Wolverine Durashock Review | Are Wolverine’s Work Boots Worth It?

When it comes to mass-produced work boots, nobody knows the game better than Wolverine. After all, not only do they make their own branded work boots, they own several other boot brands such as Merrell, Harley Davidson, and CAT — I recently reviewed their inexpensive Threshold and sneaker-like Invader work boots.

Wolverine makes some of the most popular work boots on the market (and their high end casual boot the 1000 Mile is no slouch either) but do they hold up to actual work? Or is all their marketing nothing more than gimmicks to hawk cheap stuff to unsuspecting tradesmen?

In this review I’m going get to the bottom of things by taking a closer look at, and testing in real-world working conditions, one of Wolverine’s top-selling work boots: the Wolverine Durashock.

Pros & Cons: Wolverine Durashock

In a rush? Check out the pros and cons to see if this boot is the best fit for your needs.

Pros

• Flexible design
• Soft insole
• Affordable price 
• Waterproof
• No break-in needed
• Available in steel toe
• Meets ASTM requirements for electrical hazards and slip resistance
• Good for light duty beater boots

Cons

• Not resoleable
• Leather is thin for a work boot (under 1.8mm)
• Very soft sole can feel unstable for a work boot
• You can buy better-built boots at the price point (but it’s often on sale)

Wolverine Durashock Specs

Upper	Sueded nubuck leather with rugged pigskin, looks and feels premium
Lining	Unlined, comfortable and lightweight
Construction	Direct-attach construction seals out water
Sole	Slip-resistant, energy-returning Wolverine DuraShocks® SR Dual-Density polyurethane outsole
Insole	Removable, double-density footbed adds cushioning and stability
Midsole	Tough yet lightweight polyurethane midsole
Shank	Fiberglass shank: 75% lighter than steel, stabilizes foot and reduces fatigue

Wolverine markets the Durashock as a lightweight, comfortable, and stable boot. So, we’ll be testing each of these claims. We’ll find out if the leather is premium, discuss the construction method, see how waterproof and comfortable the boots are, plus much more!

How I Reviewed the Wolverine Durashock Boots

As I previously mentioned, I wore these in real-world working conditions. My day job is metal fabrication and welding. In fact, I’ve been in trade work for 20 years as of June 2024, so believe me when I tell you I’ve been through my share of work boots.

Not to toot my own horn, but I feel like between writing countless work boot reviews and wearing boots for quite some time, I have a little experience on the subject and can speak to boots’ quality or lack thereof.

Leather: Wolverine Durashock

• Pig skin Nubuck leather
• Measuring up at only 1.78 mm thick, which is subpar for a work boot
• Comparably priced boots offer thicker leather

Wolverine kind of cheaped out on the leather with the Durashock — well not kind of — they definitely did.

At 1.78 mm thick, the pig skin Nubuck leather is much thinner than what I would recommend for a work boot.

It’s much thinner than other boots at this price point, especially the Irish Setter Ashby, which only costs a few dollars more on Amazon. The Ashby’s USA-tanned, 5-6oz leather measured at a hardy 2.68 mm thick when I checked mine.

Construction: Wolverine Durashock

• The Durashock uses direct attach/glued construction: the cheapest and least durable method for work boots
• But that means no break-in time, and it’s more flexible
• It can’t be resoled

Wolverine went with a direct attach and glued construction for the Durashock, which is the cheapest and least durable construction method for work boots. It’s not surprising given the Durashock’s pricepoint, particularly since it’s often on sale for well under $100.

Pros and Cons of Direct Attach Boots

Direct attach/glued boots have some pros and a few cons that you should consider before buying a pair of Durashocks.

Pros

• No break in time, unlike the majority of Goodyear Welted and Stitchdown boots.
• Direct-attach boots are more flexible
• Offers a more sneaker-like feel than other construction types.

