What's Inside?
Today we’re cutting in half one of my slip-on work boots, the Avenger Romeo A7505 wedge sole work boot.
This is not a review though, I’ll just talk about the materials you can find in these boots and also some things related to the construction of the boot. If you want to know more about the boot, you can read the full in-depth review of the Avenger A7505 work boots here.
About the boot
Brand | Avenger |
Model | A7505 Wedge |
Shaft height | 6″ |
Color | Brown |
Toe cap | Composite toe cap |
Upper | Leather |
Sole type | Wedge sole |
Price | Check on Amazon |
The environment in which the boots were worn
If you don’t know me, I’m Adrian nice to meet you. I work in the construction industry and I also test and document my findings here on this website about everything I learn related to footwear and foot care.
So the boots were tested on a building site. The site I was working on whilst I was wearing these boots was a mix of unpolished concrete surfaces, tarmac, occasionally walking on rebar, and wet concrete.
How long the boots lasted?
This is one of the aspects I can’t comment on since I don’t wear the majority of the boots until they break. I usually wear them for 6 months to a year and if they don’t break, I just go ahead and cut them in half.
This will allow me to learn more about the boot and move on and buy another boot and do more testing.
If I had to give you an estimate based on my experience wearing these boots on a construction site, I’d say they will last around 14-18 months before they break.
Remember, this is an estimate, and the boots might last longer if you work in a lighter-duty industry than construction.
Let’s start with the soles of these Avenger work boots
1. The outsole
The outsoles on these Avenger A7505 work boots are made out of PU (polyurethane). This type of material can be very flexible and provide lots of cushioning depending on the hardness of the material.
In this case, the soles on these Avenger boots are quite spongy and lightweight which is great news for those of you working on hard concrete floors all day.
These types of outsoles help reduce the stress on your ankles, knees, and back by absorbing the shocks caused by the action of walking. So if you’re on your feet all day working in a warehouse or maybe in a factory, a welding shop, etc, these Avenger boots might be for you.
Personally, I would’ve liked to see a bit more arch support in these boots.
They might be great for you if you need work boots for a flat-footed person, but if you’re like me and have regular arches or high arches, you will need some over-the-counter insoles in order to avoid arch and heel ache after a long day in these boots.
I’ve worn a few insoles with these boots, one is the SOLE Active insole and the other one is the EcoDasher (which is a prototype so I can’t say much about it at the moment).
I’ll leave some measurements below in case they might help you in any way...
What was measured | Data |
Outsole thickness at the heel | ~ 0.87″ (22.3mm) |
Outsole thickness at the ball of the foot | ~ 0.43″ (11mm) |
Thread depth | ~ 0.10″ (2.5mm) |
Arch height | ~ 1.07″ (27.2mm) |
Outsole width at the ball of the foot | ~ 4.70″ (119.4mm) |
Outsole width at the heel area | ~ 3.40″ (86.5mm) |
Outsole width at the arch area | ~ 3.48″ (88.5mm) |
They have decided to stick a piece of rubber with the Avenger logo inside the outsole. Yes, it looks good, but I believe this can quickly become a liability if the logo piece somehow comes out while you’re working.
Especially if you work in an industry like mine. This could lead to sharp objects puncturing that specific part of the sole and eventually your foot.
I didn’t have any issues with that and I wasn’t aware of the little piece with the logo on it until I cut the boots in half. So it’s not a big deal, just an observation!
2. The midsole
The midsole in these Avenger work boots is a 9mm thick layer of polyurethane foam. The PU material found in the midsole is even softer than the one in the outsole.
This makes sense. The outsole has to be a bit tougher in order to last longer but the midsole, even though it’s made from the same material, PU, it’s softer so it can provide cushioning.
Here are a few measurements that might be helpful to you…
Part being measured | Data |
Thickness – heel area | ~ 0.35″ (9mm) |
Thickness – arch area | ~ 0.35″ (9mm) |
Thickness – forefoot area | ~ 0.35″ (9mm) |
Yes, the measurements are not wrong. The thickness of the midsoles is the same throughout the length of the boot.
3. Insole
The boots come with a removable insole which is always great since each one of us needs something different when it comes to insoles.
So if you don’t like the one that comes with this boot, you can simply remove it and replace it with whatever you need or like.
The reason I swapped the original insole with something I had around is that the original insole doesn’t have that much arch support.
You can see in the image above how my insoles on the left (the PowerStep Original insoles) have a higher arch support than the Avenger’s insole.
