Realistic life expectancy for boots?

[LCH]

I'm still relatively new to hiking boots, and what exactly to expect of them. I just boxed up my Cabela's brand boots to send back for a warranty exchange. I've had them for a couple years, but only have probably 200-300 miles on them. The upper is separating from the lower part on the side of each boot, each one has about a 2" hole in the side now.

On the one hand I feel like maybe I shouldn't send them back after a couple years use, but on the other hand I feel like they should last a whole lot longer than 5 or 6 hunts totalling a couple hundred miles. They were only about $130.

Anybody have a ballpark number of miles a mid-range pair of boots should last, assuming they're taken care of, cleaned, oiled, etc.?

 

[TheSurveyor]

I think I'd be happy getting 300 miles out of $130 boots. Hard to put life on boots. Terrain has a lot to do with it. Climbing scree vs mud vs grassy meadow.

 

[HighWildFree]

I got close to 1000 miles out of my Tibets over 8 years. Outsole finally started to separate and developed a hole above the heel. Probably could have had them repaired but would have had to go half of the season without them so just bought a new pair.

 

[brockel]

I was trashing danner pronghorns and mendle ultralights in 1-1.5 seasons so I finally broke down and bought a pair of kenetreks and I think this is year 4 on them and that's wearing them from September to March.

 

[PrairieHunter]

I was trashing danner pronghorns and mendle ultralights in 1-1.5 seasons so I finally broke down and bought a pair of kenetreks and I think this is year 4 on them and that's wearing them from September to March.

I must have just gotten a bad pair of kenetreks as mine started falling apart within the first 100 miles. Soles started coming loose at toe, the rubber wrap came loose on the left toe, they right boot leaks, and as you can see from the soles, these have not been worn much. Now shoe Goop holds them together. I don't have much good to say about them and think about what a waste of $ they were every time I wear them which is only for non hunting activity as they rub my heels raw not matter what insoles, socks, or lacing pattern I have tried if I walk more than about a couple of miles. This is what happens when you buy boots without trying them on and attempt to make them work when my feet were telling me no and the boots were literally falling apart. Over $500 later I moved on.

 

[LCH]

I was trashing danner pronghorns and mendle ultralights in 1-1.5 seasons so I finally broke down and bought a pair of kenetreks and I think this is year 4 on them and that's wearing them from September to March.

That's part of it, is I'm considering moving up to some high end boots. It's not worth it to me though, if they end up like PrairieHunter's pair and don't hold up any better than the $100 set. My feet felt fine in the Cabela's brand, and I always wore my current work boots prior to buying these.

If I could count on getting 10 years of use, with 3-4 fifty mile hunts per year, I'd spring for Kennetreks or similar. But with my Cabela's boots, 300 miles/$130 comes out to $2.30 per mile, which seems ridiculous to me. I would expect a lot more out of a $500 pair of boots.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

That's part of it, is I'm considering moving up to some high end boots. It's not worth it to me though, if they end up like PrairieHunter's pair and don't hold up any better than the $100 set. My feet felt fine in the Cabela's brand, and I always wore my current work boots prior to buying these.

If I could count on getting 10 years of use, with 3-4 fifty mile hunts per year, I'd spring for Kennetreks or similar. But with my Cabela's boots, 300 miles/$130 comes out to $2.30 per mile, which seems ridiculous to me. I would expect a lot more out of a $500 pair of boots.

I think you meant $.43 per mile, but regardless you are right. I went through the same thing you have, and once i made the switch into a boot meant for western hunting, the boots last a lot longer. I really don't think the average boot sold at Cabela's (Danner, Irish Setter, UA) is really up to the task of a shale field or hard sidehilling. Once you get a good shank in your boot, your feet will hold up much better through a week long hunt as well.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

No idea about miles but i try to get 18 months out of mine.

 

[Elkmagnet]

It really depends on what you do with them. A boot can give you 300mi of use on dirt but 100mi of lava rock and they are usually shredded.
Rei give my wife a hard time this spring for returning a $230 pair of asolos after 30 days of ownership and 5 days of use. The sole was separating from grinding on lava rocks I wanted an exchange but they told me the boots weren't going to hold up and gave me a refund instead. She said "We can't give you a new pair of boots every 30 days"

 

[Nameless Range]

I think another consideration would be the weight of the person wearing the boots. A 250 pound guy is putting a lot more stress on their boots than a 150 pound guy who walks the same distance and terrain.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Boot maintenance also plays a roll. I'm going on year 5 on my Schnee's and probably 2000+ miles, but I have to shoe goo the rand every couple of weeks and I condition the leather every 5th trip out in the woods. I don't think anyone would fault me for getting another pair, but they still got some tread left and they work for me so... probably keep them for another season or two.

