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The Rok Blog’s “Who is?” series is designed to introduce you to anyone/anything I think might help you the hunter.  Today, I’d like to formally introduce Rokslide’s newest sponsor, Schnee’s (pronounced Schnaze) of Bozeman, Montana.  

If you follow my Live Hunts, you know I’m a big fan of their boots, having put them to the test the last seven seasons of buck hunting.  They’ve been a good company and I think they can help you.  Schnee’s is more than boots, though.  They carry the line of Stone Glacier packs in their Bozeman store and so much more.  See all-things Schnee’s at Schnee’s Hunting

I recently interviewed Schnee’s chief  boot designer, Tom Johnson.  I wanted to give you a true expert’s view on what goes into designing top-tier mountain hunting boots.  Read on to learn what goes into Schnee’s boot design.

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Robby:  Hi Tom, so let’s start at the top, Who is Schnee’s?

Tom: Steve Schnee started the business in 1978 as a shoe repair business with a passsion about quality footwear. He added retail footwear to his repair business a few years later in ’80.  Steve was at the helm of Schnee’s until he sold the company in 2005 to Jon Edwards, a fanatical hunter and avid Schnee’s customer.  By the way, theh name “Schnee” is German for snow—how serendipitous!

Robby: Where did the idea for the company come from? 

Tom: The Schnee’s Pac was born in ’84 with Steve Schnee trying to build a better mouse trap.  As a shoe guru, he recognized what was wrong with most of the boots on the market and made the necessary changes to improve the boots.

Robby: Who are your customers?  

Tom: Very mainstream, all walks of life. But in ’84, when Steve reinvented the Pac boot, Schnee’s became the hunters’ boot of choice due to the durability and performance in snow country.  The high-country hunter found our Pac boot to outperform all others.

Robby: How is Schnee’s different than other companies out there? 

Tom: Passionate about quality, performance, and our customers! If we don’t take care of our customer someone else will. 

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Robby: OK now moving from the company to you, let’s talk about your background and how it affects your boot design ideas.

Tom: I’m not just a desk jockey, but a hunter, an outdoorsman, and a native Montanan.  I have been hunting my whole life for big game and birds mostly.  I also took up cycling about 35 years ago and have been spinning ever since.

Robby: As a boot designer, what are you looking for when designing a boot? 

Tom: Overall performance. As a hunter and outdoorsman I don’t want to have to think about my footwear. There are so many things going on I don’t want to have to deal with blisters, sore feet, cold feet etc. I want to go wherever the hunt takes me and not be limited by gear.

Robby: So what makes your boots great? 

Tom: Quality and performance!  There are so many boots out on the market that the average person thinks as quality but most of those are from China and are by no means a high-end quality boot.  These import boots just can’t hold up to the torture of the high-country hunter.  

Robby: Why have you been successful in designing boots? 

Tom: I start with the features and benefits to make a great boot and work backwards from there. The cost will be what it will be. Other companies will start with a target price and build to fit that price. Next thing you know you are using substandard components to meet the price.

Robby: Is there any technology you incorporate that we need to know about? 

Tom: A lot is just good old fashioned high-grade components. There are many ways we can cut corners and costs but it will all show in the end.  We refuse to cut those corners.  One good example is our midsole material. We use Polyurethane rather than the cheaper micro-porous rubber. The overall durability and stability is maintained by using Polyurethane. This is also one reason we don’t have sole delamination on our boots.

Robby: What about new technology?  Anything coming up in boot design you’re looking at? 

Tom: We are always trying to evolve into a better boot. Waterproofing and breathability is a never ending challenge. We currently use eVent membrane but our quest never ends for lighter, more waterproof, and durable boots. My goal is to build a better boot than our current Schnee’s products!

Robby: Are your boots built locally? 

Tom: Our Pac boots are made in here Bozeman and our Mountain boots in Italy. We spent a great deal of time and money to find a factory that shares our same goals of quality.

Robby: I see you carry other top brands of boots, talk about those? 

