Brunt Perkins Work Boots Review (All You Need To Know)

Hey, Tim here. Welcome to my review of these Brunt Perkins work boots. This is the second pair of Brunt work boots we’re testing. Adrian tested and reviewed his Brunt Marin Toe work boots and he seems to be very happy with his boots. Let’s see how I feel about my Brunt Perkins.

In A Rush?!

Overall, great budget-friendly work boots

Comfortable right out of the box thanks to the padding in the tongue, collar, and walls of the boot so no breaking-in period was required. Also, they’re very flexible which is what I need in my line of work as an HVAC professional.

Latest Price

See on Brunt’s store

Buckle up cause it’s quite a long review. For your convenience, I’ve created a menu for this page that’s helpful to jump to a specific section. Just click on the “What’s inside” below to open it.

Let’s go!

Who’s working on this page

Tim Meyers
Author

Victor Adrian
Researcher & Editor

The environment in which the boots are tested in

I work in the residential HVAC industry. I do both service and installation with the occasional light commercial job.

I will be in a basement on concrete standing on a concrete floor, on my knees with my toes rubbing the concrete floor, or standing on a ladder.

Other times I may be crawling around an attic full of insulation on plywood or working on an outdoor unit in the mulch, grass, or decorative stone.

I do a lot of walking and have the toes of my boots in contact with something a lot of the time. My boots are subject to morning dew, the spray of a hose, refrigerant, coil cleaning chemicals, and different oils.

I walk on all kinds of surfaces and inclines. Having a boot that is tough in the toes, resistant to different chemicals, and has enough traction, all while being comfortable is key to keep me going for my job.

Unboxing the Brunt Perkins work boots 

Features of the Brunt Perkins safety work boots

First impressions of my Brunt Perkins work boots

The first thing that stood out to me was how soft and supple the leather was. It feels broken in already.

I also like the color contrast between the brown leather and black eyelets and black toe. For being a composite toe work boot, this feels lightweight.

The sole is super flexible which is good for anyone who kneels or crouches down a lot throughout their workday.

The Brunt Perkins on the outside

Let’s have a look at the outside of the boots and see what we can learn.

Leather quality

The full grain leather on this boot is soft, supple, and feels broken in right out of the box. It has a nice brown color that is appealing to the eye.

According to Brunt, the leather comes in at about 2mm thick which is about as thin as I would recommend for a work boot and .4mm thinner than the leather on some of the more expensive work boots like Thorogood and Redwing.

Rubber toe cap reinforcement

It is a round toe with a rubber toe cap. I like the rubber toe cap it really does a good job protecting the front of the boot while your toes are in the ground and dirt.

I am a little concerned about where the rubber toe cap meets the leather and how well the stitching is going to hold up.

Rather than being tucked under the rubber toe cap or sitting flush with it, as is the case with the Timberland Boondocks boots Donny reviewed, the leather on the Perkins is lapped over the rubber toe cap.

This means there is a chance the leather could catch or snag on something and potentially cause the stitching that holds it to the rubber toe cap to fail.

I think a toe cap bumper similar to what we see in the Rockrooster AK227 or the Blundstone BL990 is a better design than both Brunt and Timbs.

Having said that Donny has had his Timberland work boots for more than a year and no sign of damage to that particular area of the boot.

But so far so good with Brunt Perkins, I’ll keep you updated if it becomes a problem.

Hardware

The eyelets are made of metal and you can use them all the way to the top of the boot or use the two-speed hooks when it comes to lacing the top of the boot.

I personally like using the eyelets, but it is nice to have both.

I do struggle to tie the boots tight enough sometimes no matter if I’m using the eyelets or the speed hooks, however, I think this is a shoelace problem and not an eyelet problem.

Boot construction type

The Brunt Perkins is not a Goodyear welted construction meaning it can’t be resoled. The outsole is cemented to the upper.

After wearing the boots for a couple of weeks nothing has given out or shown any signs of wear.

A cemented construction does have one advantage over a Goodyear welt construction ( gasp, blasphemy! I know.) and that advantage is flexibility.

Goodyear welted work boots are very rigid due to the nature of the welt construction but the very thing that gives them their durability and strength also limits their flexibility.

Outsole

The Perkins come with a heeled/lugged sole. The outsole is made of rubber and is oil and slip resistant. The tread is an aggressive design that gives you stability while walking on uneven surfaces.

The tread design does make it easy for dirt and mud to get stuck on the bottom of your boot.

The rubber outsole is extremely flexible as well. The Perkins is also electrical hazard rated.

Heel height

The heel height comes in at 1 inch tall which will meet the defined heel requirement that some employers have.

Shaft height

The Perkins is a 6” high boot. Unfortunately, they don’t offer it in 8in height for those that prefer taller boots.

Inside the Brunt Perkins work boot

Now let’s see what can we discover by looking at the inside of the boot…

Tongue construction: Gusseted or Free-floating

The tongue is gusseted all the way up to where the first speed hook is. This is a must for anyone who works in dusty, dirty conditions.

The tongue on one of my boots does always slide to the side so I have to adjust that a few times a day.

Toe box

There is a nano composite toe that is lightweight and provides enough safety for any job requiring safety-toed boots.

Also, there is the advantage of not being as cold in the winter months as steel-toed work boots are.

Removable insole

The Perkins has two removable insoles. Yes, not one but two. The first one is the typical footbed that you can remove on most work boots out there nowadays.

But the second insole sits right under the first one. This second one you can take out in order to achieve a “wide” fit. I typically wear wide boots and at first, the boot was too tight around my toes.

I took out the second insole to make it wide and it fit just right. It really did make just enough room to make a difference in how comfortable they felt.

