Spending Money on Good Boots

[FamilyMan]

I was inspired to ask this question while reading the "Getting Started Hunting Fishing $$$" thread, but didn't want to hijack that conversation so I am starting a new thread.

There were a few in the other thread that said that would go used/cheap/borrowed on many items, but would not skimp on spending money on good boots. My question is what you look for in a good boot. I am so confused by the high dollar brands that I am paralyzed from spending the money on a pair. I have looked at some Kenetreks that are so stiff I can't imagine wearing them. Is that what you are going with and, if so, are they actually comfortable? Other boots look just like pairs that are $200 to $300 cheaper and I wonder just what I am getting that is worth all that extra money. Can you all help me out. What am I looking for? What am I missing out on with my cheap boots?

Thanks.
FamilyMan

 

[Dsnow9]

What kind of hunting are you wanting to do? How many days a season? And how much weight are you going to be carrying?

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Literally, dozens of threads on this subject! Just do a quick search. I have used Danners, Irish Setters and Schnee's. I would save up and buy better. Cheap ones go so fast its like pissing away money!

 

[Deleted member 38069]

And Lacrosse rubber boots. I will stick with them as they are good quality!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

All the related threads are linked

Life of a boot/Resoling boots

Given that there are ton of boot threads on here with the ubiquitous "buy once cry once comment", I thought this might be relevant to some new folks who are trying to decide if it's worth dropping $400 on a pair of boots. Schnee uninsulated beartooth - March 2015 Jan 2020 - These have been my...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[ImBillT]

Comfortable is relative. If you’re going to climb, or walk on rocks and deadfall, then stiff is a very good thing. It’s not comfortable on a sidewalk, but it will keep you from wearing out your calves, arches and toes trying to stand on uneven surfaces. Most people who can’t afford 2-3 different styles get a boot that is in the middle on stiffness.

Weight. Light boots really let you go a lot farther.

Waterproof but breathable. A lot of the more expensive bolts stay waterproof longer, and still don’t make your feet drown in sweat. You want a boot that will let you can go through a marsh or step in a puddle and won’t leave you worrying about cold wet feet.

I would only suggest that if you consider Danner, that you only be consider their US made boots. I have some Danner East Ridge boots, and they’ve been excellent. Their pronghorns have been moved to China and have a really bad reputation. I took a look at some that were on sale and the difference was apparent. Hard to describe, but you can see the decreased quality while looking at them.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I used to go through a lot of boots. Some were shot in one year. Others would last 2-3 years. They weren't cheap boots but not high dollar either.

Then I thought i'd try a better pair. Cabelas used to carry Meindl boots. They're made in Germany. The model I looked at was called the Perfekt model. They were recommended by a podiatrist and got really good reviews. They cost me $250. That was 12 years ago. I'm not easy on boots. I live in the Rockies and i'm always at high altitude (11,000ft) hiking with the dog, scouting, hunting, or fly fishing creeks. I've resoled the boots twice. The construction is still perfect and they're still waterproof. Sometimes when fly fishing creeks i'll be standing in the creek most of the day, or walking in snow all day. I'm in the mountains over 250 days a year and I can't kill these boots. I never had to break them in either. They were comfortable from the first day I tried them on and went for a 5 mile hike. Sadly they don't make this model anymore but they have a lot of other models. They would be close to $400 today.

So, in the long run I saved a bunch of money on boots by buying better boots. At my age I may never have to buy boots again the way these are lasting.

 

[Bambistew]

I think it really depends on your hunting style. I would venture to guess than most people who wear Kentreks et al, don't really "need" them. Its not like antelope hunting, or even deer/elk hunting requires a mountaineering boot for the vast majority of the terrain encountered. YMMV

That said a good pair of boots that fit well and allow you to hike for days on end is worth a lot of weight on a hunt. There are tons of options out there in the $200-300 range. I would stay away from boots with multiple stitching panels, as its just another place for failure. Lowa and Asolo makes some great mid priced boots, watch for sales...

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I think it really depends on your hunting style. I would venture to guess than most people who wear Kentreks et al, don't really "need" them. Its not like antelope hunting, or even deer/elk hunting requires a mountaineering boot for the vast majority of the terrain encountered. YMMV

That said a good pair of boots that fit well and allow you to hike for days on end is worth a lot of weight on a hunt. There are tons of options out there in the $200-300 range. I would stay away from boots with multiple stitching panels, as its just another place for failure. Lowa and Asolo makes some great mid priced boots, watch for sales...

Exactly. Whatever boot allows you to do what you need to do day after day is the right boot. There's no "best" or "perfect" boot. There is also basically no way to know the answer for yourself without trying a lot of footwear or getting really lucky on the first couple of tries. Getting it right is not cheap, just how it is. Most hunters would not get caught dead in the glorified running shoes I use on hard mountain hunts Sept-Nov, but they work well for me so who cares.

 

[Jwill]

Steep terrain with heavy weight, you want a stiffer boot. You can probably find some good ones on Sierra Trading Post or Camofire at a pretty good discount. Lowa, Hanwag, Asolo, etc.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Stiff is good for weight and if you like your ankles. I was a boot skimper for years and got away with it in the east moved out west and they died before I unpacked them from their boxes. Bought good boots and my hunting life changed! If your just not buying them cause you cringe about the cost but actually can afford them you are doing yourself a huge disservice if your a serious hunter.
The guys on here arent paid to push expensive boots on people with the 900 different threads about them. They push them because its game changing.

But then again everybody is different, my hunting partner wears sneakers during september archery and it drives me up the wall how he can do that.

