Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse Work Boots Review 804-4375(All You Need To Know)

Hey, Adrian here. Welcome to my review of these American Heritage Thorogood 804-4375 Trail Crazyhorse steel toe work boots.

In this review, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about this work boot. From how they fit and how heavy they are to waterproof, breaking in period, and everything in between based on my own experience wearing them at work on a construction site.

In A Rush?!

Overall, great quality moc toe safety work boot

Great craftsmanship, very stylish, comfortable right out of the box, and on top of that, built like a tank! If that’s the type of work boot you’re looking for, then these Trail Crazyhorse work boots are made for you!

Compare Prices

See on Amazon

See on Zappos

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

Victor Adrian
Tester & Editor

A quick intro to the Thorogood Crazyhorse boots series

If you’re like me, the first time someone told me about the Thorogood Crazyhorse, I thought it was the name of the boot.

Later on, as I did a bit more research I found out that actually, Crazyhorse refers to the leather, not to a particular model of a boot.

Not a leather expert here by any means but I’ve learned that this leather is one of the most durable leathers out there.

Apparently, that’s how it got its name. It’s because the leather is “crazy good” as in strong and durable.

And the horse part…no it doesn’t mean it’s horse leather lol. I know some might think that. It’s cowhide!

So the horse part comes from the fact that this leather was used for many years to make horse saddle. Hence you might see places where Crazy Horse leather is referred to as Saddle Leather.

Thorogood has created a whole series of work boots that are built with this full-grain leather and I’ll mention them to you quickly below so you know what else it’s available out there.

I’ll list my boots at the top of the list. They are the American Heritage Trail heel sole Crazyhorse.

1. Trail Series (Heel)

• Unlined
• 6″ & 8″
• Steel toe

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

2. Trail Series (Wedge)

• Unlined
• 6″ & 8″
• Steel toe & soft toe

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

3. 1957 Series

• Waterproof
• 6″ & 8″
• Steel toe & Soft toe

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

4. Pull on series

• Waterproof/ Unlined
• 11″
• Steel toe & Soft toe
• Square & round toe
• Heel & wedge sole

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

5. Logger series

• Waterproof
• Insulated
• 9″
• Steel toe

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

6. V Series

• Waterproof
• 6″ & 8″
• Composite toe

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

7. Union Series

• Waterproof
• 6″
• Composite toe
• Wedge & heel sole

See On AmazonSee On Zappos

8. Iron Rivers

• Waterproof
• 6″
• Composite toe
• Wedge & heel sole

Coming Fall 2023Coming Fall 2023

The environment in which I’m testing my boots

I work in the construction industry which is quite a heavily regulated industry so I need to wear safety boots.

I can’t get on-site without steel-toe cap work boots or a pair of composite-toe cap work boots.

A construction site it’s changing every day, it’s quite a dynamic work environment and there are a lot of hazards that can potentially harm my feet.

Walking on rebar and on sharp objects, tiewire, steel, nails, screws, etc is exposing my feet to punctures.

Also working with and around heavy tools and machinery my feet are exposed to injuries from falling tools and objects or even machinery going over my feet.

I walk and stand on a variety of surfaces at work from uneven soft ground to tarmac to flat hard unpolished concrete and everything in between.

Unboxing the Trail Crazyhorse 804-4375 safety boots 

Features of my Trail Crazyhorse safety work boots

Thorogood 804-4375 safety boots: First impressions

Great looking work boots, very stylish, almost too stylish to wear on a construction site haha.

I knew my colleagues will mock me as soon as I turn up on-site with these boots.

And so it happened. I was called “the Director’ son” and things along those lines haha. You gotta have a bit of banter on a building site, otherwise, it’s not a building site!!!

I love the color of the boots. I had to call my wife for a second and ask her if what I’m seeing is correct.

The leather looks green to me and I’m color-blind lol. But my wife confirmed they do have a hint of green.

One thing I expected and looking forward to was the smell of new, high-quality leather. But instead what I got was a fainting smell of chemicals.

I don’t know if this is because of the rubber or if the manufacturer or the seller has applied additional chemicals to the boots to keep them fresher. In any case, they stink even after a few months of wearing them.

Other than that, great first impressions of these American Heritage Trail Crazyhorse 804-4375 boots!

The Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse on the outside

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

1. The upper’s material

These work boots’ upper is made with high-quality full-grain leather. The leather itself is called Crazyhorse which is where the name of the boot’s series comes from.

I’m not a leather expert by no means but from what I understand, this Crazyhorse leather is one of the most durable leathers available out there.

That doesn’t mean the boots will be stiff because the leather is tough. No, the leather is quite soft right out of the box.

