You spoke. We listened. The new Carets Determination 2.2 Safety Boots comes with 4 major and 2 minor upgrades over version 1.0. In this article, we will do a deep dive into these upgrades, then answer some Frequently Asked Questions you may have.

 

Major Upgrade 1: Waxed Roughout Leather

2.2's Waxed Roughout leather uppers are visually and physically more resilient than 1.0's Nubuck Leather. 

Nubuck is the standard for modern work boots. The most famous example is Timberland's Original Yellow Boots. That's why we made version 1.0 with it. But then we found something much tougher: Waxed Roughout.

 

What is Roughout?

From the very first government-issued boots from the American Civil War, all the way to the modern combat boots of today, roughout leather has been the most common material for the uppers of U.S. military boots.

Leather has 2 sides: the outside smooth "grain", and the inside hairy "flesh". Leather products are typically made with the smooth "grain" facing out. Roughout products are the opposite, made with the hairy flesh facing out. 

With sharp hazards, when the smooth grain side comes in contact, the grain must flex around the object, or the grain will break, resulting in a cut. But when the hairy flesh side comes in contact with a sharp object, the hairs can move aside, and nothing is cut. If the sharp object goes deeper, the hairs slow down the object and cushion the cut, protecting the smooth grain.

With abrasive hazards, when the smooth grain side comes in contact, the grain must compress inwards, or the grain will rub off. But when the hairy flesh side comes in contact, the hairs can mat down. If the hairs do get scraped and lose some material, it is difficult to tell, as the hairs have a consistent texture.

Roughout alone is pretty amazing, but with the addition of wax, it's incredible.

 

Why Waxed Roughout?

Two disadvantages of roughout (or any "hairy" leather like nubuck or suede) is that dirt,  debris, grease, and liquids can get trapped in the hairs.

By applying a thick coat of wax to the flesh side of roughout, the wax solidifies into a slick protective barrier. Contaminants are less likely to reach the hairs, and can be brushed or wiped off more easily.

The wax also makes roughout even more abrasion resistant. By binding loose individual hairs together with wax, the flesh side becomes almost like a weave of interlocking and reinforcing fibers. It's like the entire 2.0-2.2mm thickness of the leather becomes as dense and durable as the grain layer.

To test abrasion resistance, we used the Taber Test. First, a CS10 grinding wheel weighing 500 grams is rubbed against the subject material for 1000 cycles. Then, the subject material is weighed, to see how much material was lost.

Untreated Roughout lost 0.65 grams of material. 

Waxed Roughout lost only 0.25 grams of material, making it 62% more abrasion-resistant than Untreated Roughout.

Waxed roughout is one of the most resistant leathers out there. But we wanted something even tougher for the toe and heel of the boots. We found it in leather bonded to a thick layer of TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane).

Wax is also a natural material that is renewable and biodegradable. 

 

Major Upgrade 2: TPU Toe & Heel Guards

When subjected to the same Taber Test as the roughout leathers, our TPU Toe & Heel Guards had ZERO measurable damage, meaning it is very abrasion-resistant.

TPU is also more resistant than any leather to dirt, debris, grease, and liquids.

You're unlikely to wear through the TPU Toe & Heel Guards. But if you do, you can still patch them up and reinforce them with an application of Tuff Toe, the same as you would with a leather toe and heel.

Major Upgrade 3: Gusseted Tongue

The Determination 1.0, like most boots and shoes, has a single-piece tongue. A single-piece tongue can slide to one side, and get stuck there for the life of the boots. It can be pretty annoying, or downright uncomfortable. It doesn't look good, either. And it's even less effective at keeping stuff out. 

 

The Determination 2.2 has a gusseted tongue, meaning we connected the sides of the tongue to the boot's shaft using an extra panel of leather on each side. This gusset goes all the way up to the 7th eyelet (if counting from the bottom, or 2nd eyelet if counting from the top).

The most obvious advantage of a gusseted tongue is that it keeps stuff out of your boots better: dirt, debris, grease, and liquids. 

The next advantage, in my opinion, is even more significant to your wearing experience: the gusset keeps the tongue centered. A centered tongue is more comfortable, looks better, and even helps with the obvious advantage of keeping stuff out!

 

Major Upgrade 4: Polymer Punched Eyelets

The Determination 1.0 has steel D-rings and speed hooks.

The Determination 2.2 has polymer punched eyelets.

Let's talk materials first.

 

Steel vs Polymer

While polymer sounds like a cheaper material than steel, we actually chose polymer because of its superior performance qualities:

• Polymer won't rust or corrode like steel would.
• If you brush polymer eyelets against something, they won't scratch it like steel would.
• Steel can bend at lower forces where polymer won't, but polymer can crack at higher forces where steel won't. It's much more likely for a steel hook to get snagged and bent than for a polymer punched eyelet to get cracked.
• Polymer has a higher specific strength than steel, meaning they are stronger pound for pound, and therefore can be lighter weight (although at the size of eyelets, this is negligible).
• If there is an electrical hazard, polymer won't conduct electricity like steel would.

These are some of the reasons why modern firearms, like the Glock pistol or AR-15 rifle, tend to use polymer parts and accessories wherever possible.

