need hunting boot or shoe advice

Ok so my main problem is I have plantar fasciitis. I'm doing the exercises and stretches and such. I recently bought a new pair of saucony shoes and my feet feel much better at the end of the day. However if I wear my hunting boots it's only a short time till I can barely walk. I'm on a budget but trying to figure what will work the best. I'd like something light since I only bow hunt and am usually putting on a few miles a day. Thank you for any advice.

I dont have much experience with the type of shoe your looking for, I usually wear Lowas which are probably a little heavy/spendy. But what i do know is whatever your budget, include a good pair of superfeet or similar insoles in your budget. They make such a huge difference for me. Go to your local store and find the insole that matches your arch, pull them out of the package and start trying on shoes with the insoles in + the socks you would wear hunting. Good luck!

Hey, I'm primarily a early season bow hunter on a budget too. I skimped on boots and paid for it. Picked up some lowa Rangers and couldn't be happier. They're a lot of boot but are light weight and great in the mountains. Just watch for sales. Lowa on Amazon often have 20% coupon codes in the product description.

maverick351 said:

Ok so my main problem is I have plantar fasciitis. I'm doing the exercises and stretches and such. I recently bought a new pair of saucony shoes and my feet feel much better at the end of the day. However if I wear my hunting boots it's only a short time till I can barely walk. I'm on a budget but trying to figure what will work the best. I'd like something light since I only bow hunt and am usually putting on a few miles a day. Thank you for any advice.

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No expert but will give you my experience. I suffer from bad feet also had my toe realigned via surgery so Im no stranger to bad feet. I wear Hanwag alaskan GTX boots for my main hunting boot. Super comfortable minimal break in but you said budget and these are very spending. I also picked up a pair of the Asolo Nuetron hikers. They are lightweight and super comfortable and have put about 15 miles on them so far. http://www.sierratradingpost.com/as...filterString=mens-boots~d~137/&colorFamily=03 The run 167$ but you can get some great coupons for STP which I believe I paid 109 shipped on these. They are gortex lined and have tramped through some good puddles which my feet stayed dry. If youve done your research then you know the top brands to look for.

Lowa
Hanwag
Asolo
Scarpa
Kentrek

Anytime you can score one of these brands for decent price its worth checking out. I cant say enough about these Asolo Boots. STP has a great return policy also so if the fit isnt right you can return for a different size.

I drop a pretty penny on boots these days its just worth it in an effort to keep my feet in good shape. I still suffer pretty bad with a heavy pack but it would be unbearable without a decent set of treads on my feet.

Also some of the best advice I can give you is dont discount a good insole. The insole especially for you and your Situation is going to be where you are going need to sink a good bit of change into so you can stay out longer and go farther with a heavier load. you can spend 500$ on a good set of boots but if you skimp on the insole it wont make much difference for you. Remember we walk on the bottoms of our feet, its super important to make sure you get that part of the equation down.

My 2 cents for what its worth. Good luck on your shopping spree

Maverik351 - look at REI for Asolo and Salmons, I wear a wide and it limits my choices. I did find the Salomon Quest 4D II GTX to be a nice fit and a good boot for gereral hiking and hunting. I picked these up primarily for archery hunting, as my Lowa Tibets are heavy and stiff.

Go order from places that can do return and free shipping, amazon, shoebuy, zappos, ccoutdors, a bunch out there and may not carry what you want. I ordered about 13 pairs beginning this year looking for a back up and primary archery boot.

Many like the Lowa Renegade, I didn't, but did like the Rangers and bought the Tibet.

Why can you barely walk? That's what you need to figure out before you go throwing money at a problem you haven't identified. Do they lack arch support? Are they too stiff? Are they putting pressure on the top of your instep? Do they lack the cushion?

I would start with some different insoles, but to be honest, while your battling plantar fasciitis the best thing you could probably do is stay out of them. You have ligament tears and scarring in your foot, and it takes a long time to heal. Wear shoes that are comfortable and supportive and don't undo all of the other stuff you're doing to treat it by wearing a boot that is aggravating the injury.

Well I'm on my feet all day any ways for work so no choice there. I have plantar fasciitis and basically falling arches so my feet are almost flat now but feel comfortable in a mid to high arch supportive shoe. My shoes are a running style shoe but my boots have a higher heel to toe drop and I'm thinking that may be what irritates my feet. After wearing my boots my heel is in a lot of pain causing me to barely be able to walk. Hope that gives the needed information.

I think I'd be for finding a podiatrist.

Go find a reputable running store. They should be able to listen to your issue, do a gait analysts and then make a good recommendation for you. This will also include a good insole to help correct your problem or provide relief. For example Feet Fleet Sports has done an excellent job with my daughter who has had several foot fractures. Hope this helps.

maverick351 said:

Ok so my main problem is I have plantar fasciitis. I'm doing the exercises and stretches and such. I recently bought a new pair of saucony shoes and my feet feel much better at the end of the day. However if I wear my hunting boots it's only a short time till I can barely walk. I'm on a budget but trying to figure what will work the best. I'd like something light since I only bow hunt and am usually putting on a few miles a day. Thank you for any advice.

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I too suffered from heel spurs (plantar fascitis), and several things helped. First, I went to Wal Mart, and there was a Dr. Scholl's machine that you stand on, and after several seconds, it printed out what type of shoe insole you needed. I needed the one for "flat feet" with the most correction, #440. I bought them. They are called "Custom Orthotics Insoles". They made a BIG difference. I went back and bought several more pairs for my other shoes. I also have been going to a Chiropractor for many years due to lumbar problems, and he recommended a simple exercise for the heel spurs. You take a golf ball, and put it on the floor (carpeted works best). While sitting down, you then put your foot on it, and roll it around under your foot, putting slight pressure on the instep and sole, or wherever it is sore, and massage it by rolling the golf ball around under your foot for about 30 seconds. Then do the other foot. After doing this two or three times a day, and with the Dr. Scholl's insoles, I haven't had any more problems with the heel spurs. Before, I couldn't walk without pain, now I am back to walking three miles a day getting ready for my Fall Elk hunt.
You might want to see a Doctor for an examination and professional opinion, but you might get some relief with the "golf ball" exercise.
There is a $10.00 rebate for the Dr. Scholl's insoles (coupon available online), they cost about $39.00 at my Wal-Mart.

SHTF--Thanks for the STP tip on the Asolo boots. After a tough 3K hike yesterday with my Danner Pronghorn boots I knew it was time for a change! They have been a good boot for a few years but even with the super feet insoles, the balls of my feet were abused.

Hopefully the Asolo Synchro boots will be a good fit with my flat feet! I will throw some new green super feet and find out.

BeWitty said:

SHTF--Thanks for the STP tip on the Asolo boots. After a tough 3K hike yesterday with my Danner Pronghorn boots I knew it was time for a change! They have been a good boot for a few years but even with the super feet insoles, the balls of my feet were abused.

Hopefully the Asolo Synchro boots will be a good fit with my flat feet! I will throw some new green super feet and find out.

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My pleasure

Maybe talk to Lathrop & Sons.