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.
