I am going elk hunting this fall and don't have appropriate boots at the moment. I need to get some ordered (I live out in the boonies) so I can start wearing them and getting them broken in. Can anyone recommend a pair of boots that won't break the bank. I've looked at Kenetreks and other top quality boots but they are really expensive. If they were the only item I needed to buy for this November hunt I would be okay, but I have a lot of things to buy. I looked at the Meindl Perfekt Hunters for $229 but they didn't seem to fit my feet too well....little loose on the heal. Anybody have any suggestions for something in the low $200's or less?

Thanks for all your help.

I was very pleased with these. Wore out the cusion before the rest of the boot. No break in time for me.

Edited: wore out the cusion after 3 years of constant wear.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ...dex&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

don't skimp on boots, I don't know where you live, but if its in a non mountainous area, please don't skimp on boots. it sounds to me like you have a narrow foot like me if the meindls were too big in the heel. I highly recommend the danner proghorns, they are fairly cheap about $150 right now. are light and comfy and have decent traction especially the new model pronghorns. are there more durable boots out there, yeah, are they the best quailty, no, the meindls are a much more durable boot, with higher quailty construction, but I don't know of a boot that truely needs no breakin like the pronghorns do, they are comfortable and get the job done. I personally also like the now discontinued danner frontiers they are a more substantial boot than the proghorns, but the ones I have are 400 gram, so I wear uninsulated proghorns for the early season bow hunts. the frontiers did need some breakin though

I remember your post about boot fit. If there's anyway possible to try them on befoere you buy them then make the effort to go somewhere that has a selection to try on.

You may not have to spend $200.00 for a pair that FITS. That's more important than any brand that anybody can recommend on this forum. The one thing I've done is to not wear my hunting boots for anything other than hunting. They fit my feet so well I'm going to get many, many years out of them before I have to try and find another pair that fits as well.

I have learned that I should have enough room to put two fingers, side by side, down the back of the boot w/o my toes touching the end of the boot. Just a little heel movement isn't bad. Some looseness in boot fit when your feet are cold, not warmed up from alot of walking, is to be expected. Too tight and the foot can't pass moisture and tends to pinch the foot, all of which can cause all sorts of discomfort.
The bottom line is they should feel comfortable and like they are a part of you from the start.
I can afford any boot I want. My elk hunters are Asolo TPS 520's or the synthetic version, the PW Matic 400 which would fit your budget. They work great for any mountain hunting. E

Fish Head,

Other than going to Cabelas (where I tried on the Meindls) I have no place to try on quality boots. Bass Pro may have some but that is three hours away, just like Cabelas.

Cummins, I may give those Danners a shot. I will probably need something with 400 gram insulation though for mid Nov in CO.

400 gram is probably what you want for that time of the year. cabelas will have the pronghorns to try out, also I checked that link somoene else posted about the cabelas mountain hunters, those might be worth a try. I normally wear my new boots about 3 weeks sometime before the hunt to break them in while I am at work.

The fella I am going with uses Asolos and I have tried to find some online but have only come up with hiking models which probably won't do in a foot of snow or better. Anyone know where I can order them - they come highly regarded by lots of folks.

Hiking boots are just fine. Wear gators I have been weaing hiking boots and gaitors for around 25 years in snow for snowshoeing and hunting. Even in standard boots you will need some gaitors or else you will get your pant legs wet and they will wick into your socks and your boots.

My current boots are Aslo Sasalongs from Siera Trading Post. They're much stiffer than the cabelas boot, and i've found require quite a bit of break in for my foot. I'd say though that your heal issues may be the same, since mine are the wides and without my orthotics I'd have serious heal issues.

You'll be using a gator if you're not wearing a pack boot anyway. I wear hikers in all kinds of weather.

check out sierra trading post for Aslo's.

Mike.

Yes, I will be wearing gaitors. I didn't think the hikers would be warm enough or tall enough. I'll check them out.

Gaitors add some warmth so they do help. If you doing alot of setting then you will need something else. I wore my uninsulated kenetrek hard scrabble in 8 inches of dry snow and in the teens last winter for a week and had no issues but I was moving a lot.

