I have 2 pairs of Russell PH boots. Like any handmade product, the finished product varies with the individual making the boots as well as how he was feeling and working at the time the boots were made. As reflected by the comments here, the reactions to the quality of the boots has been very mixed. Some folks have had very good experiences with their Russell boots, while others have had poor experiences. Overall, I think the Russells are excellent when they are properly constructed. The materials are great and the basic design is good. The boots hold up well with use. The major disadvantages of the Russells are cost, inconsistent manufacturing, and lack of form fitting padding materials found on most modern boot designs. These lead to less than perfect fit and support as well as high cost. Both pairs of my boots had minor manufacturing problems, like thin leather half-insoles that were glued in with glue that did not hold them in place and extra length in a piece of the tongue that folded over and irritated the top of my foot. The problems were fairly easily fixed, but not without the hassle of getting them to a shoe repair shop. There is no excuse for poor execution in the manufacture of boots that cost $300 a pair! The boots take some time to break in, despite contrary claims by Russell. My foot slips around some in the Russells when walking on steep terrain because there is no form fitting padding like on most of my other boots. I do love the overall feel and fit, the ability to have the proper length and width, and the ability to choose the sole and have it replaced as necessary. It is also very nice to be able to send the boots back to Russell for repairs. Boots like these only become better with age because the shape to your feet more and more over time. Every year I use my Russells I like them better. That is also a big disadvantage of the boots, because they don't feel as comfortable out of the box or in the early part of their use as most other boots I have. On the other hand, boots like my Merrills are very comfortable to walk in but have very noisy soles that cannot be replaced. In Africa my professional hunters hate how much noise I make in my Merrills and love how quite my Russells are (one pair has the plantation crepe soles and the other has the Airbob soles). The Russells will outlast the Merrills by a large margin, but the Merrills cost much less and are more comfortable and more supportive. I can buy 3 pairs of the Merrills for the cost of one pair of the Russells, but I can never get rid of the noisy soles on the Merrills. I wish Merrill would build an ankle height, lightweight boot with replaceable soles, but they don't. So, I will continue to recommend Russells, but only with the caveats I have mentioned. They are good boots; however, there is much room for improvement despite Russell's failure to implement those improvements. The same can be said for boots by Merrill and others. While in Africa, everyone laments the fact that no company builds the kind of lightweight hunting boots that many hunters desperately need.
Allan
Topic: Russell Moccasins ? (Read 942 times)
