Let’s talk boots (older crowd on here)

Lowa Caminos have been good to me, i just turned 62. Very little break in time,great ankle support and made very well. I also have a pair of Crispi Valdrez that are comfortable after several days breaking them in.
 
Totally depends on the terrain and temperature but if I'm hunting fez on the flatlands with no snow I want something like these Keens -- good traction (while still being VERY lightweight), great comfort (esp. in the bottom/sole), waterproof and not hot (so not tall), and did I mention lightweight? Make that very lightweight. If it is wet out but I want to go anyway I will put a pair of gaiters on to keep my socks from getting wet.

I grew up hunting birds in the mountains and would not have dared to wear a light boot like this for that, but for the grasslands I'm hunting now they are perfect, and the heavy leather boots with vibram soles are like anchors on my 76 year old legs. I can hunt all day in these.




 
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Kenetreks are 25 percent off right now. I bought some safaris at the beginning of the summer. They are light. Closer to a mid height hiker . No waterproof liner. But from what I saw during a wet June treated they stayed dry.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
Kenetreks are 25 percent off right now. I bought some safaris at the beginning of the summer. They are light. Closer to a mid height hiker . No waterproof liner. But from what I saw during a wet June treated they stayed dry.
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I have several pr of Kenetreks and have not seen a model that did not have the waterproof liner (which works very welll, BTW!). They are a great boot but weigh too much for me on most days. In rough country or in snow, I will prolly have Kenetreks on, but not on dry days on the prairie. Last year that was just about all we had, but who knows what this year will bring. I always have the Kenetreks in case they are needed.
 
Al Bonkers said:
I have several pr of Kenetreks and have not seen a model that did not have the waterproof liner (which works very welll, BTW!). They are a great boot but weigh too much for me on most days. In rough country or in snow, I will prolly have Kenetreks on, but not on dry days on the prairie. Last year that was just about all we had, but who knows what this year will bring. I always have the Kenetreks in case they are needed.
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I hunt in hardscrabbles.My wife calls my full leather boots Frankenstein boots. So I’ve renamed them, the hardscrabbles are huntensteins . My lowa rangers are workensteins. And the safaris are hikensteins.
The safaris are a 7” boot with just a toe cap and a warm weather breathable liner, Pretty comfortable and I think about 4 ounces a boot lighter than my hardscrabbles.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
I hunt in hardscrabbles.My wife calls my full leather boots Frankenstein boots. So I’ve renamed them, the hardscrabbles are huntensteins . My lowa rangers are workensteins. And the safaris are hikensteins.
The safaris are a 7” boot with just a toe cap and a warm weather breathable liner, Pretty comfortable and I think about 4 ounces a boot lighter than my hardscrabbles.
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It all depends on what you need. The Keens I pictured weigh 7 oz per boot less than the Safaris. At my age and the distances I typically walk while hunting, that is a huge difference.

I will not hunt in mountains (rocks) w/o a pair of Kenetrek's, but their stiff sole is uncomfortable walking all day in grass. I need the stiff sole in the mountains, but it is a pain in flatland grass. The grass provides a nice cushion but you ruin that with a stiff-soled boot.

My son (pictured with the birds) has Kenetreks and other boots, but he hunts in trail shoes. He wears gaiters to keep the stickers and debris out of his socks. For years I told him he was an idiot for not wearing a decent boot, but it turns out he was way closer to being right than I was. Going to a high-top, super-light trail shoe was the best thing I have done to improve my hunting.
 
I am an upland game guide and do a lot of walking throughout the season. Kennetrek boots offer very good support and longevity. The Everstep Orthopedic boot supplies extra ankle support. Kennetrek boots run wide. I wear a 3-4 E boot but their standard wide size fits me fine. You get what you pay for with their boots.
 
I wear Danner Pronghorns and Irish Setter Wingshooters. Both good boots but the Danners are more comfortable. Some people complain that they aren't what they used to be but if you take care of them you will find that they last. Put mink oil on the leather regularly and put them on a boot dryer after every use. Of course you should do that with any pair of boots.
 
Danners used to be my go to boots. However my last two pair, as far as waterproofing have lasted a little longer than one season but definitely less than two.

So, I am into my second pair of Meindls. I liked the first pair so much for deer and elk hunting that I bought a lighter 8" hiking boot from the company. They are comfortable, and dry...dry....dry.
 
Danners and Meindls for pheasant hunting by old guys? Do we need to check ID's here?

Danner Pronghorns were the only boots I ever had that I praying they would hurry up and wear out.
 
Life is too short. I wear Russell Moccasin South 40 Bird Shooter. have to be at least 15 years old (probably close to 20) and still look new-ish. Changed soles once because I made a mistake up front. Needed more traction rather than less mud pickup.

Love them.

russellmoccasin.com

South 40 Premier Build

The Boot: The tale behind the South 40 was written in the pheasant fields of South Dakota in 1983-1984. Our team realized the need for a boot that could hold up to a broad variety of conditions and tackle long miles with comfort, all in the lightweight package the Russell Bird Shooter model is...
russellmoccasin.com russellmoccasin.com
 
Al Bonkers said:
Danners and Meindls for pheasant hunting by old guys? Do we need to check ID's here?

Danner Pronghorns were the only boots I ever had that I praying they would hurry up and wear out.
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I find them very comfortable. And like the customer service. I have 3 pairs of them. I had a pair that I bought in 2020 that started leaking last year during dove season. I called Danner and they sent me a $100 gift card for a new pair. This particular pair had a spot where the stitching had tore away from the leather. I bought a new pair of Pronghorn 400's with the gift card and my wife stitched up the 800's and I still wear them. I also have a pair Pronghorn 1000's that I bought in 2010. I wear the 1000 on cold bowhunting days. I live in western Kansas so very seldom have to worry about leaky boots. On those days where we have snow, I am hunting in Muck Wetlands anyway.
 
I had 1 pair of Danners. They leaked like a sieve 1st day. Sent them back. I like the Meindls. I wear the Euro lights for cold weather.
 
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