2. Toe cap reinforcement

This boot doesn’t come with a toe cap bumper as we’ve seen in my review of the Brunt Marin moc toe comp boots.

It doesn’t always look good in a moc toe boot. I know many of you would hate to destroy the beautiful look of these boots by applying Tuff Toe, but sometimes it has to be done.

Maybe Thorogood could look into adding a toe cap bumper to some of their models in the feature.

Since this is a great feature that helps increase the lifespan of the boot by protecting the leather around the toe cap.

By the way, the above image reminded me to invite you to check out my Brunt versus Thorogood boots comparison here. (still editing)

3. Hardware

The 804-4375 boot comes with an interesting setup for the hardware. You have 3 eyelets, then 3-speed hooks, and lastly another eyelet at the top.

Personally, I never used the last eyelet of this work boot. I love speed hooks in work boots since it makes it easy to put them on and take them off.

4. Boot construction type

This Thorogood Crazyhorse steel toe boot comes with a Goodyear Storm Welt sole construction. Great for durability. Also makes a better work boot from a structural point of view.

If you’re not familiar with the terms Goodyear welt or Goodyear Storm welt let me tell you that they are basically the same thing.

A piece of material that’s stitched to the upper and then stitched to the sole.

The difference is that the Goodyear Storm Welt is a bit taller than the regular Goodyear welt going higher up on the upper of the boot.

This helps with making the boots more water resistant than boots with a regular Goodyear welt.

The only con some might find in this is that the boots look a tiny bit chunkier. To me, it makes no difference since work boots already have a chunky look to them anyway.

5. Outsole

The Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse boots come with two type of soles you can choose from.

I got the heeled version but the boots come with a wedge sole too. The latter it’s better for you if you work mostly on flat, hard, concrete surfaces.

The ones I got, the American Heritage 804-4375 come with a 90-degree angled heel which is great for those of you working in the yard, or mostly outdoors where traction is needed.

If you want to learn more about the topic, my colleague and fellow boots tester Jeff put together a nice and helpful blog post on the differences between heeled vs wedge soles in work boots.

Fun fact about the sole on these boots…

When I posted a pic of these boots on Reddit someone said (and others liked the comment which makes it more valid lol) that my Thorogoods were fake because, according to this person, Thorogood boots only come with chevron soles.

Nothing farther from the truth as my boots are genuine, it’s just that they come with a different outsole than what you might be accustomed to.

That’s the reason you should not listen to everything you see on Reddit and other platforms. People think they’re gurus, but in reality, they have no clue! (rant over lol)

6. Moc toe construction

The moc toe on these Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse steel toe boots is made by pinching up the leather and then stitching it in order to create the moc style.

It’s one single piece of leather rather than two.

It’s more durable than other work boots like the Irish Setter Ashby work boots for example where two pieces of leather are stitched together in order to create the moccasin toe style.

7. Stitching

There’s a lot of stitching in this boot. We have some double and triple stitching which not only makes the boot look great but also I think it makes more sturdy.

Inside the Trail Crazyhorse 804-4375 work boots

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

1. Tongue construction

The boots come with a gusseted tongue which definitely helps keep dirt and debris out of the boots.

The tongue is gusseted up the first speed hook.

The tongue might need a bit of “training” before it falls into a position that’s comfortable. Use some leather conditioner to make it even softer so it can adapt to the shape of your foot.

2. Removable insole

They have a removable insole. Always great news because you can replace it with something that’s more appropriate for your feet and type of work.

I still wear the original insoles since they’re not that bad for my type of feet. And by that, I mean that my feet have a regular arch height.

The insole does come with a bit of arch support but it’s soft and squishy which is ok most of the time.

It’s not that ok if you happen to suffer from plantar fasciitis. In that case, you will need different types of insoles. Insoles that have a more rigid or semi-rigid arch support!

Here’s some additional info on the insole that might be helpful.

3. Waterproof membrane

Nope, there’s no waterproof membrane in the 804-4375 Trail Crazyhorse work boots.

There is another Thorogood Crazyhorse boot model that does come with a waterproof membrane.

It’s the 804-3898. Check it out on Amazon or Zappos if you want to learn more about it. These also come with a wedge or a heel sole.

4. Lining

If you’re not a fan of lined work boots and waterproof membranes, you’re going to love these Thorogood Trail Crayzhorse boots because they do not have any lining.

There is a little bit of cotton or something like that at the vamp area but I don’t consider that…lining!

It’s pure leather on the inside which in a way is a positive point.

Especially if you wear your work boots in summer since your feet won’t sweat as much as they would if the boots have a waterproof membrane.

Where are they made?

Thorogood work boots are made in America.

Check out the following page if you’re curious to know where other brands are making their work boots.

Are they true to size? Do they run small or large? 

