JIM GREEN Men's Barefoot African Ranger Boots Lace-Up Water Resistant Full Grain Leather Work or Hiking Boot

I want to start off by saying that I knew what I was getting when I bought my Rangers. I did my research and knew they were for me before ever taking the leap. If you are unsure of what these are when you run across them, google them and do your research first because I feel that they are particularly useful for the people who they are intended for but may not work out well for those who are uninformed. That out of the way, let's get into the review.I will start with build materials and quality. These are a working-class boot. Good leather and construction and particularly for their price point. Stich down construction, leather and rubber. Not much more too it. My speed hooks are nice and not sharp. The laces are great. No runs, snags or blemish in the leather. The stitching all seems good too. The trim where the leather is stitched down is a bit rough around the edges but some burnishing with a spoon and that is solved. The exposed leather midsole seems unstained, but also not an issue. To sum up, well-made but slightly unfinished.Next, I want to address how these boots function and feel for me. I use them as an EDC shoe for shopping, working in the yard, walking the dog, fishing and the lot. Basically, a sneaker replacement. I feel that they are good for this yet rugged enough to handle some work and light hiking. Maybe I can dress them up to a pair of chinos and an oxford but probably not beyond that.Now I want to look specifically at the individual parts that makeup the boot. Starting with the outsole. It is soft and squishy and almost seems to have a hollow to it in the middle. It is comfortable underfoot and grippy enough for my uses (asphalt, tile, gravel and dirt). The leather sock liner is nice and tappers down from about 2-3mm to about .5mm. I really wish it extended, in the thinner portion all the way to the front of the boot as the insole itself is a bit rough in texture but this isn't my first rodeo with a partial sock liner, and it is on par if not above.Moving on to the leather. I got the Huston Brown which, I guess, is a nubuck. I brushed mine out, a lot, and now it is more of a matte. I love it. Super soft and supple. The lack of a structured toe in this boot and the soft leather means no pain in your toes or toenails!Okay, now on to the fit. I am a 9.5 4E on a Brannock and that is typically what I wear in a sports shoe. For work boots I am often a 10EE and for boots or shoes that only come in a standard D(F) width I wear an 11. In the barefoot rangers I went with a 10.5 and could almost get away with a 10. Those might be a tad short. So, these run pretty true to Brannock. The 10.5 is basically an EEE and I am a 4E so going up half a size makes sense for me. If you are not an extra wide, I don't think that would be a smart move though.I want to address the width separately because I cannot stress enough just how high volume these boots are. Again, I am a 4E with high arches and instep and these boots still have enough volume for a mid-heavy weight wool hiking sock! Wide but not too wide heel, the padded collar helps keep the volume down there. Wide midfoot, which as a wide footed person, I love this. Wide forefoot. And wide but rounded toe box. I want to reiterate that the toe box is rounder than it is anatomical, I know that is important to some people who are really into barefoot shoes.To sum up: Well-made but a bit of a diamond in the rough asthenic going on. Comfortable upper and outsole. Nice sock liner but I wish it extended over the rest of the unfinished midsole. Super high volume but true to length. Round spacious but not anatomical toe box. Close to but not 100% zero drop and a fairly high stack height. Resoleable. Oh, and a good value. I can't speak to longevity, yet.I hope this helps you decide if these are the boots/shoes for you.

My husband bought these shoes and is absolutely in love with these shoes, he wears them every single day and works on his feet in a wear house. He raves about how comfortable they are and adores how well they fit on his feet. The traction and tread quality has not deteriorated hardly at all over the miles he has walked in these shoes. They are about as thick as you would expect leather would be and he will buy this shoe again if he ever needs to. Very good value for the money he spent he is getting every dollar worth out of them.

I've hade these boots for a few months now and they're my go to almost every time I go out. I was doing research on boots that would fit wider feet more comfortably and came across Jim Green. I think I read that the toe box is a 3e width. I was weary because I thought they kind of looked like clown shoes in shape. But let me say that these are the best fitting boots I have owned. Right out of the box they fit so well, and needed no breaking in. The only thing I would say is to keep wearing them so your foot molds the footbed leather to your footprint. I do own several other pairs of more expensive boots (red wing/thorogood) that aren't nearly as comfortable out of the box. The leather is good quality and thick, but not too thick as to need breaking in for any length of time. The green is a beautiful color that will wear well with time. I went with the barefoot version because I wanted a sneaker like feel and that's exactly what I got. I wished my red wings fit like these. Overall I'm really happy with these boots. Also, you can get custom boots built through their website which I'll be ordering next time I buy a pair.

I have knee, foot and ankle problems and wanted to try a wide toe, zero drop shoe. But I am tired of disposable junk and wanted something resolvable. I have owned some mid level footwear over the years, nothing super expensive but could tell immediately that these are well above average in build quality. Going straight to barefoot was a little too much too fast so I added an insole to help with the transition. This made a big difference, without the insole my plantar fascitis was screaming after a mile of walking but the insoles helped immediately and I still feel like there is less stress on my knees from the zero drop. Also I don't think I can go back to a regular show after experiencing the wide toe. It is much more comfortable. I highly recommend these shoes, I think you get a lot for the money.

Wide toes order a half size up. I have a at least two toes longer than my big toe. In a wide shoe I am an eleven, in these my toes rub a bit. This was solved with a half size increase for me.The leather is fantasticly soft. The sole feels sturdier than a typical barefoot shoe but is still very flexible. I ended up using Obenaufs for protection and to darken slightly.

Absolutely love these boots would and will buy them again. They also donate 1-10 boots sold to an African ranger.

The boot required little to no break in for me. Comfortable right out of the box! Great for hikes or short walks. For sizing, going true to size is the way to go in my opinion. Don’t be fooled by the no break in time, it really is of high quality and will definitely last for years to come