The addition of polymer eyelets is also a stepping stone toward making a fully non-metallic boot, so you can go through metal detectors without taking off your boots. The last step is to develop a composite safety toe to replace the steel safety toe, which should be ready late 2026.

 

Closer Lacing

The main advantage of switching from D-rings and speed hooks to punched eyelets in the Determination 2.2 is to solve a common complaint from the Determination 1.0: they were too loose, even when the laces were cinched as tightly as possible. 

 

Determination 1.0, D-Rings and Speed Hooks, Laces Entirely Above Quarters

 

Since D-rings and speed hooks are mounted above the quarters, the laces end up above the quarters too, floating just out of contact with (or barely touching) the tongue. With punched eyelets, the laces go through them, and alternate going above and below the quarters, and take up excess volume between the quarter and the tongue, creating a snugger fit.

The other advantages of punched eyelets over d-rings and speed hooks are less clear-cut, with more tradeoffs and personal preference coming into play.

 

D-Rings vs Punched Eyelets

D-rings allow laces to slide through with almost no resistance, and the boot is able shift with your body's movements. But punched eyelets, with more friction, hold the laces in place, allowing you to adjust each row of lacing to the perfect amount of tension for you. This can be tedious at first, but rewarding once it's set.

 

Speed Hooks vs Punched Eyelets

The switch from speed hooks to punched eyelets is the one change I'm less confident about. I've already received some negative feedback about this change from fans of speed hooks. Perhaps the best option for future versions would be hybrid "hooked eyelets", which have both a hook and a hole, giving you the option to lace how you want. 

 

Minor Upgrade 1: Safety Orange Liner

Determination 1.0 has a brown mesh liner. It was a nod to our origin as a dress shoe company, as most dress shoes are lined with a light to medium brown leather.

Determination 2.2 has a safety orange (AKA blaze orange, vivid orange, OSHA orange, hunter orange, etc.) mesh liner. This allows you to better see debris and/or hazards that might have gotten stuck to the liner, so that you can remove them before placing your foot back in the boot. 

 

Minor Upgrade 2: Quarter x Vamp Stitch Reinforced

Determination 1.0 had a few cases where the stitches connecting the quarter and the vamp failed. 

To prevent this issue in Determination 2.2, we moved the 3 rows of stitching closer together, reducing the space between them from over 4 mm to under 2 mm. I think the closer stitching looks better too.

We also added a nylon seam reinforcement tape between the quarter and vamp panels, providing further strength for the stitches, and adhesion between the panels.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why version 2.2? What happened to version 2.0 and 2.1?

Versions 2.0 and 2.1 were other designs that were ultimately scrapped. In order to avoid confusing all the team members who worked on version 2.0 and 2.1, our latest release here is version 2.2.

 

Does this have a composite toe?

Not yet! We're still working on it. Current ETA is late 2026.

 

Does this have a "farm-ready" outsole?

Not yet! We're still working on it. Current ETA is late 2026.

 

Is it waterproof?

No. Determination 2.2 is neither made of rubber, nor does it have a waterproof membrane, and therefore is not waterproof. 

The Determination 1.0 was subjected to a partial submersion test by Rose Anvil. After 5 minutes soaking in water, only the inner corners were wet.

We have not replicated this test with Determination 2.2 yet. However, 2.2's waxed roughout and TPU toe and heel guards should have similar water resistance to 1.0's nubuck. The addition of a gusseted tongue should further enhance water resistance.

 

What hasn't changed?

Here are all the features that haven't changed, and carry over from version 1.0 to 2.2:

• "Factory" Boots, NOT "Farm" Boots
• Outsole optimized for Firm Ground
• Steel Toe
• ASTM 2413-18 Impact, Compression, and Electrical Hazard Resistant (view certification)
  
• ASTM 2413-18 Puncture Resistant (view certification)
  
• ASTM F3445-21 Slip Resistant (view results / view certification)
  
• ASTM D471 Oil & Chemical Resistant (view results & discuss with your employer)
• Total Stack Height 19mm. From Foot to Floor...
  
  • Leather-wrapped EVA Removable Insert: 2mm
    
  • Mesh Liner: 2mm
    
  • Puncture-Resistant Insole: 4mm
    
  • Micropore EVA Midsole: 3mm
    
  • Rubber Outsole Base: 3mm
    
  • Rubber Outsole Lugs: 5mm
    
• Ladder Groove
  
• No Shank
  
• NOT Waterproof
  
• Water-Resistant, featuring:
  
  • Goodyear Storm Welt
    
• Resoleable
• Thick & Abrasion-Resistant 2.0-2.2mm Leather
  
• Mesh Lining for Breathability
  
• 6.5 inch Shaft Height
  
• Lace-to-Toe Design for Better Fit
  
• Cushioned & Suede-Covered Heel Cup for Comfort & Wear Resistance
• Hybrid Laces (Polyester Sheath over Kevlar Core) for Clean Look & Durability
• Big & Thick Pull Tab for Easier Donning

For a deep dive into these features, please see our original article Introducing the DETERMINATION 1.0 Safety Boots: Barefoot & Steel-Toe