Whats on your feet?

[omsrud]

Omsrud,

Have you tried a silk under sock? When I first started going to Wyoming big game hunting 35 years ago I bought a new pair of boots at an outdoor store. They told me to wear a silk under sock with a wool sock over it. (weight of the wool sock depends on the room you have in the boot) I did this and never had a problem. In recent years I have been using a Thermax under sock. But I never go afield without a good under sock with wool sock over it, regardless of the temp. I see guys all the time wearing nothing but cotton socks. I guess if it works for them fine but I bet they would find using a wool sock over a silk under sock would make them have happier feet.

I've been looking for some more silk socks and here is a web site that I found.
http://www.wintersilks.com/viewprod...-silk+for+your+toes&prod=mid-calf+sock+liners

Yes, they seem a little pricey, but it's a small price to pay to have comfy feet. If your feet aren't comfortable in the field it won't be a good day.

Haven't needed to since I bought Danners. The problem was with an pair of Irish Setters I wore out long ago, which cheap panyhose or dress socks alleviated the problem I was having. Now I just make sure to have a quality pair of boot socks on to keep my tremendously sweaty feet dry, which does the trick.

 

[Dakotazeb]

Omsrud,

I you have very sweaty feet you would definately benefit from a good pair of liner socks to wick the mositure away from you foot to the outer sock.

I'm been having a problem the past few years finding a comfortable boot that fits me right and also a proper insole. My 63 year old feet just aren't what they use to be. I've started to over pronate. Especially on my right foot and have developed a bunion on that foot. I have a pair of Irish Setter Upland boots that aren't too bad with the proper insole. After the season I bought a pair of Danner Pronghorns that seem to fit pretty well but i haven't found a the right insole for them. Plus they tend to rub my heels raw if I walk much in the field. Got to try some silk socks. Probably going to have to break down and see a foot specialist and get some insoles made for my feet. It's a bad deal when your feet don't feel good.

George

 

[omsrud]

A good pair of boot socks does just fine. I forget the exact names of the products but both Danner and LaCrosse make a fine, lightweight boot sock that keep my feet dry. I've used liner socks before and frankly, the added insulation doesn't do sweaty feet any good.

If you're having foot/arch problems, I would recommend trying moldable insoles made by Sole before your traipse off to Goodfeet or the Podiatrist. You stick them in the oven, then immediately into your footwear. I'm only 30 years old, but have awful feet. Before I discovered these insoles, I felt like I was 70 years old after being on my feet for any amount of time. Now I use them to run, play basketball, hike, hunt (in my upland boots or in my duck hunting waders), and just about anything I do that requires any amount of time on my feet. I've got a pair for the office too, as I found that I was getting sore ankles, knees and back just from the trips around the office I made during the day. They run about $45 a pair. Not cheap, but cheaper than a pair of custom insoles if they work.

 

[onpoint]

Sorry, I had Rockies, my dad had Rockies, my wife had Rockies

Only one word is needed

JUNK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Never will you find any Rocky boots on our feet again

Leaked, sole wore out, stitching ripped, Etc

 

[Hub]

I've burned up a lot of boots in the past 10 years or so. I've had Danners, Rocky's, Lacrosse, and Irish Setters. I was only getting a season or so at best out of a pair of boots. Someone finally suggested I try a pair of Meindel Alaskan Hunters from Cabelas. They have a 2" rubber base around the entire lower portion of the boot, not just the toe cap, but the whole lower portion. I think I have around 4 years on my current pair, but a few years back I bought a second pair of the same boot so they don't get 100% use. I usually hunt 8-10 hours a day so at mid day I'll swap out boots and socks so my feet stay fresh and don't blister. I also dry both sets of boots at night on a boot drier. Besides being nicer on my feet, I think using the boot drier and swapping them out prolongs the life of the boot. Mine are still nice the rigid and offer good support.

I'll throw out another tip, for those of you who are messing around with silk and polypro base socks and the like, get yourself a pair of smartwool or smartwool knockoff socks and give them a try. I'll never go back. A good smartwool type sock wicks enough on it's own.

 

[toledojoe]

Love my Russells

I spoiled myself a few years ago and bought a pair of Russell hand made. I noticed an immediate difference in fit and feel.

I've always had trouble getting a good fit b/c I have such narrow feet.

I only wear them 10-15 days/year so I expect them to last a while.

They ain't cheap, but I believe, well worth the investment.


lefty

I also love my Russell hand mades. They're expensive and take a long time (13-16 weeks) but they fit like a glove. I've also always had trouble getting a good fit because I have such wide feet, sort of a swamp thing.