Lining

There is a fabric lining that comes inside this Brunt boot. It does get hot during the day, but it’s far from the hottest boot I’ve ever worn.

I have worn these boots consecutive days at work without any issues of the boot not drying out from sweat.

Waterproof membrane

Brunt uses triple layer waterproofing. There is a waterproofing solution added to the leather as it’s being tanned, the seams are then coated with a waterproof sealant, and finally, there is a waterproof and breathable membrane inside the boot.

This was tested by working in the rain, using a hose at work, and stepping into a container of water for five minutes.

Everything inside the boot stayed dry the whole time each and every time.

Heel counter

There is a protective rubber heel guard on the exterior of the boot which provides even more protection for your feet and makes kicking your boots off every day without having to worry about damaging any parts.

I’m not sure what they use as a heel counter. Maybe someone can cut a pair in half and show me.

Where are they made?

These Brunt Perins work boots are made in China. Check out this list of other boots brands and where are they made.

Will these Brunt Perkins boots fit wide feet? 

The adjustable width system does make a slight difference in how wide the boot is.

In my case, it was just enough to go from being tight around my toes to having enough room and being comfortable.

What do the letters stand for when it comes to the width of the boot? (W,M,D,E,etc)

There’s a lot of confusion about these among people looking to buy a pair of work boots. Hopefully, the little table I’ve put together might help you understand what’s that all about!

The letters simply represent how wide the work boots are.

Are these Brunt Perkins boots waterproof or not?

Yes, as mentioned in a few sections above, my Brunt Perkins remained dry on the inside while working through wet grass and even passing the dunk test.

After submerging the boots in a tub with water for more than 5 minutes, the boots remained completely dry on the inside.

Are they lightweight? How much do they weigh?

For a size 10.5 D or M (medium width), each boot weighs 2 pounds 1.5 ounces with both insoles installed. Without the second insole, it weighed in just a touch lighter at 2 pounds .5 ounces

Are they comfortable? 

I tried the Perkins with both insoles for a day and needed to make it the wide fit. After doing this the boot was comfortable for all day work.

Now that I’ve been wearing them for a couple of weeks, they are very comfortable yet support my feet and ankles where needed.

Break-in period: Do they need breaking in?

There really isn’t any break in period as you’ll experience in some of those most expensive work boots made by the PNW work boots brands.

The leather forms around your foot and the outsole flexes to the different positions I’m working in throughout my day.

Do they provide support? 

I feel there is plenty of support in the ankle area with the padded collar for extra comfort. My feet don’t hurt at the end of a long day walking or climbing ladders.

How do they fit? Are they true to size?

The Perkins were true to size for me. I would order the boot in the same size again.

I ordered a 10.5 which is my sneaker size and more often than not my boot size.

I do order wide 99% of the time and as mentioned before I had to remove the second insole to allow more room for my foot.

Heel height

The heel in these Brunt Perkins work boots measures around 1″ in height.

Heel to toe drop

There is about a ⅜” to ½” heel-to-toe drop which seems to be pretty standard for most work boots unless it’s something like a logger or lineman boot.

How tall are these Brunt Perkins boots?

The upper on these boots comes with a 6″ tall upper. At the time I’m writing this Brunt Perkins review, I’m not aware of this boot being available with an 8-inch upper.

Price: how much do they cost? 

At the time I’m writing the review on my Brunt Perkins boots, they cost $159 but as we all know prices tend to fluctuate.

Plus I don’t know at what point in time you’re reading this review so the best thing to do is to click here to find out the latest price on these boots.

Where to buy a pair of Brunt Perkins composite toe work boots? 

There aren’t many online or local stores you can buy these work boots from at the moment. The only place you can buy a pair of Brunt Perkins work boots is on Brunt’s official website.

Who do I recommend these Brunt Perkins work boots to?

I would recommend this boot to anyone who is in the market for a reasonably priced work boot that needs safety toe and waterproofing.

Time will tell how well they hold up. So far so good.

The only place where I feel it might become an issue over time is where the stitching of the leather meets the rubber toe cap across the front of the boot. 

My last notes on these Brunt Perkins boots

The Brunt Perkins is what I would consider a budget-friendly work boot that you can probably get a year out of if you’re not too hard on your boots and don’t work in the most extreme conditions every day.

I think they will hold up for me and will be rotated into the boots I wear for work. I love that they are waterproof and the outsole is very flexible. By the way, I’m rotating these Brunt Perkins with my KEEN Fort Wayne comp toe work boots.

The comfort is there from day one. They are also great-looking boots. I would spend my money on these boots to buy another pair.

In A Rush?!

Overall, great budget-friendly work boots

Comfortable right out of the box thanks to the padding in the tongue, collar, and walls of the boot so no breaking-in period was required. Also, they’re very flexible which is what I need in my line of work as an HVAC professional.

Latest Price

See on Brunt’s store

More pictures of the Brunt Perkins composite toe boots

Check out my Instagram or Pinterest page for more pictures. Also, if you really like one of the images, you’re free to borrow an image as long as you mention where you borrow it from!

Update: 1 month of wearing these Brunt Perkins

Stay tuned…it’s coming soon

Update: 6 months of wearing these Brunt Perkins

Stay tuned…it’s coming soon

Team Members Working On This Page

Tim Meyers – Author & HVAC Professional

My name is Tim Meyers. I reside in a small town in Pennsylvania. I am self-employed in the HVAC field. I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter at our beautiful home. I like making food on my smoker, drinking lots of craft beer, Philadelphia Eagles and Michigan Wolverine football, and of course boots!

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!