Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa quiet soles

shoes that is....got a trip booked...wondering about shoes. Boots….that are maybe a little more quiet.

I almost always hunt in rainey...snowing.....so don't think about drier conditions...….bob

Look at some Courteneys at African Sporting Creations. Have used the Safari boot on two trips. Well made and quiet. Jim was very helpful in getting me in the right size. Russells would be good too. Redwing 7" Wing shooter boot would also be a good option. I would personally prefer the waterproof version but that's all they have on their website. Sole is more quiet tho. Some people advocate tennis shoes, but I prefer something a little more substantial.

I've had good luck with Desert boots with their thick crepe soles. They are very quiet and tough enough to resist thorns. They don't offer a lot of support though so I wear custom orthotics.

Whatever you get they need to cost about as much as a pair of Lucchese ridge-back alligator boots. More would be even better.

am looking for something a little more reasonable….thorn protection would be nice...…..bob

I used the same boots in Africa that I use to hunt mule deer out here in the desert.....Wolverine leather slip on boots without laces, rubber soles. They grip, they're extremely comfy, and the laces don't attract thorns and stickers. I don't wear short pants hunting in Africa either....don't get it. I've never felt the need for specialized hunting clothing when going to Africa. I hunt over there with the same stuff I hunt with here.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016CRESM/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Where to?

Most of southern Africa is not super demanding. Comfort is #1 for me. Over ankle length. My favorites have been mil surplus jungle type boots. Currently, French or Italian SF boots. Canvas uppers, speed laces, and very comfortable. Many guys hunt RSA in athletic shoes. No mountains to speak of, flatish terrain. I'm not afan of that because of dust and burs and thorns.


These are the French version. I was introduced to them 25 years ago by my PH in Cameroon. He used them and I like them. Zero break in perio,. well WORTH the cheap price and well made.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-French-Ranger-Boots-Lace-Up-Canvas-Army-Footwear/152701182681?hash=item238db322d9:m:mmGclqZu4E8zCAqc2E29_XQ


If you have hilly, mountain terrain, you might go with more ankle support.

Have fun!

Those look nice, too.

thanks JG...….I have to have lace up though...….I also don't feel the need to have " Africa clothing".....but I will probably need clothes more suited to the desert than here in Montana…..bob

Hatari…..Zambia...…..i also hate getting crap in my shoes...cheat grass here...will check those boots out......bob

ND.....those look nice......it would be like throwing champagne on a pig.....bob

this seems to be the route to take.....bob

I really like the Russell PH series. These can be ordered with the classic crepe soles or the Vibram airlight that has a little more grip but is still quiet. They have the ultimate stalking shoe with only a bullhide sole but not so good in the rocky areas of West Texas or for the Koppes in Africa. If you go with a cloth shoe might take a look at the Turtle Skin gators which can turn most thorns with the added bonus of being snake proof. If I bring two pairs of shoes the second is either a Merrell Moab mid or some updated tactical desert boots.

The Turtle skin is not the quietest but are ok under long pants if you need to be quieter. https://turtleskin.com/default/outdoor-snake-protection.html One model of the Russell PH and their turkey boots or thorn/snake proof models have Turtle shin under canvas or leather, I have the Turkey boot and they are quiet comfortable and only hot when the temperatures are at 90+ degrees but any boot would be hot then. For a quieter gator several safari oriented stores have canvas ones mostly to keep seeds and burs out of your shoes.

I wear the same boots that I wear hunting anywhere else. I basically have two pair of Danners, one insulated and one not, both Goretex. Obiously, the non-insulated go to Africa. I wear Boyt gators so laces are not an issue. I generally wear shorts, the same ones I am wearing as I type.

BobMt,

For many years I mostly wore the typical "veldskoen," made with relatively thin crepe-rubber soles and ankle-height leather uppers, often called "chukka boots" in the U.S. You could buy a pair for $20-$30 in Africa, and the most comfortable I bought were made in Namibia with kudu hide. Bought two pairs there in 1999, and should have bought more, because they were so comfortable (far cooler than either hunting boots or synthetic running shoes, and quieter) that I wore them too damn much during summers here in Montana, or even during early autumn hunting seasons. In most African country they worked fine without socks, but in thicker grass or thornbush they worked better with light gaiters.

Heavy boots are not needed in most African hunting, and even light running shoes can be pretty warm--though that's what most PH's wear because Chinese-made shoes are so cheap over there that they affordable veldskoen. The last pair of veldskoen I bought was in South Africa in 2003, and they were made of cow-hide rather than kudu-hide, so were thicker and warmer. Wore them out here too.

Have seen similar shoes/boots starting to make a comeback in the U.S., and have bought one pair, just in case. There was more than one reason for veldskoen.

I took some middle of the road Lowas- uninsulated etc. Way overkill. If I ever go back I will take my current pair of work boots which are Georgia boot wedge work boot. Light, quiet comfortable and cheap. My PH had similar boots. I guess it was a case of live and learn.

