Since Rocky boots have the reputation of falling apart, what make of hunting boot is durable and long lasting?

Meindl makes the best boot I have ever used, hands down. They are built like a tank, but wear like a sneaker. Excellent support without the clunky feeling. Ive worn my current pair for 4 hunting seasons so far, with no sign of them wearing out any time soon. The cloth laces they come with are garbage, replaced them with Kevlar laces the first year and they were good to go.

Red Wing IronRangers

http://www.kenetrek.com/Kenetrek-Mountain-Boots/products/12/

While I have been unable to wear out my Russell Birdhooters, I now also have a very comfortable pair of Alden Indy 405 boots that may stay the course.

They look much like the Red Wings above and I wear them everywhere. Even Quemado.

As they say, get quality. You pay once and cry once. I have found that absolutely true.

I like Redwing/Irish Setter, Kenetrek. Schenee is good, but they just don't fit me well...it's probably me in that case.

For work boots I've found nothing lasts longer or is provided more comfort than Redwings.

It seems that anything built in China can be counted on to rapidly change as the search for lower cost marches on.
For many brands, including many of the better labels, what might have been great a few years ago, is not likely to have much to do with the product offered today. Seems the best tactic is to buy a second pair the minute you find something that suits your requirements.
Boots are a product that should shout "Built in the USA" as there are still a few honestly good products fabricated here. I have a 3-4 year old pair of American built Danners that are proving to be a great boot.

I have had good luck w/ China-built Danner Pronghorns (ca 2004?) and American built seconds from the Breakroom which were a genuine steal of a deal.

The challenge you may encounter is finding a good combination of fit, affordability, and durability. That's been my challenge!

The Danner Pronghorns work well for me. I wear them most days to work and they are the only boot I've ever worn that I didn't have to break in. They won't break your bank either! Elk

For hunting boots, I've been wearing US made Danners for 30-40 years.
No complaints.

For work boots, Red Wing.

I all but gave up on any boot marketed as a hunting boot years ago. I've found that a decent hiking boot is a lot more boot for the money and with good wool socks I don't miss the insulation. I'm good down to at least zero degrees.

Danner boots have been good to me. I prefer the USA made ones but have had good luck with the Pronghorns.

Some years ago the EPA outlawed the glue used to attach shoe soles. Any shoe with a glued on sole must be made outside of the US. They largely destroyed most of the American shoe industry with 1 small regulation. The only shoes made in the USA are those with sewn on soles because no one has invented a suitable glue that will pass EPA rules.

I been wearing Danners but I am trying the Meindl's this year.

I gotta be honest with ya.
I run barefoot most of the time.

True story.

[/quote]Some years ago the EPA outlawed the glue used to attach shoe soles. Any shoe with a glued on sole must be made outside of the US. They largely destroyed most of the American shoe industry with 1 small regulation. The only shoes made in the USA are those with sewn on soles because no one has invented a suitable glue that will pass EPA rules. [/quote]

Just like rail cars instead of pipelines, you can thank Warren Buffet for this horseshit.

He is one seriously troublesome son of a bitch.

US made Danners are good to go, stay away from the china made boots.

Han Wag

Whites or Hoffman's. Excellent quality and last years with little care. And they are rebuildable and resolable.

Rocky boots suck and the only thing that sucks worse is their non customer service! GW

Hoffman's from Montana. Are what Schnee's used to be before the sold out. Also LL Bean boots are extremely durable and work well here in the south. They do lack the traction of a lugged boot, but down here Bean's work great. For a lightweight boot I like the Courteney Patrol but the are pricey.

What do you use them for? The type of use will determine a lot of impact. Like are they getting wet a lot, is the ground you travel rocky and broken or even, do you climb with them? Wet a lot and some types of materials and glues wear out much faster. Rocky ground may tear apart some sole materials that are better if on flat ground for comfort walking. Twisting and stress in certain areas may rip up some types of boots.

And last years good boots may be next years bust, since they may go to cheaper materials, lower other standards, etc.

I have Redwings, but I bought a few pairs back before theyhanged location they are made and types of materials.
I like my Kennetreks and I think that some sellers like Schnees do make an effort to get better stuff (not always but more often).

Meindls and Lowas have held up well for me.

If only I'd known that twenty years ago when I bought mine. I broke a lace last spring, I guess that must be the start of the falling apart, since otherwise they've been completely trouble free.

Whites of Spokane Wa. Worn by loggers and wildland firefighters. Unlike glued on vinyl and fabric, they can be rebuilt.

Been wearing USA-built Danner Elkhunters for 20 years in cool weather and they are bulletproof.

Russell's High Country Hunters also hold up, incredibly comfortable from the getgo and very quiet, with the right soles. Just spent 2 weeks wearing them daily for many miles - wouldn't trade them.

for work boots, nothing beats usa made thorogoods for comfort. i wore redwings through my apprenticeship, but never again will they get a dollar of my money

Huh? EPA regulations have been my profession for 25 years, and this one has gotten by me. Please cite the EPA rule that killed the US adhesive-soled boot industry industry.


Regarding Meindls, you may wish to check this thread out. Comfort they deliver, durability they do not.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10269790/Re:_Meindl_Story_--_A_Sad_One.#Post10269790

My favorite boots over the last 10 years have been Red Wings. They last.

Oops, one industry at a time please.

The one truly bad pair of boots I have bought in the last 10-12 years was a pair of foreign made Danners. One of their cheesy versions, they leaked like a sieve and the stitching was weak.



Rubber on one pair of Schnees cracked after about 1.5 years but they warrantied them. I would expect 3-5 winters of steady use with a good batch of rubber before they should crack.


