What boots are you wearing?

JM4590

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Minuteman
Jun 28, 2013
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Midland,Va
Lay it out there. What is working for comfort, durability, longevity, price.
Been a Danner fan for years, but price vs features is killing me. Lots of Italian boots out there calling out.
 
I guess it all depends on your intended use. But, I wore out a pair of under armour boots every 18 months for 3 pairs. After that I got hooked up with Schnee's out of Bozeman. Ordered a pair of Beartooth 200g boots and they've been holding up great for the last 2.5 years. Just gotta put on some leather conditioner every 6 months or so.
I've gotten to the point where the insoles are needing to be replaced but the boots are still holding up perfectly.
 
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Wore Danner for 20+ years in last profession. Just had them resoled every cpl years. Now though, them dudes expensive as hell, and thinking that for $450+ , someone needs to be measuring my feet for a custom fit. Still loving Danners, but questioning the value.
 
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Pro tip @MOUNTIC turned me onto....

Order 20 boots from REI them delivered to the store your card isn't charged until you leave the store with the ones you want.

Go try them all on.

Take the ones home you think will work.

Go hike in them etc you have 12 months to decide.

Take back the losers and keep the winner. REI return policy on footwear is awesome
 
Farm n Garden, woodcutting, hiking before it gets cold, whites smokejumper boots, they've gotten really expensive the last couple years, but durable as hell in extreme work conditions. Hunting, mid fall till it gets down to the teens, Kenetrek insulated, below that Whites or Hoffman pacs with felt liners, or stay in the cab of the heated truck and stick the gun barrel out the window to shoot predators.

:D :ROFLMAO::LOL: Kidding WDFW, that would be illegal
 
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I have a pair of Irish Setter boots that I purchased about 4 months ago. Wellington style. Wear them everyday all day working outdoors in my line of work. Comfortable since I walked out of the store with them. I wear our a set of soles every 12-18 months. Used to buy Chippewa boots but they quit making the style I liked. Had been thru 4 pairs and was very pleased with the comfort and performance.
 
Farm n Garden, woodcutting, hiking before it gets cold, whites smokejumper boots, they've gotten really expensive the last couple years, but durable as hell in extreme work conditions. Hunting, mid fall till it gets down to the teens, Kenetrek insulated, below that Whites or Hoffman pacs with felt liners, or stay in the cab of the heated truck and stick the gun barrel out the window to shoot predators.

:D :ROFLMAO::LOL: Kidding WDFW, that would be illegal
@DIBBS , How did you know the contents of my closet? 😀🤣🤣
I am looking into the Kenetrek as an alternative to my my Whites How is the sizing in comparison? My Whites are 8-1/2 F with a high arch, of course this means I will have to find a Kenetrek vendor to fit to my oddball foot.
 
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Been wearing nicks pro builder for about 6 months now, amazing how much more comfortable they are. Wore Chippewa super logger for 20 years but the quality kept declining and the price kept going up.

Nicks, jk boots, Franks, whites, wesco are all top notch custom grade boots but they cost 500+

Thorgood boots are great boot’s especially if you like moc toe

The USA made red wing also still great boots
 
I’ve been wearing La Sportiva Makalu’s since 2001. I bought them when I lived in Idaho and was backpack hunting every year. I’ve changed the laces about 5 times, but the boots are still going strong. My feet have never been wet in them even though they are not goretex. I put Nikwax Aqueous on them. They took about 50 miles of wearing to break in, but after that, they’ve been great. They are the only pair of boots I’ve ever had that I don’t long to take off at the end of the day.

I would look hard at Keenetrek and Meindl also, if I was in the market today.
 
I wear USA made thorogood boots for shop work but I’m undecided on another pair or not. Price is double what I paid five years ago and the quality has dipped a bit. Good work boot but not a hiking/hunting boot.
 
Which boots depends on the activity. Like a lot of things, decide what you what them for and then you can select the best for that purpose. I've got a pair of Red Wing Irish Setter Loggers that I've used for hunting and 4 wheeling since the mid 1970's. The Vibram soles have been replaced at least one or more times over the years and mink oil has keep the leather tops soft and waterproof. Danner Acadia's are more modern and can be had with insulation of different levels for colder climates and are also waterproof and breathable. If you are in areas with snakes then taller snake boots are a better option. If you are talking about hiking where water and mud will be encountered then Muck boots are a better choice.

What is your intended use?
 
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These.


Same company that makes Hoka running shoes.
 
I don’t think the US made Danners are overpriced for what you’re getting. Lots of good Asian imported boots now are running $200-$300 for gore tex models so $400 for USA made leather boots that can be rebuilt seems like a deal to me. Danners are great boots and if you sign up they have a 25% off members only pre sale going on right now. I’m thinking about ordering a pair of hood winter lights for winter boots since I’m somewhere it’s cold again.

Just don’t buy Merrells, their quality has gone to absolute shit. My second to last pair started losing chunks of rubber hiking in rocks which had never happened before and then about 50 miles hiking with them were coming apart all around them. I bought another pair because Merrell gave me a 50% off code since they were beyond the warranty period and the new pair weren’t waterproof after 3 months and are goretex too.

I’ve been wearing Hoka Kaha GTX the last few months, I just tried them on in a store and they were insanely comfortable. Have over 150 hiking miles on them now and they’re wearing great and very comfortable on the trail and also around town. Whenever I kill them I’ll absolutely replace them with another pair.
 
