I know of all kinds of guys that wear rubber boots and get busted by deer just like you. I don't know of very many that leave their boots outside 24/7 in the weather. Earlier this year I walked by a scrape not the ideal situation. I set up and hunted. A 130 inch buck worked the scrape with its nose directly over where I walked. No reaction at all. I was even amazed at this one.
I'm pretty sure if you would have walked by that scrape with your greasy work boots that buck would have reacted.
When I hunted Iowa 2 weeks ago I had at least 30 deer go past me in the 3 day weekend that crossed my scent trail from my work boots, none reacted. I saw no reaction at all, and several of the bucks were mature.
However, Here in Wisconsin off of the managed land I hunted in Iowa, I get reactions no matter what I wear on my feet, and yes, there was a time I tried your clean boot theory.