Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting where can I go to try on "good" boots

I've been in search of a great hunting/hiking boot for a while.

I hear recommendations (routinely) for Asolo, Crispi, Hanwag, Lowas, etc brands, but is there anyplace a fellow can walk into and try on multiple boots of different manufacture/model?

I live in the DFW area, so we have TONS of stores, including Cabelas, BPS, Academy, Gander Mountain, etc but none of them carry the above "premium" boots, or if they do, they dont have multiple models.

I'll be going on vacation this summer through the Rockies, including CO, WY, MT, etc. is there anyplace up there that might have multiple brands/models to try on? do the Sierra Trading Post box stores actually have all those brands in stock? I've never been to one.

Go to a Redwing boot store.I've bought nothing but Irish Setter boots the last 20yrs.Check out te ones with sewed on soles not the glued on ones.

REI will have some good boots. La sportiva, zamberlan, Asolo, maybe Lowa. I think that "backpacking" oriented boots, as found at REI, are too short for a good hunting boot. They tend to cut way low behind the heel.

Cabelas has some decent boots from Meindl, like the Denali. That there is a legendary hunting boot. Gotta be careful with some of the lower end ones, mixed reviews on the quality. I went through 3 pairs of the meindl air evolution before i finally gave up on them.

Sierra trading post is hit and miss, especially in a specific store.

Your road trip will be a perfect time to break in your boots before fall!

Check out the smaller mom and pop stores like REI, if you have them in TX. Being in Colorado they are everywhere here. Many times they carry different brands than the big box stores. That was what I did until I found the perfect boot. It took like a year but it was worth it.

I hit the local REI this past summer and was surprised at their fairly limited selection. I dont get there that often cause the store isn't that close to me, and everything they have is priced really high.

they had some Lowas in stock, but they didn't fit my foot that well. =/

Sounds like the boots you are thinking about may be out of your price range. I've been preaching the gospel of Salomon lately. Check out the Salomon Quest 4D. Plenty of boot for most applications and can be had for less than 200 bucks on sale. Light too. At the end of the day fit is king.

by crazy chance, I had a meeting today near the DFW REI store, so I went in. they had some Salomon Quests, two models of Asolo's, one pair of Lowas.

I tried them all on and the Salomon Quest fit my foot the best by far.

I'd still like to try on a couple others, but I'll be surprised if I dont end up in a pair of Quests.

I recalled this thread:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11759215/Salomon_Quest_4D_2_$120__STP#Post11759215

so I just pulled the trigger. hope it works out.

Nicely done. For 120$ you simply cannot lose. Pair those with some gaiters and you'll be ready for almost any western hunt.

A decade or so ago, I was in a couple of REI stores in Denver. The main one, I think, and one of the larger satellite stores.

They had way more boots in stock than any other REI store I've seen. Most of them are small and don't stock near as many different items as those two Denver stores.

Edited: Whoops. Just saw that you bought some.

Billy Goat:

You ought to be able to find what you're looking for in the DFW metro area. But in case you just want to shop there are lots of places located on the Front Range of Colorado.

Stop in Colorado Springs and spend some time at Mountain Chalet. It's a mountaineering store on Tejon Street across the street to the west of Acacia Park. They carry several manufacturers and several models for each manufacturer. They don't carry any junk.

http://www.mtnchalet.com/

There's a Sierra Trading Post in Cheyenne and in Colorado Springs. They are not on the top of my list of places to shop. Their inventory is limited and their prices are not very competitive.

There's a Cabelas on the southern edge of Denver and a Bass Pro Shop about half-way between Colorado Springs and Denver. You can see both from I-25.

There's an REI store in Denver and also one in Colorado Springs on Woodmen Road East of I-25, and that might be a good place to start.

KC

After 4 failed pairs of high dollar euro-boots from Cabela's, I'm back to Red Wing as well.

If you can't find a place local go to http://www.bakershoe.com and ask for Kyle. There is no telling how many THOUSANDS of pairs of boots Kyle has fit over the phone. This guy has customers from all over the world who order Whites boots from Bakers just to get their service and his advice. You may need to do a foot tracing and measurement but Kyle can put you in a pair of boots that fit if they sell a brand your interested in.