Tom: Not everyone can afford our boots and some people don’t fit well in our boots. We carry a variety of price points and brands to meet everyone’s budget and fit needs.

Robby: What one feature/benefit do you look for in buying boots? 

Tom: Fit!! It really is a moot point to have all the features of a great boot if the boot does not fit your foot.

Robby: Thank you, Tom.

Alright Roksliders, now that you’ve heard from the expert, let me show you the generous side of Schnee’s Boots and Rokslide.  We’ve combined to give away one pair of their premiere Absaroka Mountain Hunting Boot valued at $395.  We picked this boot as I’ll also be doing a thorough review this spring and fall on my own pair of Absarokas.

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Schnee’s Absaroka Mountain Boot

At 3.8 lbs per pair, this non-insulated 6-inch boot is built upon a full Polyurethane midsole with Vibram Tsavo outsole offering excellent medial and lateral support.  Vibram’s Tsavo outsole design provides serious multi-directional traction from the rubber compound made exclusively for Schnee’s.   You’ll stay dry all day with the 100% waterproof eVent membrane liner. Read more about these awesome mountain hunting boots at SCHNEE’S ABSAROKA

As always, you gotta get in a little skin in the game to win the boots.  There are four steps:

1) If you’re not already a Rok Blog subscriber (be sure), go to top of page under Fitness/Other links, right hand side, and click “Subscribe to blog”

2) Go to the great Schnee’s Facebook page and “Like” the post about this giveaway AND “Like” the Schnee’s page (top of page under banner)

3) “Like” the same post on the giveaway on the Rokslide Facebook page AND “Like” the Rokslide page (top of page under banner)

4) Finally, post up in the Rok Blog comments section below the type of hunts you’d wear the Absaroka’s Boots on (use first and last name).

You have to be on all four lists to win. 

I’ll conduct the drawing on Monday, March 17th.   Watch your email for winner notification.  Due to popular demand, the Absaroka’s won’t be delivered until late May (plenty of time for hunting season).

Of course, post up any questions in the comments section below.

 

 

 

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Robby Denning
Robby Denning
Robby Denning started hunting mule deer in the late 1970’s, only missing one season in 35 years. At 25, he gave up the pursuit of all other big-game to focus on taking the best bucks possible. He began hunting the West on a DIY budget hunting an average of 30 days a year for mule deer. Robby loves the hunt as much as the kill and the entire process from research to scouting to hunting. He’s killed four bucks over 200 inches in the last 15 seasons, mostly on easily-obtained tags. He owns a public-land scouting service and runs a private-land outfitting business helping other hunters in their pursuit of deer and elk. Robby has scouted and hunted literally thousands of square miles of mule deer country and brings a wealth of knowledge about these experiences with him. To him, the weapon of choice is just a means-to-an-end and will hunt with bow, rifle, or muzzleloader – whatever it takes to create an opportunity to take a great mule deer. He is also the author of "Hunting Big Mule Deer" available on Amazon. Robby believes all of creation is from God for man to manage, respect, and through which to know its Creator

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70 COMMENTS

  2. I’d use the boots for elk, muledeer, bear, and blacktail for sure. With a little (or a lot) of luck, goat or a sheep also!

  7. I would use these boots for early deer (both whitetail and mule deer), as well as elk and antelope.

  9. My hats off to you Robby and Schnee’s on a awesome giveaway .
    I’d use them to hunt mule deer above timberline to hunting elk in the oak brush.

  10. These would treat me nice on some high country archery and fly fishing trips with a heavy pack on.

  12. I would wear these from the low Lava flows to the high boulder peaks in early, mid season. I own a pair of pacs and are wonderful but lack the ankle support and durability these would provide.

  14. I’d love to get these boots out to Alaska for some black bear and moose hunts, but that is also dependent on my connections up there. These would definitely be put to good work one some early whitetail hunts.

  20. These boots would work wonders in the tough terrain of the Canadian shield in Ontario, Canada, as I search for whitetail bucks and moose on the loose.

