Slightly off topic, but all of you guys seem to be pretty active upland bird hunters. So am I, but I can't find a decent boot.

I bought a pair of Meindl Lightweight boots. They were worn throught around the toe in the first year. They had great support (not critical but nice), crappy traction (acceptable for pheasants however) and were light, dry, and comfy. But they just didn't last past the first season. Granted, these are $200 boots, but I thought a couple of seasons of Iowa hunting would be a reasonable expectation. I was wrong.

So this year, I bought a upland boots from LL Bean because I generally find their stuff a good cut above the rest of the crowd. That, plus being made of kangaroo leather (alleged to be tougher than most leathers), made me think these would work, albeit in the $200 price range. Again.
https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/13580?moe=ordhistory&csp=a

I was wrong. Again. After about 8 days in the field, the toes are going fast. The leather on the top of the toes seam is completely worn through, and the rest of the leather doesn't look so hot either.



So, I'm going to try to return them. But regardless of the results, I need a better boot. I give up at the $200 price point, but if I'm going to pay a bunch more, I need a bunch more boot. I use some of the old (good) Danner Elk Hunters and Meindl Perfekts (both insulated with serious traction, and substantial support).

The perfect boot would (in order of importance)
1 Comfortable (I have "normal" easy to fit feet)
2 Waterproof (gortex etc is normally fine for a couple years for me)
3 Reasonably durable (2+ seasons before leaking or busting seams)
4 Have speed laces from ankle to top (no eyelets on the very top of the boot)
Reasonably light (I would give up some lightness for more traction)
5 have substantial Traction
6 have support for ankles

I guess I should add it would be 9-10" tall as well (water is usually 10-11" deep where I hunt). I would want it uninsulated or at least not more than 200 gr of Thinsulate.

After wearing out these last two pairs, I have come to believe that good boots that will last will have a minimum of stitching and seams around the toes. Tall prairie grasses just wear through the corners and edges that seams and stitching present.

Right now, I am looking at a pair of Danner Grouse boots on Cabela's, but these are not even fully leather. I find it extremely hard to imagine paying over $300 for a pair of good boots, but I cannot, for the life of me, conceive of paying $400 for a pair of upland boots. So somewhere not too far north of 3 Benjamin's is about my limit.

I'll add one more observation about upland boots. The Grouse, like their Elk Hunter boots are Norwegian Welt construction which is nice and easily resolable. HOWEVER, it is a wide sole and it takes some noticeably greater effort to force it through tall grass, relative to a boot like the LLBean kangaroo boot. Resoling a boot is not important to me. The uppers will fail before the soles do given the cover I hunt.

Any suggestions?

Brent

PS. I do not find the LLBean rubber bottomed Maine hunting boot to be useful for long days of bird hunting. I need more support than that. Not a lot, but those don't cut it.

I love Danner Pronghorns. Comfortable, light & durable.

Lacrosse,

http://www.lacrossefootwear.com/men/work/work-boots/?sortId=position-asc

I've had mine for over twenty years.

I've used the Rocky boot harder though and about as long,

http://www.rockyboots.com/rocky-mens-waterproof-boots/

I buy redwing 10877 boots, the old fashioned redwings. They are tough leather but no gortex. They are made in US and if oiled regularly, are pretty waterproof. They take a bit to break in, but once there they are great. Hold up great in Texas where everything has a sticker. Only 8” though. They will do speed laces for you at redwing store. The redwing Irish setter boots have gortex. I don’t care for them much but some of my buddies swear by them. I think they are made in China. Redwing has many other boots to choose from too. Russell Mocs are superb boots but very expensive and no gortex. Like you, I’ve searched far and wide to find the right boots for me. Good luck.

I find few boots to keep up more than 1 or 2 seasons of hard hunting. To help extend there life, I glue extra leather on the toes. I use barge cement and leather scraps from Tandy. As the seams start go, then use epoxy. Yes they aren't pretty after season 2, but I can get 3 to 4 out of them seasons this way. I'm currently wearing the Danner ridge runner. They have an agressive sole and good support.

Ken

All of those boots are good but I have not found anything better than Russell custom boots in their various configurations. Guys that spend a lot of time in the field should consider having a custom pair made for them. They aren't expensive either like a custom pair of cowboy boots. They WILL fit...they will be right or you will get your $ back. Period. I have never regretted mine and will be getting more in the years to come. Tons of options too. A true custom boot for a few hundred bucks.