I have had good luck with Meindls and Zamberlan for hunting boots.


And Muck boots are great if you're not scaling mountain cliffs. Not as clammy(IMO) and 10x quicker to put on and off compared to Schnee's. And they cost about half as much.



All-time favorite work boot was the Red Wing 606, wore out 3 pairs working concrete. Couldn't bring myself to throw away the last pair and still wear them once inawhile.


Currently wearing out a pair of low heel Boulets.

This is my experience too.

yes. Mucks work great around here in this God awful gumbo mud.

Also HOFFMANS, loggers and outfitters, can be rebuilt, and are long lasting, well made. I also wear DANNERS AND VASQUE.

I have had a pair of Rocky's for over 20 years and love them. I only use them for hunting though. I also have a pair of Kenetrek 800's that I use for Elk hunting. One week a year for 12 years. No better in my mind. I would purchase either boots again. However, if money is not an issue, I would get Kenetrek's.

I've had rockies fall apart way back in the 90s... never bought another pair after that.

Carolyn has Danners, but only because she likes their feel, they last a few seasons and come apart...

You generally get what you pay for...

Red Wing Iron Rangers. Worn the hell outta them. Work hard in em. Got em on right now. Bought them in October of 2012. Currently need to polish them. Like them so much I have another new pair in back up.

It would have been helplful if the OP would have let us know what he is hunting, where and when.

For years I relied on Danner's Sierra boot for all my hunting except in extreme cold or wet conditions. They served me two-fold because I wore them while logging. When the outersoles begin to break down I would send them in to Danner for a complete retrofit, which involved more than just the outsoles. They replaced the gore-tex and thinsulate liners, too. The cost kept going up and up. The last time it cost me about $200.

I said screw that and searched for other options. Cabela's Rimrock Hiker is what I have been wearing the last 9 or 10 years. In deep snow I put on a pair of gaiters. I really don't miss the 200 gram Thinsulate insulation of the Danners. Gore-tex liners hold up well and ever so often spray the boots with Cabela's WaterProofer which does not harm the Gore-Tex. I like the Cabela's sole better than the Vibram kletterlift sole of the Danner.

Never owned their hunting boots but I have a pair of US made Kenetrek packs. They're the only pack boot I've ever worn that I could actually walk any distance in.
My understanding is that they're now made overseas. Good thing the pair I have will last my lifetime.


Not exactly what I call hunting boots because they suck in snow but one of my favorites for woods bumming and fishing is a pair of 8" Bean Boots. I have a pair that's gotta be 20 years old and they just keep getting better.

Got a pair I bought 20 years back and still wearing 'em!

Irish Setters have been by far the best boots I've worn.I've always bought their Gore-Tex boots with welt not the glue on soles and they have never leaked.I always wear the soles out,but the leather is still good.

I have a pair of Rocky's I bought around 2007 I think. Like you, I only hunted and scouted in them. The left one fell apart 3 or 4 years ago. The sole separated. The rubber compound that the stitching goes through at the top edge of the sole deteriorated and crumbled. The right shoe still has the sole on but about half of the molding compound covering the stitching has crumbled on it too. These are a pair of leather ankle high hunting shoes. The tread, leather and everything else is fine. I may try to glue it back on with shoe goo but there is nothing I can do about the stitching since there is nothing to stitch through anymore. Other than falling apart (hahaha), I loved these shoes though. They are light, very comfortable and kept my feet dry and warm. Based on your comment and a few others, sounds like the Rocky's were well made 20 years ago, but maybe not so anymore. I don't like most of the hunting shoes/boots I see and I'm thinking of going with a good hiking shoe or boot next.

For a hunting boot, I have Danner Pronghorns. The Ridgemaster is a good boot as well.

I have 6 pair of Danners for different applications. Why do I have this many Danners, I have no idea. Gotta stop buying boots and buy more rifles. The higher ones for Deer and Elk and the lower ones for Turkey. Some insulated and some not. They are having a sale now but I don't dare look. I also have a fixation on hats. When I kick the bucket my wife says she is going to have the Mother of all Yard sales.

I wish I had bought mine 20 years ago.
Best boots ever...

I wear Rockys on duty and haven't had an issue with them, but Danners are THE schitt.

I've had two pairs in the last 25 years with about 18 years on the current pair (Ft. Lewis Go-Devils). My first pair fell apart in about 7 years, but I got them while I was still marching in the Legions and put them through hell on active duty and LE duty which included seeing me through the academy.

I've taken much better care of the second pair and even though I've had them since 1997, the only thing wrong with them are treads wearing thin and the Gore-Tex booty is no longer completely waterproof.

Who builds a good, extra wide boot?
My everyday boots are not really suitable for hiking, although they see a LOT of mileage.

russell's have been solid for me for 15 years.

My issue is a very narrow foot, and adding socks to a poorly fit shoe is not the answer.

Whites in Spokane routinely does custom boots. One pays an additional custom fee for the first pair. They retain the lasts, however, and there are no additional charges for subsequent builds.

Their process is they ship one a pair of off the shelf boots based on the various dimensions and sketches one provides via their sizing kit. Wear them around the house and critique those with suggested nips and tucks, return them, and they will build a pair to your specs. If one has no issues with the supplied sample, they build a similar pair, and there are no custom charges.

Very expensive, but damned well worth it. Lived, worked, and played in the same brand of boots since 1982, and I've never seen or heard any reports of their products falling apart. Made with the best of leathers and held together with triple+ stitching, screws, and glue. They will rebuild them until the tops literally fall apart. I presently have 5 pair with a couple that have been through 3 rebuilds.

US made Danner's for me Meindls are good but they're usually too narrow for me..