Hunting Boots
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Very interesting thread here. I actually own a shoe store and have been in the business for over 40 years. I stock all of the brands mentioned except for Schnees, Meindl, and Kenetrek. As mentioned by many of the others, it will depend on what you are using the boots for and how much you are willing to spend. At our store we also do boot repair, and I can tell you that crying once and investing in the better boots will pay for itself over and over. Footwear should never be purchased on line in that your footwear is what will get you home. You should find a shop that carries what you are looking for and try them on, all footwear will fit different and everyone’s feet are different.
Best of luck and I hope that you find what fits you the best and keeps you warm and dry!!
Best of luck and I hope that you find what fits you the best and keeps you warm and dry!!
I unfortunately am a 8 1/2 narrow...which is impossible to find these days of heavier and heavier people. Know any off the shelf brands that make a narrow? I've looked all my life and just suffered through regular width boots.
-Mac
If you are ever in Spokane, Whites will build you a great boot to fit your feet.
https://whitesboots.com/
I suspect its a dying art but maybe there is a similar business much closer to you.
There is...Bakers Boots in Eugene OR. $800 a pair. I can't even fathom spending $800 on boots every 8-12 months.
-Mac
I bought a pair of these 20 years ago and wear them deer hunting every year. They are warm. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/516...A&noaa_region=southeast&originalProduct=14774
Mac,
You are correct an 8.5B is not an easy size to find especially in a hunting boot. However some of the Italian boots have a much narrower last than the Asian boots. I also struggle with this in that I wear a 10.5A. I wear both Crispi and Hanwag boots and have no problems at all with them being to wide. I do put in a different insole to take up some of the volume. If you are after work boots, Red Wing has boots in your size.
You are correct an 8.5B is not an easy size to find especially in a hunting boot. However some of the Italian boots have a much narrower last than the Asian boots. I also struggle with this in that I wear a 10.5A. I wear both Crispi and Hanwag boots and have no problems at all with them being to wide. I do put in a different insole to take up some of the volume. If you are after work boots, Red Wing has boots in your size.
What are you doing? Filling them with water and leaving them out in the snow?
Wading through illegally abandoned trash in the woods. Everything from raw sewage to nails, sharp metal, blackberries, scaling cliffs, hiking/running 20-30 miles while carrying 80 lbs of backpacking and chainsaw gear. Welding, oxy/acetylene and plasma cutting. And that's the short list.
-Mac
Even when I was falling trees in Oregon I didn't go through handmade boots every year. I fell all year long,mud snow etc.
My current handmade nicks fire boots have 7 seasons on them. The lye in the ash is real tough on leather. Nice thing about getting rebuildable ones is you just replace the parts that need it. The 6-800$ is worth it. Especially when they are fitted to your feet and don’t give blisters
The only time I've seen high quality boots fail in a year is from doing construction in a pulp and paper mill.
I had a pair of the cabelas versions as well and they lasted me 8 hunting seasons and hundreds of miles up and down mountains. By far my favorite boot I've had. The pair you linked is the same boot just sold direct from Meindl now, they are what I am using currently. I would say they are just as good as the cabelas version.
My next pair of boots will be from Lathrop & Sons, full on custom fit hunting boots.
https://lathropandsons.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorVgtZF3gKdyg1WQRxAHvgLyAv5WCClJY39sQXJcpR1-NLat3W7
Boots are one of those items that some people will cheap out on and they will never understand why people spend so much money on them. Until you wear a pair of boots that are amazing and you'll never go back.
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