How long do boots last?

[MUDDYCRICK]

I've spent my whole life wearing cheap boots for hunting, well last year I picked up a pair of Salomon Quest 4d gtx for a heck of a deal. I absolutely love these boots and wanted to save them just for hunting. Well now I'm thinking I want to wear them everyday as well as for hunting. How long do these boots typically last with that kind of use? I know it's a open Question with many variables, but I'm curious. I wish I could go out and buy another pair, but funds are tight.

 

[5MilesBack]

A better question would be "How long are you willing to put up with them".

Will the soles wear? Yes. Will the stitching eventually pull out? Maybe. Will they eventually not be waterproof? Yes.

What are you willing to put up with? I wear a pair of Merrell's around town quite a bit that have separated from the soles in a few places. That doesn't bother me, so I still wear them as they serve their purpose for me. I have boots that are more than 10 years old that I still wear.

For my hunting boots I want good tread, a semi-stiff upper for ankle support, and a decent footbed. If any of those wear out, I'm moving on to something else.

 

[wyodan]

My good hunting boots generally last me a year to a year and a half, using them every weekend for dominating mountains. After that I will turn them into work boots for everyday wear, and can usually get about another year to year and a half out of them.

 

[jmez]

Wearing them every day will break down the footbeds pretty quickly. I'm on my feet on hard surfaces all day. I've worn Merrill, Salamon, Vasque, Keen, etc. Not cheap shoes. For everyday use mine last about 4 months.

 

[5MilesBack]

Wearing them every day will break down the footbeds pretty quickly. I'm on my feet on hard surfaces all day. I've worn Merrill, Salamon, Vasque, Keen, etc. Not cheap shoes. For everyday use mine last about 4 months.

You're either way hard on boots, or we have way different acceptance levels for what's still useable. I'm still wearing the Merrells from above after 6 years, and I wear them probably 90% of the time through the year.

 

[jwb300]

Just starting to break in a new pair of Miendl Island Pro's... First pair has lasted 6 years and are still great but have lost a bit of their water resistance

 

[JP100]

Depends alot on terrain and bot type and how much you wear them. In the hard rocks I get about a year before by boots are pretty worn out then use them for farm/other work.
Id save ya good boots. no use wearing them out on the pavement

Boots with lots of panels/stitching will not last as long as full leather boots. less stitching less to break. same with all gear.

 

[tanner68]

They will last until the actual sole wears out or breaks down. But to get to that point you need to take care of them and make small repairs before they become compromised. Shoe Goo, a speedy stitcher, leather conditioner, and cleaning them of caked on mud will help maximize life.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Depends alot on terrain and bot type and how much you wear them. In the hard rocks I get about a year before by boots are pretty worn out then use them for farm/other work.
Id save ya good boots. no use wearing them out on the pavement

Boots with lots of panels/stitching will not last as long as full leather boots. less stitching less to break. same with all gear.

Agree with all of this. I typically get a lot of years out of all leather boots. I hammered a pair of Crispi Idahos in to the ground in a little over two years. I attribute a lot of this to the panels, seams, and a few design flaws.

 

[Tony Trietch]

My good hunting boots generally last me a year to a year and a half, using them every weekend for dominating mountains. After that I will turn them into work boots for everyday wear, and can usually get about another year to year and a half out of them.

^^^^^^Exactly what I do.

 

[LBFowler]

Salomon Quests have a EVA midsole like a running shoe, however long a normal pair of shoes last you will probably be true for these. If you expect to get a boot lifespan out of them you WILL be dissapointed.
Your weight will probably be the biggest factor in how long they last, I weigh about 160lbs and can get maybe a year out of a pair of Quests (wild guess) but my buddy (200lbs+) would be lucky to get 2/3rds that life expectancy. In my experience the upper and tread will outlast the midsole by a very long time, the midsole just gets totally worn out and will start to hurt your feet before the boot even looks like it wants to give up.
and don't expect the waterproofing to last either, I've been through several pairs of Quests and don't think any of them were very good for that.