Bryan,
I have a pair of Russels. Thought I should have one pair of custom boots in my life. And only one it will be. for $300 (ten years ago), I got a pair that are, at best, okay. The toes have the same problem those LLBean boots have. I wore them to Africa and they were good enough there, but Africa is probably the easiest hunting I've ever seen, bar none. They had to go back to Russel almost immediately to have the soles reglued, but that part held afterwards.

My gripes about them are that they fit no better than off the shelf 10.5 D's that everyone and their brother makes. And, they are not even slightly water resistant to even light dew on the grass. Support is minimal.

Redwings for me

Like these, not to your specs but work for me

http://www.irishsetterboots.com/USD/prod...BSABEgJW1PD_BwE

Your wants are more like these

http://www.irishsetterboots.com/USD/product/hunting-boots/00861-10-brown-udry

http://www.irishsetterboots.com/USD/hunting-boots

Huh...my Russell were also worn 10 years ago in Zimbabwe on some long hikes through the rocks. I ordered them for that and I'm still using them. I got the PH model and I've beat the crap out of them but they still fit great and the soles I selected have been great. You can get those double capped toes (or whatever they are called). Sounds like you are hard on that area of the boot? Full waxed leather should be water resistant. If nothing else, they have silicone tanned leather, which is waterproof. On the support issue, I had an option for better support put in...can't remember what that is called.

I think there are two, maybe three, things that occupy a life of searching and are never found. The perfect boot is one of them. I can't find the perfect boot for even one condition, never mind the range of weather and terrain and load that I cover, even in my limited experiences.

The next is the perfect pocket knife. I have bought 3 or 4 more and am rebuilding all of them and none of them will be perfect. Not one.

I hesitate to say the same is true of shotguns, but is sure feels that way. But it may be just that I can't afford to play at the level where perfection lies. Oh well, I can keep hoping.

Right now, it's the quest for the perfect boot.

Curious thought but why are 'Upland boots' primarily styled with, for lack of a better term, moccasin toe. That welt looks designed to snag and self destruct on all but the gentlest terrain. Seems to me a box toe would be more practical. A little shoegoo and glue on toe protectors could go a long way to make an ugly but functional boot, style be damned.

Case.

http://www.wrcase.com/index_en.php

Ahh...perfection. That's a tough one and it doesn't come cheaply, quickly or easily.

I asked the same questions to a man I know in SW Georgia. He is a bird dog breeder and handler in the Red Hills of SW Georgia, and is in the field daily before, during and after quail season. He's on the ground running his string of setters for various landowners for wild quail. In a year, he goes through two pairs of LLBean upland boots (not the rubber bottomed Bean Boots) with the Boa closure system. He swears by them and he has worn them all. He'll do up to 15 miles a day in them, and for him, they are comfortable out of the box. Gil

Brent, add non-leaking long lasting waders to that list...

Brent, I just ordered another pair of Danner Pronghorns because I was worried they would stop making the exact model I like before my pair wore out. They are up to switch grass.

Gil, it appears to be these:

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/78206?fe...oductId=1292185

SRH

It has been my experience that the best boot for the money is made by Kenetrek. I have tried many brands of boots over the past 40 years and for durability, fit and comfort Kenetrek has not let me down.

Brent, Everybody has their opinion on this subject, but I have found that the old LL Bean Maine hunting shoe with 16" tops work best for me thru the type of country you refer to. They are light, keep the water out when walking thru sloughs, and are easily and cheaply rebuilt by Bean anytime. I had a guide in South Dakota who wore them,also, and he was out walking miles and miles every day with them. Just a thought. Sandlapper

Sandlapper,

I've always been drawn to those boots, but my fear is that they would not offer enough traction in the steep slippery grouse thickets I hunt. Could you offer any information about their traction abilities (snow, ice, mud, wet leaves, hills, swamps, etc)?

Slicker than snot is the appropriate term for the LL Bean boot w/the traditional chain tread sole & the version with the Vibram lug sole is too heavy for me. Minimal support in either version but they do keep your feet dry in most conditions.

I hear good reports about the LL Bean Technical Upland boot from a friend who puts a lot on miles on every fall in typical grouse & woodcock cover.