 

[Muskeez]

I tried several and wasted money trying to go medium price range. Keens, Danner, Then I finally broke down and bought Lowa's and my feet love em and appreciate them when packing heavy loads. I too can wear trail running "sneaker" during the day if just headed up the mountain elk hunting in Sept. but they suck with a pack on my back. My advise spend good dough to get good thick / stiff soled boots if you are packing weight.

 

[sbhooper]

Hunting season is aways off. Watch classifieds on forums for your size in a quality boot, before just burning the money. I got a like-new pair of kenetreks, for less than half price.

 

[Mudder]

I used to go through a lot of boots. Some were shot in one year. Others would last 2-3 years. They weren't cheap boots but not high dollar either.

Then I thought i'd try a better pair. Cabelas used to carry Meindl boots. They're made in Germany. The model I looked at was called the Perfekt model. They were recommended by a podiatrist and got really good reviews. They cost me $250. That was 12 years ago. I'm not easy on boots. I live in the Rockies and i'm always at high altitude (11,000ft) hiking with the dog, scouting, hunting, or fly fishing creeks. I've resoled the boots twice. The construction is still perfect and they're still waterproof. Sometimes when fly fishing creeks i'll be standing in the creek most of the day, or walking in snow all day. I'm in the mountains over 250 days a year and I can't kill these boots. I never had to break them in either. They were comfortable from the first day I tried them on and went for a 5 mile hike. Sadly they don't make this model anymore but they have a lot of other models. They would be close to $400 today.

So, in the long run I saved a bunch of money on boots by buying better boots. At my age I may never have to buy boots again the way these are lasting.

I've been wearing nothing but Meindl for forty-five years. Once I discovered them and tried them, I saw no reason to switch. Sure some models are heavy, eventually, you'll build some muscle and you won't notice as much.

The thing about Meindl is they use superior materials, they last a long time. Two kinds of soles. the new Vibram isn't nearly as good as the old-style Vibram. Feel the inner boot, the lining in a Meindl is superior. The lining is comfortable new and eventually molds to your foot. You have to be careful about sizes there can be some differences between models by as much as a full size.

If you want to order the Perfekt and know your size check out Amazon.de pretty sure they will ship to the U.S. You can change the language right next to the search icon (magnifying glass).

You wouldn't catch me in wild country wearing sneakers. Made that mistake once, a ten-pound rock broke loose and fell on the top of my foot, broke two toes halfway up my foot. Mountain rescue had to carry me out after I'd covered a mile and a half on my rear end scooting along.

 

[Ben Long]

There is no one perfect hunting boot because there is no one hunt. Dudes in Florida wear these enormous snake boots. Good idea. But not in November hunting elk in Montana. The question "what is the right boot for me" starts with more questions. Where am I hunting? What's the weather? What's the terrain? Am I hiking, riding or sitting?

 

[Mudder]

There is no one perfect hunting boot because there is no one hunt. Dudes in Florida wear these enormous snake boots. Good idea. But not in November hunting elk in Montana. The question "what is the right boot for me" starts with more questions. Where am I hunting? What's the weather? What's the terrain? Am I hiking, riding or sitting?

But there are some necessary features, comfortable, sturdy, long-lasting, waterproof or resistant, good protection. And some nice features, warm in the winter, good gripping soles, good ankle support.

 

[3855WIN]

Crispi

 

[jeff_gibbons]

I used to go through a lot of boots. Some were shot in one year. Others would last 2-3 years. They weren't cheap boots but not high dollar either.

Then I thought i'd try a better pair. Cabelas used to carry Meindl boots. They're made in Germany. The model I looked at was called the Perfekt model. They were recommended by a podiatrist and got really good reviews. They cost me $250. That was 12 years ago. I'm not easy on boots. I live in the Rockies and i'm always at high altitude (11,000ft) hiking with the dog, scouting, hunting, or fly fishing creeks. I've resoled the boots twice. The construction is still perfect and they're still waterproof. Sometimes when fly fishing creeks i'll be standing in the creek most of the day, or walking in snow all day. I'm in the mountains over 250 days a year and I can't kill these boots. I never had to break them in either. They were comfortable from the first day I tried them on and went for a 5 mile hike. Sadly they don't make this model anymore but they have a lot of other models. They would be close to $400 today.

So, in the long run I saved a bunch of money on boots by buying better boots. At my age I may never have to buy boots again the way these are lasting.

+1 on Meindl Perfekt. Worth every penny. Had Danners, Irish Setter before.

 

[Irrelevant]

All the related threads are linked

Life of a boot/Resoling boots

Given that there are ton of boot threads on here with the ubiquitous "buy once cry once comment", I thought this might be relevant to some new folks who are trying to decide if it's worth dropping $400 on a pair of boots. Schnee uninsulated beartooth - March 2015 Jan 2020 - These have been my...

www.hunttalk.com

He literally did all your work for you.

 

[Coop]

Don't just spend the money, but spend the time finding something that works. I was able to try on about 4 different brands of boots that were in the price range that I was considering before I decided to go with the Kenetreks. Going in, I was actually pretty set on Schnee's, but they just didn't fit right and rubbed in different places, which I did not expect. The Kenetreks fit me like a glove, mainly because of the narrow option. I spent about $250 on a pair of mid range Lowa's a couple years back, and they just did not hold up well, so the justification for me was to keep spending $250 every two years, or spend 400-500 on a pair that should last 6-8 years (hopefully). Spend the time on the decision and you'll know you made the right one.