Carolina CA1816 Review – Men’s 8″ Domestic Composite Toe Waterproof Work Boot
In this new edition of the Carolina Boots Review series, we are going to be looking at the Carolina CA1816 Men’s 8″ Domestic Composite Toe Waterproof Work Boot.
This society is obsessed with shoes, and I don’t blame society, it’s just that our feet support every single movement that we make. Nowadays, it’s not just the support that matters the most; you got to look at the style, the feel and the heritage behind a boot.
Remember when everyone was obsessed with Air Jordans? Penny Loafers? Or even the Nike pump chase? You can go further back, and you’ll find fads like the Chuck canvas. It’s an obsession, and you can’t do anything about it.
The Carolina CA1816 is such a boot that deserves that hype. Have a look the complete Carolina CA1816 review to know more about this American-made boot.
[amazon box=”B0088YF7TY” price=”none”]Features
- Briar Pitstop Leather Upper
- Composite Safety Toe Cap
- Waterproof SCUBALINER™
- Mesh Lining
- Removable AG7™ Polyurethane Footbed
- Electrical Hazard Rated
- Non-Metallic Shank
- Leather Welt Construction
- Dual Density Polyurethane Outsole
- Union Made in the USA from Global Parts
Carolina CA1816 Review
So, if you’ve never seen a Carolina CA1816 before or if it has been one of those boots that have been on the wall in your local boot shop, and you just been kind of hesitant on making a leap forward with all the new stuff that’s out there, the old 1816 is definitely something you should be looking at. This boot from Carolina been in the line for a pretty long time.
[amazon box=”B0088YF7TY” price=”none”]American Made Boot
One of the high points about 1816 is that it is American-made all the way through, all the parts and everything.
Briar Pitstop Leather Upper
This leather is soft and malleable. And it is easy to get obsessed with the dark, reddish-brown vibe that this leather gives. It is made in briar pitstop brown, and visible stitching adds an even classic look to it.
The beautiful oil tan leather really makes this boot a handsome work boot. And I mean handsome in a good way. It doesn’t look cheap, or you know plasticky. It’s an oil tan leather, and it feels really nice.
Leather Welt Construction
For 1816, Carolina uses a leather welt. So that means that this boot is completely re-craft-able and resolable.
Waterproof SCUBALINER™
The boot is waterproof with the SCUBALINER which has been time-tested in all of the Carolina loggers that people have learned to love and trust.
Dual Density Polyurethane Outsole
Now, something that might stand out about the CA1816 is the fact that they use the Carolina millennium sole.
If you’re familiar with boots such as the Carolina 309 Boot, which I made an entire article on that, you’re going to know that this is a really dependable sole.
This is something that you can depend on for being comfortable and for having a huge amount of bounce and energy returned to it.
Lacing System
When it comes to closing this boot up, its Carolina. And Carolina doesn’t cut in no corners when it comes to their lacing systems.
The laces, the eyelets, the hardware, and the beautiful one-piece machined hardware that they use in the speed laces, and the fact that they actually put an eyelet at the top so you can tighten this boot down nice and tight, is a really nice touch.
Mesh Lining
Now, like I said the boot is waterproof. So, Carolina adds a really nice liner to this thing. That is this soft polyester type material that it finishes all the way from the vamp to the heel cup and all the way out.
And it’s really nice. It’s a softer material but it doesn’t feel weak or anything like the kind of stuff that just feels so paper-thin that you know you’re going to just wear right through from friction and abrasion.
Padded
Carolina did a really nice job right there with that padded collar. Just look at that thing, it’s not a lot of padding, but it’s just enough to make the boot comfortable. And they use this really nice single piece leather pull-on on the back.
Removable AG7™ Polyurethane Footbed
Now, inside the CA1816 is a DRYZ insole. Now, this is a single density insole. So, in the grand scheme of things of all the other Carolina’s that I have reviewed, this is not their best insole.
But mix this insole with the millennium sole, the dual density really soft and comfortable sole, and you got a really nice combo.
Now, something else that’s really nice about the millennium sole is that it’s oil resistant and it’s a slip-resistant sole. And the tread pattern is not really aggressive.
So, if you’re somebody who does a lot of residential type work, you don’t really have to worry about dragging in a lot of mud and dirt from the outside into the house.
Electrical Hazard Rated
So, the boot is EH, and something else that’s really nice about the CA1816 is the composite toe that they use. It’s a little bit wider and a little bit taller than the average composite toe.
Comfort
So, that gives you a lot of space inside there when you mix in that lining plus the DRYZ insole with this nice composite toe; it’s not going to be one of those toes that are going to hurt your feet. It’s got a lot of space.
Size & Fit
Now, the size and the fit on the CA1816, well it’s just like all the other Carolina comfortable boots. It’s really true to size boot and when I say it’s true to size, it’s true to size if you have worn Carolina’s before.
If you’ve never purchased a pair of Carolinas, then you’re going to have to try a bunch on. You’re going to have to start what you believe is your size and work your way up or down from there.
Now, most of the time when a guy comes in, and he’s wearing one of the other brands, you can just pull the size right out of there and throw a Carolina of that size on his foot, and it will usually fit perfectly.
[amazon box=”B0088YF7TY” price=”none”]Product Description
Construction: Leather Welt
Leather: Briar Pitstop Leather Upper
Lining: Mesh
Toe: Composite Toe Meets The Astm Standards For Compression And Impact Testing Rating Of I-75/C-75.
Insulation: None
Height: 8.”
Insole: Removable Polyurethane Footbed
Outsole: Dual Density Polyurethane Outsole
Waterproof: Yes, Scubaliner™
Features: Non-Metallic Shank, Electrical Hazard Rated
So, that’s the Carolina CA1816 American-made fully welted, completely craftable, beautiful boot. If you’ve ever worn any of the Carolina 1816 or anything from the Carolina comfort series, please comment below.
Let other guys know what you thought about the millennium sole, the scuba liner, the beautiful leather that they use and all that. That’s all for the Carolina CA1816 Review, until next time, thanks a lot for reading.