(I note from the LL Bean website that they no longer offer the vibram lugged version of the standard Bean hunting boot but they do offer that sole in a pac boot w/ felt liners. I've pretty much written the LL Bean hunting boot off forever so it has been a long time since I looked what styles are available)

That's what I was afraid of. Thank you...

I'll confirm what Brittany Man said about the LLBean chain tread. I have used these boots for decades when doing field work (I'm a field biologist). They are suitable for a couple of hours of slow walking, which is what my field work usually is, in mostly grass fields.

But I have also used them as all-day hard walking boots, and there, they fail. They wear out my feet in no time and they are either freezing cold or sweaty wet. And traction is about zero in most places. That's okay in a lot of the places, I hunt here in Iowa, though getting out of a ditch can be a bit of a chore.

I looked at the technical LLBean Upland boots with the Boa closure. It appears that anyone that has had them for a while tends to not like them. They don't seem to last, and they leak a lot. But folks really like that closure system.

Kenetrek, man they sound like great boots and one of my old grad students swears by them. Given what he does for a living as a Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife biologist, I do believe they are the best boots out there, but darn expensive for plain old pheasant boots. Perhaps this is what I have to do though.

I'm looking at some of the more expensive Meindl boots at Cabela's right now and thinking they are back in the running too. I like my Perfekts for big game hunting but seem like overkill for pheasants. Might have to just get over it and shell out the dollars.

While the perfect pocket knife, boot, and shotgun may be unobtainable, I'm always amazed that I've never had anything less than a perfect dog. If I had to choose just one thing to have as perfect, it would be my dogs every time, so I maybe I shouldn't complain about my boots too much.

I have a pair of Meindl boots, don't remember the model, but I like them for late season pheasant hunting in SD and big game hunting here in ID. They're not the perfekts, they were a bit more spendy than the perfekts. They wear well and are very comfortable.

I wore the heck out of the bean boots with the chain tread when I lived in AK. They fit my needs for the terrain where I hunted August/Sep caribou and moose i.e a lot of walking in wet tundra, not so much for the big game terrain I hunt here in ID.

However, I do wear the Bean boots when I'm hunting spring turkeys, walking skid roads.

Kenetreks are $450+... OUCH! I can't do it. Call me a cheap bastard.

Maybe these. They look like overkill, and at $330/pr, still darn pricey. But maybe I'll quit whining about my boots at last.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.j...4ae65f2d3d9b635

I hunt my boots hard In unforgiving, rocky, 45 degree+, mountainous terrain. I frequently encounter hidden barbed wire fences, leaf covered rocks, snow, and mud. I have tried most of the boot brands mentioned in this thread and have settled on the following combination:

1. Russell sheep hunters
2. Saddle soap and obenauffs after each outing
3. Peet boot dryer overnight

This regimen has served me well so far as I am in my 5th season with these boots hunting most weekends and a week on the prairies each year. At the end of last season a stitch came loose in the heel area and the sole stitching was working loose, so I returned them for a resole and they came back good as new. I know they are not cheap, but quality made in the USA rarely is (all products in the regimen above are made in the USA)



Oops need to wipe them down!

Owen you bring up a good point...a little maintenance and drying them out goes a long ways towards longer lasting boots. The Peet dryers are fantastic. I like the Russell Sheep Hunter boots but haven't gotten a set yet. Was looking at those or the Bird Shooter as next options for me. For everyday warm use, I love the PH model.

Heel counters is the word I was looking for earlier...my heels lift without them as I have narrow feet.

Meindls can also be great depending on the model. I had something similar to their Bergen GTX model. I got 5 years of hard use in Alaska out of them. Consider some of their mountaineering/hiking boots that are made for working in the rocks, crampon use, etc. Some are too heavy but they make lighter ones too for hiking. You won't blow the toes out of them anytime soon, support is world class (I used some inserts in mine) and the quality is good.

