JK Boots Superduty Bison Review: Heavy-Duty Bison Leather Work Boots

"I now own four pairs of JK boots. Three pair are variants of the Superduty/Fire Inlander platform. The 8.5 D size fits my feet perfectly with plenty of toe room and no heel slip. (I have pretty narrow ankles and typically wear US size 9.5 or 9 if half sizes aren't available.) I love the high heel on rough, steep terrain. (I'm quite fond of the raised heel on flat ground too!) My Bison Superduty boots are hands down the most comfortable and beautiful of the three pair, requiring no break-in whatsoever and looking incredibly nice right out of the box. Do be aware that any coloring on the leather midsoles is superficial and will easily rub off, especially if you wear your boots in cold, wet weather. If you care about that sort of thing, then you'll have to baby your boots or apply some colored polish when it disappears. You might also notice something that looks like salt crystals that can be very white in color forming on the midsole leather. I'm sure this has no impact whatsoever on how the boot functions, but it can be alarming if you have fallen in love with their out-of-the-box appearance. Also, it's fairly easy to scratch or cut the Bison leather, so be VERY careful when walking if you wear your Bison boots with crampons like I did. (See below.) I assume the roughout leather really is quite a bit more abrasion resistant, especially in cow hide.

Over the past Memorial Day weekend I decided to use my Bison boots along with my first pair of crampons and my first ice axe on a short hike up Mt. Hood. It's been a while since I've done much of anything very strenuous (I operate a concrete mixer truck these days), so lugging 60 pounds of gear and clothing from Timberline Lodge up to a campsite across from Illumination Rock was quite the chore. I didn't think I had it in me to go much further, but by the time my alarm went off at 2am, I felt much better and could see the headlamps of the first day hikers coming up the mountain, so I joined them and made it to the top fairly easily. My new crampons fit nice and snug on the JK boots. I saw more than one person struggling with loose crampons on the way up the Old Chute, but not me. A slightly stiffer sole might have helped give my leg muscles a break when I was digging my toes into the frozen snow, but overall I felt like the regular Superduty boots provided plenty of support. Early in the morning my toes were a bit cold, but later in the day they felt just fine. In colder weather, insulated boots would be really nice, I think."

"My plantar fasciitis of over 30 years finally went away. This was because it was able to heal because of prolonged rest. The reason I was able to rest my foot was because I fractured my ankle in three places and required surgery. Years ago I was a dock worker and my father put me to work at a young age so I’ve beat up some work boots. Now I’m white collar. I wear Hokas, which have prevented the return of my heel pain. However, hiking boots, even with a home remodel and some yard work, were breaking down quickly. I could just keep buying $240 boots, which in my case is reasonable.

So why the long winded story? The reason I developed a chronic foot injury is because I cheaped out when it was time to replace my running shoes. I think I have little PTSD from snapping my ankle and wanted additional support. These boots are expensive, but used within their scope of design which you can customize, are spectacular. These are my 11.5 C 8 in boots. They support my arch on my semi narrow feet without inserts. The uppers have broken in fairly quickly. The footbed is not quite broken in. I haven’t used the supplied inserts. The build quality is excellent. I’m not a cobbler, but I worked in my dad’s upholstery shop for years. These boots are built like a one ton truck. But they’re more analogous to the current generation of trucks rather than similar trucks of yesteryear. I wish I had these boots when I was moving freight.

When I was shopping footwear, I noticed some of the PNW companies are making casual styles which I kind of pooh poohed. Now I would love JK to make that type of footwear, although it is their dedication to work boots that made me go with them.🙄"

"I came to Spokane from Germany to pick up these shoes. When I saw my Super Duty Bison boots on the shelf, I just thought I'll definitely look at them often, but they're so hard that I can't break them in. This is my experience with Red Wing Heritage Boots. I would never have been able to put on and wear Red Wings straight from the store. It always took me weeks, if not months, to break these in. When I got into my Super Dutys, I thought I was wearing sneakers. I was able to start it straight away and walk to my hotel. I also wore them for hours in the days that followed. No blisters, no back pain, no knee pain. The shoes, apart from the look, are an absolute dream. I love her and after 3 weeks. The price of the shoes is absolutely fair. The customer service is great, every question was answered and every assistance was given. Thanks for that!
There is only one small point of criticism: I was away from Spokane for two days - so you can see the bison in black. That was annoying - it's really beautiful - and you would have had a good chance of selling me another one. But well - I'm completely satisfied. Thank you. Greetings from Germany"

"I have worn PNW boots for 30+ years and these are the only boots I ever put on and wore everyday the first week for 60+ hrs and never even got a pinch anywhere. So impressed I found a pair of new brown bison roughout on a group that didn't fit the guy and bought those as well! Love the fact that I called JK and they matched up my White's sizing with theirs and had them in stock! Very happy with JK and the effort they continue to put out. Thanks"

"When I received my JK boots , my first pleasant impression when I opened the box and took my boots out of the plastic bag was that smell of natural leather that permeated my entire living room.
And I was impressed with the quality and impressiveness of these excellent boots , after my first 2 weeks of using them I’m really surprised how they fit more and more to my foot every day like a glove to my hand .
From now on only JK for me !!!!!"

"So at first these boots were real tight. They were a regular “D” but I’ve gone through many boots and knew this leather would relax and fit my foot. After quite a few wearings my feet are easing in to comfort. A boot is not like a shoe. There are many different wear points on your foot and ankle and it takes time to break in the comfort. I am happy with the quality and materials used. I am retired now so break in time will be longer"

"I couldn’t be happier! I have over 50,000 steps in the last 3 days and my feet aren’t sore even a little bit. They are also extremely durable, I don’t feel like I will damage them when I’m kicking something into place. I have worn a lot of boots and never have I worn something even close to these. Even my sneakers aren’t as comfortable and DEFINITELY not as durable.
I won’t be buying any other brand of boot ever again. JK for life!"