Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting White's boots

Laffin my ass off here.... Yes, I've been wearing Whites, or Hawthorne Hi-Lines for the last 5 years around the plywood mill I work at. They ARE hell for stout. I wouldn't wear anything else for a straight up tough ass boot. They can take abuse like you wouldn't believe, and they are excellent for stomping hippies and kittens

BUT, my next pair of boots will be either Wesco's (I'm a 9.5 EE with a girl heel, I have to "pile" the heels to not blister the [bleep] out of myself) or Nick's. I work with 200 other Millbillies that also abuse work boots professionally. Wesco's, Actual Whites, and Nicks all last about 2 years. Nicks tend to hold up the best (as long as their not the sueded side turned out on the toe box, pitch sticks to them BAD) Also, Nick's is hands down better on their rebuilds... you get back brand new, already broke in, boots from Nicks. White's rebuilds usually make you go through that 5 months of suffereing again before they get back to where they were.

But if you've never tried a NW type Logger boot, buy a pair of Hawthorne Hi-Lines first and make sure you can love them... Lace them up really tight with two pairs of socks on and walk through a calf high creek, then walk them dry... The Hi-Lines are 7 mil welted leather, they last about 2 years and then you [bleep] them... Its a NFPA rated boot, machine made stitchdown with screws too, and they claim to be rebuildable. I never put more work into them than a resole.

Nicks are worth the coin, once you decide you dig the logger... I work with a guy thats had his rebuilt every 3 years for the last 20 years...



Now.... Having said all that. I hardly ever hunt in them. They aren't water proof, and they're too high in the heel for walking downhill. I have a 10 year old pair of Danner Klondikes with 600/thinsulate that are about dead.



If you go over an 8" upper, just remember that those are referred too as Hooker Boots or Hooch Boots

If they're black, this is a perfect example of Hooker Boots.

Leave it to a track mechanic





Am I wrong about the "Wet Break-in"???

toad,

I have the same boot, and like them for the same reason....they're sticky. I use mine for climbing towers, and they stick to steel really well. They've also lasted longer than any boot I've ever owned. A busy summer would eat a pair of off the shelf Wolverines, Red Wings, etc. I've had these White's for 5 years, I think, and still going strong. The first day I wore them, I thought WTF, these are the most painful boots I've ever had on! After a week or so, I was love'n them! That said, I do not hunt or hike in them. Pretty much just a work boot.

Jeff

i don't wear the Hunters at work (steel toe requrement) but i pressed them into service as backcountry hiker last summer because i was laid off (lots of time to hike, but not enough money to replace my old hikers).

the double thickness uppers add a lot of ankle support, and the Honey Vibram soles stick well like i mentioned, but they were not waterproof and they are heavy. i did the hot beeswax treatment to them though. that made them even heavier...

i do a surgeon's knot where the eyelets end at the ankle so i can seperate boot lace tension between foot and ankle.

They would be the ticket if you lived somewhere that never snows during hunting season.

I've worn mine a lot in bow season and summer pack trips. But come October, its time for the old school hunting boot with insulation

Yeah, insulation is a necessity when it temps start to drop. Love my Whites, but when it gets colder, anything beats em.

On a side note, I greased my Whites this afternoon (Obenaufs) and noticed just how beefy the Nicks rebuild is, compared to the last Whites rebuild on my other pair. The shank is at least two times as thick and the rubber between the sole and the shank is three to four times as thick! The leather in the toe is thicker as well. Kinda sold on Nicks rebuilds thats for sure.

If ya don't mind me asking what does Nick's charge for a rebuild? Sounds like thats the way to go these days.

$230 something. Same as I paid Whites last time.

vs.

Thanks looks good.