https://www.scheels.com/p/mens-itas...ANLEAQYASABEgJfuPD_BwE&src=hardlines

No, they’re not Danners or something else of that class. They’re not $250-$300, either. They’ve got 800 gram Thinsulate and they’re waterproof and they’re $39.95. Beats the heck out of your kid having cold/wet feet, and they’re going to outgrow them in a season or two, anyway. Just a suggestion for anyone looking for hunting boots for their “still growing” kid/teenager. Sizes men 7-14.

I had a pair of Itascas once. Easily the worst pair of boots I ever had. Didn't last halfway through one season. Started leaking the third day I wore them. After that just started wearing them around the house/yard as work boots and within a couple months the soles were coming off. Never again. They are no bargain.

Thanks,
I ordered a pair. All they gotta do is last 4-5 trips and he'll have out grown them anyways.

Yep. I just got them in for my son.

Am I gonna put him in them for an elk hunt in the mountains?? No… They’ll be just fine for a few trips to chase whitetail, and to sit in a stand in the cold, though.

Prepare to be thrown in the crappiest nursing home he can find in 35 years.

No opinion on the shoe but LOL

I hear that all the time from my youngest. He worked on an ambulance and knows where the bad ones are. Actually pretty much all are bad to a degree.

You ought to see the stuff MY dad had me in. Blue jeans with thermals under them. A couple of flannel shirts under an M65 jacket. His old moc toe leather hiking boots that weren’t insulated OR waterproof.

That’s is what kids wore back in the 80’s, before you could get cheap/warm hunting gear for young folks.

If some of you guys want to regale us with stories of how you bought your kids $300 boots, only to see them outgrow them 6 months later, then go right ahead….

I bought my first pair of $300 boots four years ago at age 57. I think the first boots I bought for my kids were inexpensive Rockies years ago. They grew out of them in a couple of years IIRC.

I was wearing size 10-1/2 when I started college, and was size 12 when I finished. No $300 Danners or Sharkskin-toed Kangaroo uplands until I was well into my 30’s.

Reminds me of the 10 year-old I saw running through the racks at the Dallas Beretta Gallery, years ago, oblivious to the fact that his Daddy was buying him a Beretta 686 for his FIRST shotgun. Kid had NO appreciation for what was going on. Guy probably thought his kid was too special to hunt an H&R/Rem 870 or 1100/Mossberg 500, for a year or two before spoiling him…

I'm a cheap SOB. Never owned an expensive pair of boots in my life {180.00 max, mostly less than 150.00} and I still wouldn't buy Itascas for me or my kids. You'll be lucky if those boots remain waterproof through a half dozen days hunting. They are bottom of the barrel junk.

I wouldn't buy the kid a 300 dollar pair of boots but dang(!) there must be some room between 30 and 300!

There is!! It’s $39.95 (They’re realistically $65-$70 boots). See? An extra $9.95…. I may get that “World’s Greatest Dad” mug for Christmas, after all….

Thanks for your valuable input. I’ve got $800 Leddy’s and $500 Beck’s. As for my kid (age 14) he spends half his time running around in $30 Crocs (which I hate, but he loves). I think he’ll survive 3-4 trips, sitting in a deer stand at 30-40 degrees, for a 2 month deer season.

Feel free to report me to CPS, or something. Cheezus [bleep] rice….

I've had Rocky boots and Timberland, both wore well and were moderately priced.

Easy Rod.....it's the 'Campfire after all.

You can get a pair of Herman Survivors or Rockys from Wal - Mart for 60.00 - 90.00 that are much better/more durable than Itaskas. I tried to warn my buddy away from Itaska but he thought he was being thrifty and had to find out for himself they are junk. Course for a real hard charger that's only going to walk a hundred yards to a stand in warm weather they'll probably be OK for a few "hunts". LOL

Life’s too short to have schitty boots. Even for your kids.

This year alone, I've bought my son $100 football cleats, 2 pair of $100 basketball shoes. (Summer and Winter leagues) church shoes, work boots and just bought new sneakers for school.
He'll live with some cheap hunting boots. for a few trips after mule deer and 4 or 5 upland shooting trips.

