Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Need boot suggestions

Not really backpack hunting, but I figured this is where the folks who'll know this stuff would be...

I currently have a pair of Asolo Sasslongs. LOVE THEM. There's just one problem....they no longer fit. Don't ask me how or why, but where they were fine when I got them, they're now feeling too small (length) and I'm jamming toes in them, moreso going downslope, but it's definitely a bad fit at this point.

I live and hunt in southeastern PA, and I have no plans to hunt sheep or anything of the like, however... I do hike around the area, and my area of PA has the Appalachian Trail through it. I use those areas a lot, and they're rocky. Really rocky. Our glacial deposits get frequent cursing from through hikers, lol.

So the real stiff sole on the Sasslongs has been a godsend when hiking over rocks (don't feel the damn rocks poking into my feet constantly).

I have Cabela's nearby...can probably spend a lot of time driving to various outdoor stores in the extended area (hour+ drive to various other options)....but what would folks who know the current boot market suggest?

The Sasslongs are great for what I want, they just are too small for me, so I'm looking for something quite similar. I know there are lighter boot options, but I honestly don't notice the weight on them, and the stability and support are just fantastic on rocky trails.

I haven't set a budget yet, but I do want to keep things south of 2 bills if possible. I won't rule out going higher, but 4-5-6 hundred dollar boots likely aren't an option for me.

Thanks!

Why not just get another pair of Sassalongs in a larger size?

They were discontinued a while ago. I haven't seen any for sale for a long time.

Since the Asolos fit you you might try another model.

For the money Salomon Quest 4D's. They are normally around $230. I've been wearing a pair for several years. Someone posted a link to Sierria Trading post having them for $119 a few weeks ago. I bought a 2nd pair at that price and put them in the closet for later. I had a pair of Sassalongs a few years ago, I like the Solomon's a lot better.

https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-Back...3011&keywords=salomon+quest+4d+2+gtx

A little lighter duty, but I also like these Keens. I wear the Salomon boots when hiking or hunting. The Keen Targee II are used more for casual wear, but I'd not hesitate to use them on a trail.

https://www.rei.com/product/772930/keen-targhee-ii-mid-hiking-boots-mens

That's good info, thank you.

How does the sole on the Salomon's compare to the Sasslong?

I'm thinking long-term I'd like a pair of Kenetrek Hardscrabble's, but that may be a bit till I can throw 4 bills at boots.

I have a pair of Kenetrek Bridger mids that I use for casual/light duty. They are good for that. I don't think I'd want to do much hiking in them unless I was certain I wouldn't hit anything rocky, and it's pretty certain that rocks are on the menu when hiking in the mountains here.

And STP has them for $119, but in very limited sizes, none of which fit me, lol.

I'm going back to the issue of the boots not fitting anymore. Assuming your foot didn't change...maybe the footbed in the boot broke down and doesn't fit your arch right anymore?

I have one set of boots that doesn't work without a set of SOLE insoles. Take the insoles out and use the OEM insole and my toes slam into the front no matter how tight I lace them. Put the SOLE in and the boots fit perfectly.

Just a thought. At this point, I pretty much only have boots that have either SOLE or SuperFeet in them. Damn these tall arches of mine...

Good luck!

Hmmm...didn't think of that. May be time to try some SuperFeet. I have semi-tall arches, too.

I have a pair of Asolo's that ,when bought, fit perfectly. After a year or so of getting wet and dry and heavy use they got tighter and tighter. I changed insoles and such. I think the outer leather shell shrunk and now the do not fit at all. Makes no sense , but that is my experience.

Feet can continue to grow even after reaching adulthood. Over the past 30 years, mine have gradually gone from 11.5 to 12.5. The last bit came right after I had really invested in boots. That sucked. Have you gotten your feet measured to see where you're at?

Funny - me to. Feet been a 9 for all of my adult life. Until last year. I ended up with the dreaded black toe nail and didn't know why until I saw the giant callouse on my longest toe - the one with the black toe nail. Bought 3 pairs of new boots last summer. Sold one but still have the other 2. Hoping I'm good for a few more years 😎

Yep, black 2nd toe nail on my right foot from that hike a couple weeks ago and a faint purple color on the left foot, same toe.

Have had it happen a couple times now with these Asolos, so I'm done.

My Meindls are feeling shorter than they used to, as well, but they're still not beating me up like the Asolo's do.

Not sure what I want to do just yet. Have had Kenetreks recommended, but they come with a price tag.

I looked at Salomon's at the local Cabela's. They're nice boots, but not what I am looking for. I'd really prefer an all-leather boot. The Salomon boot really didn't seem to lock in my ankle like the Asolo's do.

Time and gravity cause one's feet to get wider and longer....

At 54 and 205 lbs, my feet are bigger than they were at 24 and 180 lbs ... so weight matters.

With that much wear, I'd relegate the Sassys to yard work and buy something else. STP does have some size limits, but will take returns. It's a game I'm willing to play.

Good luck!

I think we are like old cows and things settle, like our arches. When they do, the foot gets longer. Don't think anything else does.

If you're that tender maybe you aughtta just stay out of the mountains. I've probably hiked 10.000 miles in the Catskills and never wore anything but my hunting boots or everyday work boots.

I just put a pair of daily wear Keen's in the junk bin as they did the same thing, kind of. They fit great for almost a year then the past few months they've KILLED my feet at the end of the day. My feet were so tight in the shoes is was terrible. I just got a pair of Merrell's a half size bigger and I'm in good shape again.

