worst hunting boot??

Chesterwyo

Chesterwyo

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As I was packing out my elk the other day I could't help but notice that the irish setter boots that I was wearing were the most uncomfortable boots on the planet. They offer no support whatsoever and they seem really thin on the sole. So heres one vote for irish setter being the worst boots around. Lets here some other experiences with terrible hunting footwear so that I know what to avoid when buying my next pair of boots.
 
I bought a Cabelas boot that was advertised as very light weight. I need a light weight boot for 95 degree blacktail hunting in Kali. It is a 10 inch boot and full leather so I expected some support. The heel is very thin and flat and the sole is too thin. They hurt my feet just going out to the mail box. They don't weigh much though. I can't imagine packing out an elk with them. I should have sent them back but never did. My mistake.

Congratulations on getting an elk, Chance!

Steve
 
All brands make several models, some are light weight with little support and not designed for heavy duty, steep, rocky terrain while others of the same brand are designed for heavy duty use with great sole and ankle support. With that said I have had several pairs of Danners and they just never fit me right but others have good success with Danners. So go figure.

from the "Heartland of Wyoming"
 
I had 2 pairs of Danner Ft Lewis boots and both fell apart within 2 months. I wont own another pair of Danners.
Eric
famousfigures_abevigoda.gif


Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

deerline.gif
 
Now I'm curious--how long or how many rugged miles should I expect a pair of boots to last? I'm about a month into my second pair of Danner 10" Grand Slams. I went through the first pair in about 14 months, but overall I was really pleased with their comfort and performance in really rocky and steep terrain including packing elk. I estimate that I put about 600 miles on my first pair. What do others get out of their boots?
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-07 AT 06:44PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-07 AT 06:41?PM (MST)

I'm on my second pair of Vasque Sundowner II's. I got 6 years out of the first pair and am on my second year with the current ones. I won't hazard a guess at how many miles I've put on but there have been many.

The bottom line is you need to pay for a good quality boot AND it has to fit your feet. If it doesn't do that then nothing else matters.


Beanman
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-07 AT 09:11PM (MST)[p]Anything made by Rocky or any brand less then 150.00 sucks regardless of brand. I have been wearing Danner Sierra or Cabela's version for years and love them. Several pairs re-soled but not waterproof anymore. I also have a pair of Geogia Ice Trecker and they are great.
 
My Meindls I got through Cabela's back in 2001 are still the most comfortable boots I have bought and still have many miles to go before they are shot out. I think they were the Sitka's by Meindls. And they didn't cost over $200 either.

Brian
 
I got the same boot Watts, and the same opinion, Love em!

Can a put in a vote for Walmart boots, never had a pair, but I'd bet they'd rank right up there as the worst
 
Can't say I've had a boot I didn't like. Lowa sheep hunter is the best boot I have ever owned. A little on the heavy side but tough as nails...and did I mention very comfortable as well.

Mike
 
Don't know about bad boots. I have a pair of Vasque's and I'm on my 6th year with them. I imagine they have 1 year left in them. I hunt alot during the year and these boots really stand up. Cost me about $200.
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-08-07 AT 09:34AM (MST)[p]danners suck!

go with:

Meindle, or lowa or maybe kenetrek, but I've only heard of kenetrek, they look good, but I've never owned them.

I've owned the meindles (perfect hunter, canadian, and the alakan) and the lowa sheep hunter, Love them all but for different purposes. I also owned danners and never will own then again.

If youre hunting mountains and rolling hills the perfect hunter, for the money is very hard to beat - they take no break-in time either and they just are comfortable.

If youre in to high mountain rough terrain like mountaineering and sheep hunting, mule deer or goats in alpine cliffs, the alaskan and the lowa sheep hunter are the way to go . . . .

Like I said, I have them all but the kenetrek, and love my meindls and everyone that wears the lowa swears by them, I have a pair of the sheep hunters but have not worn them much. . .

Boots are as important to me as the right cameras and lenses, so I buy the best. I wear out a pair of boots a year so if I have three or four, one for each terrain type, overall they last much much longer. It's like buying snow tires and only using them in the winter, overall you get more miles out of them and they last longer!


www.kenetrek.com
www.meindl.de (http://www.cabelas.com/story-123/me...%252C%2BGenerations%252C%2BInnovations..shtml)
www.lowaboots.com
 
I use my issue combat boots for hunting. The newer ones are pretty comfortable with good ankle support. Since I wear them at work my feet are pretty used to them and If I wear them out I can turn them in for a new pair. Been wearing my current pair for about a year and they still have alot of life left in them. They are also pretty light weight.
ismith

45f82e4d30de4f30.jpg
 
:) I like my Danners, BUT I did own 1 pair of Irish Setters. P.O.Chit boots, and rub blisters all over you, but I got em cheap....and cheap is not good
 
Kind of funny, best boots I ever had were from K-mart and I bought them in 1983. They need to be re-soled, but still the best boots I have ever bought. Fit my feet like a glove, light weight and were water proof at one time. Bought a pair from Cabela's a few years back, and they are not bad, but wish I could find a pair like my first ones.
 
