Another boots thread I know. I have Under Armour speed freak boots for 60-40 degree temps and they are awesome but once I get down to winter 40-10 degrees my feet feel like ice cubes. I hunt a variety of things in the winter - coyote, geese, whitetails, ice fish, ect... whats a boot a guy could recommend for all these ?
Another boots thread.
- Thread starter isu22andy
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6mm Remington
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Whites Outdoorsman boot is fantastic. I would suggest contacting Whites and talking to them about getting it sized just perfectly for you and sending in the tracing of your feet. The Montana Claw sole they have is the best one that I have ever used as far as traction in any condition to include snow. Nothing wrong with the Sierra sole as it looks like a good one too as is the standard vibram, but the Claw sole is incredible. I'm thinking they still have it available.
My feet tend to be on the warm side so when I bought my boots last fall I got the uninsulated ones and my feet were very comfortable even hunting in snow and zero degree temperatures. Sounds like you would be more comfortable in the insulated version and I think you will be very impressed with Whites boots. They are made in Spokane Washington USA!
https://www.whitesboots.com/#/product/2382
My feet tend to be on the warm side so when I bought my boots last fall I got the uninsulated ones and my feet were very comfortable even hunting in snow and zero degree temperatures. Sounds like you would be more comfortable in the insulated version and I think you will be very impressed with Whites boots. They are made in Spokane Washington USA!
https://www.whitesboots.com/#/product/2382
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Deleted member 16014
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If wet feet was game over I'd have quit on 90% my hunts. I've had much better luck with the exterior treatments and such like OutDry compared to Gore or eVent liners. Anymore boot fit and quick dry time is more valuable to me than the specific waterproofing methodology. YMMV
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Situational I guess - walking or hiking not an issue . Tree stand hunting with wet feet for white tails when it’s 20 degrees out is a big problem
Madman
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I love my Danner Canadians, and I hunt hard in some pretty tough stuff in the Rockies.....Worth every penny
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How far are you actually walking/ does boot weight matter for you?
If yes I would look at an insulated alpine boot, if you aren't planning on climbing mts or hiking more than 3-4 miles a day I would get these... https://schnees.com/extreme/
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Deleted member 16014
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It sounds like you may need more than one pair of hunting boots.
Not far , usually under a mile in the winter. I use my UA speed freaks for everything else thats over a mile and when ill be active. Eventually I will upgrade these as well to a danner or better boot . Def need 2 different pairs of boots .
Tradewind
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Anybody tried Zamberlan outfitter GTX boots?
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If you are just walking out to a stand and doing a long sit + had to cross a few creeks I would be looking at a pair of insulated xtratufs... pack-boots if say you were spending the day slowly walking fields...
I looked at those. Fit dictated I find something else. mtmuley
Tradewind
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Thanks Muley. think I have it down to Meindl or Crispi. Reviews are telling Meindl isn't what it used to be
I was down to Crispi and Kenetrek. Kenetreks fit best, and I found an as new pair for a screaming deal. Good luck. mtmuley
deer_shooter
Well-known member
I don't see Hanwag brought up very often. I kinda stumbled into a pair of their hikers a while ago and liked them enough to buy a pair of hunting boots and they were very comfortable right out of the box.
I recently had kind of a dismal experience with Schnees, which was somewhat disapointing. I own 3 pairs of their boots. I’ve only purchased one pair full price, then I won a pair and bought another pair for about 40% less than retail at the MT WSF banquet auction.
The pair I won, I’ve had since around March of ‘17. They are the granites with eVent liner. I didn’t initially wear them that much because I already had a pair I was wearing. I wore them a bit last fall, a little this spring a couple times over the summer to keep the feet used to them, then I just took them on an 11 day hunt for sheep in the Beartooth. All in all I have about 30-35 days on them. The sole is at about 80%. In comparison i walked the same style sole off a pair of their absarokas and am half way through a second sole. Several hundred days on the absarokas and they’re still water right.
I freshly oiled my granites just before this hunt.
On day 2 an eyelet popped off. Not a huge deal, sort of hard to tighten on steep grades with heavy pack but manageable.
On day 8 it snowed about an inch. Wearing gaiters and walking through the grass with the inch of snow, My feet were soaked within an hour. Not moist. Drenched. Soaked.
I brought them in to Schnees when I got back to Bozeman. Showed them the eyelet and told them of the leaks. They tested them and said the one boot is only leaking through the missing eyelet but the other boot is leaking in three various places. They are putting a new eyelet on, but for the liner/leaking since the boots are over a year old there’s nothing they can do for me other than offer me a new pair at 30% off ($320) and gave me a free bottle of nikwax.
I guess that is reasonable, and the boots were free. I’m not really upset or anything but if I had paid $450 like most people that have these boots did, I would expect more than 30-ish field days out of them.
The guys working there treated me good and were very polite and everything, i just want my boots to last longer. They need to last longer.
The new models use a different material than eVent, perhaps this is why. I don’t know. I do know when it’s new sheep hunting boot time, I’m going to do a little looking around and not just automatically buy a pair of Schnees.
The pair I won, I’ve had since around March of ‘17. They are the granites with eVent liner. I didn’t initially wear them that much because I already had a pair I was wearing. I wore them a bit last fall, a little this spring a couple times over the summer to keep the feet used to them, then I just took them on an 11 day hunt for sheep in the Beartooth. All in all I have about 30-35 days on them. The sole is at about 80%. In comparison i walked the same style sole off a pair of their absarokas and am half way through a second sole. Several hundred days on the absarokas and they’re still water right.
I freshly oiled my granites just before this hunt.
On day 2 an eyelet popped off. Not a huge deal, sort of hard to tighten on steep grades with heavy pack but manageable.
On day 8 it snowed about an inch. Wearing gaiters and walking through the grass with the inch of snow, My feet were soaked within an hour. Not moist. Drenched. Soaked.
I brought them in to Schnees when I got back to Bozeman. Showed them the eyelet and told them of the leaks. They tested them and said the one boot is only leaking through the missing eyelet but the other boot is leaking in three various places. They are putting a new eyelet on, but for the liner/leaking since the boots are over a year old there’s nothing they can do for me other than offer me a new pair at 30% off ($320) and gave me a free bottle of nikwax.
I guess that is reasonable, and the boots were free. I’m not really upset or anything but if I had paid $450 like most people that have these boots did, I would expect more than 30-ish field days out of them.
The guys working there treated me good and were very polite and everything, i just want my boots to last longer. They need to last longer.
The new models use a different material than eVent, perhaps this is why. I don’t know. I do know when it’s new sheep hunting boot time, I’m going to do a little looking around and not just automatically buy a pair of Schnees.
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TrickyTross
Active member
Just my $0.02, but I had a very similar issue last year when hunting Ohio and here in the mountains at the house. I have a pair of Columbia Bug-A-Boos that are much like the Speed Freaks. My issue was feet getting wet and cold after I got to the stand. What I found was that my socks dictated so much of it. I invested in some good merino socks to wear. When I had spots to get to that required the Bug-A-Boos, I would have my rubber boots strapped to my pack> When I got to the stand, I would take my boots and socks off, dry my feet and put on a new pair of socks and put on my rubber boots before climbing up, I also would climb and then do the change.
That being said, I hunted with some Under Armour Ridge Reapers on my elk hunt this year and for turkey. Very impressed with how they did with my Darn Tough merino socks through all temps. Buddies had some Crispis and they were awesome as well
That being said, I hunted with some Under Armour Ridge Reapers on my elk hunt this year and for turkey. Very impressed with how they did with my Darn Tough merino socks through all temps. Buddies had some Crispis and they were awesome as well
