Crispi vs. Kenetrek

Crispi vs. Kenetrek

  • Crispi: West River GTX 400

  • Kenetrek: Mountain Guide 400


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GlassMaster

Member
Messages
81
I know there are some boot discussions out there right now, so please allow me to apologize on the front end to anyone who is tired of "boot talk", but BY GOLLY this is my opportunity to have a targeted discussion with the MM Counsel of Elders and I'm gonna take it LOL! All jokes aside, I truly appreciate y'all.

Anyway, I am in serious need of some new tires, and I am between the Crispi West River GTX 400 and the Kenetrek Mountain Guide 400. I have zero experience with either brand, the big difference I see so far is price, which is marginal.

My "Baseball Card" stats:
- I'm 235lbs
- Wide feet
- Hunt year round from low desert to 12k elevation

Thanks y'all, looking forward to hearing from some folks with experience using either/both!
 
I own a pair of Crispi Nevados and a pair of kenetrek mountain extremes. I have a small narrow foot the Crispies fit my feet better and have a more durable sole. The Kenetrek's have been durable and I don't have much negative to say about them other than I just fit in Crispies better. I don't think you can go wrong with either boot is just a matter of preference which one fits you better.
 
I own a pair of Crispi Nevados and a pair of kenetrek mountain extremes. I have a small narrow foot the Crispies fit my feet better and have a more durable sole. The Kenetrek's have been durable and I don't have much negative to say about them other than I just fit in Crispies better. I don't think you can go wrong with either boot is just a matter of preference which one fits you better.

Thanks, Basin! I especially appreciate your notes on fit and durability. I will get a Wide size regardless, but it sounds like the Crispis run a bit narrower in general?
 
I’ve been wearing the Kenetrek Mountain Extremes for 8-9 years. I have both the uninsulated and the 400 gr ones. I love them.

I just bought 2 pair of Chrispis this winter. Same size fits tighter in the heel. I’m still breaking them in.
Didn’t have to do that with the Kenetreks.
 
I have owned lots of boots. tried crispi out now i own 2 pairs and will never own anything else! No break in period at all on both pairs lapponia and thor gtx. not sure what kalielkslayer is talking about "still breaking them in" the gtx right out of the box i hiked 14-15 miles half of that packing 60lbs+ elk shed out in nasty country feet never hurt once no blisters! Family and friends own the same crispi's same deal no break in. Go crispi and thank me after your 1st hike!
 
Thanks y'all, I truly appreciate the insight! Sounds like they're both great boots, but the biggest difference is for the price of Kenetreks, I can get the crispi's and a couple boxes of ammo!

I really appreciate y'all, good luck this season and shoot straight!
 
I purchased the Crispi Nevada Legend GTX‘s about 3 weeks ago. Never spent that much on a boot before. Glad I did. Very comfortable boot. I have probably 15 miles on them and they broke in pretty easily. 2 friends of mine have the kenetreks but are looking at the crispi’s. Kenetreks have a softer sole that wears out faster than the harder vibram on the Nevada’s.
 
Thanks everyone, I finally decided on the Crispi Guide GTX. Super excited to get these things on and start covering ground. I really appreciate all of the thoughtful responses!
 
I wore Kenetreks for one day on steep slopes and returned them! As far as I'm concerned they are way too stiff and I felt like I was super unstable on stilts when on steep, rocky terrain with the thick, tall soles. I'm not a fan of tall, heavy boots. It's nearly impossible to stalk quietly and they are over-kill for my particular style of hunting.
I prefer mid-weight hikers that are a chunk lighter weight and offer more flexibility. I tend to cover lots of steep terrain most days scouting and hunting. I have no problem with mid weight hikers on sheep and mtn goat hills....used them many times! I have 2 pairs of Crispi's that I really like....Wyo's and Dakotas. I've also had great luck with Lowas. I don't think you can go wrong with Crispis that fit your particular feet.
 