 

[Ryan2782]

My boots last 2 years... 3 years as a back up. $130 pair lasted you two years 5-6 hunts is great. Should just buy a new pair every couple years then, if you are happy with them and how well they fit your feet. That's about average in my opinion. I have a friend that spends around $400 on boots and they last right about 4 years - I would break it down per season/hunts as a cost.

Terrain is the biggest factory though on how long they should really last. Flat prairies, jagged rocks, up and down steep vertical

 

[LCH]

I think you meant $.43 per mile, but regardless you are right. I went through the same thing you have, and once i made the switch into a boot meant for western hunting, the boots last a lot longer. I really don't think the average boot sold at Cabela's (Danner, Irish Setter, UA) is really up to the task of a shale field or hard sidehilling. Once you get a good shank in your boot, your feet will hold up much better through a week long hunt as well.

Yeah, I guess I did that calculation backwards. My use included some day hikes here in Indiana, a 45 mile trip in the Bob, 2 hog hunts in Alabama, a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming, a blacktail hunt in California, and a Coues hunt in Arizona.

 

[LCH]

My boots last 2 years... 3 years as a back up. $130 pair lasted you two years 5-6 hunts is great. Should just buy a new pair every couple years then, if you are happy with them and how well they fit your feet. That's about average in my opinion. I have a friend that spends around $400 on boots and they last right about 4 years - I would break it down per season/hunts as a cost.

Terrain is the biggest factory though on how long they should really last. Flat prairies, jagged rocks, up and down steep vertical

That makes sense. I've had some pretty good quality work boots worn 50-60 hours per week that have lasted 2-3 years with hard use, that end up looking awful but staying together. These still look new but are falling apart at the seams. I may have unrealistic expectations of how long a pair of hiking boots should last.

I have an email inquiry to Cabelas asking if I should mail them back in, I expect they'll probably say 2 years is past their life regardless of use.

 

[JLS]

How much you are willing to spend on boots is directly correlated to how much the terrain you hunt in can make your feet hurt.

If you shop sales, you can get very good backpacking boots for $250 or less. I'd skimp money on most every other hunting item, save my backpack and my binos in order to wear good boots. YMMV.

 

[Don Fischer]

Must not be a busy day at the office! Life expectancy of a pair of boot's? never gave it a though! Actually I'd like an expensive pair but just can't justify the cost. So found that Bi Mart special with jell liner's in them last me until I need another pair. About 175.3 mile's if I'm not going fast!

 

[Bambistew]

I usually get 3 years out of a pair, but they are abused and soaked usually for a week or more at time. Hard to maintain them in the field. The soles are usually worn off, and the rand is starting to peal by the end of year three... As mentioned it has a lot more to do with terrain they are used than anything. I find the goretex usually goes by the end of year one, which is funny because I think they have a 2 year warranty on boots. Which warranty does the boot manufacture use?

 

[LCH]

I usually get 3 years out of a pair, but they are abused and soaked usually for a week or more at time. Hard to maintain them in the field. The soles are usually worn off, and the rand is starting to peal by the end of year three... As mentioned it has a lot more to do with terrain they are used than anything. I find the goretex usually goes by the end of year one, which is funny because I think they have a 2 year warranty on boots. Which warranty does the boot manufacture use?

Mine are Cabela's brand, with their "lifetime guarantee," which is lifetime of the product. I have an email inquiry to Cabela's to see if the lifetime is based on years or use/condition of the product.

 

[BuzzH]

I usually get 3 years out of a pair, but they are abused and soaked usually for a week or more at time. Hard to maintain them in the field. The soles are usually worn off, and the rand is starting to peal by the end of year three... As mentioned it has a lot more to do with terrain they are used than anything. I find the goretex usually goes by the end of year one, which is funny because I think they have a 2 year warranty on boots. Which warranty does the boot manufacture use?

Right about what I get, taking "decent" care of them. Between work and hunting, I probably average 160-180 days a year of use. Just started using a new pair a couple weeks ago at work, the old ones were just a bit over 3 years old. Perfect timing to have them broken in by hunting season.

 

[Lonesome_God_outdoors]

When I was guiding I would try to get a dollar a day out of my boots