Best uninsulated Hunting boots

[Mike 338]

Had Kennetreks but just couldn't deal with the heel blisters any more. Tried the Lowa Tibet Hi's this year. Steep climbs and descents, plenty of side hill, deep snow, creek crossings... all good and very comfortable as well. I'm in between sizes so mine are a half size up and just slightly loose, so I wear a liner and a regular cold weather boot sock (make or blend doesn't seem to matter). Probably the best lacing system of any modern boot which will help to avoid jammed toes or laces relaxing to the point that you need to re-lace. Laces are just the right length and that never happens! Roomy toe-box (finally) which IMO, is very important for side-hill and downhill. No leaks. This boot is "built for purpose". Bottom line... I wasn't thinking about my feet.

 

[Marble]

I plan on doing some mule deer and elk hunting this year a was wondering what you guys suggest on the best uninsulated boot that is actually waterproof.


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Give us a little more info.

Have you ever worn a fairly stiff boot?

Do you normally have foot problems? If so describe.

Are your feet abnormally shaped? Flat, thin, large, narrow, wide etc.

Do you typically run warm and have you had experience in cooler environments and. Iots with snow?

Are you backpacking and may be carrying heavy loads?

These are some of the questions Lathrop asked, IIRC, and got me to the boot I purchased. The only thing they messed up on was the insulation. I needed more. He also custom ground a special insole made for diabetics that has better shock absorbing capabilities and cushioning for when I walk out with 100 pound pack.

Hope this helps.

 

[keepriding]

I am boot nut. over the last few years I have zamberlan, crispi. lowa, scarpa, kennatrek, scheenes, hanwags, danners, lacross, meindl and muck . Most likely a few more i am forgeting.
For mountain hunting Crispi and Zamberlan work the best for me. I stay clear of rubber boots unless i absoulty need them..otherwise i am warmer, drier and more comfortable in regular boots.

 

[GoBig]

Zamberlans Have been my favorite for everything.

 

[trophyhill]

Btw ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers every foot is different

Yup. I wear 1 pair for open country mule deer, and a different pair for elk. Light on the feet means "silent" when attempting a stalk on deer. I don't worry about noise when elk hunting, so heavier, stiffer with more support for steep slopes in the elkwoods. 2 different brands of boots. Although if I had to choose just one, I'd go with my Miendls because at least my feet wouldn't hurt if I used them deer hunting. Where my deer boots kill my feet on steep slopes so they won't pull double duty......

 

[trophyhill]

Give us a little more info.

Have you ever worn a fairly stiff boot?

Do you normally have foot problems? If so describe.

Are your feet abnormally shaped? Flat, thin, large, narrow, wide etc.

Do you typically run warm and have you had experience in cooler environments and. Iots with snow?

Are you backpacking and may be carrying heavy loads?

These are some of the questions Lathrop asked, IIRC, and got me to the boot I purchased. The only thing they messed up on was the insulation. I needed more. He also custom ground a special insole made for diabetics that has better shock absorbing capabilities and cushioning for when I walk out with 100 pound pack.

Hope this helps.

I hear ya. When you think about it, all that weight transfers directly to your feet. A stiff sole is definitely preferred when packing heavy. Even when just a day pack I usually take my Meindls off once or twice a day if hiking alot and covering some ground. The price I pay for wearing a stiff boot in the elkwoods. My feet suffer more stress with these boots for some reason and need some periodic stress relief. The plantar fasciitis doesn't help either. Nor does the hairline stress fracture that's healed over in a bone on top of my foot. Neither does the partial torn and healed up Achilles tear.

You just talked me into at least talking to Lathrop. Nobody asked me about my feet when I bought these 9 years ago......

 

[ridgefire]

I have had many different brands and styles of uninsulated boots for mountain elk hunting and my favorite so far has been the Hanwag Alaska GTX. Super comfortable and my feet have always been bone dry even after hunting in wet sloppy snow all day. The Meindl Denali is also a great boot as well. The Danner Pronghorn was probably my least favorite. Really comfortable on flat ground but sucked in the mountains especially while side hilling or around water.

 

[Spoonman]

I’ve had Crispi, and Salewa, and now own a pair of Scarpa Ribelle HD. These are by far the most waterproof and durable boot I’ve ever owned. The Crispi didn’t stay waterproof more than 6 months and the salewa was about the same. The Scarpa are very well build and it’s very rare to hear bad things about them.

 

[menhaden_man]

NONE!

 

[300-win-mag]

Got a pair of Irish Setter boots about 6 years ago that are uninsulated and they have been awesome. Super comfy and no issues.

 

[Wassid82]

I plan on doing some mule deer and elk hunting this year a was wondering what you guys suggest on the best uninsulated boot that is actually waterproof.


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I just bought and used Salomon boots that were great and didn’t break the bank at $200. I liked them as well as my mendl boots from the past couple of years.

 

[*zap*]

Over the years Belleville has been the best for me because of durability, support, cost and waterproof lasting. I look for mine on ebay and pay around $50 shipped for very lightly used. Made in USA.

