The BEST upland hunting boot..?

C

cyclonenation10

Active member
Hi All, I know this has been discussed before, but I wanted to pose the question again. Has anyone found a quality hunting boot that will withstand more than 1 season of heavy usage? I tried Irish Setter boots and Danners, and could not get even a single season out of them before the leather blew out, seams came apart, etc. I am just over year one with my Crispi boots and so far they are the best that I have found. However, they too have a couple of holes in the leather now (wear and tear holes, not puncture holes) and the leather is like sandpaper.

When I say heavy usage, I mean 50+ days per season, getting them wet and dirty virtually every single time out. I am pretty meticulous with keeping my boots conditioned, but haven't found a perfect answer for several back to back days of hunting, and feel that may be where I run into issues.. My boots go immediately on a boot dryer in my garage after hunting, and if it is back to back days, they go right back on my feet the next day, whenever I have a break in the hunting for 1-2 days, I leave them on the dryer, and condition them well when they are dry (usually the next day). Inherently, there are some stretches where my boots may get hunted in 6-7 days straight. Is this constant wet/dry cycle the reason for my issues? Is there anyway around this? IMO, you can't beat the comfort of a good Crispi boot, but for $400, I wonder if the only option is really to buy a new pair virtually every season? My muck boots on the other hand are in great shape after several years, however the comfort just isn't there for the long days of 10-15 miles walking. If I could find a muck boot with the comfort of my Crispi's, we would be in business.

Let me know what you guys think.. am I asking for the impossible?
 
Which model of Crispi boots?

I have a pair of Kennetrek Mountain Extremes that are going on 4 years old and are still in really good shape. I have put hundreds of miles on these boots and they should last several hundred more, I haven't even had to replace the laces yet.
 
Crispi, kenetrek, meindls, lowas, whites and the list goes on. Any of the top European boots that have a single piece of leather on the main body of the boot and a full rubber rand should last seasons when properly taken care of. In my experience oils don’t preserve and condition the leather, they just soften it. I’ve become a huge fan of obenaufs heavy duty lp. Have a pair of meindls that are 6 seasons old with an average of 30-40 days a year along with 3 elk trips and countless days training and still have plenty of life in them.
 
I'm not going to get into specifics and brand, but for the most part I have yet to find one. But you do get what you pay for. I don't hunt nearly as much as the OP, but still more than the average person I'm guessing. From what I have noticed, any brand, $200 and under, good luck on one season out of them. $300ish, I'll get 2-3 years out of them. $400ish... haven't tried that price point yet.. I have just kind of accepted that I will hunt hard in them, wear them out, try to do some maintenance to them, and get a new pair every few years. It's an expense that is worth it to me, without good feet and boots that can go for miles, the hunting isn't as enjoyable.
 
Hoffman boots out of Idaho are excellent. I got tired of spending $150 for new boots every year and took the plunge on ”expensive” boots. I am on my third season with Hoffman Explorers. They are expensive ($400), but they are great condition. Still 100% waterproof. The soles are in great shape. You can tell they are used, but structurally are the same today as the day I received them. I hunt around 50 days per year, and wear them regularly for non-hunting related activities year-round.
 
I won't spend a fortune for boots but it's getting pretty hard to get a good pair for under 200.00. Having said that here are my favorites that are not too expensive. Rocky outback's for warm weather, Rocky sport utility and Irish setter gunflints are not bad for the price. Meindl Ultralite and Irish Setter Elk trackers current favorites. The gunflints have mixed reviews but mine were fine. The Elk trackers have very good ankle support if that matters to you.
 
Crispy Thor gtx…. I’m on year 4 of my first pair and they have held up great. I’ve got a new pair in the closet to start next year!
 
My mistake I’m on year 3, I do believe wearing a good set of gaiters help protect the top half.. my boots are a year apart in condition from top vs bottom
 
For me, Danner Ft. Lewis. Not sure they're available now. Indestructible, Gortex lined, ankle supportive, in B or D widths, and, best of all, the easiest on the feet. Much more comfortable than Danner Grouse which I wore for years.
 