I wore Kenetreks for one day on steep slopes and returned them! As far as I'm concerned they are way too stiff and I felt like I was super unstable on stilts when on steep, rocky terrain with the thick, tall soles. I'm not a fan of tall, heavy boots. It's nearly impossible to stalk quietly and they are over-kill for my particular style of hunting.
I prefer mid-weight hikers that are a chunk lighter weight and offer more flexibility. I tend to cover lots of steep terrain most days scouting and hunting. I have no problem with mid weight hikers on sheep and mtn goat hills....used them many times! I have 2 pairs of Crispi's that I really like....Wyo's and Dakotas. I've also had great luck with Lowas. I don't think you can go wrong with Crispis that fit your particular feet.

Thanks Jims, I appreciate the insight!
 
I own Crispi Nevada's and they have been the best boot I have ever owned. I bought them and was out setting up cameras for an elk hunt less than a week after my purchase and walked 30+ miles (no blisters or even hot spots)
 
I have been hiking the hell out of these Crispi Nevadas. I posted about a month ago that I had 15 or so miles on them. I probably have tripled that in the last month trying to get in sheep-shape. they still look new. Still comfortable. No hot spots, Just a review but I am getting to the age where these may be last pair of high end foot wear. I am very pleased with my purchase.
 
Never owned Crispi's but I have a pair of Kenetrek Mountain Extreme NI's and I have loved them from the first day on the mountain. I do have a wider foot though.
 
I have worn out several pair of danner pronghorns and under armour bozeman boots. So I decided to spend a little more money and go with a stiffer boot. I bought the crispi idaho unisulated boots. First time out I got some bad blisters on my heels, but I think it was because I didn't lace them tight enough. I wore them through the hunts in some ruuged terrain with weight on my back for a lot of the hikes, and they held up well. But Ive gone back to wearing a less stiff boot for most hikes because my feet just feel better in a less stiff boot.
 
I know there are some boot discussions out there right now, so please allow me to apologize on the front end to anyone who is tired of "boot talk", but BY GOLLY this is my opportunity to have a targeted discussion with the MM Counsel of Elders and I'm gonna take it LOL! All jokes aside, I truly appreciate y'all.

Anyway, I am in serious need of some new tires, and I am between the Crispi West River GTX 400 and the Kenetrek Mountain Guide 400. I have zero experience with either brand, the big difference I see so far is price, which is marginal.

My "Baseball Card" stats:
- I'm 235lbs
- Wide feet
- Hunt year round from low desert to 12k elevation

Thanks y'all, looking forward to hearing from some folks with experience using either/both!
I would take anything over a kenetrek. I would actually even go barefoot before ever putting on another kenetrek boot.

This is what kenetreks did to my feet after 50 mile break in on Relatively flat ground, I went into mountains and had these blisters after 2.5 miles.

kenetrek will offer to stretch the heel cup for you after they ruin your hunt. But even then they make you pay to ship them back. Garbage boots. Garbage company.

9FC41D8F-4403-4F0D-AA68-5541027F56F0.jpeg
 
I own two pair of crispi and love them. since buying some kenny's and wearing them all fall, I won't go back to anything else.
 
I’ve said it on here before, but I had terrible luck with Kenetrek hardscrabble hikers. I tried three different pairs over about five years. Every pair had the toe rubber start peeling off. The last pair I only wore around the house and town. A couple of weeks was all it took. I wouldn’t bash them as much as I do except I talked to their rep at a couple different shows only to have him blame it on the boot dressing I was using. Said it can’t have petroleum in it, which it didn’t. He was no help and was very rude.
 