A couple months ago I got a pair of Lowa Tibets. They seemed great for probably 10 miles but now I have an issue with the width. They could be up on the auction block soon.

Boots have a life span.

I've been really really happy with a pair of Scarpa Kinesis pro GTX boots I bought last year. Retail for $330 but if you shop around you can find them online for less. For what it's worth I've also been happy with kenetrek, crispi and lowa boots, but for my foot (narrow and low volume) the Scarpa boots have been the best...

Good info. Thank you!

I really like my Kenetreks. I did not pay full price on them. I watch for their returns on ebay and have gotten a pair for myself and son for less than $200.

here is the link to Kenetrek on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/usr/kenetrek?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Although I was patient and it took a while for the style and size I wanted to come up and not bid beyond my range.

Oh dang...didn't know they did that. That's awesome.

I can be patient for the right price!

I picked up a pair of these about a year ago from STP. Good solid, tough boot. I wear a heavy wool sock and have footbeds other that the stock ones that came with them.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/alico-summit-hiking-boots-leather-for-men~p~61270/?filterString=mens-hiking-boots~d~360%2Falico~b~1143%2F

Picked up a pair of these also. The Summit's are a more heavy duty boot but these are great for general camping and light hiking use. Both are a well made boot.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/alico-backcountry-hiking-boots-leather-for-men~p~6289x/?filterString=mens-hiking-boots~d~360%2Falico~b~1143%2F

Ive been using La Sportivas for ~ 20 years for hunting and mountaineering.

I pretty much replaced every pair of them as I went with either a new pair of the same or a different model.

I really enjoyed the Makalus which were the most basic general mountaineering boot they made but now im using some Nepal gore Tex ones.

I'm gonna guess those boots from that source are as-is with no warranty?

My worry there is the waterproof membrane. A pair of leaky boots would suck.

14 day money back warranty. Long enough to lace em up and stand in a puddle I suppose. They are a great company though, I would expect they would help you out any way that they can.

lol, good point on time enough to stand in a puddle.

A friend of mine has had the Mountain Extreme's for hunting and had a waterproofing issue. They did a great job of making it right for him (he bought them new, though).

My big clown feet may help me get a buy from them on ebay...hopefully the competition is less with the bigger sizes. I can hope, anyway.

Just to share the info, Kenetrek told me they give 30 days to return boots bought from them on ebay.

After that, they'll repair them as needed. It'll just cost you.

If the purchase price is low enough, though, it may be worth it.

Good luck, let me know how you make out?

Will do. I'm thinking for the right price, I can send them for a repair and still be ahead of the game.

I tried and tried to love Kenetreks butthey just didnt fit me right.

I was watching a pair of Hardscrabbles on the Kenetrek ebay account, but they got bid up to $230+, and I wasn't going that far on used boots.

I did wind up ordering a new pair of Lowa Camino GTX Flex boots. Reviews I've read on REI's site, Rokslide, Backcountry.com, and a few other places are uniformly quite good, including some that came from elk hunters, including use with some moderate pack weight (50lb range), as well as foot protection in rocky terrain, as well.

Seemed like everything I wanted, so I'm gonna give 'em a whirl. There is a return policy for them, so if they don't fit properly or I don't like them, I can send 'em back and be refunded, so I figured it was worth a try.

We shall see.....

My suggestion is to buy great boots that fit and are well made. Take care of them. Dry them the right way. Retreat the leather with the right product. Boots are not the place to go for cheap.

I have the Lowa Caminos too, and like 'em quite a bit. I found them quite a bit more comfortable than the Lowa Tibets.

Just got them and laced them up.

First impressions are pretty good.

Just an update....

I covered about 9 miles of terrain on Saturday (opener for turkeys in PA). Probably 3-4 miles of it was on pretty rocky terrain. Glacial rock deposits...some was 4-pt to scramble over rock piles the trail crossed, most was just walking on rocks that ranged in size from gravel to boulder.

The Lowas did great. I really like them a lot after giving them a bit of a workout. Between that and a couple turkey scouting trips, I've got maybe 25-30 miles on them and they feel great and the soles are firm/stiff enough to give some protection from protrusions on the rocks.

Overall, very pleased with the boots. Just figured I'd put in the impressions after using them for their intended purpose.

I don't mind paying a bit for good boots, but getting boots that fit are a problem for me. How much size flexibility is there in buying the higher dollar boots. I have big feet, currently wearing size 13, but most if not all just go to full sizes after about 11. Most size 13 boots are too short, and wide for me, 14's I just slide around in, even the lace up boots. I haven't had a boot that really fit in years. miles

Lowa and Kenetrek both go to 15's, I think...?

I think Asolo tops out at 13.

But you're right....a lot of them don't make bigger sizes, and often they are narrow for the size, too (or so I've felt when trying on boots).

I was not clear. I think that you can get half sizes up to size 11 and then just full sizes. miles

Understood. And yes, I've seen the same. I guess they figure once you get into those sizes, half-sizes aren't profitable for them.

It's tough to find anything in stores much over 12's. Sometimes 13's. I've yet to find 14's of any shoe on the shelf other than running shoes, and in a running shoe store. I've had to order my running shoes online usually. Boots the same. I order boots from Sierra Trading Post for their return policy. I tried CampSaver.com on the Lowa's and was happy with the boots, so I didn't test out their seemingly good return policy.