They are true to size for me. They fit perfectly! Width-wise, we have to talk about it lol. See the next section!

Will these Trail Crazihorse 804-4375 boots fit wide feet? 

A bit of back story. The first pair of Thorogood work boots I bought a little while ago was the American Heritage 804-4200 moc toe boots.

Steel-toed boots, wedge soles…beautiful boots. But they fit too narrow even for my feet which are not considered wide, but regular width.

I’ve tried to stretch out the work boots, and they did widen up a bit but still, it wasn’t comfortable enough for me to wear for a 10-12 hours shift.

I said to myself that if I ever buy another pair of Thorogood work boots, I’ll go for the EE version of the boot instead of D which is what I always buy because my feet are not wide.

So that’s exactly what I did with these Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse boots. I went with EE and they fit perfectly.

I’m so happy with the decision! Finally, I can wear my Thorogood work boots for a full shift!

Based on my own experience (and of many others I talked to) Thorogood work boots won’t fit wide feet. Here’s a list of work boots that will fit wider feet.

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 804-4375 Thorogood boots waterproof or not?

No, this particular Thorogood Crazyhorse work boot model it’s not waterproof.

You’ll be just fine if you have to go through a little bit of water. Your feet will remain dry, at least that was my experience at work.

Now, if you work in the rain all day, if you work as a gardener, landscaper, etc where you work with or in water for the whole duration of your shift, then you need a pair of waterproof work boots.

Here are some options for you if you still want the Crazyhorse leather boots but with a waterproof membrane.

And just to save you some time, let me tell you that none of the below models come with a wedge sole.

Are they lightweight? How much do they weigh?

So these Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse work boots weigh 2.3 pounds (or 1015 grams) per boot.

To be honest, not having the lining, the waterproof membrane, padding in the tongue and the walls, etc … I was expecting it to be a bit more lightweight than it is.

If this is the first pair of work boots you buy you might find these boots very heavy, but you’ll get used to the boot’s weight in less than a week.

Are they comfortable? 

Sooooo…based on my previous experience with Thorogood boots, which wasn’t the best I expected it to be in all honesty.

This time around I can say that THESE Thorogood Crazyhorse are amazingly comfortable.

I’ve been wearing a lot of wedge sole work boots lately so I kinda forgot how it was to wear a work boot with a heel. The transition was quite smooth, to be honest, nothing to add here.

Break-in period: Do they need breaking in?

Continuing from what I said above, these Crayzhorse boots were comfortable right out of the box, so breaking in the boots wasn’t something I had to worry about.

The leather is very soft and it was very comfortable to wear for the whole shift. No problems whatsoever.

Are they slippery?

On my site, I walk on many different types of surfaces such as:

• concrete
• dirt
• rebar
• gravel and stone
• tarmac
• linoleum (on the job’s facilities)

Walking on all these surfaces I felt safe at all times wearing these boots.

Haven’t tested them on grass, greasy floors, tiles, or snow, so I can’t say how well they do on those surfaces.

Do they provide support? 

They do have decent arch support for my feet and no heel slippage. They provide good ankle support when tightening the laces all the way up using the last eyelet.

Having said that I work with guys that wear ankle support braces in their 6″ work boots.

So if you have weak ankles these boots might not be enough for me. You might have to go with the 8-inch version, the 804-4378. These work boots provide better ankle support!

Heel height

The heel in these Thorogood Crazyhorse boots measures around 1.35 inches in height.

Heel-to-toe drop

As I said above, the height at the heel is ~1.35″ and the height at the forefoot area is ~0.74″, therefore the heel-to-toe drop in these Thorogood Crayhorse boots is 0.62 inches.

It’s not the biggest drop but also not the lowest one. I’d say it’s a normal one for a low-heel work boot.

How tall are these Trail Crazyhorse 804-4375 boots?

This particular model that I have it’s 6 inches tall when measuring from the Goodyear Storm welt and almost 7.5 inches when measured from the bottom of the heel.

Price: how much do they cost? 

They’re not the cheapest pair of work boots out there for sure. My buddy Adam got them on a good offer for me, can’t remember the store now but it was around $200.

They go for a little more than that on Amazon, also available on Zappos. I leave you the links below to both stores so you can check out the latest prices and also compare them.

Where to buy a pair of Thorogood Crazyhorse work boots? 

There are many online and local stores you can buy these work boots from. Here are a few trustworthy sites you can buy a pair of Thorogood Crazyhorse work boots:

• Amazon
• Zappos
• Mid West Boots
• Boot Barn

Who do I recommend these Thorogood safety boots to?

I believe these are going to be a good purchase for many of you out there. There are a few jobs or environments I would not recommend them to.