I've been wearing Danners for over 15 years for work and hunting. I have no complaints with them. Maybe I need to experience others to find out if there are better boots out there.
 
Danners prior to about 10 years ago used to be the best boot there was. Now as the others have said Danners suck. Especially the ones made in China.
I now wear Meindls.

John
 
Have had a couple pairs of Rockies dry rot on the outter sole. Have had one pair of Danners start mysteriously sqeaking-in the middle of an archery elk hunt...nice! I think the $250.00 rule may apply also.
 
Depends on the Danner boot. Not all of them are made in the USA. The ones that arent do suck. The ones that are, are still a hard boot to beat.
 
Wet feet? I've lucked out then cuz every pair that I've owned haven't leaked....until I get up past the top!!
 
I have had 2 pairs of Rockies. While they are usually comfortable, they fall apart less than a year. Won't buy anymore again. I bought some Cabela's Outfitter Series boots. They were very uncomfortable and stiff as a board. Hi-Tech boots were stiff and fell apart too. I have had my best luck with Columbia products. They are usually lightweight, comfortable, and they have held up well for me. They really do not have many of the types of boots many people are looking for.
 
i saw a hunting party made up of oriental people run up the side of this hill after a doe, and the last kid up the hill was wearing flip flops. watched the whole thing through the spotting scope from about 200 yards away. sad thing is, there were no doe tags for this area and after they went up and over we heard shooting (ak 47) and just left. sad day for us and hunting.




beat this
 
I can't really say what the worst boot would be as I have had 2 pairs of Danners, (one insulated, one uninsulated) that I have owned for 12 years and still wearing. I have put who knows how many miles on these boots elk and deer hunts in many states, texas hunts, swampy hunts, goose hunts, everywhere. I also hike hundreds of miles in the summers climbing Colorado's 14ers, scouting and backpack trips. So I can't really say what boots are the worst but I can give a high recommendation for Danners despite the negative comments about them given above. I will never buy anything else!
 
Great subject. I purchased a pair of Danner Frontiers about a month ago. I normally wear a size 9 and that is the size I purchased in this boot. The boot felt great on my feet. Took them home and wore them for two weeks on neighborhood walks and when I did my workout on my eliptical (daily). I felt I was ready for a hike. Did several miles, with the first couple hours straight up around 2500 verticle feet--my feet were like hamburger. Ended up with silver dollar size blisters on both heals. After my feet healed I tried it again two weeks later--same result. Luckily for me Sportsmans took them back. They were made in China and the clerk said they are different than the ones made in America. Problem is,now I'm abit gun shy on how my boot should fit. When you purchase your boots should there be any heel slippage or should your heal and foot be so snug it does not slip at all? I'm looking at buying the meindl boots from cabelas, but my feet can't afford another experience like the one above.

Mossyhorn
 
deserteagle500 Says
?i saw a hunting party made up of oriental people run up the side of this hill after a doe, and the last kid up the hill was wearing flip flops. watched the whole thing through the spotting scope from about 200 yards away. sad thing is, there were no doe tags for this area and after they went up and over we heard shooting (ak 47) and just left. sad day for us and hunting.?
What the heck did that have anything to do with hunting boots. What a raciest comment. Why didn't you do anything about that if you indeed seen what you say you saw.
Hunting boots are very personal some people have wide feet; some have narrow feet, and so on. If I had the money to buy high dollar boots for hunting I would. I believe you get what you pay for in most circumstances. However if they feel tight when you put them on in the store they will have problems in the field. I recently bought a pair of cabalas 150 dollar boots. They hurt a little and I thought they would break in and be good boots. They did but I will no longer leave a store with boots that don't fit like an old boot. Don?t care what brand they are.
I also wear my hunting boots every day for work and have never had a pair last more than a year.
 
if you dont need a mountaineering boot, buy the meindl perfect hunter, you will be glad you did. They make the danners feel like your wearing clogs. . . . make sure to get some nickwax to keep the leather up and it will quite any squeaking that you may have when new. . . .
 
I think what deserteagle500 was trying to say is that flip-flops are the choice of discriminating hunters. Just ask Moosie.

If I can ever wear out my current pair of Danners, which are still going strong, I'll probably take a look at Meindl, although I'm not too fond of buying anythig I can't pronounce.:)

Eel
 
Thanks for all the responses everybody. Looks like my next pair of hunting boots will be Miendle. No more irish setters for me.
 
I have some Irish Setters. Game tracker I believe is the model. Absolute POS. Gortex leaks, very uncomfortable.
 
