free", but what they mean is no metal safety toe. Take a close look and they have metal eyelets. The Nortiv 8 boots I wear don't have any metal except the eyelets, but my detectors see them easily with every step. Very difficult to find lace-up boots without some metal, without paying a small fortune.

Jim

[Lunk]

Jim, have you thought of just removing the metal eyelets? I've been doing that for many years with cheap pairs of hiking boots from Walmart and Big 5. Just make sure they don’t have a metal shank by using a pinpointer or rare-earth magnet.