I have been a midwest whitetail hunter all of my life but this past year I have the bug for backpack/mountain hunting. I bought what I thought to be a decent boot in the Under Armour line up to discover it isn't enough for the load out packing elk. For the same elk hunt, my son bought Lacrosse windrose boots and said his feet felt great after packing out two bulls.
What I need help with is picking a better quality boot and not breaking the bank. Lets say the budget is 300 and under and I want non-insulated. I want something that is water proof (gtx), holds up well, has a nice toe box and doesn't require a long break-in period. Lowa, La Sportiva Nucleo and Salomon Quest have been some I have been considering because I can try them on locally at REI. Any input would be great and how they fit compared to Under Armour or Nike would be nice information.
There are alot of great boots, personal experience with the big brands, they are all good. But....
Schness Beartooth amazing comfort very quiet for bowhunting. Great ankle support
I have been a midwest whitetail hunter all of my life but this past year I have the bug for backpack/mountain hunting. I bought what I thought to be a decent boot in the Under Armour line up to discover it isn't enough for the load out packing elk. For the same elk hunt, my son bought Lacrosse windrose boots and said his feet felt great after packing out two bulls.
What I need help with is picking a better quality boot and not breaking the bank. Lets say the budget is 300 and under and I want non-insulated. I want something that is water proof (gtx), holds up well, has a nice toe box and doesn't require a long break-in period. Lowa, La Sportiva Nucleo and Salomon Quest have been some I have been considering because I can try them on locally at REI. Any input would be great and how they fit compared to Under Armour or Nike would be nice information.
Personal boot review, I have worn ever one of these boots out, to the point of no warranty. I'm 6'4" and weigh 220, so i can be hard on boots. I spend most of my time wearing these boots as well.
Schness Beartooth, great fit, great ankle support, plenty of warmth for Temps around 0 if moving. Soul is very quiet compared to Kenetrek. Traction is a great. Very stable on uneven, and step terrain. Handles heavy loads with comfort. Not as dangerous to walk on ice with. Highly recommend.
Kenetrek insulated/non- great boot I would recommend. Not the best soul for bowhunting or stalking in close. Very loud. Great durability, stiffer than schness boots, great ankle support will handle a very heavy load with comfort. Will kill you on ice. Soul is very hard not great on slick sticks or ice. Also takes longer to break in due to stiffness of boot. Do not wear insulated boot above 30 degrees your feet will feel as if you walked in a swamp. Very dependable boot.
Mendal- alot like wearing Schness, very durable not as stiff as Kenetrek, quiet soul, good traction and they hold up well.
Crispi- probably the lightest of the bunch, good soul/traction, not as much ankle support as Schness or Kenetrek. But very close.
Lasting durability, probably a toss up between Schness and Kenetrek. Comfort, all about the same but would probably say Crispi or Mendals? Quietness crispi, schness/Mendel, then Kenetrek. Overall fit, wider foot Kenetrek, Schness/Mendel, Crispi.
Normal/narrow foot reverse order. All seem to run very true to size. Late season insulated, go up a size you can thank me later. All handle heavy loads well, but probably the Kenetrek wins in that department due to the stiffness. Do not buy a pair of any of these and go hike in the mountains they will destroy your feet if you don't break them in first FYI especially the Kenetrek. Stiff boots need time to form to your feet, wear them to the store, work, wherever for 2 weeks befor hand. No one likes blisters.
Just my opinion go try them on see what you like, expensive boots last longer then expensive women, plus they Carry a bigger load, so do your feet a favor and don't buy cheap boots they will last, and you will have them for a couple years of hard hiking instead of a couple months.
This is why I recommend Lathrop & Sons…
