Film Production Footwear

Film production is an “on your feet” business. For line producers and 1st ADs there is some office sit-down work but once the shoot starts film production is pretty much an on your feet activity. It’s been said that a film production crew is a bunch of people in free tee shirts and two-hundred-dollar sneakers. One of the most frequent subjects of conversation on shoots is shoes. When you’re on your feet from five or six AM until dark or after, footwear is your most important piece of equipment.

This brings me to the subject of boots.

Almost exactly forty years ago I was hired in the dual capacity of producer and 1st AD for a snow tire commercial. This meant that for several days I’d be on my feet in deep snow from before sunup until after sundown.

Excerpt from my film production book, Circumstances Beyond My Control:

I had been told by people who claimed to be experts that leather boots were not good because they’d gradually become saturated with snow melt therefore, wet, cold and heavy. Almost all the crew guys were recommending so-called moon boots; light plastic, polyester lined with rubber soles. However before the Lake Placid trip I’d visited my favorite shoe store, McCreedy & Schreiber on west 46th street. They had Chippewa boots, normally $250 on sale for $175. They were leather but had two layers of weather treated cowhide separated by a layer of shearling which also lined the feet. Best of all they had oak arch supports instead of steel. The wood didn’t transmit cold as metal would. Big, ugly and clunky these are the best winter boots imaginable. By noon the first shoot day all the guys wearing moon boots were stomping their freezing feet while my tootsies were warm and toasty. So much for “expert” opinion.

I gave these wonderful boots away several years ago when I realized that I was never again going to be working in snow for twelve hours.

In 2004 when I was directing Elizabeth Hepburn’s Better & Better Series our first location was a North Carolina waterfall. Notice the cute boots.

Elizabeth’s Merrells

This was when I learned of Merrells. Elizabeth loved them; light, sturdy, waterproof and – most importantly – comfortable.

The first time I biked to my midtown office in 2005 snow I realized that I needed some winter footwear so I got myself a pair of Merrells. I liked them a lot but between then and 2018 I wore them maybe ten days or less each winter so they still looked and felt like new. I put them on during our first serious snow this January (2019) and walked to several neighborhood stores. They felt different and I noticed a wetness in my right foot. When I got home I discovered a major crack.

Toe Crack

Glue alone didn’t work so I applied gaffer tape over glue. (The white residue is from the glued gaffer tape I removed for the pic.) That kept the wetness out but was otherwise unsatisfactory. So I decided to contact the Merrell folks. I had no expectation of getting replacements but thought they should know about the failure. I sent an email describing what happened and mentioned the light amount of use.

Genuine Customer Service

Imagine my surprise when they replied to my email asking for photos of the problem. To make a long story short I expect my new (free) Merrell boots to arrive in a few days.

New Merrells

I believe that in today’s “who cares?” world excellent service should be applauded. If you’re looking for some good shoes you can’t beat Merrell.

To read more stories of film production, click here and get Circumstances Beyond My Control.

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