 

[omsrud]

I'll throw my dissatisfaction in with Danner boots, as well. I've been through two seasons with the Pronghorns I purchased and wonder if they'll make it a third? I believe sometime during the first season the stitching was disintegrating and they weren't keeping water on the outside. They are comfortable, but the quality doesn't match the cost. Perhaps most disappointing was that they showed such wear despite the significant decrease in my time afield.

Prior to the Pronghorns, I had a pair of Irish Setter upland style boots, as did a buddy of mine. They were fairly comfortable and lasted a long time, especially considering that in those days, I was putting a lot of miles on my hunting boots. The only problem with them is that they had a heel cup that managed to skin my heels for the first few weeks of the season, even though I wore them year round. I suppose I was in them longer and under tougher conditions than my preseason use. My buddy had the same problem. I adapted by wearing either an ankle pair of panty hose or tight dress socks under my normal boot socks to take the friction off my skin. Aside from the heal cup, I was satisfied with these boots, particularly the durability and adequate comfort.

I've learned that hunting boots, perhaps more than anything save dog, should receive the highest consideration and probably isn't an area to cut cost. That being said, I would have a hard time dropping Schneez or custom type money on a pair of boots and blow them out in a season or two. But then again, I've learned my lesson from discount boots. That's what makes the Danner expenditure so disappointing. Hard to find the happy medium where price, comfort and durability come together.

I have a bit of correction and a bit of an epilogue to this thread, or at least my post. First, I mispoke. I had Sharptails and not Pronghorns. Second, I sent the following letter to Danner and returned my boots to them. Today in the mail I received a brand new pair of Sharptail II's. They appear to be of a higher quality construction than the Sharptail I's, but time will tell if that is really the case.

Dear Sirs:

I'd like to direct your attention to a thread on an upland hunting forum regarding Danner boots:
http://www.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1085

As you'll see, there isn't much flattering being said about Danner boots on that forum. I took interest in that thread because I experienced the same type of disfunction and disappointment in my Danner Pronghorns.

I just finished my second hunting season with my pair of Danner Pronghorn boots purchased at Twin River Outfitters in New Ulm, MN (Unfortunately, Twin Rivers is no longer in operation). When I purchased my Danners, I did so based on past reputation. I was finally in a position where my income allowed me to make a decent investment in my hunting footwear and because of your previous reputation, Danner was at the top of my list. I was frankly dissapointed out of the gate.

After paying such a handsome randsom for footwear, I expected quality in design, comfort and durability. I will say to your credit that the Pronghorns are the most comfortable hunting boots I have ever worn. However, they are easily the least durable, and are near the bottom of quality of design, this despite being the most expensive hunting footwear I've purchased.

The first issue I noticed was with the lace hooks on the uppers. There seemed to be no remedy short of duct taping my laces that would keep them on the hooks and laced. I spend more time in the field retying because the laces slip off the inadequately depthed hooks. I could not lace my boots up any tighter. The flexion that occurs with a normal step would create enough slack so that the laces would come off the hook.

The second issue dealt with stitching. I hadn't put to many miles on my boots before I realized that the stitching was coming undone or seemed to have disintegrated on the toes and along the sides of the boot.

The third and last issue was with the waterproofing. Although Gore-Tex lined, the boots did not keep water out. It did not take long in wet grass before my feet were just as wet.

Clearly, the Danner reputation did not follow these boots. By way of reference, I had hunted the previous five plus seasons in a pair of Irish Setter upland hunting boots. Although not quite as comfortable, they nevertheless carried me through many of days and weeks of day long hunts and withstood far more abuse. Although my hunting has been curtailed dramatically by demands of job and family, the Danner boots deteriorated at a very disappointing rate. I do not believe they would have lasted half a season in the days when I was hunting in the Irish Setters.

So in closing, I hope you are aware of the deterioration in both the quality and reputation of your boots. If my Danner Pronghorns are any indication of quality of your products, I will pass by the Danner displays and the boots I used to covet once upon a time in favor of a more rugged, reliable boot that meets my comfort needs before purchasing new boots for the next hunting season.

With unmet expectations, I am,

 

[birdshooter]

Nice letter Omsrud.

I had a pair of Danners years ago that the stitching started to deteriate. Found out later from a shoe repair guy that the "Snowseal" I was using to preserve/protect the leather was a big no-no for Gortex (silicone impregnated) boots. The snowseal literally ate the stitching away. Other than the dressing that Danner sells, Silicone is the preferred leather treatment for any Gortex leather boots.