I’ve been fighting fire in my JK boots for about a year now and I’ve been getting emails about what I think so i’m doing a proper review of why they’ve become my go to boots and how they’re Holding up.

What I bought

JK Boots had been at the top of my list of custom boots to try after several friends recommended them to me a few years ago. So when I got my most recent boot stipend (I talk about the federal boot stipend and wildland fire boots in general in this blog post) in 2019 I decided to pull the trigger.

I decided on custom 10” full smooth Fire Inlander boots with NFPA rated Vibram soles, brass hardware, standard 4” heel lift and regular lace pattern (not lace to toe).

Even though they sell a variety of in stock fire boots I wanted custom for fit reasons. I’d had issues before with boots pinching on the top of my ankle (also called boot bite) and the heel cup seam digging into the sides of my heel. I have lots of scars to show how bad that was and resorted to wearing duct tape around my heels everyday to prevent open wounds and blisters. When I contacted JK Boots they assured me that they could fix these problems so custom seemed like the way to go.

What I like

The quality and comfort are the best I’ve found in a logger style boot. I found them easy to break in and the leather is super soft and molds to your foot and leg, but doesn’t warp in wet and hot conditions.

Other boots I’ve worn will curl up into elf shoes and get hard and crusty (and nearly impossible to shove your foot into in the morning) if the leather gets wet and then dries out or if they get dry and dusty. These are conditions that happen all the time on the fireline especially during mop up or digging hotline, so I was really happy with the quality of the leather and how they’ve held up to abuse.

After more than a full year of fighting fire in them they’ve seen a lot of steep miles. They’re really supportive on side slope hills and I feel secure in them carrying a lot of weight going up and downhill. The custom build also fixed my heel issue and that’s been amazing. No more duct taped, rubbed raw heels on every roll!

I also like that these are tall even for a 10”. They are more like 10” + the heel. For reference these are mid shin on my 5-foot self. I like my boots tall because I like my pants short for mobility and I like the support and having more protection in dead and down terrain.

The custom build process was really easy. I traced my feet and took measurements per their custom build instructions. I had some questions like how to fix issues I’d had and they were really friendly and helpful over the phone.

What I’d do different next time

At first I didn’t like that the tongue section seemed overly large for the size of the boot and for the first two weeks I had to fold it just so to keep it in place when I started my day. After a few weeks of constant wear the leather molded to my leg and now I don’t even notice it.

My boot bite issue isn’t completely solved and I still skip a hook around my instep when lacing because I find it more comfortable. My boots look weird, but this isn’t an issue because I don’t like my boots crazy tight and it works for me.

I also would get rough out on the lowers next time. It seems to hold up better and is a little tougher after comparing to friends who got their boots this way (See JK’s custom boot options for a visual guide of rough vs smooth leather).

JK Boots recently opened up a location near me in Boise, Idaho, so next time I’m up for another boot stipend I’m going to go in and get professionally measured. I think this would fix all my issues and then I won’t have to lace my boots weird anymore.

Overall, I highly recommend JK Boots. They are the toughest, most comfortable, highest quality wildland fire boots I’ve worn.

JK BOOTS IS OFFERING $20 OFF ANY PAIR OF BOOTS WITH THIS LINK*

About JK Boots: Greatest Boots in the World. Family Owned and operated. All boots are Handcrafted in the USA. They have five locations: Spokane, Washington - Tri-Cities, Washington - Boise, Idaho - Redding, California - Phoenix, Arizona. If you can’t make it into a store, they have wildland fire and other work boots in stock online as well as the option to custom build a boot (current lead time 1-2 months) and send in any boots for repairs or to get resoled.

*Using my link will get you a deal and help support my website at no cost to you. This site is a labor of love and I pay for all site hosting and maintenance out of pocket.