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

After comparing boots across many styles and intended functions, I landed on these boots due to the design and look. Quite often, the description of boots didn’t align with the look of the boot and I felt like this was perfect when reading the boots description and seeing how well these boots are made.Other reviews mentioned a break in period that I did not experience after unboxing my pair. I conditioned them with Howard’s leather salve and immediately achieved a more supple and flexible feel. I had tried them on “raw” right out of the box, but after working multiple layers of the salve into the boots, I achieved very comfortable wearability. There were a few minor hot spots where the boot was tight, particularly down the front of my ankle, but these faded away quickly and I had no problems with minimal wear. The tongue is thick and I’d recommend deliberate placement the first four or five wearing to trim it into laying flat.The quality of the leather is very good and, again differing from some of the reviews that mentioned a strong odor, I did not experience any negative odor or aroma. Leather is thick and has a smooth surface when box new.I’m now a month in. Had one minor scuff near the toe that was easily remedied with more leather salve. I finding I can clean/dust the boots with an aggressive microfiber cleaning cloth to get any surface dirt off both the leather, the laces, and the soles. Of note is that I am not polishing the boots to achieve shine, rather I’m conditioning for protection and water resistance.After wearing real “combat” boots during a career in the US Army of 20 years , I can realistically place the Jim Green Ranger boots very high on the quality and durability scale of all the boots I’ve owned. They are wider in the toe box than my other boots and I had to deliberately place my feet center on pedals for both my automatic and manual vehicles, but I’m now accustomed to the size and there is no longer any extra thought involved.Update 10 April 2025 -They continue to wear in. I really appreciate that they have molded well to my feet. More minor self imposed scratches that very easily are handled by the Howard’s Leather Salve. We’ve had some ridiculous pollen of late… found that a microfiber cloth and gentle pressure gets most of the surface and with the cloth wrapped around one finger, I can easily clean the laces and point where the sole is sewn on. I stripped out some parachute cord and used shrink tubing to make a second and third pair of laces. Still very pleased and contemplating my next set of Jim Greens.I highly recommend.

To anyone who's struggling to break in their boots. Get thick wool socks if you don't have them already, consider liner socks under those if you can't afford to break in your boots slowly at home.The easiest way to break in new boots is to wear them around the house at home for a few hours every day. Do this while you're doing desk work or watching TV or whatever you do at home. Get the boots warmed up and a little damp then whenever you get up to do something spend a couple of minutes getting them moving - rock back on your heels, stand on your toes, crouch down low on the balls of your feet, anything to get the boot flexing with you. Take the boots off after a couple or few hours and let them rest and dry overnight. Repeat this daily (take a break if your feet need it) for however long it takes until they're comfortable. That will only be a few days with the nubuck ARs, but could be as long as two or more weeks with stiffer boots (veg tan, bronco, double lasted boots, etc.) Your feet will thank you when you're ready to wear them out of the house.Great boots, great price. Mine needed no more than 3-4 days to be extremely comfortable.

These are a no nonsense boot and appear well made as expected. I have had them about 2 weeks and put 5 days of wear and perhaps 10 miles of walking on them. They are starting to loosen up well. I got the brown leather size 12 US. I generally wear an 11.5 or 12 and E width. These are plenty wide and have more height in the toe than I expected. Updated insoles are almost definitely required. I made my own with some 8oz medium temper leather sewn over ~5 oz suede to allow additional molding of the bed to my foot. For my daily dog walks in the neighborhood, this still feels a bit hard on the sidewalk (I removed the original insoles), but for around the yard working and moderate trail hiking (my primary target usage for these boots) I think it will be perfect, especially once worn in.These are a solid mid-duty boot for a more than fair price in the world of boots. Many boots over promise with their looks and then underdeliver long term. The overall finish of the African Ranger is just slightly rough e.g. the white edge of the plastic heel stiffener shows between the welt and the midsole, the welt and outsole edge are unpolished, etc...but that's a sign of the basic, but sturdy construction technique which doesn't ask you to pay for looks over performance. The leather is midweight, and a true double layer on the toe and heel where it counts the most. There is no lining, which helps with breathability and with keeping down the cost.I have had a bit of discomfort during break-in as the stiff top edge of the boots put some side pressure on my ankle. It's just slightly lower than I want it. I think this issue will go away (it has lessened already) as the leather softens up more from use. If you are looking for a more dirt focused/hiking boot I'd recommend the Jim Green Razorback, as its slightly taller in the ankle and has a lug sole, with similar price and construction.10/27/24 - A 2 year update - I have a lot of boots, but these get regular usage. The soles are now about 1/2 to 3/4 worn smooth, though there is still a fare amount of material left. They are fine on sidewalks and dirt. Not safe in mud or wet grass at this point. I am in no rush to re-sole as winter is coming so I'll be wearing heavier boots more until spring. These boots have become super floppy over time the leather is soft everywhere, though without a cushioned insole they are still relatively hard under foot. The leather has held up well with perhaps two conditionings a year. I also switched to leather laces, which I think was a great upgrade.I had just my first real issue with these boots that required repair. I wore them for two days doing some repairs to the solar panels on the roof of our house. It's fairly steep, and we have asphalt shingles. I spent a lot of time sitting on the peak of the roof and sliding around. The sides of my boots got heavily abraded from this. While most of the damage was cosmetic (lots of scratches on the sides and even some on the toes) I do think that under these conditions they would get worn out fast. The significant damage was that the seam at the mid foot on the outside of one boot was "sanded" enough by the shingles that both rows of stitches were worn away. I noticed the overlapping seam was loose and open a couple days later. I spent 30 minutes hand sewing the seams back together via the existing holes; and I am confident they are good as new. I do a lot of leather sewing, so this was routine for me, but would have required a visit to a cobbler and some cash for some people. Additionally as I was jamming my hand inside the boot to do this sewing I realized the celastic reinforcement in the toes of both boots was cracked coming apart. I spent longer peeling it out (so the edges wouldn't rub my feet) than I did on the sewing repair. Some of it came right out in strips, but the last little pieces were still stuck on pretty well.In sum, these are still solid boots, and I recommend them, especially for those with wider feet. Watch those side seams, as that stitching is exposed and is a weak point. The toe reinforcement is of questionable utility, it seems like it should have been sandwiched between the leather layers on the toe. You can order these custom from the company and delete the celastic toe reinforcement, or go for their barefoot model that is stock without one.