I don't know about winter but I have these as hiking boots. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/2317..._method=pp&feat=505550-sub2&np=Y These are comfortable out of the box and you can get them in different widths. LLBean has a great return policy. Unlike other places that only let you walk around on carpet until you decide to keep the boots they actually encourage you to take them out on the trail to try them out. If I didn't get these I would have bought the Cabelas Mountain Hikers. Both are made in Romania.

If you can find them, take a hard look at Danner's Frontier series. I've been wearing the 7" uninsulated one for 7 or 8 years and I love them. They've held up exceptionally well.
Of course, they have to fit your feet. Ask around to see if all Danner boots are sized the same. If so, you could try another style to see if these would fit.

my favorite backpacking boots are Nike ACG boots, got them from STP for $60, I've also got Montrails, Technicas, La Sportivas HanWags, Solomons and Danners.


the Nike are the cats azz for me.

lucky find, I'll be sad when they're gone

Slidellkid,

IMO NH Hunter has given you some good advice. Get a decent pair of backpacking boots and a quality pair of gaiters and you'll be set.

Personally, having two pair of good back packing boots that you can alternate from day to day is even better. Sierra Trading Post has some good deals on some great boots if you have time to watch for the deals during the year.

The Cabela's Gore-tex leather hikers shown in the link by NH Hunter are a very comfortable boot and as he stated will require little or no break in time. I have tried them on and had the exact same opinion about them. The LL Bean Cresta Hikers, I would bet, would do you just as well.

Vasque makes some good boots too that don't require much break in time.

I own Vasque, Asolo, and AKU hikers and use them all with gaiters(hunting in 8"-15" of snow in Utah every year) and my feet stay plenty warm, dry, and comfortable by just wearing a mid-weight merino wool hiking sock with them. Of course I cake the waterproofing wax on them also to aid in keeping the leather dry.(Nikwax)

You could do alot worse than buying the cabela's/ LL Bean hikers, gaiters and a bottle of nikwax.

Good luck, Leftybolt

Thanks for the advice.

A decent hiking boot is fine in snow.. add a set of gaiters. I would rather wear a set of hiking boots that I knew fit me well and I have put real miles on than a new set of hunting boots that are untested.

Boots are a big deal to me. If my feet hurt it makes the rest of the trip miserable. The fit is the most important and I tend to have slip in the heels of most boots thanks to a normal fore foot and a narrow heel. The best boot that I have found for me and my narrow heels are the Lowa Rangers. They will cost you 50.00 more than you are wanting to spend but will last you several years or more. Refer to the below link for Baker shoes out of Oregon. Great company and they offer free shipping on orders over 80.00. I have owned a lot of boots (ask my wife!)trying to find some that really fit and the Lowas are worth every penny.

http://www.bakershoe.com/shop-by-brand.cfm/brand/lowa-boots/product/lowa-ranger-gtx/

Do a search on the Danner Pronghorns. I have them like a lot of people and although comfy, they do NOT hold their waterproofing well. Dont take my word for it, do a little research. The Pronghorns are made in China. The made in the USA Danners are better. The best I have found are the Schnee Beartooth. Schnees as a company stands behind their product the best of any company out there.

I got a pair of the lowa rangers and really like them.

My favorite was the cabela mountain hunters but they are no longer made.

Those Montrail Torre GT. Seem to be on sale everywhere. They might be decent. Anybody worn those?

I would stay away from the Vasques if I were you. They used to make a good boot but not anymore. When I was looking to replace my worn out Vasques I was going to get the Sundowners. Then I read how they are made in China now instead of Italy. So I did some research on different backpacking gear review sites and everyone was complaining that the fit was now off and they weren't as durable as when they were made in Italy. I emailed Vasque and they stated they were not going to resume production in Italy. So I bought the LL Bean Crestas in my link and couldn't have been happier. That's why I let everyone know the Crestas and the Mountain Hikers are made in Romania. It's a shame, Vasque used to make a good boot. They moved production to China but kept the price the same.
The only pair of boots I've had that were made in China that were worth anything (were durable and comfortable) are my Rocky Great Oak Loggers. A good winter work boot but too heavy for backpack hunting.

The ASOLO Sasslongs on Sierra Trading Post right now for $169.00 look awefully nice to me. Lots of positive reviews and they come in two different widths(lots of sizes left also).