  22. All the hunts I need to keep my feet dry on. After the boots I used last year, I think flip flops would have worked better! So for this year that would include Colorado elk, mule deer, pronghorn, bear and a whole lot of grouse hunting with my pup. I’d take them on down to my Arizona mule deer hunt as well.

  27. These boots would be just right for all hunting since they are uninsulated and waterproof. Add some good wool socks and most temps would not discourage me from wearing them. Seems a great match for treeline hikes in all types of weather through out the year and brush and rocks can’t hurt them. I would plan to wear them this year while hunting in Montana and Wyoming.

  30. I’m an eastern US hunter so our backcountry is not as vast as out West but rugged nonetheless. I’d wear these boots hunting whitetail, turkey, and ruffed grouse in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.

  33. I would love to wear these new boots on several scouting trips and during bow season this year with my son. He just turned 12 and is ready for his first real elk hunt! Thanks for a chance to win.

  34. Thanks to Schnees and rokslide for a great giveaway. I would use these boots chasing Mule Deer, Elk and Bears with a chukar trip mixed in.

  37. I’ve worn out my old boots running after sheep and elk in the Alberta Rockies. This year won’t be different. I’ll be bow hunting elk, and bighorn ewe, and helping two friends in their search for a ram (I can’t hunt rams this year due to success in 2013). Many, many miles ahead of us across tough rocky terrain. I need new boots!

  38. Wow guys, glad you’re excited about the boots. I like hearing about all the different states (Seth in Virginia) and species (Bighorn ewe, Frans) Roksliders hunt. When I was working with Schnee’s on this giveaway, we were worried that the May delivery date on the boots might dampen the excitement. Maybe not? Besides, May gives a guy plenty of time to break them in before scouting season. Thanks for playing.

  39. nothing is better than a good pair of boots. I would love to hunt deer and elk in Idaho with these boots.

  41. I’m headed to Africa this July/August and then up to Wyoming on an elk hunt this September. A new pair of boots is on the list this year and the schnee’s have my attention.

  43. I would be using these boots for spring bears, high country september mule deer, mid september antelope, late september elk, then late season archery only mule deer.

  45. I would use these boots for all by backcountry hunts along with early season whitetail hunts

  46. John McDonald will be using these boots on a SW Washington early archery elk hunt/ Eastern Washington mule deer hunt

  47. Colorado archery elk, Kodiak Island mountain goat, Quebec caribou, and NC whitetails.
    Barrett Johnson

  49. Very slight rule change. This change does NOT apply to all entries before this post (So Ross Russell and before).
    Facebook requires contestants to “Like” the post on this giveaway on both Schnee’s & Rokslide Facebook AND “Like” the Schnee’s page & Rokslide page (See Like button under the respective banners once there.)
    This makes it much much easier to do the drawing on these big giveaways. I updated the rules in the blog post above to reflect this change. Didn’t want to stress out those who already entered. You’re good. You can be a nice guy and go back and “Like” the pages, though!
    Thanks everyone. Have fun.

  50. cole wilson
    wear them backpacking all summer,all month archery elk,late season mule deer if i draw

  51. I’d wear them hiking, backpacking, and on deer and elk hunts in the Rocky Mountains. – Madnik

  52. Have a Montana DIY elk bowhunting trip planned for this year (as long as I get drawn) and I would love to have a new pair of quality boots to wear on this hunt. It’ll be a lot of up and down so a quality boot will be a must. I want to be able to focus on the hunt and other tasks at hand, not on my feet. Thanks for offering up these boots to a lucky winner, very generous of you!

  53. I would to use them for elk& deer September threw December.It would be awesome to sctually have a hiking boot keep my feet dry over the miles esc the selkirks in November.

  65. I’d use them on an Alaskan Caribou/Black bear hunt this August and every other hunt I go on from then on out.

  67. I’d wear them on my Alaskan Caribou/Black Bear hunt this August and on every other hunt in MT/ID.
    Thanks

  69. Two spring bear hunts on alpine and one on Vancouver island would be the first hunts a pair of schnees would see

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