Stihl Lawngrips shoe review

The Stihl Lawngrips shoes for landscape professionals are great shoes! And yet, it’s ironic that as I finally sit down to  write this review blog post, my latest pair is falling apart. I’ve bought at least ten pairs of these shoes without experiencing any major problems. As a busy landscape professional I “killed” the shoes through heavy use.

My last two pairs, however, suffered from a manufacturing defect. See picture below. My dealer kindly exchanged the shoes and the replacement pair lasted barely two weeks. Then the dealer refused to hand over a third new pair. He called Stihl and their response was that they wanted to see the shoes. Great! I get a refund but I’m without my favorite shoes. I will buy a pair from another dealer and hope they last longer. Stihl will get to examine my shoes.

Having gone through at least ten pairs, I feel qualified to review the shoes. (Disclaimer: I’m in no way associated, compensated or sponsored by Stihl. The opinions expressed here are mine and I stand by them.)

Pros:

• the shoes feel great for working boots (light weight)
• you barely notice they have steel toe and steel plate in sole
• they really don’t slip on grassy slopes
• they look good and sport the Stihl logo
• the retail $99 plus tax cost is good if you compare it to other work boots on the market
• specifically designed for landscape professionals
• CSA approved
• available in shoe and boot style

 

Cons:

• my recent bad experiences make me wonder about the manufacturing quality control
• as you wear out the sole, you will reach a point where the shoes make “sucking” sounds when on hard surfaces
• the shoelaces must be double-tied otherwise they come undone
• many dealers in the Lower Mainland don’t carry the boot version

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love these shoes! Considering my recent hassles, I give them 8/10. If you are a landscape professional you owe it to yourself to test one pair. Good luck.