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Irish Setter Elk Trackers for the mountains and Irish Setter Vaprtrek for warmer weather.
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I have about 10 miles on the Danner Grouse boots I recently bought. I’m really liking them so far. I specifically wanted Made in US boots that were waterproof. I also didn’t pay full price.

They replaced my 10+ year old Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots. I may buy another pair because they were the best pair of boots I’ve ever owned, they just lost their waterproofing recently.

My current “dress boots” are Corcoran original jump boots. They check all the boxes, made in the us and shine up nice enough.

Work boots are currently Timberland Pros, mainly because the overmolded toe cap and deep tread holds up really well in a machine shop.
 
Wearing Danner Canadians.
They are not the same as the Danner Canadians made 40 years ago.
When it is too bad of conditions for them I wear Arctic Muck Boots



 
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Hot weather- Lowa Elite Desert
Hiking- Zamberlan Vioz GTX
Cool/Wet/Transition- La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX
Cold Weather- La Sportiva Makalu with insulated overgaitors
Socks- Only Darn Tough socks touch these feet.
 
Lowa Zephyr are my favorite, just got another pair from DSG on sale.

I wear the composite toe Reebok rapid response at work as they are given to us, to be from china they are pretty nice.
 
Surprised there are not more Salomon recs. The most comfortable boots/shoes I have ever worn. Almost zero break in required and anything from running shows to leather hiking boots they have you covered. Have or have Danners, Belview, Lowa, Merrils, Scarpa, UA, Nike, Rocky, Addidas boots and the Salomons put them all to shame.

They give like a 40-60% military discount as well. I probably have about 25 pairs, all goretex. I get about 6 months out of a pair of tennis shoes and then just toss them and open another box up. $40-55 bucks a pair, can't beat it for comfort and quality. The boots will last a LONG time, especially if you rotate through them and don't wear the same pair 2 days in a row (Fastest way to wear out a shoe as they don't have time to dry from the sweat from your feet).
 
Surprised there are not more Salomon recs. The most comfortable boots/shoes I have ever worn. Almost zero break in required and anything from running shows to leather hiking boots they have you covered. Have or have Danners, Belview, Lowa, Merrils, Scarpa, UA, Nike, Rocky, Addidas boots and the Salomons put them all to shame.

They give like a 40-60% military discount as well. I probably have about 25 pairs, all goretex. I get about 6 months out of a pair of tennis shoes and then just toss them and open another box up. $40-55 bucks a pair, can't beat it for comfort and quality. The boots will last a LONG time, especially if you rotate through them and don't wear the same pair 2 days in a row (Fastest way to wear out a shoe as they don't have time to dry from the sweat from your feet).

The problem is I don’t know what the fuck this thread is talking about, so mentioning salomon is difficult, because a tradesman doesn’t need a hiking boot usually. My favorite boots to rake dog shit or do home renovations with are ariats, but I wouldn’t go on deployment, or go 15 mile multi day hunt with them.

Salomon’s are great for hiking and semi tactical. Tactical meaning, they have military spec’s boots which means nothing of importance. I like the regular quest more than the military ones, they seem to weigh less. I used salmon XAs for years hiking some peaks and what not before I switched to altra, but now we enter the realm of trail runners.
 
Crispi Nevada
I received my Crispi Nevada boots as a gift last spring, boots took 2 months to break my feet in and then only lasted 13 months, sole was flat worn smooth. I called Crispi in regards to how fast the sole wears out and having the soles replaced. The sole is soft and wears incredible fast, but only if you wear them every day..Yes, they can be resoled when the soles are available. I called in June and was told hopefull 10.5 soles will be available around Christmas, they are made overseas. A shop in Utah does the work for the soles.
Boots that last for me, are Whites then Danners. I’ve worn Whites for 44 years, I started in 1960 with Red Wings, Lowa, Setter but they worn out fast. I have no problems having Whites rebuilt and fast turn around time. The Whites Vibram soles last in the woods and rock, Danners are lighter and last almost as good, Crispi soles wear like a sponge..
Boots are “use the right boot for what you do”.
 
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Just re-ShooGoo'd the heel sole of my Danner Pronghorns again for this winter. 2010-11 I think so other than sole they are still holding up remarkably well. Also used their Sharptail knee high snake boots for last 5 years so comfy and once Scotchguarded they are waterproof in Florida swamps love em.
 
Nicks Boots Hotshot. Had them for years and they only get better. Great for almost everything outside related.

 
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Usually redwings for work but I ran across some Timberland pro Summits on sale for 1/3 the cost at the supply house and man these are comfortable.

Off road its usually SALOMON quest 4D GTX forces. but they're definitely not a winter boot.
 
Off road its usually SALOMON quest 4D GTX forces. but they're definitely not a winter boot.
I use them as a mountaineering winter boot. It’s usually frowned upon in any real (like not little bs hikes) hike to have anything insulated as 5-10 miles in, most people usually sweat, and if you’re over nighting…your boots will freeze by morning.

The problem is the gortex does that to me too. However, it’s still breathes better than insulated boots, ice is minimal, and I throw a hand warmer in while I get my shit all rolled up.

The key is wearing good socks. About 80% merino wool. I usually wear trail runners as long as I can, until the snow will get my feet wet. Then I switch over.

Altras at 8000ft on a hunt in mid nov.
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