I took a few measurements of the insole that might be helpful to you…
Part being measured | Data |
Heel area | ~ 0.42 inches thick (10.8mm) |
Forefoot area | ~ 0.21 inches thick (5.5mm) |
Arch height | ~ 0.83 inches high (21.3mm) |
Width – Heel area | ~2.78 inches wide (70.8mm) |
Width – Arch area | ~3.22 inches wide (81.9mm) |
Width – Foot ball area | ~3.84 inches wide (97.5mm) |
4. Boot construction type
Flex Welt Construction. This is another thing that might get you confused.
Just because it has the word “WELT” in the description and the boot has what seems to be a Goodyear welt construction, it doesn’t really make it a Goodyear welted work boot.
I thought the boot had a Goodyear welt as well, but as I cut the boot in half I realized that the upper is actually glued and tucked under the fiberboard.
As you can see in the image below, as I’m trying to take out the welt, I’m actually tearing apart the midsole. So the fake welt in these is in reality the midsole if it makes sense.
No drama, as some YouTubers and influencers tend to make out of this thing. You’re not going to resole a cheap pair of work boots anyway. A resole will cost you just as much as buying a new pair of the same work boots.
But I do agree that sellers should not try to trick consumers. Just say these work boots are cemented sole constructed and the Goodyear welt is for decoration purposes.
In any case, the glue was strong enough and kept the upper and sole together while I had the boots. No issues with sole delamination or anything related to glued-sole constructed boots.
5. Does it have a shank?
Yes, it does come with a shank, even though it’s not really required on these types of work boots. And I’m referring to wedge sole work boots.
The shank is more helpful when wearing heeled work boots. It adds extra stability and support in the arch area.
But if you’re wearing wedge sole work boots for your day job and you’re hitting the shovel all day, a shank is always welcomed!
According to most of the sellers carrying these Avenger boots, the shank is made out of fiberglass but it seems to me that it’s made out of TPU or some type of plastic.
It didn’t make any difference to me in all honesty but as I said there will be jobs and tasks where a shank in a wedge sole boot is going to be a blessing.
Here are some measurements of the shank if you want to geek out a bit more.
Part being measured | Data |
Shank thickness | ~ 0.08 inches thick (2.1mm) |
Shank length | ~ 4.14 inches long (105.2mm) |
Shank width | ~ 0.58 inches wide (14.9mm) |
Shank weight | ~4 grams |
6. Heel
I know some of you might be interested to know a bit more about the heel height so I took a few measurements in the hope that they might be helpful to you in any way…
Part being measured | Data |
Just the heel (outsole + midsole) | 1.21 inches high (30.9mm) |
Heel & footbed (outsole + midsole +fiberboard) | 1.39 inches high (35.5mm) |
Heel & footbed & insole | 1.87 inches high (47.5mm) |
7. Arch support
As mentioned in the outsole section, these Avenger work boots provide little to no arch support.
Great for those of you with flat feet or low arches but not that great if you’re like me and have regular arches or even high arches. You’ll need to add your own solution in order ro provide more arch support.
8. Puncture resistant
It seems there is some Lenzi Fabric in these boots (at least that’s why I’ve seen by looking at some seller’s product description) that make them puncture resistant, but I could not find it, not in the midsole, not in the lining, not in the insole.
There is a 0.11″ (2.8mm) thick hard fiberboard that sits right under the lining that was quite hard to penetrate when I tested it, but it’s not rated as such so you should not get these boots if you’re after puncture resistant rated work boots.
The upper of the Avenger A7505 work boot
1. The material of the upper
The upper of these Avenger work boots are made with full-grain leather. And if you’re wondering how thick that leather is, well let me tell you that’s 2.3mm thick.
Ideally, work boots should have thicker leather, 2.5mm or more but 2.3 is quite close. Not too bad for a boot in this price range.
Even though I had the boots for less than 12 months, the leather held up very well in my opinion. No damages or cracks whatsoever.
I did however take care of them, as I always do. I use mink oil to condition the leather and also to keep the boots waterproof.
Good leather in my opinion.
2. Lining
These Avenger Romeo work boots do come with a waterproof membrane that serves as a lining too.
When I did the waterproof test the boots were completely dry inside as long as the water stayed below the elastic gore panels.
If the water was deeper than that, wet socks straight away! 100%
What I find out after cutting the work boots in half is that the waterproof membrane got punctured where my pinky toe rubs against the membrane. So now, I can say bye-bye to the waterproof functions of these boots.
It’s not the first this happens to my waterproof work boots, so I might have to take some action moving forward in order to avoid this from happening.