I have been a Zamberlin boot guy for many years awesome boots out of the box lace & go boot !! BUT they stopped insulating their boots !! So after lots of reviews & getting 1st hand reports from lots of guys wearing Kennetreks Lowas Crispi's . I bite the bullet & bought a pair of the Crispi Wild Rock GTX 400 gram hopefully they fit & wear as good as my Zams did
 
Kennetreks are a brutal break in. Do your self a favor if you get them and buy some merino sock liners. Makes a big difference. Once broken in there a greet boot. Just stopped being worth it to me so I haven’t had a pain in years. Found some merels that fit like a glove from day one. They last me two seasons so at 160 bucks they work for me. Kenetrecks definitely last longer but just thinking about the first 50 miles in them makes my heel hurt
 
Kennetreks are a brutal break in. Do your self a favor if you get them and buy some merino sock liners. Makes a big difference. Once broken in there a greet boot. Just stopped being worth it to me so I haven’t had a pain in years. Found some merels that fit like a glove from day one. They last me two seasons so at 160 bucks they work for me. Kenetrecks definitely last longer but just thinking about the first 50 miles in them makes my heel hurt
If the break in hurts your feet, the boot doesn't fit properly in the first place. mtmuley
 
I believe this is an accurate statement.
they fit great after they were broke in. kenetrecks have a wicked hard heal and really stiff shank. i dont care how good they fit you theres going to be break in on a boot like that. ive elected to go with a lighter hiker type boot. they work for me and im on just as steep of stuff as anyone.
 
I own both of them and I would say they're both great boots. but I'll say my Lowa GTX extremes are the best boots I've ever owned.
 
I would take anything over a kenetrek. I would actually even go barefoot before ever putting on another kenetrek boot.

This is what kenetreks did to my feet after 50 mile break in on Relatively flat ground, I went into mountains and had these blisters after 2.5 miles.

kenetrek will offer to stretch the heel cup for you after they ruin your hunt. But even then they make you pay to ship them back. Garbage boots. Garbage company.

View attachment 19426
I would bet a steak dinner the boots weren’t sized right. You couldn’t get blisters like that from properly fitted boots in 2 1/2 miles.
Just sayin....
 
Both pairs of Kenetrek boots I have had were very comfortable. However, the leather rotted out quickly on both pairs. They lasted less than half as long as Vasque, White’s, Frank’s, Crispi, Schnee’s, and Lowa that I have used.
 
I can’t say anything about the Crispi boots, but I do own a pair of Kenetrek. I am very, very, disappointed with them. They might as well be made from steel. I have over 200 miles in them and they are as stiff as the day I bought them. Hell if I didn’t know better I would say they are more stiff now if that was somehow possible. For 200 miles you wouldn’t know it. Look like they only have 20, but dang I would rather wear a wood clog! I would swear that Dick Cheney developed these boots as a way to interrogate terrorist. Make them walk one day in these boots and they would spill there guys. I am going to give the Crispi a try this year.
 
It is all personal preference as you can see by the different responses. I have the Kenetrek Mountain extreme and I have the Crispi Nevada's. I wear my Crispi's on warmer weather hunts since they are non-insulated and my Kenetrek on colder hunts since they are insulated. Both boots wear well and I have had issues with both and both companies made it right. My Crispi's actually leaked on my Dall Sheep hunt and had wet feet entire trip, I sent them back and they replaced them free of charge. I sent my Kenetrek's in to have the soul replaced because i let them sit a little too close to the camp stove. They couldn't fix them but sold me a new pair at 50% of retail price. Both companies backed their products, both boots wear well on my feet. I think each person has to find the boot that is best for them.
 
Follow up report on the Crispi's, So far a pretty good boot, they have a great feel to them. I just did almost 8 miles in some Nasty A$$ slippery rocks & mud, did not have any grip issues & they throw the mud nice. I am 3 trips in with them right around 16 miles hiked the Only issue so far, they are hard on my ankles compared to the the last pair of Zamberlin's. I think the lacing method they prescribe is the key, I probably should have been using this method all along. Will be hitting the hills here in a few weeks after elk horns hope they hold up on all the side hills & steep & deep !!
 
