doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Suitable boots

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.