Go to boots

dnb86

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2022
Messages
204
Location
California
Running the schnees beartooths right now and love them but interested in a lighter weight boot for hiking training and quail hunting. Was eyeballing the Hanwag combi and Hanwag makra. Curious what everyone else was running and if anyone has had any experience with these boots. Thanks
 
Depends on the terrain you hunt. We hunt birds (Chuker, Qail, Doves, Grouse) in hilly rocky country. Very little grass and field type ground the best we get is sagebrush. I like a stiffer sole. I swapped out my Meindels for some Crispi Idaho's. Be aware Crispi has almost no warranty and it is totally subjective by them. Buy them from Scheels and you will have a full replacement multi year warranty once they see the boot. Two buddies had sole separation on the exact same hunt together. One returned to Scheels and the other contacted Crispi on his own shipping costs. The Crispi warranty had purchased the boots less than 6 months before, and the Scheels warranty four years prior. Scheels replaced the boots in seven minutes, and just today Crispi notified the other they will replace the boots one month after he sent them in.
 
When I've had my hands Hanwag boots they seemed real stiff. I've never wore a pair hunting so can't comment on that. I like my Crispi's they work good from elk hunting to chukar.
 
I have gone through a lot of boots, some expensive some not so much and i will say that the only boots I buy now are Kenetrek. But boots fit people differently, so just because they are perfect for me doesn't mean they will be perfect for you? No matter which boot you settle on, spend your money and get a quality boot, a lot have been mentioned here already. Your boots are not the item to save a dollar on..
 
This is my fifth or sixth year on my Lowa hunters. I probably put a hundred plus miles on them this year alone between scouting, my sheep hunt, a few days deer hunting and three elk hunts. Never once have I had wet feet or blisters.
Like has been said find the boots that fit you. I tried Kennatrek and hated them. They just didn't fit me. Stick with a good brand (Lowa, Kennatrek, Crispi, ect.) And you'll be good.
 
Kowa, Crispi, Zamberlan, meindl, hanwag, Kennetrek, Scarpa ,and many others all make great boots..you have to try them on and find what fits YOUR foot, might be the most technically advanced boot in the world, but if it hurts your foot , you sure won't think so. All about fit.
 
After buying a pair of Kennetrek mountain extreme I've had no reason to try the others. After nearly 10 years they're ready for a rebuild. 3yrs hard use in Alaska and nearly 7 bird hunting. Alaska chewed the tread a bit so if you're sheep hunting the rocks they maybe a touch soft. I'm half dozen sets of laces and insoles in, they're the best outdoor boots I own. Just don't walk on smooth concrete or tile floors mine are slippery. They are a bit warm for uninsulated boots they've got a desert boot that's lighter and would be perfect for early seasons. Several 25-30mile weekends aren't a problem.
 
I wear Scarpa for everything. My favorite light duty with a good flexible sole is the Rush TRK. Just a good lightweight boot with some support, good flex and have held up through a lot more miles than expected. Good waterproofing also. I wear these day hiking, scouting on and off trail, light backpacking/training. Scarpa has always fit my foot shape well and i have a pretty big collection of them for different types of adventures.
 
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