Stalking boots

[Colin06]

Hi, I would like to ask for any recommendations for a pair of good stalking boots with quiet soles. The boots I have now make tons of noise when I'm walking or trying to stalk.
The terrain I hunt on is mostly small rocks and stones on roads like logging roads in a very dry and arid area (Southern France). Temps around 90° in September and dropping to around -2° in December and January
I am considering trying some crepe soled ankle boots with extra woollen socks during the colder months but wondered if any of you guys have found any good boots that would work as well as or even better than the crepe soles to be able to move quietly
Even when I walk slowly and carefully and try to avoid the rocks and stones (which is an impossibility in this area), they still make loads of crunching noise
I understand that it's impossible to move quietly over certain types of terrain, but I want to minimise the noise my footwear is creating on the rocks and stones
Thanks

[goingoldskool]

I really like my 16" Maine hunting boot from LL  Bean.  They don't have a crepe sole, but the rubber sole is soft.

Good luck, shoot straight and God bless,
Rodd

[bunyan]

For dryer, warmer conditions don't forget a good old pair of chuck Taylor style canvas sneakers! Fred bear even wore them sometimes! LL Bean boots are good too!

[neargeezer]

You might look at Steger Mukluks.

[Pat B]

LL Bean hunting boots, the older the better. 

[pavan]

I didn't know there was bow hunting in southern France, cool.  A friend swears by his super expensive moccasins, that he had crepe soles added to.  They are very nice, but i will never tell him that.  Once when stalking a decent 8 pointer with about 80 yards to go, he stepped on a downed tree limb that he must have thought that he couldn't go around or step over.  It blew up like dead wood fireworks.  The 8 point buck spun in his direction and came straight at him like a Spanish bull.  He missed it at short yardage.  When it came towards me, I blew on my fawn call to slow him down, but instead, he threw it into full turbo charged over drive, so I saved myself an arrow and let him pass.  Noise and still hunting, crunching snow and crunching gravel will always alert deer.

[Hoosierarcher88]

Ive been meaning to get some materials together to make some nice moccasins for early season stalks. Late season i just still hunt usually which means my lacrosse alpha burly's. I really do need to find something for that in between temp where its too cold for moccasins but not cold enough for the big lacrosse

[Tim Finley]

We use Jesus sneakers , that's what we call them anyways . They are a 3/4 inch thick felt that is made into a sandal that goes over your boots very quite in rocks and gravel I think you could make a pair . There is also a slip on for over your boots called Bear paw or something like that and they work good and are maybe lighter than the sandals we have in our packs .

[Hoosierarcher88]

We use Jesus sneakers , that's what we call them anyways . They are a 3/4 inch thick felt that is made into a sandal that goes over your boots very quite in rocks and gravel I think you could make a pair . There is also a slip on for over your boots called Bear paw or something like that and they work good and are maybe lighter than the sandals we have in our packs .

Pse use to sell something like that back in the 90's called sneaky pete feet. We use to sell a bunch of them out of the shop. You could get them with either felt or wool soles

[pavan]

I have gone on canoe trips with felt wading soles glued to my portage boots.   That stuff sticks to wet rocks better than anything.  On a pair of light canvas ankle high boots, they could work pretty good.

[HOGLESS2]

L.L. Bean gum soles

[YosemiteSam]

Bare feet.  No boots required.

[Colin06]

Actually been looking into toughening my feet but don't have the time plus in winter, I'd imagine barefoot is no fun

[YosemiteSam]

Colin - it's much easier than you'd think.  It just takes a little getting used to.  Once you take your shoes off, you feel everything and it's overwhelming at first -- like going from a room of total silence to a busy subway station.  But after a while, you learn to focus your attention on some things while ignoring most of the input.  Some skin toughening is needed but most of it is psychological.  One thing is for sure, if you go barefoot much, you learn to pay better attention to where you step and you step more gently.  Every now and then, I'll pick up something sharp, like a stiff, dry pine needle.  But you'd be surprised at what you can walk on comfortably once you've learned to do it.

All the same, I've also hunted & stalked while wearing vibram's Five Finger shoes.  Goofy as they come but it's the next best thing to being barefoot while offering you some level of protection.  If you step on something sharp, they will keep you from bleeding but not from swearing.

[Sam McMichael]

Stalking has never been my strong suit, as I clump like an elephant. Plus, I always wear snake boots. Yet, the soft soles on my snake boots are actually very quiet. They are just as quiet as my Bean boots. I would never, ever consider barefoot.

[Colin06]

Thanks guys. Considering whether climbing shoes or those shoes people use when going swimming from a rocky beach might work. The soles are thin and pretty soft

[Steve Jr]

Wrestling shoes work pretty good.

[slowbowjoe]

Forget about climbing shoes; they're terrible for walking. In my climbing days, we'd often clip a pair of sneakers to our harness to wear if we needed to walk around and down a cliff when we topped out from the climb.

[k9bowman]

Go into the website for Sodhoppers moccasins. Some of the best "final stalk" footwear made.

[slowbowjoe]

X2 on checking out the Sodhoppers. Pricey, but superb.