Another thing I wanted to add is that the lack of a heel counter simply destroyed the waterproof lining at the back of my heel.
Actually, there is a heel counter in these boots and it’s made out of some plasticky material, maybe just a reinforced fiberboard but this heel counter sits behind the waterproof membrane.
So it’s not very helpful when it comes to protecting the waterproof membrane from getting damaged.
3. Toe cap
There’s not much to say here about this other than the fact that these Avenger boots come with a safety toe cap so if you work in construction or any other industry that requires a composite toe cap work boot then these are a good option.
If you’re new to work boots, you might want to know that the composite toe cap is much thicker, therefore bulkier. That’s the reason why you’ll see some composite toe work boots look quite bulky compared to steel toe boots.
Here are some measurements I took about the toe cap in case you want to know more…
Part being measured | Data |
Toe cap width (at the entrance) | ~ 3.76 inches wide (95.5mm) |
Depth | ~ 3.48 inches deep (88.5mm) |
Height | ~ 1.44 inches high (36.6mm) |
Thickness | ~ 0.36 inches thick (9.1mm) |
4. Anti-scuff cap reinforcement
This is a good feature in a work boot. Especially for those of you that need to crawl, crouch or kneel a lot.
Think of electricians, plumbers, mechanics, etc. I personally use the toe cap to rest materials whilst we’re getting ready for a particular task.
For example, when I was working with the glazing crew I would often rest a piece of glass on my toe cap while the boys were getting ready to install the glass.
One thing I was curious about was if there’s leather going under this bump cap or if the leather ends exactly where the bump cap starts.
Now that I’ve cut in half these Avenger boots I can tell you the leather stops where the bump starts.
I have no idea why they chose not to put leather under the bump cap as well. Having leather all the way through will definitely extend the boot’s life even more.
To me just having the TPU bumper will help for sure since TPU is harder to scratch and damage than leather. But if the bumper gets damaged, there’s nothing under that bumper to keep the boot watertight.
If you’d have leather all the way through, you’ll have to put these boots through a lot of heavy-duty work to damage the TPU bumper AND the leather.
My 2 cents anyway…
4. TPU heel guard
Just like the toe cap bumper, the help guard helps protect the boots from getting damaged when you kick things around with your boots. It’s also very helpful for taking the boots off.
There’s nothing much to add here other than the thickness of the heel guard which is 0.12″ (3mm) thick.
5. Insulation
These are not insulated work boots. The lining plus some good pair of Merino wool socks will help keep your feet nice and warm in chilled temperatures.
But if you’re working in freezing conditions, you better look at some winter work boots as these Avenger boots are not going to make the cut,
6. The gore panels
Good quality gore panels. They are elastic enough to put your feet in easily but at the same time strong enough to withstand hard work conditions.
During the time I had the boots I haven’t experienced any issues with the elastic panels.
Watch it on YouTube if you prefer
Last words
There you have it, I’ve cut my Avenger Romeo work boots in half so we can all learn more about these boots.
Personally, I think the boots are not bad at all for the price. Decent boot construction and some good materials in there with the exception of the waterproof membrane.
I loved these boots for how comfortable and convenient they are. At the time I’m writing these lines I’m driving an electric scooter to and from work. And due to cold conditions, I’m wearing some overalls.
I miss the boots already as now I’m testing a pair of the NEW Brunt Marin work boots and these are lace-up vs. slip-on.
So now I need to bend and tie my laces!!! Spring is near so we’ll get rid of the overalls soon.
Anyway, that’s all from me.I hope this was helpful to you in any way. Let me know if you have any questions!
Team Members Working On This Page
Victor Adrian – Editor And Webmaster
Construction Professional, driver, crane operator, cleaner, head chef … these are just some of the jobs I did in the past. Working in all these different environments taught me that having good footwear to protect your feet from different dangers at work IS PARAMOUNT for any worker! On this website, I aim to share all my knowledge and personal experience in dealing with different footwear and foot care issues, and hopefully, you can get something out of it. Enjoy!
Jessica Flynn – Writer And Researcher
Love technology, going to the beach, taking care of my body, and writing (amongst other things). You’ll see my face around here a little bit since I’m responsible for part of the research and writing of some of the articles you’re reading on BestForMyFeet.com. I hope you’ll find our content helpful and enjoyable! See you around, thanks for reading!
Never said what size and width boot was used in this break down
Hey Andy, nice catch. I’ve probably mentioned this in the review but not here. My bad. So these were size 10 M or D (regular width)
Hope it helps my man.
Adrian