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stalkincoues

New pair of boots wanted for low desert hot hunting

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Kennetrek Desert Guides, with wool socks. Good boot for southern NM. I've tried different boots, but always come back to Kennetrek.

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Great info guys and not just on "which boots to buy". As far as just trying them all on the store and buying what fits and works..... that never works well for me because most seem fair in the store and fit well. I don't know if they'll work unless I actually use them. That's when I find out if the foot slides forward, get blisters, tear up my feet, pinch the top of my toes etc....

 

I bought my first pair like I stated I was gonna initially and they are the Meindl Denali. I wore them about half the day on a couple pretty rugged hikes with around 40lbs on my back. Had medium thick wool socks. Seemed pretty good about half the hike, but as the leather at the toes flexes it really started to dig and pinch the top of my feet. It just seemed to chaffe every step Heel slipped up and down a tad but didn't get any blisters which surprised me. The sizing sure seemed right in store and and fit seemed good and comfy.

 

Got home that night and tops of my feet were raw and same with parts on my toes. Over a week later and the top of my feet are still a little scabbed and toes sensitive from all the hard leather wear on top of them, still bothers me just in tennis shoes. I'm kind of gun shy now to give them another try and cannot have this on a hunt as it would completely ruin it! These are the same socks I wear with other boots.

 

Is this just the nature of a full on hard leather boot like this? Is it a bad fit? Should I have wore thicker socks or two pair? Will I have the same issues with the perfekt hikers, Kenetreks, or any full leather boots that are similar? It's been so long since I've been able to wear my perfekt hunters but it seems like the leather flex at the toes may have hurt my feet too. Both of the toungues are squeeky as heck on the Meindls, what's up with that!

 

Great advice about our sponsors Amanda! I'll swing by Gila Outdoor tomorrow on the way out of town and check out the Lowas.

 

 

  On 8/18/2012 at 2:20 AM, AZLance said:

http://www.lowaboots...tegory=8&Type=M

 

Best boots on the market, and no gortex lining !

Don't those black boots get hot here in the Desert in Az during the summer? Look like great boots but can't imagine black in August out here.

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I just decided on a set of Danner Pronghorns for hunting. I have been very undecided. I tried Meindl in Cabelas and had to go an entire size smaller to get the fit. The tow was very wide and i did not like it. It really came down between these two and I went back and forth wearing one of each walking around the store.

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I was in Cabelas today and bought some Keen mid hikers because they really fit my fred flintstone feet. Keens are pretty well built. I did get my hands on the Danner TRX Desert Boot, and it felt like my old catchers mit, like it would be very comfy. I may end up getting a pair of those for a higher top hunting boot.

 

-sd

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I tried on a pair of Danner Pronghorn GTX III, Uninsulated, Gortex boots today. Sports Authority, $189.99. As I was walking around the department the boots were making a clicking sound. I was from the area of the boot just where it bends from the foot up the leg. All I kept thing about was making a stalk and finding no buck where he was bedded. Then taking another step and hearing that dang clicking. Left the store without them.

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The best pair of boots I have ever had I still wear. Got some $70 Brownings at Cabelas about 6 years ago. They are still holding up great. I wear them for every hunt. Wish I would of bought 2 pairs back then.

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My wife and I have use Danners for years with great results, we haven't had a problem so far and we are very satisfied. I have another pair of boots that I alsways take as a back up and have perform excellent too; they are the Irish Setter, very comfortable boot.

 

Ernesto C

 

P.S. Hey "m77" maybe you should have triend a different pair and find out about the "clicking sound".

 

Also do not forget to wear new boots 2 or 3 times per week for the previoues 2 weeks or so before the actual hunt. Do not wait till the actual hunt to start wearing them.

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Hey Ernesto, did just that. The left one clicked on one pair, the right one on the other pair. Could have put together a good pair just lost confidence in them at that point. I have an old pair of Danners I have worn for a number of years. Thought it was time to retire them but I may be getting at least one more season out of them.

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I have a pair of Pronghorns I got a couple of years ago and they broke right in and have not had any problems with them other than they could be a little wider.

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