Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting In Never Ending Quest For Quality BP/Hunting Boots...

Brad - look forward to your report.

I feel like I've found my long lost family - narrow heal, D width front. Most boots eat my heals from sliding around. Cabelas Elk Hunters with the heel lock plastic cup have worked well. My only issue is that after a week of hard hunting, my big toe starts going numb, result of a tight boot, cold weather, and alot of miles. It always re-gains full sensation about February or so

Another idear - after you wear the boots for a while, you could send them on tour for the rest of us to try......... <G>

Crispi boots arrived this week. Took a month, but so far seem worth the wait.

Right now walking the house with them. Seem VERY similar to my much loved old Cabela's Mountain Hunters, which is a good thing. An absolutely beautifully made boot.

Will put some miles on them soon and report back...

I thought I was the only one with that kind of funky foot but it looks like others have the same problem.

In one of the prior posts someone mentioned Kayland - I've been using a pair of Kayland Vertigo Highs now for the past 3 years and they have performed perfect for me, I have never gotten a blister in them, the event seems to breathe great and they are pretty lightweight with great ankle support.

I did see the ads recently for the Crispi boots so thats good to know they might be an option, looking forward to how they work.

Put in Superfeet and wore them all morning. So far so good!

Which Superfeet?? Green or Orange?

And how stiff are the footbeds in the Crispi's?

Dan, my "Superfeet" are actual Superfeet, but were made for Chaco and are purple so I don't know what "volume" they are. The Crispi's, like all boots these days, come with 50 cent insoles.

The Footbed is not quite as stiff as the Lowa Sheephunter, Schnee Granite or Kennetrek Mtn Extereme... feel like the Cabela's Mountain Hunters I mentioned earlier. For me that's a GOOD thing.

My skinny heels are locking well in the boot in spite of the fact there's enough volume in the forward area to accommodate my D width feet very comfortably. The aftermarket insole really works well to help my smaller right foot locked-up in the boot. Am not getting any bending or pain across the tops of my toes where some stiff hunting boots seem bound and determined to flex.

So they're quite a bit stiffer than say, a Lowa Sportsman, Danner stitchdowns, or most Zamberlains??

I'm suprised that you're even using a Superfeet insole in a boot that already runs skinny in the heel. Those move the heel up at least 1/4" and cup it quite a bit (at least the current production orange and green ones)

I've got a really narrow heel also, and the Cabela's elk hunters have been working well for me. They're not the design boot I'd like, but they fit so well they make do.

On top of the weird heel, I figured out the other day my left foots a full half inch longer than my right, thinking I'd be best to just get a custom pair made and be done with it.

No experience with any of the boots you mention... Zamberlan's are uninsulated so are out for me. They would have been a contender if they made a 400 gram Thinsulate equivalent.

Heel locks great side to side, but these boots have a bit of volume up and down. The insoles locked everything up just right, especially for my smaller volume right foot.

It's a "better felt than telt" sort of thing

I've got an old pair of Danner "Trophy" boots... similar build to the Cabela's Elk Hunter. They have always fit me well, but I find them too soft for steep stuff and side-hilling. They really bother my ankles and insoles after an all day of up and down chasing elk. They also leak pretty badly without a rubber rand. Use them for work now.

Dang, 1/2" difference!?

I like Irish Setter boots.They are comfortable,long lasting and they don't leak.
http://www.irishsetterboots.com/iri.../882-irish-setter-mens-elk-tracker-brown

That point, how do your feet feel after a full day going up and down as well as off trail is another excellent point Brad.
I'm doing longer "workout" hikes now over two different courses in my local canyons. Been using my elk hunting boots. The "light mountaineering/heavy back packing" models I use are a much different and more comfortable boots than the cheaper military style desert boots I've been using during the off season.
Excellent post as always. E

Really close to it. Somehow never noticed until just the other day either. I guess a company might let me order a mismatch pair, I'll have to call around and see.

The elk hunters are awesome antelope and good trail boots, just no ankle support for side hilling.

I also find the superfeet do not work at all either (for my narrow heels), but green downunder cork footbeds do lock the heel in tight. I threw my spencos away and have the green downunders on all my boots now.

There are more than one type of superfeet (different volumes)... which did you use?

+1 on the Irish Sitter brand. I like the light-weight cordura nylon style with Gore Tex and 800 gr. Thinsulate Ultra. http://www.irishsetterboots.com/iri.../3859-irish-setter-mens-shadow-trek-mobu

They take no time to break-in and wear like iron. I'm on my second pair but my first pair is still going strong. I use them for early season hunts since they have less insulation. A couple of years ago, I got a white tail in SD that decided to expire on a sandbar in the middle of the Little White River. With the help of our guide, I waded out in the shallows to retrieve it so, I know they are waterproof. My guide's boots were not.

I'm in love with my Zamberlan Vioz. I beat the [bleep] out of boots and these have held up well. Fit for me is very good, no blisters, good arch support etc. Packed two bulls out last season in ROUGH terrain and have just bushwacked the [bleep] out of them for about 6 months now and they are ready for more. Will buy again when needed.
Actually just realized its been almost a year I've been beating these things. Man, you blink and an extra 6 months just went by...

It's a shame Zamberlan doesn't make an insulated model... they've talked about it but it's never appeared to my knowledge. They're excellent boots.

I had a pair of Zamberlan's. They worked great for a while, but when they puked they puked. The blister pic was a result from a day hike once they had puked. They hadn't given me a moments problem until that day. FWIW...

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