Where are you hunting? I was in the Kalahari, and quite frankly, barefoot or flip-flops would have been fine. I took hiking shoes and would have been better off with "tennis shoes."

I will be in Zambia hunting with the du poolys…..sounds like my Merrill's will be fine......1st of June is the time line weather wise.

thanks everyone for the comments...….bob

If you are in Windhoek or similar sized city you may want to order a pair of Velle Shoes (Veldt Shoes) as Mule Deer suggested. They could be made to order in a week or two and they had models in Kudu, Seal, Shark and Buffalo skin. If I go back I will get one pair of Kudu and one with Buffalo hide. The Kudu with crepe soles and the buffalo with tire soles.

You could even send a tracing of your foot to your PH if he is amenable and have them waiting for you. The Kudu and Seal skin ones take very little breaking in. But there is much to recommend an inexpensive unlined work boot that you could just leave behind if you needed to lighten your baggage.

I live in reasonably warm clime and the Courteney Safari are excellent poking about in the scrub...but make damn sure you use sock prtotectors with them or you will be picking grass seeds out of your socks each night.

Johnny and Laura! Was there last July/Aug with them. PM sent.

What size shoe do you take? I have a pair of these that I've barely used that I'd be willing to sell. Size 11

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/russell-tracker/

10....but wide...thanks for the offer......bob

Merrell Light Hikers. Goretex not needed - generally breathability trumps waterproof out there.

Merrell Moab's are my choice for the breathability.

Wear your boots on the plane with you, pack a spare pair of double duty shoes like a set of leather chukkas, just in case something happens to the primary pair. Like having the sole tear off.

I just traipsed around Kenya for 11 days in my Moabs. Great shoes. I took a second pair of insoles and swapped back and forth. They take up no room and can travel in your second pair.

Rnovi is spot on about the second pair of chukkas. They work great for the tent, dinner and as an alternate pair.

Also, I do not oveetighten my shoes, rather left them kind of loose.

Short of going barefoot or wearing only wool socks to put on an old school sneak the Belleville Minimalist with the 8mm drop at the heel are the quietest I've ever worn.

My buddy likes Solomans.

These were great for me and my son in Botswana

https://palladiumboots.com/products/75349-326-m

I've worn the leather lined Lowa Renegades for years. I prefer a leather boot for thorn and cactus (Texas) protection. The leather lining makes them exceptionally comfortable and without gortex, they don't make my feet so hot. If they get wet, they dry very fast.

Lowa Locarno. Not as sturdy as the Renegade, but maybe a little stouter than a hi-top basketball shoe. Super quiet and comfortable (even as camp shoes). Wore them for two weeks last year on safari in Zambia, and then for another week in Utah on an early season mule deer hunt.

who did you go with in Zambia?...….bob

The Lowa Zepher always looked like a good arid country boot. If I can just wear out the half dozen or so other boots I have I will give these a try. They have enough leather on them to turn most thorn and with Turtle Skin gaiters they would be impervious. Should work well for dove hunting in the heat too. One pair of Lowa's I had went through three pairs of Vibram soles before I retired them, I hope the quality is still there.

Far be it for me, but the Courteney Selous boots are stellar in heat and sand (I’m wearing them in snow right now fwiw).


I resisted for a few years, however I should have gotten them from the beginning.

I’ve used Russell High Country hunters on several safaris. Both the 8” Air Sole and 10” Vibram sole versions are quiet and supportive for full days of tracking, including the occasional climb up a kopje to galss. They fit well without the need for prolonged break in, they are uninsulated so cool enough in the heat and work well in the soft soils in Southern Africa. They are made of water resistant leather and have held up for many miles.

Important to top off whatever you choose with gaiters to keep seeds and sand out of your socks. The old but effective Texas Hunt Co. African gaiters are now sold, in an improved version, by Spec Ops, Jeff Wemmer’s enterprise. Worth every penny.

BTW I bought a pair of Courtneys made in Zim and couldn’t get used to the fit, so left them to my PH.

I used the Cabela's copy of the Browning Kangaroo leather Bird Hunting boots. Featherweight is a good description! Crepe sole with a little grip, but soft. I wore them everywhere in the States too, except for snow.

I made the mistake of going prairie dog shooting near Gillette one summer, wearing canvas running shoes! Wow! Try as I might, there was no way to avoid getting into cactus. I seriously don't know how Pea Eye made it back barefoot to Capn Call! ha

Just make sure that they don't have any mesh in them. I made that mistake on my second trip to Zim. The grass seeds were an inch long and razor sharp. Every time one went through the mesh I had to stop and take off my boots. Ended up cocooning them in duct tape to keep the seeds out. Courtney's are great, but really overpriced in the US. Clarks Desert Boots are a great, fairly inexpensive option.