Sucker grows like a weed right now.

Good news!


We are extending Arts and Crafts four hours today!

Sams club has “mucks” for $40.

You could trouble me for a warm glass of Shut the Hell Up!

I bought my 12 year old a pair of these junkers. Thanks.
He just outgrew the $50 made in USA Danner’s I got on flea bay. When I see another deal like that I’ll buy. Trouble is he is now in a 10.5/11 at 12 years old and still growing.

Sure beats buying Irish Setters for 1 billion dollars, that never do keep your feet dry lol!

All I wear now is rubber boots with felt liners, always warm and dry

Wish I had these options when I was a kid, back in the day wore whatever was available and spent a lot of miserable days hunting PA bucks in December. Galoshes were a big improvement.

When my kids were young and growing, we shopped Army/Navy surplus stores. Found lots of usable footwear, and clothes. Until their no longer a walking food disposal, it was dollars well spent.

Are you ever NOT miserable, or a complete pherking “know-it-all”??? Sonuvabeech….

Get him a pair of Danner RAT surplus boots for $79.00 with free shipping on Amazon. That's the best price right now.

Danner made something like 14,000 pairs for uncle Sam due to a quality control issue with their other supplier late in the Gulf/Stan conflict.

Just make sure you get The Goretex ones "RAT GTX Rugged All Terrain / Goretex"



I bought a pair and love them. Danner's has them for over $400 on their website

Only problem is they are not insulated so I'd buy them a little big and plan on having him putting multiple pairs of thick socks on and let him grow into them.

Hell, I never know as much about any goddam thing as all of you fuuckin geniuses.

I don't care who you are, that is some funny chit right there!

Check the clearance section on the Danner website from time to time. Three years ago I snagged a pair of Pronghorns for 59.00. Much unlike a pair of Itascas, the fuuckin things are still waterproof with the soles still attached.

I know where you’re coming from, but for me it was in the 70’s. I remember mom sowing a solid orange piece of material on the back of a CPO jacket that I wore on my first deer hunt. Things were different back then in WV. Deer season was serious in 4 counties and everyone in and out of state flocked there. You were never far from someone in the woods.

Depends where when and how you hunt.
For me, 800 gram is too much to walk around in . In the stand sure. But if you’re putting miles on the boots. These Will make your feet sweat and once you sit for a while, your feet will get cold and they’ll be no good. Might not be bad idea for back up pair. That’s What I did with My daughter, she has backup pair of itascas. I always bring 2 pairs of boots hunting.

Don’t know where you’re at,but down south we wear rubber boots.Eurooptic has some cheap neoprene/rubber Lacrosse boots for $60…

That’s the Germans for you…

Assuming you’re hunting in Cen Tex, the boy could probably wear a pair of sneakers or cowboy boots. How cold does it get here? 30s at night?

I have similar problem with my children's clothing - rapid growth. Some gets handed down if not destroyed / worn through.

I suggest looking at military surplus shops - contract over runs. I have seen UK gov camo waterproofs for about 20% of cost to buy brand new. Okay of small or large sizes but surprisingly often in very good / only stored warehouse condition. Poor old taxpayers loss.

I been wearing muck boots for the last few years. Dry feet-warm feet. And they aren't expensive.

How do those boots get such good reviews on the website?

I'd go for something insulated and get him some gaiters. We've been through a lot of boots for the kids and I don't have one that worked best for all of them but probably the Under Armor were the most popular. With three of them I don't mind spending a little on gear, we get multiple uses. Depending on how far you might trek and how steep the country is you might also consider some of the insulated Muck boots with a good sole. These are great in the cold but not for really steep, long days.

That’s kinda my whole point. The kid doesn’t need anything that special. He won’t be in a ton of snow. The lows will be in the 20’s. These are “waterproof”, and they have some insulation, and he won’t be hiking 10 miles at 10,000’ elevation, for the 4-6 months he can wear them, then grows out of them.

“Good enough” is the operative word here. Some guys gotta turn everything into a 24HCF pizzing/dick measuring contest….

Anybody wanna talk chainsaws/optics, too???