what boots

[bnsafe]

ok, first of all my feet freeze, so im ok with thinsulate in them, so what boots do yall use. im leanin hard toward a pair of assolo sassalongs when they go on sale from sierras, but cabelas has a pair of all nubuck leather boots 7 in tall on sale that look nice. so what yall wearin. im figuring out co isnt like mo, one pair of boots wont work for everything.

[Sean_TeamNWHunting]

I have worn 400 gram thinsulate boots for years and find they are not too overwhelmingly hot on warm days and with a good pair of socks are warm on cold days, even in the snow. Gortex lined is essential, make sure you break them in before the season and grease them up real well. There are lots of great brands out there, but realize that even the best brands can fail. A preferred brand that I have used for years failed me once on a DIY backcountry backpack hunt one year when it snowed over four inches the first night into the hunt. I spent the next three days dealing with cold wet feet. This company had always done well for me in years past, for some reason the pair of boots I was wearing failed. Since then I have tried lots of other name brands without any further incident. Foot happiness is important to me on any hunt. Spend some time breaking in the boots you choose to purchase, test them before you head out on your hunt. Your feet will thank you. Happy hunting!!!

[ElkNut1]

Actually I do wear one boot for everything. Find yourself a boot that is lightweight, 400grams, 9"-11" tops, get a good boot & oil them according to their instructions twice a year. A well made boot sealed properly will not leak until they just get old & break down but you should get good service out of 300.00 to 500.00 boots. My choice these days is Crispi GTX Hunters, not cheap but a pleasure to wear for Turkeys, Antelope, Deer & Elk snow or no snow, & 80 deg--90deg no problems, they breathe well. Tough enough for those long grueling packouts too!

Lots of good boots out there find one you can live with!

ElkNut1

[Indian Summer]

A couple quick questions: What time of year or better... how cold do you want them to be adequate for?

Also... do you want them for average elk country where some guys even get by with the hiking shoes or lightweight footwear? Lots of options there in a wide range of prices. 0r are you looking for something that's going to do the job (& last!) in some more rugged country, steeper and rocky, where ankle support is a must and a stiifer sole a plus? Less suggestions for you there... and you'll pay more. If that's the case Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400 gram is awesome among some others.

Wide foot/narrow foot? Danner boots run very narrow.

Important to know those couple things before I can say what might be best for you.

Last, what's your budget?

[otcWill]

I'm in a position where I get to try MANY boots free of cost and so I've tried just about all of 'em. That said, I have found that vasque makes my favorites, hands down. Kene's are also a great boot for walking but the tough sole comes with it's disadvantages i.e.: you ain't sneaking up on me with no Kenetreks on as the hard sole makes for some noisy walking. I have found the vasque to be the perfect mix of durability and relatively quiet on the final approach. Asolo''s are good but not nearly as durable as the vasques.

[Swede]

Indian Summer is right. I have a narrow foot and I love the Danners. Find a boot that fits well and is made well, then add options like water proof and insulated. Start wearing your boots as soon as you get them, so both of you are ready for each other on the hunt.

[Lefty]

I use to wear the better Red Wing, and Lacross and Danners.
Ive found that Cabelas and New Balance fit me great
While the hikers I use to like have been discontinued, a Arizona hiker replaced then they are not a warm boot but are great in the desert, a good pair of socks hels

[bnsafe]

thanks guys, think im gonna go with 400-600 gm thinsulate 9 in boot of some kind. full leather, and i will try some on before i buy. i bought some crispi kanadas last year and they were ok but didnt fit quite right on one foot so i sent them back. bought a pair of north faces jungas and they felt awesome til i started walking and going down hill in missouri was painful. not the boots just my feet are weird shaped. i will go to sierras and just try a bunch on. as far as budget im fine with spending some money on a good pair, as long as they last more than one season. and i wont buy danners, just my opinion.

[REMSP10]

and i wont buy danners, just my opinion.

Just remember that all Danners are not the same. Make sure to take a look at the USA made Danners, they are made way better then the cheaper ones you will find in most retail stores.

[wideangle]

Early season archery or when the terrain is not terribly rocky I use Montrail AT Plus Trail Shoes.
These are a favorite of hikers on the Appalacian Trail.
They put on a lot more miles than elk hunters and hike some really steep terrain with backpacks.
The shoes get very high ratings.

http://blog.montrail.com/2010/05/montrail-at-plus-review/

[bnsafe]

i had some danner pronghorns and they leaked like a siv after the first year. had to throw them away and they wernt used hard, just turkey hunting in mo where its not steep or rough. i called cust service and they did nothing to help me, so i threw em away and wont ever buy another pair. it may have just been that pair, but i was pretty disgusted with their cust service. im still leaning towards the assasalongs.

[Moose-head]

I have a couple of months and a few scouting trips on a pair of made in USA Danners and they seem to be holding up pretty well.

[bnsafe]

i sure hope they work out for you. for comfort they were very nice for me. but they didnt hold up and cust service basically told me to bad. im not saying they are bad boots, matter of fact i would love to hear they are good boots.

[>>>---WW---->]

bnsave: Aren't you originally from Missouri or some place back east? I think you may find that your feet won't get near as cold out here as the did in the midwest. I believe this may be because of the dryer climate in Colorado. And if you are a bowhunter, a good fitting pair of 400 gram boots will get you thru the season just fine. At least that is what I found out. I'm originally a west central Illini but have lived in Colorado since 1978.

[>>>---WW---->]

bnsave: Aren't you originally from Missouri or some place back east? I think you may find that your feet won't get near as cold out here as the did in the midwest. I believe this may be because of the dryer climate in Colorado. And if you are a bowhunter, a good fitting pair of 400 gram boots will get you thru the season just fine. At least that is what I found out. I'm originally a west central Illini but have lived in Colorado since 1978.

[WindedBowhunter]

bnsafe are you using these boots for long hikes (over 1 mile)? If so, I wouldn't recommend insulated boots. Due to the fact that your feet will sweat more than usual and the saying goes, if your cold and wet...your done!

If your treestand hunting, I have had great success with Bogs Blaze 1000 with a liner sock and my First Lite Hunting Sock. But, any good merino sock will work like Vermont Darn tough or Smartwool.

To circle back, I have a pair of Asolo Powermatic 200 GV boots. This will be the 5th year in use and they are "almost" broken in! These boots are bomber as I have hunted in MT, CO and ID with these boots. These hunts were DIY backcountry bivy hunts 7-10 days long with no camp shoes.

There are a lot of great boot manufacturers out there. You need to at least try them and imitate the use in which you will be using them. If you will be treestand hunting, make sure you are wearing the same socks and pants you would wear treestand hunting to check the fit and cut. If you are bivy hunting wear the socks, pants and a weighted pack to try the boots. Most good stores have a rock you can climb on or around to see how your foot feels and moves in the boot.

Point of note is when you try on hiking boots or running shoes, do it at the end of the day or right after your done exercising. This is due to your feet being swollen, sweaty and expanded.

[timberghost51]

I have the sassalongs right now with only about 10 miles on them and they are already very comfortable...I do believe this year I will be buying a pair of Crispi boots