Midwest do all hunting boot??

[Blearning13]

Hey guys,

I've done a ton of reading in the footwear section so far and I'm still completely stumped. I'm currently using danner vital boots and aside from being the furthest thing from waterproof I'm very happy with the boots. I'm looking for something in the 8" height range due to many previous ankle injuries and the need for some extra support. I don't have any western hunts planned, but do a ton of weighted pack training currently and need something with at least the vital's amount of support. The biggest concern I have is waterproof though. The vitals get soaked even walking through grass with a morning dew and I just can't take it anymore. I'd love to get some advice from you guys on what boots might fit my needs best. I hunt whitetail, turkey, grouse, small game, and tons of hiking and weighted training. Should I really be looking at 400+ dollar mountain boots or is there another alternative? I'd love to stick with something made in the US if possible. A buddy uses Danner Elk Hunters and seems to be really happy with them, but they don't seem to have a ton of ankle support. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[zr600]

I wear Hoffman’s mountain boot. Now mine are the 400g insulation version and they are cold if stand hunting. They are similar to kenetreks mine keep my feet warm and dry. Warm when I’m doing more active hunting. They do make a pair now with more insulation I would like to try.

 

[Bearwhisky]

Hey guys,

I've done a ton of reading in the footwear section so far and I'm still completely stumped. I'm currently using danner vital boots and aside from being the furthest thing from waterproof I'm very happy with the boots. I'm looking for something in the 8" height range due to many previous ankle injuries and the need for some extra support. I don't have any western hunts planned, but do a ton of weighted pack training currently and need something with at least the vital's amount of support. The biggest concern I have is waterproof though. The vitals get soaked even walking through grass with a morning dew and I just can't take it anymore. I'd love to get some advice from you guys on what boots might fit my needs best. I hunt whitetail, turkey, grouse, small game, and tons of hiking and weighted training. Should I really be looking at 400+ dollar mountain boots or is there another alternative? I'd love to stick with something made in the US if possible. A buddy uses Danner Elk Hunters and seems to be really happy with them, but they don't seem to have a ton of ankle support. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I am in a very similar scenario as you, 95% of my hunting is in Kentucky. We do have some mountains here but can really get by with a pair of $1-200 danners, merrels etc. or rubber boots on most of my hunts. However, I have found that even the best of these option boots last one season or less on the waterproofing and Usually the whole boot is blown out before the second season. I started using quality mountain boots 2 years ago and I no longer have wet feet. I have also yet to blow a pair out. The way I figure it, I can either buy a pair of ~$200 boots every year or two, or buy one pair of $500 boots that last 5+ years and keep my feet dry. I settled on the Schnees Beartooth 2 in 200g. They are not too stiff to walk on flat ground, and are a dream when I get in the hills. But most importantly, they fit my feet well. I tried 5 pairs of boots before i settled on the Beartooths. I would suggest trying multiple boots before you settle because the fit varies greatly. If you cant get to a store that carries multiple options, order several on a credit card from dealers that have easy returns. Good luck on your boot quest, it can be a headache not having dealers near by.


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[Blearning13]

I am in a very similar scenario as you, 95% of my hunting is in Kentucky. We do have some mountains here but can really get by with a pair of $1-200 danners, merrels etc. or rubber boots on most of my hunts. However, I have found that even the best of these option boots last one season or less on the waterproofing and Usually the whole boot is blown out before the second season. I started using quality mountain boots 2 years ago and I no longer have wet feet. I have also yet to blow a pair out. The way I figure it, I can either buy a pair of ~$200 boots every year or two, or buy one pair of $500 boots that last 5+ years and keep my feet dry. I settled on the Schnees Beartooth 2 in 200g. They are not too stiff to walk on flat ground, and are a dream when I get in the hills. But most importantly, they fit my feet well. I tried 5 pairs of boots before i settled on the Beartooths. I would suggest trying multiple boots before you settle because the fit varies greatly. If you cant get to a store that carries multiple options, order several on a credit card from dealers that have easy returns. Good luck on your boot quest, it can be a headache not having dealers near by.


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Yeah I'm going into my second season with the Danner Vitals and they are all but completely blown out and not even remotely waterproof anymore. The Schnees have definitely been on my radar and they seem to get tons of great reviews. I haven't found a single dealer that carries any sort of quality mountain boot so it has been extremely difficult to be willing to pull the trigger on something so expensive. How long have you had the beartooths? I have no problem spending money on a quality boot, just nervous that those won't hold up for very long either I guess. Thanks for the detailed reply!

 

[Bearwhisky]

Ive only had the Beartooths for a few weeks. About 10 miles so far. Nothing crazy but some fairly elevation intensive miles. I get excited to put them on and hit the hills FWIW. Cannot attest to long term durability but the quality and craftsmanship is superb. I wore the Danner Crag Rats for 2 years before that. Very high quality boot but they were a bit too narrow and would start to crush my feet after a while so I ended up selling them. PM if you have fit questions, tried several Crispis and the Schnees before i settled on the BT2s.


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