Good luck, Leftybolt

rem79 I looked at those a while ago and I thought they might have been the sundowner boot. I bet they are a good boot. Some of my old backpacker friends where devastated when they pulled those boots to china.

I was pretty upset to. So I started to look around and I got the LL Bean boot on sale last year. I was also looking at the Asolo 520s with Gore-Tex. Those are made in Romania to. It's weird, I get to looking at boots and of the three I was looking at they are all made in Romania.
Ever since Vasque started to make their boot in China I won't buy them again. I don't just like to hunt and backpack hutn but like to backpack in the off season. Boots are one thing that shouldn't be made in China.

I forgot to mention in my last post the Ll Bean Cresta boots have more room in the toe box than the Sundowners. This is in the normal width. I like that because I can wear heavier socks without my toes getting pinched.

Great info guys. Thanks.

I like my Danner Ft Lewis Light.

I tend to consider "quality inexpensive" to be an oxymoron.

[img]http://s7ondemand5.scene7.com/is/image/LaCrosse/29124?$09_pdp$[/img]

Been there, done that with the Vasques. Used to be my wife and I counted on Vasque Sundowners, but no more. We got burned trying the Chinese version. No bueno.

I picked up Asolo 520's this weekend at REI. Good fit. I needed size 13 U.S to fit though. My last books were Danners in 11 1/2 U.S. If you put the 2 boots heel to heel they are the same length. Asolo's are not as narrow in the heel and toe box. Better for me.

Another vote for the Cabelas boot listed! They come in B-width as well.

I bought these boots from cabelas. So far I think that they are very good shoes for the money. Have not done any serious mountian climbing with them but they worked well in hilly terain during turkey season. They were on sale for 130 when I got mine.


http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...dex&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true

Thanks Bryant. I was looking at those last night. You got a great deal at $130

Quality inexpensive...????

You can have one or the other but not both. If you buy cheap you get cheap.

If at all possible I would drive somewhere to try them on, it's worth the time and extra money when you have a good fitting pair of boots "your feet will thank you :)". i also enjoy my danners.

Myself & a couple buddies are headed to Colorado in a couple weeks to hit the backcountry & one of them JUST bought a pair of $35 wal-mart boots. I've tried multiple times to sway him into spending a little more money & get some better ones but he's dead set that those will be sufficient.

IMO... this is a mistake. First he just bought them "not broken in" 2nd not as high quality & i believe he'll pay for it drastically, your feet carry all of your load & need to be taken care of.

Slidellkid,

Lots of good pretty good advice so far.

I gather you will be backpack hunting given the forum, but has your hunting partner shared what kind of activity level and the type of terrain you'll likely encounter?

Will you be doing fully self-supported high mileage/elevation stuff or relatively shorter forays from a car camp with a light daypack? If the former, there are a handfull of boots that you can depend on to get you comfortably through several years of hard use. If the later, there are lots of boots out there that will serve you reasonably well until you can afford to shell out for a higher quality boot that would be more suitable/comfortable and built to last.

I've blown through three $260ish Cabela's branded italian made hunting boots (Mountain Hunters). Two were non-insulated and one was an even older insulated version. Awesome comfy once broken in and exept for an abrupt gore-tex failure in the first uninsulated pair (that they replaced), held up well to lots of hard use. It wasn't ever clear who the actual manufacturer was since Cabela's was pretty tight lipped about who actually made them under their name. I still have one pretty nice pair of insulated Mountain Hunters but they don't get anywhere near the mileage or use as the non-ins. I made the switch to a pair of non-insulated Kenetrek "Mountain Extremes" for this year's earlier seasons. We'll see if they hold up as well as people claim.

BTW, Kenetrek has a "Sale Room" with some screaming deals from time to time. You might check it out and see if they have anything in there that would suit your fancy.

Good luck this year!

Allen

IMO, it's a big mistake. IME, "100% Waterproof" Wal-Mart boots are waterproof until you walk in dew-laden grass or step in a mudhole. I now wear only Cabelas boots.

SK,

Take a gander at these: Asolo Sasslongs

Mine have been everywhere, with a load and without, in snow, rain and dry. Be good to your feet. Sign up at STP and these can be had for around $130.

MtnHtr

Thanks all.