So I raved here a few months ago about how great the fit and feel of the Cabela's Meindl Ultimate Hunter boots are. They're still be best-feeling boots I've ever had on. For my wide (EE) feet they felt just heavenly. Then I used them.
First day out with about 6 hours on the trail, the rand started to come off the boot. By the end of the day I could stick my finger in it. "They're a good boot from a good company, this must be a fluke!" says I. Back to Cabela's they went.
Second day out with about 6 hours on the trail, the rand ... wait, no sense writing the EXACT SAME THING as the last paragraph. Back to Cabela's.
Let me insert here that I am occasionally stubborn up to and beyond a measure of suffering. I went back to Cabela's and tried on every Meindl in the store, as well as some others. Walked around in them, the whole deal. Took more than an hour. Nothing felt anywhere near as good as the Meindls Ultimate Hunters. "Well, I'll just glue them. They feel so great!" says I. And I did. A third pair.
First day out ... well, you already knew what I was gonna say. Took them home and applied gap-filling isocyanate glue. Next day out, more glue. Next day out, more. By the fourth time out I spent more time looking down at the 'boots' and thinking "You're an idiot" than I did scouting. So -- drumroll please -- I took the damned things back and kept my $300.
This was in Phoenix. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago in the Anchorage Cabela's. Of course the first place we go is the Bargain Cave. What do I see there but not one, or two, or three, but four ... pairs of returned Meindls. Perfekt Hunters and Alaskan Hunters.
Note to any Cabela's or Meindls reps -- I tried my best to praise your product here. Really. If you want to give me a pair I'll try them again. But that's the only way.
So now I'm wearing some 5 year old boots ... fortunately they were never worn much.
I had a similar issue back in '95 with the Cabelas Canadian Hunter boots by Meindl.
I was on a fly in hunt in the Brooks Range for sheep. About mid way through the hunt while packing my ram/cape/meat/gear back to base camp I had to cross a narrow fast moving creek. My pack was too heavy for me to try and jump across it so I just walked across and my right foot got immediately soaked.
When I got across to the other side I took my pack off and looked at my boots. The stitching on the back side where the synthetic material was sewn to the leather had become unstitched. Luckily I had some duck tape with me so I taped it up and went about my business.
When I got back home I notified Cabelas and they told me to return them and would get another pair to me asap because I needed a pair for an upcoming moose hunt.
3 days in my moose hunt, the same thing happened. When I got home I called them again and told them what had happened so they gave me a choice. I could get another pair or get a refund, I needed boots so I picked a different pair of boots and never had a problem after that.
Thankfully Cabelas customer service lived up to the reputation and I never had any issues with getting replacement boots when I needed them.