I've tried the Bean Maine hunting boot, but as noted they tired my feet out and provided virtually no ankle or foot support. I find that the mock toed boots give better toe comfort for me, which is why I like the Irish Setter/Red Wing boots.
Regardless of cost or durability, it's about comfort and support because that's where my feet live for the day. Nothing spoils a hunt faster than uncomfortable feet for me.
Karl

Russell boots are overrated, they’re really no better than the other choices recommended here. I’ve been wearing Russells off and on for 20 years and my sons have also worn them and worn them out. I’ve had mixed results with having them made per my measurements and have had better luck buying them ready made off their website. Delivery time on custom orders is ridiculous and repairs are expensive. Stick with Red Wings or some of the other recommendations made here.

We have been happy with the LL Bean Kangaroo Technical boots. 8 pairs in the family. Very comfortable from the first day. But they do seem to run 1/2 size small for me.

Have had poor luck with gortex or any waterproof leather in any boots for several years. Have gone to rubber boots (Boggs or Le Chameau) for wet mornings or rain days. But getting too old to hunt much in the rain.

Brent, what are you doing chewing on your boots when you get hungry?

Always remember, a granola bar is your friend when hunting.

Russell maybe overrated by some, but from a comfort stand, they aren't overrated on my feet. I got fitted for a pair last May and one foot was sized differently than the other. No wonder I had issues with boots. The Russells are just what the Podiatrist ordered. And I agree about the LeChameau boots, there is nothing better in a waterproof boot. Gortex translated from the original Russian: "Will eventually leak on a cold day while walking through dew soaked grass." Gil

Meindl Douvre extreme. Mine are on their fourth season now and i have every reason to believe they will last another 4.

I have been wearing Merrell waterproof hikers for the last few years. My current ones have rubber type toe and are very comfortable. I have some older Red Wings in the non waterproof hikers and need to get one seam sewed up and they have a lot of miles on them. For the grouse/woodcock woods or when I think it is going to be wet I like the original Muck Boot Co boots. I never thought I would like rubber boots but these are different and I wear long socks to protect the top of my legs. I can walk all day with them without a problem.

Okay, I should be doing other chores, but I got distracted. Here are pictures of some of my hunting boots. I have others, and many have long since been tossed, but I have these 1/2 dozen to show off. The photos don't really show the damage and wear very well but look at the tops behind the toes, this is where most of my boots fail the fastest. I would consider buying numbers 1, 2, and 6 again. But missing from that list of acceptable boots is something light and uninsulated or at least lightly insulated. There is a description of each boots pluses and minuses between the two photos.


Top to bottom, left to right



1. Meindl Perfekts with 400 gram Thinsulate with Gortex. One 2-week moose hunt in the Yukon Delta and some local hunting convinced me these will be great boots. They are definitely still watertight (knock on wood), but have a long ways to go before I can pronounce them the King of Insulated Boots. Comfort excellent. Support excellent. Traction excellent. Durability to be determined, but looking good so far.

2. Danner Elk Hunters with 400 gram Thinsulate with Gortex. Many many hunts in Rockies for elk and deer, in prairies for pheasants and deer and antelope, and even the cattail swamps. They leak a little now, and they have lost some airbobs on the soles, but still great traction, moderate support and fit, but darn heavy and big (wide on the outside, so they are hard to force into the grass that I hunt). Durability is superb. If the Perfekts hold up like this, I'm set for big, insulated boots. Comfort medium. Support medium. Traction great. Durability superb.

3. Russel Moccasin "Hikers?" No insulation, no Gortex. Darn expensive for my "normal" and equal sized feet. Takes forever to get when ordered (6-8 months as I recall, maybe longer). Well hunted in Africa (easy walking) and a fair bit of pheasants and some antelope hunting (ie., probably the easiest hunting conditions). Support is minimal, water resistance minimal, comfort medium (dead flat foot bed can be easily fitted with some inserts to become "okay"). The photos don't show it but the stitching on the toes is shot on both boots. Good for squirrel hunting, chores, and easy walking like Africa or antelope. Comfort medium. Support medium or a bit less. Traction medium. Durability medium at best (esp. given it's cost).

4. Meindl UltraLights with 400 gram Thinsulate with Gortex. These are AMAZINGLY comfortable. That is the only good thing I'll say about them. They have support for feet AND ankles, big toe box keeps feet warmer, even with lots of socks. I bought them for elk hunting in the snow. They lasted one day because I had ZERO traction in the snow. I went back to the truck and got me Danner Elk Hunters that I had thrown in on a whim. Thank god for that. If these boots would hold up, they would be great for pheasants because of the comfort and light weight = they are ridiculously light. But they did not last even half of a season. Might be a great cold weather boot for western bird hunting or antelope or other things where the cover is pretty sparse. They won't hack it in the Midwest, where cover is so thick you have to lean into it to get through in many places. They are great chore boots around the house, shop, barn, and timber. Comfort superb. Support superb. Traction mediocre. Durability horrible.