I own a pair of Crispi Nevados and a pair of kenetrek mountain extremes. I have a small narrow foot the Crispies fit my feet better and have a more durable sole. The Kenetrek's have been durable and I don't have much negative to say about them other than I just fit in Crispies better. I don't think you can go wrong with either boot is just a matter of preference which one fits you better.
That’s interesting because I have a wide foot. I have owned a ton of boots. I’m a wildland firefighter and Hunter and I have nine pairs in service now and have owned many others. Between different models of whites, la sportiva, scarpa, danner and cabelas. The latest pair of hunting specific boots purchased a six months ago I went with whites hunting boots but tried kenetreks and crispi too. Found with my really wide ball of my foot the crispi fit amazing, much better than kenetreks. I liked both but chose whites since the cost of the whites allowed me to buy another new fire boot to try otherwise go with what fits best. For me crispi was a better fit than kenetreks
 
My experience is similar to what people here have said. I bought Kenetreks and wore them to work for a month and they felt fine. I did a 9 mile hike in them scouting Hart mountain and I had blisters on my heals so bad I never put them back on. Only good thing is I got $210 for them used on ebay. I have crispi now that I bought on camofire. Easily the most comfortable leather boot I have ever owned. Hunted all last season with them plus several hikes with no issues.
 
I bought a pair of Meindl Comfort Fit® Hunter 400gram boots last summer. They had 63 treadmill miles on them when I got to Colorado in October for my elk hunt. Probably put another 30, very rough, miles on them during the hunt. I mean straight up and down some bad terrain, at elevations up to 12,300 feet. Rocks, dirt, mud and heavy snow, zero issues. Paired with “Darn Tough” brand Merino Wool socks, not a single blister or hot spot. They were really great, no complaints.
 
My Meindls bit the dust - blew out a seam. Sad day. I hope someone around could / can fix it? But it’s time and I guess Crispi Gtx is the way to go!?
 
Enuf said - heading to Scheels and trying them on. Antelope archery is a great time for break in before elk and deer season.

Which ones did your feet like killer!?
 
I am surprised so many like there Crispis. I have owned meindl, zamberlan, and crispi. My meindls and zams where shot and I splurged on new crispi guides. They are def a comfortable boot, but after only a few hundred miles they have packed out in the heel and leak terribly bad. They are a comfortable boot, but def not a technical hiking boot. Very wide last, very soft flex, and a poorly designed heel pocket. After communicating with Crispi I will be purchasing another brand in the future. This is just my experience, my friends with wide feet love theirs! Boots are tough, but for $400 plus there are far better boots that will not only last longer but protect your feet better.
 
That is the thing with boots. We all have a different foot and different needs. I also should say that i have very narrow feet. Like b-c width. I second what you say about the kenetreks. My buddy threw a pair away they hurt his feet so badly. Lol
 
I am surprised so many like there Crispis. I have owned meindl, zamberlan, and crispi. My meindls and zams where shot and I splurged on new crispi guides. They are def a comfortable boot, but after only a few hundred miles they have packed out in the heel and leak terribly bad. They are a comfortable boot, but def not a technical hiking boot. Very wide last, very soft flex, and a poorly designed heel pocket. After communicating with Crispi I will be purchasing another brand in the future. This is just my experience, my friends with wide feet love theirs! Boots are tough, but for $400 plus there are far better boots that will not only last longer but protect your feet better.
I have owned all of those boots too but I've Been wearing crispi for year's hauling alot of packs like this and even more out with zero problems !
Screenshot_20211030-212123_Gallery.jpg

Hundreds &hundreds of miles with zero problem you can keep your other boots I will keep buying Crispis!
Screenshot_20211030-212230_Gallery.jpg
 
I own the lowa and would never buy them after using crispi!
Hmmm I'm surprised by that. I have 3 pairs of Crispi and 2 pairs of Lowa Tibets. I'll agree its a close race but the lacing system puts the Lowa number 1 for me. Not by much but, if I could have only 1 pair it would be the Tibets.
 