Lets just say I buy Quests for $25-$50, keep several pairs in reserve and even then I won't ware them for anything but hunting or hiking. I haven't found a boot that works better for what I ask of a boot, but you have to be aware of their shortcomings.

 

[LBFowler]

My reference point for how long a boot can truly be expected to last is the farmers I used to work for.

Several guys, different sizes/weights, all wore the exact same boot 5-6 days a week since forever. They all seemed to say 2 years on the nose was what they got, and could just reorder them like clockwork. They were wearing all-leather boots with minimal seams and a semi-flexible hard sole (non-EVA), seemed like the flex point by the ball of the foot was always the first thing to go, so I assume a stiffer boot would have lasted marginally longer for them.

when some hipster sales lady tried to sell me the exact same boots and tell me they would last me decades I had to try really hard to be polite.

 

[armyjoe]

I usually go through 2 pairs a year. I am in the mountains a ton and I beat the shit out of them pretty quick. I run a heavier mountaineering boot and more traditional backpackers boot depending on where I'm heading into. I just bought 2 more last week to replace mine from last year haha. It's expensive

 

[AK Troutbum]

I usually go through 2 pairs a year. I am in the mountains a ton and I beat the shit out of them pretty quick. I run a heavier mountaineering boot and more traditional backpackers boot depending on where I'm heading into. I just bought 2 more last week to replace mine from last year haha. It's expensive

Just out of curiosity, what kind/model boots are you burning through, and what part wears out the fastest, soles/tread, stitching, toes??

 

[armyjoe]

Just out of curiosity, what kind/model boots are you burning through, and what part wears out the fastest, soles/tread, stitching, toes??

Last year was Salewa Raven and Rapace. Both awesome boots and I bought them again. I usually wear out the soles and rip up the rands really bad. A lot of people would still use them for another season or two but I don't. I hate messing around with boots. I've also beat up Scarpa Trio boots and Lowa Tibets lasted 4 months

 

[jherald]

I've worn some boots out in a year. Some have squeaked two years out. Not meaning they are bad boots, they were excellent boots. Just wore them out by sheer miles walked and the terrain tearing up the soles, rand and leather.

 

[Rizzy]

The factory soles that have come with the Crispi's and Zamberlans I have wear out right about the time the boot gets really broken in, especially with the taller boots. I get a year and half out of the sole before it starts to really affect my traction. By the end of the second season it starts to get a little dangerous actually.

If you get a good pair of boots to begin with, you can get them re-soled. I have been doing this for years, but the local cobblers tend to use a flat sole and you end up with more of a work boot.

Last season I found Rocky Mountain Resole and tried them out. It was a couple week turn around time and I was really impressed. They put a molded sole back on the boot similar to the original and it was like a new pair of boots again but without the break in time. I have crossed a lot of creeks with them and they haven't leaked. IIRC, it was under $100 all together, which is a big savings compared to new top end boots.

 

[twall13]

The factory soles that have come with the Crispi's and Zamberlans I have wear out right about the time the boot gets really broken in, especially with the taller boots. I get a year and half out of the sole before it starts to really affect my traction. By the end of the second season it starts to get a little dangerous actually.

If you get a good pair of boots to begin with, you can get them re-soled. I have been doing this for years, but the local cobblers tend to use a flat sole and you end up with more of a work boot.

Last season I found Rocky Mountain Resole and tried them out. It was a couple week turn around time and I was really impressed. They put a molded sole back on the boot similar to the original and it was like a new pair of boots again but without the break in time. I have crossed a lot of creeks with them and they haven't leaked. IIRC, it was under $100 all together, which is a big savings compared to new top end boots.

That's good info. for me. I love the Crispi boots I got this past year but the tread on the toe had warn down A LOT faster than I anticipated. I'll have to look into getting them resoled at some point.

 

[airlocksniffer]

Haven't had any boots resoled but hear good things on Rokslide about Dave Page in the Seattle area:

http://www.davepagecobbler.com/