I don't know what the worst
boot is, but I do know the
best in my mind are the LOWA
SHEEPHUNTERS.
I am on my third year and
love them, I will never
buy another brand.
Just My 2 Cents.
 
mossyhorn, I'm on my second pair of Danner Grand Slams, and I've never had a blister from either pair. However, I credit that more to the socks I wear rather than the boot. I don't know the brand name, but I wear blister-free socks that wick the moisture away from my feet. The socks are made of really thin material, and my feet move around a little inside the boot, but they are always comfortable in both dry and soaking wet conditions; and I've never had a blister when using those socks, even on a 30+ miler that I was forced into earlier this summer when I came out of the hills only to find my truck wouldn't start...
 
Just wanted to thank TFinalshot and Mozey for their replies. I bought the Meindl Perfect Hunters today (also got some Nickwax). I also bought some of the moisture wicking socks as well. Hope I can get them in hunting shape in the next couple of weeks. I'm hunting the last week of October here in Idaho and drew a late season (Nov) tag here in Idaho as well. I've never had problems with blisters before and I can assure I hope I never do again. Thanks again for all the input!

M.H.
 
I pretty much live in my boots. As a Forestry worker and avid outdoorsman I am outside nearly 5 to 6 days a week in my boots. That being said, I have yet to find a comfortable boot that will last more than a year and a half. I currently own a pair of Alaska Hikers by Cabela's and am sad to say that they didn't hold up as well as I expected (considering the price) but they are the pair that has lasted the longest!

That being said the only boots that I know that will hold up to constant use are those made by White's, Hawthorne, Nicks....basically firefighting/logging type of boots. However, most seem very uncomfortable and I wouldn't recommend them for any type of long hiking.

My next pair of boots that I am going to try are the Danner Talus Hikers. We shall see how it goes. If i'm not satisfied I think I will go back to the Cabela's All-leather mountain hikers. They seem to last pretty decent and are very comfy.
 
DANNER!!!!!!!!!

I have had two falures with two different pairs of new danners this year.

1. New pair of Danner Full Curl all leather, 200g thinsulate,gortex. These appeared to be a great pair with great ankle support for backpack hunting. After breaking them in for a month on the treadmill they tore my ankles up on my first backpack scouting trip making my feet an issue for the ramaining hunts.

2. Danner High Country, all leather, gortex, 1000g thinsulate. A boot bought for later season hunting, comfortable but I can not get the leather to stop absorbing water, these got wet in the toe area and let my toes get cold. I had to switch to another boot for a couple of days during the elk hunt to let these dry.
 
I will come to Rocky's rescue!
I have worn Rocky boots ever since I went to college in Nelsonville, Ohio (where they were made)15 years ago and have owned at least 2 pair (one heavy cold season hunting and one lightweight warm season) of boots and NEVER have been disappointed! The shortest lasting boot was a lightweght boot that I wore EVERWHERE and it burned out in 18 months (I wish I could get ahold of another pair!)
I have never paid more than $100 for a pair either!!!! I bought a pair of Danner TFX recently and have been scouting a few times so the verdict is still out on them. I am buying another pair of Rockys tomorrow though!!!
Sorry dont have a pair of boots to rag on or tell you to stay away from but I had to defend Rocky boots.
Jeff
 
During the warmer months i wear the newer combat boots we have. they are light and comfortable and last a long time. i've hiked hundreds of miles with a 50lb pack in them and no problem.

for colder weather i go with a wolverine gore tex boot. a bit heavy but that doesn't bother me b/c they are tough and have lots of support.
 
I have only worn one pair of boots for the last 6-7 years of hunting, a pair of all canvas gore-tex Danners. Very light, warm enough and dry also. The laces need replacing now though. These boots have seen me through many a mile of hiking, and some nice Bucks and Bulls.
 
I am sure this is all personal preferance, but sorry Rockys are horriable. They may do well to get you to the tree stand in the midwest but out west in the rugged mountains they do not hold up. It's Danner all the way for me!
MB
 
huntFX4,

Does the military still have Cochran Jump Boots?? Those were very comfortable for me back in my Army days. Got a new pair about 6 months before I was discharged and threw them away, DUMMY ME. They wouldn't fit me now as my feet have got wider, from a regular to a EE now.

Brian
 
All I own is Danners and they are nice and no issues. Going on second and third season. I will try the sheep hunters next just to see if they are the cat's A$$. Never owned any pair of Goretex boots regardless of make where my feet don't get wet. Just my experience expesially in snow.
 
Mray-- I have never hunted from a treestand and I have hunted all types of big game in Colorado and now Arizona, just in case you were wondering.
Jeff
 
Polaris boots suck !!

Here's the preferred hunting boot for the southern region.
that & a pair of boots purchased from Payless do the trick.

:)



471625c253b67f20.jpg
 
Timberbuck said:
"but I can not get the leather to stop absorbing water"

This is why I will never ever own Danner's again. Maybe I just
was unlucky. It sounds as if some people like them.

I can't believe I am saying this but I am taking T's advice and
getting a pair of Meindl's.

Great thread BTW
 

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