As a beer writer, I don’t get to spend nearly enough time in the working-end of our local breweries, but with lots of brewer-friends, I have a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t in that wet environment. I’m also an avid gardener who spends days and days every year dealing with muddy grow beds and my fair share of gardening muck. With that in mind, I jumped at the chance to get to try out a pair of XTRATUF XES-900 Boots (15-Inch Neoprene Swingsaw Brown).
As XTRATUF puts it, “Brewers have realized what Commercial Fisherman in Alaska have known for decades, that XTRATUF boots offer all day comfort and the best protection against the broadest range of acids, corrosives, and contaminants – keeping brewers protected no matter what’s brewing.”
As many have found out the hard way, the brewery can also be a dangerous area with slippery floors and with heavy objects being dropped on your toes.
I did a quick survey of my professional and home brewing friends and asked what’s most important when they’re choosing their brewery boots, and I’ll use their criteria below to try out the XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots.
Up first, the number one answer for most important feature in brewery boots was, “keeping my feet dry while still keeping them comfortable enough for a long day in the brewery.” Up next was grip on a slippery floor, followed closely by a desire to have boots that can stand up to cleaning and brewing fluids, and boots that simply don’t wear out or break easily. Finally the desire to protect their toes from heavy objects like kegs was important and the surprise wish (at least for me)…was that they wanted the boots to actually look good. Breweries have lots of glass windows and spectators these days, and they all mentioned not wanting to look like a dork to all the people watching them brew was really important.
XTRATUF uses a triple dipping technique to make the boots waterproof as well as resistant to acids, chemicals and contaminants. They also use an “ozone-resistant” neoprene and cushioned insoles with arch support. If that’s not enough, many of their boots feature a steel toe and some like the Swingsaw CSZ features Honeywell Proprietary RDR oil/chemical resistant compound and a Spandura covered 5mm neoprene bootie for what they call “double batch comfort.”
So lets take the XES-900 for a test drive. I should mention up front that I have flat feet and my feet tend to run a little on the warm side. Right off the bat I was surprised at how easily the XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots were to put on. I’ve wrestled with some pretty inflexible garden boots, but the XTRATUF Swingsaw boots went on (and off) easily. The boots are extremely comfortable and I was surprised that they were as comfortable as many of my dedicated hiking boots. The Xtratuf boots felt sturdy but not overly heavy and I actually felt light on my feet with the foot bed cushioning. I wear a US size 10.5 and the XES-900 size M11 fit perfectly.
My first test was to wash my car inside the garage. My garage has an epoxy floor so even on a dry day, it can be slippery. The XTRATUF Glacier Trek Superior Traction did well on the floor and even when it was covered in slippery soap and tire spray, my grip on the floor remained solid and reassuring. I should also mention that the boots did not leave any black marks on my light-colored floor.
With water flying everywhere, it was easy to feel that my feet remained dry even for 90-mins with the hose in use. I was also pleasantly surprised at how well the XTRATUF boots allowed my feet to breath. Even after over 2-hours of washing, drying and waxing the car, my feet remained comfortable and most importantly dry from the inside and outside.
I also took the XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots out for a day of gardening and they did just as well in the mud as they did with the carwash. Even pushing the garden cart up and down hills and moving in and out of standing and squatting positions, the boots remained comfortable and dry. My feet sweat a lot, but again the boots did well controlling the moisture from the inside, and blocking it from the outside. At the end of the day I ran the hose over the boots to wash them off and even with the up-close pressure of the hose hitting the boots directly, my feet remained dry and comfortable. I also had the same experience in the greenhouse even when I was using insecticidal soap sprays and oils. My feet stayed dry and everything easily washed off the boots.
Finally I decided to take a test drive in an actual working brewery, and to no one’s surprise, the XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots were flawless. I can tell you on that day I wasn’t the only worker wearing XTRATUF in the brewery, and I heard an earful about how long they had been using XTRATUF and how well the boots held up over the long haul. I also managed to ask a few workers and patrons about the “look” of my boots, and while no one used the word “fashionable,” they all said the boots looked good and looked like they would work really well in a wet environment.
I managed to test out almost everything my brewer friends wanted in a boot with the XTRATUF Boots, with one exception. I didn’t drop something heavy on my toes; but I am confident that the steel toe versions would work well. This boot does NOT have a steel toe.
Overall the XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots were a really pleasant surprise. My flat and somewhat sweaty feet remained dry from incoming water and suitably dry from sweaty feet. On the few times I tested them for several hours at a time, they remained comfortable and they actually felt much lighter than I expected. The boots helped me feel confident and safe on slippery floors, and in the end, I actually think they looked good on me.
Whether you’re a brewing professional or just someone that has the need for this type of boot, I’m confident that you can’t go wrong with XTRATUF. Be sure to try out XTRATUF Swingsaw Boots for yourself, and when you do try them, be sure to let us know what YOU think.
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