For example, if you work as a landscaper, parkkeeper, or gardener I would not recommend them because they are not waterproof.

As mentioned before, there are some Thorogood Crazyhorse boots options that do come with a waterproof membrane.

But if you want the exact ones that I have, I have to tell you that you should not buy them if you don’t want to work with your feet wet.

Having said that there are plenty of industries I could recommend them to…

• Construction workers
• Superintendents
• Handymen and handywomen
• Electricians
• Mechanics
• Managers
• Office workers
• Carpenters
• Some warehouse workers

What others are saying about these boots?

I looked around for some other owners of these boots and here are a few additional opinions.

Comfortable, reliable, and quality

These are the words of an elevator technician who says switching to these boots was the best decision he ever made.

Now his feet are not in pain anymore, although still getting a bit fatigued due to the amount of heavy lifting he needs to do as part of his day-to-day tasks.

He did experience a bit of heel slippage. I suggest you either wear thicker socks or tie the laces using the speed hooks and also the last eyelet of the boot.

That should keep the heel in place until the boot adapts and forms to the shape of your heel.

Great for climbing ladders and scaffolding

This person is working as a roofer and as you can imagine going up and down stairs is quite common in this line of work.

Altough a bit uncomfortable at the pinky toe (which is an issue I had with my first pair of Thorogood boots and solved by going for the wider model) the boots needed no breaking in.

So if you prefer work boots for roofing work instead of sneakers (which is what most roofers like to wear, especially on steep roofs) then these Crazy Horse Thorogoods are a great option.

Top-notch quality

No breaking-in is required, these boots are soft and comfortable right out of the box, the leather is good, and the sole really holds…

I see a lot of these comments on many websites where people left feedback on their purchases.

Made in America

Needless to say, people love the fact the boots are still made in America! A great selling point for many people!

Disappointed

Some owners were disappointed with the quality of the boot.

One of them had a similar experience as mine where the boots simply stink so badly at polish or some chemical that the person could not keep the boots inside their house.

That might not mean much to some, but if you’re like this boot owner or like my colleague and fellow boots tester, Adam, it’s very important.

And that’s because improper care of the leather means the leather won’t develop a proper patina.

Another owner has mentioned that their boots came defective. Look, these things, unfortunately, happen.

If that’s the case, send the boots back to the store you bought them from or send them to Thorogood to inspect the issue and give your money back or send you new boots.

Which is exactly what my other colleague and fellow boots tester Jeff did. You can read here the step-by-step process of returning your Thorogood boots.

Last notes: are they worth the money?

So far, so good. I’m happy that finally, the boots fit me properly so I can wear them at work for the whole shift without any discomfort.

They’re not going to be suitable for you if you work in cold climates, snow, and rain since the boots are not waterproof or insulated for that matter.

But other than that I have a strong feeling you won’t be disappointed at all owing a pair of these bad boys.

I know some of you might roll your eyes when you’ll read the next line but it’s true.

The boots look stunning and get compliments at work from colleagues (not just banter lol). Especially if you wear them with jeans. They don’t look that good when I’m wearing them with my high-vis pants.

Or do they? I dunno, let me know what you think!

Alright, that’s all from the fashionista inside of me haha.

In terms of quality, they come with great leather, great craftsmanship, comfortable, resolable, I do believe these Thorogood Crazyhorse are worth the money.

These will last for a few years, especially if you have them in rotation with other work boots which is my recommendation by the way. Having more than one pair of work boots has tons of benefits, one of them being the boots will last longer.

Get Yours

Overall, great quality moc toe safety work boot

Great craftsmanship, very stylish, comfortable right out of the box, and on top of that, built like a tank! If that’s the type of work boot you’re looking for, then these Trail Crazyhorse work boots are made for you!

Compare Prices

See on Amazon

See on Zappos

More pictures of these Thorogood Trail Crazyhorse 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 Crazyhorse work boots

Not much to add here. These American Heritage Crayzhorse boots are just getting more and more comfortable as time passes.

We’ve had a lot of rainy days lately (just the usual thing in London haha) so I couldn’t wear them a lot as they’re not waterproof and I hate to work with my feet wet.

But after applying some mink oil to the boots to make sure it protects the leather and also that they’re a bit more water repellent, I decided to take them to work when it wasn’t raining hard.

They became a bit darker though. I knew that by the way but if you didn’t know that mink oil darkens the leather, now you know!

I did a Mink oil versus Bick 4 comparison using these boots as a guinea pig and here’s how it looks after applying both conditioners to the leather.

So if you’re worried about the leather getting too dark after conditioning it, then go for Bick 4 instead of mink oil.

Update: 6 months of wearing these Crazyhorse work boots

Stay tuned, it’s coming soon…

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!