Boot opinions???

[centaur]

P Dog, I came to town alright. We are snowbirding in Arizona! Got my boots at Sportsmans Warehouse in Mesa, Az. How windy is it in beautiful Casper?

[sagebrush]

Hi Jeff, Yup those are Sundowners. I went to REI last spring and they said vasque no longer made the sundowner. Maybe they started again. Or maybe REI was full of it. Gary

[mountain trapper]

Danner Elk hunters, I've had my current pair five years and am just now getting ready to resole them.

[The Night Stalker]

I can not tell you what to where buy I bought a pair of Hanwags to take out west. They were expensive and with that steep drainage I was hunting, they were terrible. With the constant climbing they even gave me some intermittent nerve damage. It took me a while to get over it when I returned home.
The guides were wearing irish setters. I know I will not take the hanwags again. I have been reading this post closely. I want a boot is light and durable. The asolos look like my hanwags. I really do not care about durability as long as they are comfortable. I rather buy a paie everyyear. I have the worse time with boots. My foot is small and wide.

[tradhunter1]

If Im going to put 400.00 into a pair of boots I'd buy American. just a personnal preferience.

[dirtguy]

I walk for a living - or at least it seems like it! I've found a couple of things that work well for me.  First, when I find a good brand and size of shoe I buy two pairs and alternate wearing them.  Maybe I'm crazy, but this seems to make them last longer.  Second, I get boots with removable insoles so that I can put in an insole that can be customized to my foot, and be taken out to dry.   Vasyli is the brand of insole that I use - recommended by my physical therapist.  Third, the brand of the boot is not so important as the fit.  There are many fine brands of boot but the best boot in the world is not good if it isn't right for your foot.  Right now I have one model of L.L. Bean hiker and one model of Columbia that fit my foot very well.  I put myself an email lists for and get sale notices so that most of the time I pay under $100 per pair.  The only thing I hate is "Model upgrades"  because then I have go through the trial period again!

[the longbowkid]

I love my bean boots, "Maine hunting shoes", they are great

[Spence]

Although nighstalker had a bad experience, I really love my Hanwag light hikers.  Give Lathrop and Sons a call, they will help with getting them fitted correctly.  I got their high country footbed as well, very comfortable in the steepest terrain.  After about 4 years, mine just started to leak this season, but the rest of the boot is sound.  I don't put the mileage on them your talking about, but they should last a couple years at least.

[The Night Stalker]

Spence, mine came from lathrop and sons, fine around the house but no good for climbing staight up. They do not have no give

[Longbowz]

Buy fit , not just brand.  

Lots of good boots mentioned here to choose from, but one very important thing to remember is to choose something that fits YOUR feet. The best boots in the world are useless if they hurt.

Every brand is made on a different last so unless you know a particular brand works for it's risky to buy sight unseen online.  The only exception would be to go through the sizing procedures that a custom maker like Russell for example provides.  Plus if they  don't fit when you get them a custom maker should make good on it.   Good boots that fit right are well worth the extra cost.

[beachbowhunter]

Originally posted by Whip:
I have a pair of Mindel's from Cabela's that are doing great after three seasons of mountain hunts plus who knows what in between.  I doubt I'm up to a 1,000 miles, but they look like they have plenty more left in them.  I wore them all week in Texas this month through mud, rain and snow the entire week and never once had wet feet.  Most leather boots won't keep water out very well after the first few uses, but these are doing great.

Same for me (except Joe gets to hunt more than me!) The Perfekt Hikers are great. Way better than the Vasques I have.

[awishanew]

I agree with Elkwhisperer on the Asolo boots. I bought them and went on a very rockey hunt and they were like the proverbial glass slipper. All my hunting buddies have them now.

[Jim Curlee]

Asolo 520s
Jim

[The Night Stalker]

I called Steve at Lathrop and sons about my Hanwags, He told me to send them back and he would adjust my custom foot beds. It was the peroneal nerve it was hitting. I never had blisters or sore spots just that pressing nerve on the superior medial top of my feet. Hope all will be fixed and I have a couple months to get them right.
One young guy from Michigan and one from Wisconsin quit after the first day. I talked the Wisconsin boy into staying and he missed a nice bull the last day. We took the other boy to the trailhead after two days and he drove home. His feet was blistered and bleeding. I bet he will think twice about hunting the high country again. That is a very rough drainage we hunted.

[Muleyslayer]

one and only Meindel, we stalk muleys all day and have never had an issue with wet feet,sore feet, or fatigue.  

[Dan White]

Good socks go along way for comfort when your on your feet all day. I carry a change in my pack and there not cotton. Wool and or some of the new technical materials.

[GMMAT]

I want to thank all you guys for a VERY informational thread.  I appreciate the knowledge and experiences of all of you.

After months of doing online research, I finally decided on a pair of new hunting boots to take to CO (and for future pursuits).  I JUST purchased these, this AM.  Should be here, next week.

Thanks, again!

  http://www.kenetrek.com/prodinfo.asp?number=KE-420-LT2

 

Good socks go along way for comfort when your on your feet all day. I carry a change in my pack and there not cotton. Wool and or some of the new technical materials.

I would also love to hear more on this.