Started wearing muck “chore cool” for all my hunting, starting in early sept for sharpies and huns and ending 3 days ago in SD. Love the lack of lacing. Put orthotics in them for plantar fasciitis and I wear a light/mid wool sock. Not perfect, but they’re what I put on every day. One day shy of 50 in MT/ND/SD this season. Same amount last season. I have standard height and mid shin height…wear the latter more.
 
I wore and swore by my Filson Uplander boots for over 15 years. Fast forward to October 2020 and I got a new pair of Crispi Idaho GTX II and nothing has been the same, since. They are incredibly comfortable, no break in, and super supportive. I’ve got about 50 miles of upland hunting on them and so far so good.
 
cyclonenation10 said:

Men's Crispi West River 2.0 Gore-Tex 10" 400G Boots​


I had to replace laces 2x already on mine already..
Click to expand...
The problem I had with Crisipi Thor was poor design of a cloth eyelet:
Crispi_Thor_Boots.jpg
Also Crispi Thor had a 2" gortex half-bootie so wet feet crossing streams and
a boot that then did not drain those 2".
A better design would be a full gortex bootie or no gortex, and all metal eyelets.

For me, Superfeet Green insoles make a huge improvement with any long distance hiking.
 
AKSkeeter said:
The problem I had with Crisipi Thor was poor design of a cloth eyelet:
View attachment 2768
Also Crispi Thor had a 2" gortex half-bootie so wet feet crossing streams and
a boot that then did not drain those 2".
A better design would be a full gortex bootie or no gortex, and all metal eyelets.

For me, Superfeet Green insoles make a huge improvement with any long distance hiking.
Click to expand...
I wore those insoles in my Filson boots.
 
I think it varies widely because (and bear with me as this is pure speculation on my part) boots are molded to a particular size and shape of foot when they are manufactured and it could be that Danner Pronghorns are made similarly to mine, as they've been fantastic. For me. Got a pair at 20 years old, hunted 18 years with them until a corn stalk finally punctured a hole in the toe. On my second pair, the third season and they're great. Dove, duck, grouse, deer and pheasants. I put them on the dryer after nearly every hunt and apply mink oil every other week or so during the season. While I do hunt close to 60 days each fall, I don't put a ton of miles on them. A "long" pheasant hunt would be 5 miles.

My luck with these boots is likely due to the fact that I walk like an angel upon the clouds. It's a truly beautiful gait. 🤣🤣🤣
 
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Golden Hour said:
I think it varies widely because (and bear with me as this is pure speculation on my part) boots are molded to a particular size and shape of foot when they are manufactured and it could be that Danner Pronghorns are made similarly to mine, as they've been fantastic. For me. Got a pair at 20 years old, hunted 18 years with them until a corn stalk finally punctured a hole in the toe. On my second pair, the third season and they're great. Dove, duck, grouse, deer and pheasants. I put them on the dryer after nearly every hunt and apply mink oil every other week or so during the season. While I do hunt close to 60 days each fall, I don't put a ton of miles on them. A "long" pheasant hunt would be 5 miles.

My luck with these boots is likely due to the fact that I walk like an angel upon the clouds. It's a truly beautiful gait. 🤣🤣🤣
Click to expand...
From what I understand, today's Pronghorns (made in China) are not the same as older ones (made in USA). I went through 4 pairs of Pronghorns in 3 seasons from 2018-2020 hunting seasons. Luckily, Danner has fantastic customer support/warranty and all pairs got replaced for free under warranty with no questions asked. That said, I moved on to a different pair. Danner Grouse, and have had 2 years in them and expect a few more still.
 
Has anyone tried Rocky Chuka boots? I have used Timberland for years and need to move on from them. They are a 5" hiking boots. Reviews are good.
 
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