5. LLBean Upland Kangaroos uninsulted with Gortex. Comfort is about like the Russels. Good, but not fantastic. A better footbed than the Russels, but no ankle support. Watertighness fine as long as we lasted, but that was not very long - about 8 full days of pheasant hunting in dry conditions. Comfort medium, Support medium. Traction medium. Durability horrible (but LLB agreed to let me return the for full refund, I do love this company. Just not their boots).

6. LLBean Maine Guide boots - no insulation, no Gortex. These are great for what they are - canoe boots, field work boots, and places where the conditions are likely to be wet, the ground flat, not rocky, and temps mild, neither super hot or cold. I could not work in them all day without seriously wearing out my feet. They are great for certain special conditions that I often encounter. I did this once while elk hunting (they are awesome for still hunting with a bow in some conditions) but I damn near crawled back to camp at the end of the first day. Wore my backpacking boots thereafter on that trip. Comfort medium (in the right environment they are good). Support Zero. Traction minimal, Durability medium or a bit better and easily reshod if cared for.



Same order as above, but just the right boot in profile. .

I've been very happy with Filson Uplanders for over 10 years, run true to size, cork liners, insulated or not. List at $375-425 but readily available as seconds in their stores or on eBay.

Here's a pair of size 10's for $329.

I thought I would try a pair of Russells so I waited for the Vintagers 10 years ago ad had them measure me there. They showed up several months later and I couldn't get my foot into them. I'm a 10D and never have had a problem getting boots that fit but these boots would have been better suited for a 9.5. There's still a brand new pair of Sheephunters in a box downstairs. Anyone interested contact me if you are a 9-9.5.

I agree. I have gone through a lot of boots over the years, and my recent favorites have been Keens, but I needed a taller boot this season to allow for an ankle injury. So, I bought tall, uninsulated boots from Danner, Meindl, and Lowa. The Danners are tall (8-1/2"?) Pronghorns, and the Meindls and Lowas are around 8". Pronghorns and Meindls were on sale at Cabela's for under $200, and I paid full pop at REI for the Lowas, around $450. The Lowas are the most comfortable, the Meindls are fine, but the Pronghorns are the best value and the boots I have been wearing. Light, comfortable, sturdy, decent ankle support, acceptable appearance. I will never buy or wear a boot with a moc toe, because of the stitching problems and because they hurt my feet around the toe box. I have bunches of boots in my rotation, but when I go back to a 6" boot (if I am able), it will be shorter Pronghorns (4 pair) and the old Keens (3 pair). My only caution on the Danners is that they tend to run a bit narrow for size, so I buy them wide.

Two words Russell Moccasin....the South Forty Signature Birdshooter is by far the best walking boot I've ever wore.



Anyone say different they don't know jAck shitz.

Many years ago when in my early 20's I drove into Spokane to be custom fit for a pair of the Whites Smokejumper boots, 12" tops, when I was on what's now called a hotshot crew....paid $98.00 for the pair.

I ended up wearing those boots for firefighting, upland and big game hunting and about everything else I did outdoors...virtually lived in them for 3-4 months of the year under some serious usage and abuse conditions. They lasted about 7 years and then I had them rebuilt and they lasted another 3-4 years.

One of the most comfortable pair of boots I've owned, to this point, with great ankle support and traction. Heavy as can be and got soaked in rainy, snowy, inclement weather but I didn't care being young, dumb and in shape.

I've changed my tune 40+ years later on what constitutes a good upland/big game boot, but if you can handle the weight, hunt in steep rocky terrain, in dry weather and want a boot that lasts, they're tough to beat. I now own a pair of Nick's, equivalent to the White's, but I certainly don't hunt anything in them.

