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Boots?

coosa1

coosa1

Active Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2019
Messages
109
Location
AL
I'm about to pull the trigger on some new non insulated boots for early season deer and turkey hunting. Leaning really hard towards Crispi or Kenetrek as I want a good solid boot that is going to remain waterproof and last a very long time. Any input on these two brands or suggestions on others?
 
Depending on where you’re hunting I would look at snake boots, Irish setters etc.
 
coosa1 said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on some new non insulated boots for early season deer and turkey hunting. Leaning really hard towards Crispi or Kenetrek as I want a good solid boot that is going to remain waterproof and last a very long time. Any input on these two brands or suggestions on others?
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I'm my experience that's a tall order. I've had both but not at the same time, especially in a boot that will see lots of torsion and twisting ie mountain terrain. What's your environment? If as mentioned then I'd go with what you mentioned and then waterproof treat it as often as necessary. If more swampy/soupy mess then I'd go @bigjoe route.
 
Exhumis said:
I'm my experience that's a tall order. I've had both but not at the same time, especially in a boot that will see lots of torsion and twisting ie mountain terrain. What's your environment? If as mentioned then I'd go with what you mentioned and then waterproof treat it as often as necessary. If more swampy/soupy mess then I'd go @bigjoe route.
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I hunt in middle Alabama which is a mix of flat and gently rolling hills. Nothing extremely steep or rocky and the majority of water that I encounter is waist high dew covered grass and the occasional shallow creek. I have been using rubber boots and have owned a couple pairs of snake boots in the past. Rubber always ends up baking my feet in this Alabama sun and every pair of snake boots I have ever tried was uncomfortable and/or leaked.
 
I would get a pair of waterproof gaiters whatever route you go. Walking through wet grass will be much less annoying.

i am a big fan of my vasque inhalers. However my second pair has begun to leak. waterproof fabrics just can’t handle the abuse of a hard used boot.

I am wearing my lowa tibets more and more these days. They’ve really broken in(I got them for western hunting) and are very comfortable now. I would imagine the combo of leather(conditioned and treated properly),goretex, and gaiters will probably do the trick.

ive also gone to chota hippies and wading boots for water hunting in 30-60* temps. Above that I wear my vasques and let my feet get wet. Not worth the troublE my feet will be sweating anyway
 
I"m a big fan of Asolo boots. I currently have a pair of Sassalon GV, which I believe are disco'd--but have lasted me at leas 5 years and barely show wear. Get high quality mid-heavy weight backpacking boot with a good vibram sole and you cant go wrong. Asolo, vasque, Lowe, Limmer, La Sportiva, etc. I have a pair of all leather lowe's that are probaly 20+ years old(goretex lined) they still rock and I cant even calculate the number of miles I have on them...
 
coosa1 said:
Rubber always ends up baking my feet in this Alabama sun and every pair of snake boots I have ever tried was uncomfortable and/or leaked.
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That's been my experience as well. I ended up doing what @kyler1945 mentioned, just started letting my feet get a bit wet if it's warm. I've been in all kinds of environments and never found a boot that was waterproof, durable, long-lasting and comfortable. Probably why the military has hot weather boots with drain holes. As you've discovered waterproof boots make your feet sweat. I personally like Danner, wore them during my active duty days and found them to be comfortable and well built, had the same boots resoled 3x. I currently have a pair of Pronghorns I really like. I don't have any exp with the brands you mentioned. I "waterproofed" them using sno seal after sealing the seams and they haven't leaked yet. Do have to retreat as necessary
 
I’ve got 2.5 years of hard abuse in my Lowa Tibets and they are still going really strong. I’d never paid that much for a pair of shoes but with my line of work I knew I’d end up paying more over the course of a few years in cheaper boots that wouldn’t make it more than a year. They are great for saddle hunting too with the stiff “platform” sole.
Positives:
1. Freakin rugged as all heck
2. Goretex liner, so much more breathable than my rubber muck boots
3. Outsole consist of high quality rubber, heavy lug soles that haven’t broke down over miles of use on concrete/asphalt
4. Rubber rim protects toes and feet from kicking stumps and rocks
5. Completely waterproof
6. Lots of ankle support for hill country/hiking
7. More versatile than rubber hunting boots
8. Pretty handsome boots

Negatives
1. Shoe lace stud popped off one of my boots about 1 month in, but never noticed any performance issues without it for my use
2. Not as “scent-free” as rubber hunting boots
3. Not insulated, although with heavy merino socks and a liner, every bit as warm as any insulated boots I’ve tried, perhaps because of the breathability
4. Heavier than something like a lightweight hiker, but the trade off is much more support/durability

I’ve never tried Crispi’s, but I’ve had a pair of Kenetrek rancher duck boots that broke down faster than many cheap boots I’ve owned. Perhaps the Kenetrek mountaineering boots are different. For me the Lowa Tibet’s are absolutely worth the $$, with the only real set back being the initial cost. As I said earlier, with their durability, the upfront cost ends up being cheaper than the 4-5 pairs of cheaper boots that you’d run through in the time it takes for your lowas to tank out. Plus, you’d have the comfort, protection, and support for all of the years of use that you wouldn’t get from cheaper boots.
Hope this helps.


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My wife got me a pair of ll bean upland technical boots about 10 years ago. I wore them till the soles were gone. Everything from upland bird, small game, to deer hunting, and just hiking. They had a ton of miles on them when I finally retired them. That was over 8 years of hard wear and they were the most comfortable boots I had ever owned. When the tread was basically gone on them I looked to find they didn't make the exact same pair anymore. They replaced them with these Men's Technical Kangaroo Upland Boots. I have had the new ones for over a year and other than the look I can tell no difference. The old ones had a different material and no leather. I'm hoping this pair lasts as long as the last pair did.
They are light enough for the early season, waterproof, and durable.
 
Ktrek
Asolo
Lowa
zamberlin

Oh yea Forgot crispi too


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I’ve got Crispi guide GTX’s. 1st year hunting in them, so I’m still breaking them in. Hard KY public land bow hunting, and a week in Colorado, they’ve been extremely comfortable. I really like the added ankle support I get from them.
 
coosa1 said:
I'm about to pull the trigger on some new non insulated boots for early season deer and turkey hunting. Leaning really hard towards Crispi or Kenetrek as I want a good solid boot that is going to remain waterproof and last a very long time. Any input on these two brands or suggestions on others?
Click to expand...
Thorogood Flyway leather boots. I’ve had mine for over a year and wear them every single day at work on the railroad and hunting. Keep the leather clean and treat them with a quality leather conditioner ( I use obenaufs beeswax) and they will last for years. I haven’t had wet feet yet. I worked 12 hours one day last week walking in ankle deep water most of the day. Last winter I was scouting a river bottom walking in 6” of water for miles. Great boots and USA MADE.
 
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