Hunting Boots...Lowa?

[Hattrick]

I no this is a opinion question but  Has anyone used these Lowa boots? Or have a recommendation on a good pair of boots  for the high country (elk hunt), light weight, quiet, comfy? I`m a flat lander, mountain hunting is new to me..

THANKS

[San Juan Slim]

Lowa makes many different quality boots.  I have used the Banff (leather lined) for the last 5 or 6 years and recently purchased a new pair of Ranger GTX (Gortex lined).  These are both full leather uppers, not real light weight, but very sturdy.  They do make several lightweight models.  All their boots are made in Europe and are not cheap.  They are very good quality for hunting here in the west.  I have used mine for elk, deer, sheep, and goat in Colorado, and desert quail hunting in Arizona.  If you find a good fit, you will like Lowa boots.

Mike

[celticknot]

I really like my Irish Setter Elk Trackers They have a full leather upper and a very grippy sole. You can get them in many different styles. This is the 600 gram thinsilate style i have.  http://www.irishsetterboots.com/shoe-zoom.cfm?style=882   The great thing is they only run around $180.00 I hope this helps you.

[McDave]

Lowa boots, like most boots, are made to a particular last.  If your feet are the same shape as the last, fine; if not, not so fine.  For many years I tried to like Lowa boots because they are so well made.  But my feet are wide in the front and narrow in the back, so I found that my only choices were to have pinched feet or to go up a size and have a sloppy fit.

I finally found a couple of brands that make boots that fit my feet: Birkenstock and Keen.  The Birkenstock boots are pricey, but very well made out of one-piece leather and will hold together for lots of back country scrambling over rocks.  I never would have thought to go to the Birkenstock store to look for boots, but noticed them when I was replacing my sandals.

Keen boots, carried by REI, are more like reinforced tennis shoes (high or low top), lightweight, better for trails and fairly quiet for stalking.  One backcountry trip was enough to tear them up, but REI has a really good replacement policy, so I'm on my second pair.

This information isn't going to be very useful for you unless you have feet shaped like ping-pong paddles, like I do, but whatever shape your feet are, they will never be very comfortable on long hikes unless your boots are cut to the same shape.

[Hattrick]

Lowa Desert elite is what i`m looking at..I`ll be checking out these other sites mention, i just hate ordering to buy with out trying them on first. I  no alot you guys already been down this road, all this info is vary helpful,, THANKS

[Ringneck]

I have a pair of Lowa's and really like them. I bought them from shoebuy.com and they ship for free and the return freight is free if you don't like them. Hard to beat.

[Andy Lupher]

The desert elite are replacing the end-of-life desert seeker model. I've only seen them on 3 sites in the US but for my size they're back-ordered until October. I have a pair enroute from the UK - good thing was that even with shipping they were half the price the US sites were asking.
They should be here at the end of the week - I'll let you know how they fit..

[bicster]

I have had similar experiences as McDave. I have had La Sportiva and now have a pair of Scarpa's. Both are European made boots of top notch quality. The only problem is that they all have a narrow fit. My Scarpa's are great for hiking and climbing up and down our steep WV mountains but my feet will start to hurt if I sit for a while. I can't even drive my car with them on for more than 15 minutes. I would recommend that you ask if they would be returnable and try them out in a place with carpeting for a while.
Bic