Cons

• You can’t resole a direct attach boot. When the outsole wears out or starts peeling off the upper, the boot becomes trash and needs to be tossed
• Lack of durability; even when it’s a cheap plastic welt and it still can’t be resoled, a Goodyear welt is less likely to have the sole separate from the upper.

It’s important to note that the term “direct attach boots” is just a fancy way of saying the only thing holding your boots’ upper and outsole together is glue. Whereas with Goodyear welt or Stitchdown boots, the upper is stitched to a midsole to which the outsole is attached.

In this scenario, if the outsole begins to separate, your boots will still maintain their structural integrity. A glued construction boot like this will need to be tossed.

Comfort: Wolverine Durashock

• Lightweight and flexible with soft insoles and outsoles
• Lacks arch support
• Spacious fit allows for orthotics and natural toe splay
• Raised areas in the heel and ball create instability

The Wolverine Durashock is definitely lightweight, soft, and flexible. The removable insole is exceptionally squishy and reminds me a lot of the insoles that come in Thorogood boots. The outsole material is also very soft and shock-absorbent.

Arch support is notably lacking, but the boots are spacious enough to allow for an orthotic insole if needed. The toe box is also very generous, measuring in at 4.1 inches which allows for a more natural toe splay.

Where the boots fail in the comfort department is how unstable they feel. Wolverine chose a bit of an odd design for the outsole: if you flip the boot upside down or turn it sideways, you’ll notice the heel and ball of the foot have a smaller raised area on the outsole. This raised area makes the boots feel wobbly to me as the pressure from my feet isn’t evenly distributed across the outsole.

It always feels like my foot wants to supinate, and my ankles roll out to the sides. It’s almost like standing on a pair of ice skates. Well, not that extreme but you get the point!

Sizing: Wolverine Durashock

• Fits true to size

If you’re considering purchasing a pair, it’s important to know that the Durashocks run true to size. I’m an 11.5 on a Brannock device and 11.5 on the Durashocks. Their sizing is pretty comparable to other brands like Timberland, Hawx, Brunt, etc., so just buy your normal Brannock size. 

(That means get your foot measured in a shoe store. Most guys just say their shoe size is that of whichever pair of sneakers they’ve worn that had the highest number.)

Safety: Wolverine Durashock

• Available with soft or ASTM-rated steel toe
• Meets ASTM standards for electric hazards and slip resistance

When it comes to safety features, the Durashock has pretty much everything you’ll need, even if your employer is a stickler for safety. Mine are soft toe, but they are also available with an ASTM-rated steel toe.

Both soft and steel toe boots meet ASTM requirements for Electric Hazards and slip resistance.

Water Resistance: Wolverine Durashock

• Fine water resistance for brief exposure, but not fully waterproof; you won’t want to stand in puddles for too long

They are also fairly water resistant. When I put them to the test they did a good job at keeping the water out. I dunked them in water just past the outsole for a few minutes. The inside of the boots stayed dry; however, I wouldn’t recommend standing in water for a long period of time. Eventually, the water will permeate the leather and soak the boots.

Price & Value: Wolverine Durashock

• Soft toe: $149.99
• Steel toe: $159.99
• Not the best value boot out there

Coming in at $149.99 for the soft toe and $159.99 for the steel toe, the Durashock is, in my honest opinion, a little overpriced for what it is.

When it comes to value, it’s important to consider that after enough wear these boots will be unusable. Boots featuring other construction types such as Goodyear welt or stitchdown might be more expensive up front, but will pay off in the long run because a cobbler can resole and fix them.

Wrapping Up

I genuinely feel like the Durashock offers the blue-collar working man little in the way of value. Sure, they are flexible and lightweight, but at their price point, there are work boots that offer more when it comes to comfort, and features that offer more durability, such as built-in rubber molding around the toe box area. If you’re looking to get a solid Wolverine boot, I’d personally recommend spending a few dollars more and getting the Wolverine Overpass boots.