I bought a pair of Russells several years ago. I got measured by the boss at the Vintagers. I spent quite a while with him deciding on exactly the configuration I wanted based on his recommendations. I paid for them and waited over a year punctuated by multiple phone calls and e-mails. When they finally came they didn't resemble what I had ordered and they didn't fit at all. They messed around two more times and a total of about two years sending me their best guess as to what I'd ordered and what would fit me. Finally they said they'd tried their best and couldn't fit me, no refund offered but I could keep the ill fitting ones I had at that point. The boots were two different sizes!! They were so uncomfortable as to be unwearable. I finally found a guy with different sized feet that they fit and gave them to him. So don't tell me about Russell boots. Poor product, poorer customer service. Never again!

My favorite boots remain my many years old LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes in all but the warmest days in the field.

I just ordered another pair of them this afternoon. I cannot even begin to estimate how many pairs I have worn out, sent back for new bottoms, and started over with new ones again. They cover what I need very well, along with my other boots.

SRH

One thing I'll add is that whenever I find boots that I plan on wearing constantly, if at all possible I buy 2 pairs and wear them on alternate days. I find giving your boots a day to dry out before wearing them again will prolong the life of both pairs past the point of wearing out a pair and replacing with another. I have one pair marked odd and the other even for the day of the month, it works out in the end.

I go a ton. My experience has been that it really comes down to any boot w/stitching will get chewed up in briars, sunflowers, grass, whatever. It is extremely abrasive.

Because of this, my favorites are Danner Mountain Light II's, Meindl Perfect Hunters/Hikers. All have one piece leather uppers w/little to no stitching. The Danners, although a bit short, are the bomb for me in decent weather. And can be recrafted.

Even w/these boots, I still use a tube or two of Shoe Goo a year, spreading on the toe and sides where they begin to show some wear. I got 5 years out of my last Mnt Light II's till I set them too close to the evening fire drying out.

In snow and mud, I like Mucks.

at $521 a copy and nearly the same as the Russel model I have, I can say definitively, they won't hack it in Iowa. Not even close.

Have had my Filson boots nearly fifteen years and I hunt quite a bit. Getting pretty beat down now. I did have new toe caps put on a few years back. Not waterproof but otherwise about perfect for me. Not looking forward to buying a new pair as the price has more than double since I bought mine.

Russells seemed to be loved or hated.

I actually feel both ways at times. Especially when it is wet out.

I have over 20 different pairs. None made to measure. None ordered from Russell directly so I have never had to endure their waiting times or been happy with or disappointed by their trying to custom fit me. I simply buy either size 9.5 or 10 depending.

On the bad side. They, with maybe the exception of their gortex lined models, not I say again not waterproof. Even their vaunted triple vamp is a sieve. Except for their gortex lined I would never choose to wear their boots on a wet hunting day.

As for comfort. I obviously like them, but recognize they, unless ordered, do not have much support or cushioning.

I think they are an acquired taste. I cannot say they are worth the price of custom order as despite my closet full I have never ordered custom, (i am too frugal) I can say I like them as day to day shoes now that I am retired, and as hunting boots.

My favorite light hunting boot is the South forty, and the sheep boots my favorite heavy boot. My office shoes are art carter boots. i wear their simple moccasins around the house all the time. Even as I type this.

If you like the Bean pac boot style, look at Schnee's version.

https://schnees.com/hunter-ii/

I have both insulated and uninsulated pac boots and find them more supportive than many traditional hunting boots. Plus, I like their Bob sole. Obviously, they work great in wet conditions. I wear the uninsulated boot when it's in the high 20's and the insulated boots I have worn elk hunting with temperatures below 20-30 degrees and find them comfortable and supportive.

These boots use much thicker leather and rubber-very durable!

Schnees are obviously good for wet conditions (and a very reputable brand) but I need better support than that. The idea of those being called "the best elk hunting boot in the world" seems odd to me. They're just pac style boots. I would turn my ankle in those boots in the mountains...not to mention the lack of foot support. I can appreciate pac boots but at the end of a day, my feet are always pretty tired after wearing them.

Boots are obviously a very individual thing. Find what works for you and get outside more often!

The only pair of bespoke boot I've ever owned is the Gokey "Botte Suavage" Santa Claus brought me the Christmas of my junior year in high school. I'll be 70 in June, so that makes 53 years with the same pair of boots. They do not get much use nowadays as I've switched to Muck Boots, but I quail and rabbit hunted in GA briers for many many a year in them. At least two replacement soles and part of the uppers replaced. The water proof dressing they came with is still available and I've always kept them water-proofed just in case I find the fountain of youth...Geo

Not a reasonable suggestion for Brent maybe but just a point that bespoke is a good option. How much do those things cost now days?

