Time for a boot upgrade, need some help

[Professor Doolittle]

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.

Lowa GTX mid
I've bought over a dozen pairs in the last 20 years. I backpack off trail about 100 miles per year. There's an ice/snow/winter version, too. I never have a break in period with these, total comfort right out the box.

 

[Mike6158]

Never hunted in them but I've backpacked a bit and when I found Zamberlan boots I was through looking. But... fit... as has been noted here numerous times, is what makes the boot choice.

 

[VLD Pilot]

Darn I have size 14 and it is so hard to find a good fitting boot. I have been getting Danner for the over 20 years and they have been good to my feet. Only brand that fit properly. I had the Pronghorn 20 years ago and then they changed, people didn't like, and they changed back to the original Pronghorn. I actually switched to the Military style for hunting and they are GREAT. Personal preference. I always got the Danner on special programs where the cost was less than 50% or less. Have several Logger, Pronghorn, Powderhorn

M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot)​

Try to look for Danner Deals. The once had a program that you could join and get great discounts.

Well, with feet that big, you only need boots to go up. With those feet, you can ski back down

 

[birddog11]

Switched to crispis 5 years ago-never looked back. I'm sold from here on out.

 

[jnjolson]

Asolo is my favorite, Zamberlan next. Never heard of Crispi till now, I'll have to try some.

 

[sp6x6]

Ive run everything from super light prairie elk hunting, but has to be cactus proof.Medium early elk to late season.For the tough country I want a 3-4 flex.Muley and elk near me is steep and rocky.Once theres snow you almost cant gain edges unless snow is deep and I run crampons.Ill bee in them10 hrs some days.My average favorite is Crispi Valders or similar.I also run La sportiva,Asolo, and Scarpa,those are all 4 flex style. Wore a bunch of air boobs off Danner in 2 days, tore them right off.I also was lacing a set up and pulled lace hook right off boot first day.

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

Crispi gets my vote every time .. My absolute favorite is the Thor II (have 3 pairs) for everything until i get into snow cold and super wet conditions then I switch out to the Briksdal Pro ( have two pairs ) ..

They are the only boots I've ever owned that i can wear straight out the box and go hard

 

[blumtn]

Wore a bunch of air boobs off Danner in 2 days, tore them right off.

Can you tell me where I can buy a Pair of AIR BOOBS? Asking for the wife.

 

[sp6x6]

Can tell where my minds at?

 

[Rckymtnshooter]

Crispi is my go to boot. Thors and Colorado for early to mid season. Wild rocks once it gets cold and snowy. All my Crispi's were brand new out of the box, lace em up and go. No break in required.

 

[ammodrew]

Darn I have size 14 and it is so hard to find a good fitting boot. I have been getting Danner for the over 20 years and they have been good to my feet. Only brand that fit properly. I had the Pronghorn 20 years ago and then they changed, people didn't like, and they changed back to the original Pronghorn. I actually switched to the Military style for hunting and they are GREAT. Personal preference. I always got the Danner on special programs where the cost was less than 50% or less. Have several Logger, Pronghorn, Powderhorn

M.E.B. (Marine Expeditionary Boot)​

Try to look for Danner Deals. The once had a program that you could join and get great discounts.

Another vote for Danner. I've owned several pair, the ones I purchased back in 2012 finally gave up the ghost recently and while I'm going to send them back in for recrafting I wanted another pair of boots, as I've been having some foot problems recently after buying a pair of Vans for every-day-wear. I've worn them in numerous manufacturing environments, trade shows, and over thousands of miles on foot. I usually got the goretex lined, but the ones I just ordered are an uninsulated boot. The MEB and the RAT boots tend to run on the wider side, the boots I just bought I got the normal size (size 16) ended up having to send them back in exchange for some that were wider, they were just a little too narrow for my foot. Danner lists the last they use, so if you find a pair that fits good, you can usually be sure any of the others you buy that use the same last will also be a good fit. Their customer service was really helpful and sent me a return label for the ones that didn't fit, and sent out a new pair.

Customer service and quality are top notch.

 

[ammodrew]

Follow up:

Danner Tachyon were the boots I bought, the size 16EE fit nicely, I wore them all day thursday, friday, and through a range cleanup Saturday, and then a mellow sunday, total about 12 miles of wear, plus a bunch of quad riding on saturday. Absolutely fantastic, feet didn't get hot, these boots are insanely light. No back or hip problems like I was having last week with the skate shoes.

 

[FMFDoc]

I wore Danners in the military and continued with them for many years, they were good to me in the past but I have developed concerns about a gradual dropoff in their manufacturing quality.
White's, Nick's, Wesco, Frank's - basically the better Pacific Northwest old-school makers - are excellent. If you can find Meindl (a German bootmaker) in your area, or order some, they are outstanding.

 

[camuley]

My pick through experience on my feet…Crispi

I own 3 different pairs of Crispis for different hunt styles, spend the extra $ u wont regret it theyre awesome