I have been hiking the hell out of these Crispi Nevadas. I posted about a month ago that I had 15 or so miles on them. I probably have tripled that in the last month trying to get in sheep-shape. they still look new. Still comfortable. No hot spots, Just a review but I am getting to the age where these may be last pair of high end foot wear. I am very pleased with my purchase.
Thought I would catch up on my review of the Crispi Nevadas for you guys. That sheep hunt I went on was up to 12000 feet of one of the nastiest mountain ranges in the western states. Very steep and flat ground of any kind was rare. Probably put close to a hundred miles on them between getting in shape and hunting.

My only complaint about them was they fit fantastically in the store and while I was getting in shape. With the heavier load I was carrying and the never-ending steep terrain my toes got sore. Black toe nails actually. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten them a half size bigger or a different style of Crispi. I had a problem with lacing them over my narrow foot and high instep. Actually went to Youtube and found some lacing ideas and was able to make them work. Still my toes were right at the end of them.

I like the boots don't get me wrong, but if some of you are having problems with fit, you may try some of the lacing techniques these backpackers/hikers have come up with. You may enjoy those expensive boots after all.
 
If I was going on a sheep hunt there is no way I'd pick Kennetreks. As I stated in my original post they have such tall heals and tread that they are like standing on stilts. No way would this work on sheep or other steep terrain!

My preference no matter what the hunt and terrain is mid height-weight hikers. They are lighter weight for covering lots of miles than full length boot. I myself see no advantage having full length, tall boots except deep snow. I've been on around 20 sheep and mtn goat hunts over the years with no problem with a little lower boots...but that's me. A stiff sole is fairly essential to bite into steep hillsides but as long as the 3/4 tall material is fairly stiff especially if they are all leather. The other thing about full length boots is they are so bulky, stiff, and heavy that it's next to impossible to stalk game quietly. It's like comparing moccasins to clogs!

Some have mentioned Tibets. I love my Tibets and they have withstood an incredible amount of abuse but the only time I wear them is in deep snow. If your ankles or knees require tall boots I would definitely advise Tibets. I've hardly read a post of any complaints.

If you like to cover lots of country I would suggest something a tad bit lighter. I own several Crispi's and the Wyo's are as heavy as I would go. There are lots of Crispi options and all of mine have stood up to a lot of abuse. They have a great guarantee so if they do happen to fail...return them!
 
Didn’t steer me wrong. Thanks man!!! 10 miles & no issues! Light with great traction and super comfy. I just strapped up semi tight and re-tied after a couple miles. Super boot!
 
My only complaint about them was they fit fantastically in the store and while I was getting in shape. With the heavier load I was carrying and the never-ending steep terrain my toes got sore. Black toe nails actually.
That's why I always cut my toe nails as short as possible right before a hunt. That down hill hiking can be a killer on the toe nails if you forget to trim them before you go.
 
If you are getting black toenails it’s probably one of 2 things. Boots are too small or boots aren’t locked in fairly tight at the bottom-most tie in around the laces As mentioned cutting toenails shorter often helps. I always cut my nails just before trips with a lot of steep hiking.
 
I haven't tried the laponia's but the few Crispi's I have tried are way too narrow. I have a blocky wide toe box. Most Italian/european boots are just too narrow.
 
I have owned Meindl, Crispi, Zamberlein and the Danner garbage. I can only speak for Crispi and they have been good boots. I am breaking in a new pair of Crispis GTX's for an upcoming sheep hunt. So far they have been great.
I would argue that the Crispi's are not hard to break in.
With that said, I have narrow feet. I do not believe one specific brand of boot is best for everyone. I would try them both and see which fit seems best.
I would also try the Zamberlein. Mine have been great and they are a bit of a stiffer boot.
 

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