 

[Jimss]

I've used and abused Scarpa and Lowas for years. If you run narrow feet the Scarpas work well. Lowas come in different foot widths..which is nice if you have wide feet. I wear boots year round here in Colo and really put them to the test. I only wear uninsulated boots.....even in the winter. The common theme I've found is that any boot with seams is likely going to wear out the seams with time from moisture and wear on rock. The fewer seems on boots...the better.

Someone above mentioned all leather boots. I would venture a guess that all leather boots without seams will likely outlast boots with seams by 2x or more years. I have a pair of Lowa Tibets that I've worn off and on for around 6 years and they still have gobs of life in them...and are super comfortable. I only wear them in deep snow because I don't like tall boots. Tall boots just weigh that much more and I really don't like tall, stiff boots....especially when doing a lot of quiet stalking. I don't even wear tall, stiff boots when sheep and mtn goat hunting (which I do a lot of).

Synthetic boots are often way lighter weight than all leather but I've found that nearly all of them have seams that tend to wear out fairly quickly. I do a lot of stream crossing and hiking in snow, wet grass, creek crossings, etc at work year-round. I just wore out a pair of Lowa Vantage that were one of my favorite boots I've ever worn. They were super light but still stiff enough for hiking super rough, rocky terrain. I used them on 2 sheep and 2 mtn goat hunts. Unfortunately the seams finally started wearing out on this year's sheep hunt (lots of rock). Lowa doesn't make them any more so they may be tough to find. I just bought a pair of Lowa Caninos that are fairly similar but slightly taller and heavier. I'm sure the Caninos will be just as good.

Crispi boots seem to have a big following. I'm fortunate to get a clothes allowance for work so just bought a pair of Crispi Dakotas. They are nearly all leather. My feet melted when I tried on the Crispi Nevada's but I found an open box deal I couldn't refuse ($100 off) the Dakotas. The Dakotas are a tad lighter weight than the Nevadas and offer a little better ventilation. The only thing I don't like about the Dakotas is there is a triple-stitched rand that may wear out with time. I got the Dakotas for 1/2 the price of Nevadas so thought it would be worth a try. I watched a Youtube review for the Dakotas. The guy seemed like he punished them pretty hard and was pretty impressed with them.

With that said, I really like having an assortment of boots to choose from. On any given day I can pick which boot works best for the particular use and conditions. If I was just going to buy one boot I'd likely get one that was the most comfortable for my particular feet. I'd also pick one that is stiff enough for steep, rocky slopes but light enough that I can stalk quietly. I never buy boots without gortex…..never had a problem with feet sweating. I really dispise tall boots unless it snows....but that's just me.

 

[bcopley1116]

Hanwag alverstone II have been the best boot I've used.

 

[403AL]

I agree Kenetrek is a great boot. Excellent comfort and traction.

 

[JustJustin]

Recently I took my work boots, Arbpro Evo2, for a hike in the mountains. I was really impressed.
Synthetic 6-7" shoe with gortex
Rubber rand
Vibram sole, it's the typical work boot sole with lugs on the outside and +'s in the middle, but a tackier rubber (designed for climbing trees) grips rocks really well.
Waterproofness. I've worked in 2-3 inches of snow for several hours, feet stayed dry. I worked in a bucket truck with water deep enough to cover the top of the arch of my foot (3-4") for over an hour and my feet stayed dry. That was after about 6 weeks of abuse every week day.
Heel kicks. Makes it easy to take them off.
I usually have trouble with my feet sweating really bad but I've had no trouble with these shoes, even during strenuous work at 90-100°.
For me, these are among the most comfortable pair of shoes I have ever worn, beating out a lot of sneakers and basketball shoes.
They can be had for around $240.

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[Elkhunter777]

Scarpa rebel k.
stiff but light and lots of support!

 

[ScreamingPotato]

The most comfortable boots I've ever had were Under Armour Wall Hanger, but finally wore them out and can't find them anymore. I've tried Meindl, Irish Setter, Merrell, Keen, and Wolverine and don't care for them for various reasons. I got tired of trying to "go cheap" so this year I picked up the Salomon GTX, which are still fairly cheap compared to most recommended in this thread, and almost didn't use them because they took so long to break in. I really liked them once I got them in the mountains for 9 days though, we were constantly in shin deep snow and scaling up and down some really steep stuff, they had good grip and good waterproofness. My feet sweat like crazy so I always wear uninsulated boots, these boots did get wet inside from sweat but it was usually just a dampness so they must breathe fairly well. I still need a 2nd pair of boots to rotate so I'm thinking of trying the Crispi Colorado/Wyoming/Thor. I really appreciate threads like this and everybody giving opinions here on Rokslide, without it stuff like this would be a huge shot in the dark based on random interwebz reviews from who knows what kind of people.

 

[chuckhanisch]

I have the Lowa Arcos that Camofire has had on sale recently. Good lighter weight boot and still provides good support and stability.

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[Etson]

I love my Kenetreks but haven't tried many other high end boots.