If you've gotta ask how much they cost ....................

Just kidding, the 3/4 height hikers are $279. I don't see the taller ones at Orvis.

SRH

Danner Fort Lewis boot. worn them for 20 years in the service. Been through countless pairs of boots hunting birds. Been through Danner bird boot, kangaroo boots, Rocky light weight, Red wing,Lacrosse and to put it bluntly they all lasted about two seasons.
Knock on wood, I am on season 6 with my Ft Lewis boot and my prior pair lasted 11 years.
I am very hard on boots and I have a high arch which does not help my shoes or feet. Just my opinion.

I believe the bottom line is this, if you find that special boot that is comfortable and works for you, raid the milk money and stock up on them. Chances are they'll be discontinued.
It's happened to me regarding several items that I've found to be perfect for me.
Karl

I am beginning to think that maybe a $200 boot, if it can last 2 yrs, might be good enough as a "disposable" boot.

I'm looking for uninsulated or lightly insulated boots to replace the LLBeans that went back to Maine yesterday. But with the temps not making it into double figures unless there is a minus sign in front, I won't need these boots for a good long while.

I'll have to keep looking and also watching for a sale price this winter. I'm undecided what to do next, but I have gotten a few ideas from this thread.

Thanks to all.
Brent

I've had more than a few dealing with Russel Moccasin over the years.

I've never let some bOzo at some sport show measure my feet I just buy an 11D and in insulated get an 11 & 1/2" D. I've had two experiences with the customer service at Russel and both times they offered and made me new boots free of charge...

So I suggest that if you didn't get treated right at Russel Moccasin its because of some internal flaw/fault you have.

I hunted in Georgia years back and the guy I was hunting with had a pair of goofy looking rubber boots on....

I remarked where did you get those goofy looking rubber boots ? He replied they were Le Chameau boots and that if I ever wore a pair I'd never wear anything else turkey hunting...I asked what they cost then remarked that if I paid $500 for a pair of rubber boots I'd no doubt poke a hole in them the first time out.

https://www.lechameau.com/us/mens-chasseur-leather-boot.html?c=283

A short time after I got home a pair of Le Chameau Chasseur boots arrived in the mail...

That was close to 10 years ago. A couple years back the side zip pull broke off on one side so I took the other side zip pull off and just snap the top strap closure works as good as zipping them.

A few years back I bought a new back up pair they are sitting in a fancy LaChameau boot bag my hunting boot closet waiting on the old pair to leak.

Bottom line the guy in Georgia was right unless I'm hunting in steep terrain where a lace up boot is needed or too cold a weather for a non insulated boot I'm wearing my little Lord Thorn'arOy rubber boots...

500 dollar boots? Worth more than my truck. I just wear my Army boots. When they wear out I go to supply and get a new pair.


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After the hunt all the fellers are throwing stuff in the back of the truck. Hey! Careful! I scream. Oh what do you care about this old piece of junk they say. I don’t, but if you scuff my boots I’m going to kick your arse!

Well, I have had a similar experience as Mr. Blair with Russell Moccasin. Only mistake I made was buying the boots in the first place. I bought a pair of the Bird Shooter Boots and they were the worst pair of boots I have ever bought - and follow up customer service with Russell was just as bad. Morning dew on 2 inch grass would flood those boots and the steel heel would peel the hide right off my heels in a matter of yards. It cost a small fortune just having the boots shipped back and forth to try to get something that would fit decently. I finally gave up and just gave the boots to a fellow and he wound up angry that I had given him such a dog of a boot.

I was shocked at the pi** poor customer service with something that cost so much.

I like my Danner High Ground boots but get a 1/2 size larger as they tend to run small.Bobby

Never knew so many people with internal faults/flaws owned guns....kinda scary.

When the dew is heavy I wear rubber boots...that being said I've made quick wades of stream and cricks with out the Russels giving way to moisture.

My current favorite boots are Meindls. They are proving to be very durable.

I also like the Danners that Cabelas sells.

I had a pair of Russells and they were very comfortable boots. Wore out relatively quickly though.