Need a Good Hunting Boot

[CouesWhitetail]

I have struggled with the boot question for years. I have narrow heels and most boots give me blisters. I even tried on a pair of Kenetreks and could tell in the store they would give me blisters on my heel. I picked up a pair of Salomon Quest boots 1/2 off at the REI garage sale and I love them. If they ever stop making them I think I will buy 5 or 6 of them to have a lifetime supply.

 

 

+1 on the Salomon Quest boots!! These are super comfortable and lightweight and great traction. I have worn Danner, Kenetreks, Merrels and they all wear out within a year (but I hike for a living as a biologist, so I wear out boots faster than most). I loved the old Danner pronghorns, but the new version I didn't like at all. They were too heavy and actually hurt my feet. The kenetreks are super solid construction with outstanding support, but as someone else mentioned, I felt like I was walking in heels, just too tall a heel for me. But this year after searching Bass Pro, Cabela's, Sportsmans, and more, I finally went to REI and tried what they had. They had a bunch of well reviewed boots, but the one that was instantly comfortable was the Salomon Quest. You might want to try that boot on. It's kind of ugly, but I love them! In fact I bought an extra pair today....because it seems when I fall in love with a boot, they stop making them! But they are on sale and so I got an extra pair.

[rcdinaz]

The Salomon's have been getting great reviews the last few years and quite a few editor's choice awards. I will probably check them out at REI next time I get over there.

[PhxHunt]

Thanks everyone for your help and advice. I am just going to try on a bunch from a few different places and see what works out best for me.

[CouesWhitetail]

The Salomon's have been getting great reviews the last few years and quite a few editor's choice awards. I will probably check them out at REI next time I get over there.

 

 

I had never heard of them before going to REI. And out of all the boots they had, I was sure I wouldn't want that one based on the way it looked, but after I tried it on, it was a whole different ball game. I was very skeptical, but am super happy I decided to give the Quests a chance.

[Jimmer Negamanee]

I’ll need to check out the Solomon Quests based on these reviews!

 

My latest boot is the Merrell Phaser Peak. I really like them. They have good support but are still light and there is no break-in period. I’m not out in the hills as much as I’d like and boots with a 50 mile break-in period would mean that they’d be “breaking in” my feet for quite a while because the break-in period tends to work both ways.

 

I do throw out the stock liners and find that the green SuperFeet liners make any boot better. (That may be because I stay on the cheaper end of the boot spectrum though.)

 

Check out the “Boots, Socks and Liners” pinned thread in this section for some good information too.

 

I guess as with any equipment decision, consider the application, i.e., do you make your living in your boots or are you a weekend warrior? Do you hike deep country with a heavy pack or do you “run and gun” on the flats? Etc.

 

Good luck on your decision and let us know what you end up with.

[PhxHunt]

Ok. SO I went to Cabelas today and tried on a few pairs. The 2 I like the most were the Irish Setter Havoc and the Cabelas Ultra Light Hunter by Meindl. Both about the same price. I had to get a size 8 in the IS and a 9 in the Meindl. I had to tighten the Meindl;s really tight so there was not heel slip. The IS seemed tight on top naturally. Not sure if that is normal for boots. I ran out of time so I need to go back and try on both pairs again and try on both right and left boots. I just tried on the rights today.

 

The Irish Setters I had before I liked a lot except I believe it was the left boot pinched the top sides of my feet and would hurt really bad after a while of hiking.

 

I pretty sure I can feel where my toe needs to be in a boot and I look for a slipping heel, but what else do I need to feel for....seems like the top of my foot is the biggest issue....is that something I just need to deal with?

 

Still want to go to REI as well and try out the Salomon Quest Boots.

 

Thanks Everyone.

[Coues79]

/>What kind of boots did you end up with umpqua? I recommend cabelas meindls. I wore the ibex hunters for three seasons and still wear them on occasion but there's not much left for tread. I typically put big miles on mY boots with lots of those miles being at an incline or decline. I couldnt find any ibex's when I went to buy a new pair last year so my wife bought me the air revolutions by meindl. I wore them in January and they are incredibly comfortable. They are slightly more flexible than all of meindl's other hunting boots. More of an athletic feel but completely sturdy enough for the sheep country. I agree with picking what fits best. Try as many on as you can but make sure to give meindl boots a try.

 

 

 

-creed

I had a pair of ibex that i bought 3 or 4 years ago and these were phenomenal boots. Problem is they discontinued that particular ibex model and went with a different design..... not better but still a good boot. I am a looking at the meindl air revolution so its good to get this review .

[PhxHunt]

/> What kind of boots did you end up with umpqua? I recommend cabelas meindls. I wore the ibex hunters for three seasons and still wear them on occasion but there's not much left for tread. I typically put big miles on mY boots with lots of those miles being at an incline or decline. I couldnt find any ibex's when I went to buy a new pair last year so my wife bought me the air revolutions by meindl. I wore them in January and they are incredibly comfortable. They are slightly more flexible than all of meindl's other hunting boots. More of an athletic feel but completely sturdy enough for the sheep country. I agree with picking what fits best. Try as many on as you can but make sure to give meindl boots a try.

 

 

 

-creed

I had a pair of ibex that i bought 3 or 4 years ago and these were phenomenal boots. Problem is they discontinued that particular ibex model and went with a different design..... not better but still a good boot. I am a looking at the meindl air revolution so its good to get this review .

I didn't try the Perfekt or the Air Revolution because they were a bit out of my price range....but I think I will try them out next time I go in.

[PhxHunt]

Ok. I ended up buying the Cabelas Ultralight Hunter by Meindl and the Lowa from REI. Now I need to go home and walk around with them to see if they cause me any issues.

Really the difference between the 2 are:

The Lowa's don't need to be broken in and the Meindl's do.
The Lowa's have a shorter rise to the with less ankle support.
Both were about the same price.

Not sure which ones to choose if both don't cause me any foot problems while testing at home.

 

Anyone pick one over the other? Reasons?

[creed_az_88]

How is the return policy at rei? Cabelas is excellent and If for some reason the meindls were to tear or have abnormal issues cabelas would probably work with you on it. Rei or maybe even Lowa might be just as good but you can never go wrong with buying a product from cabelas.

[PhxHunt]

The Meindl's won last night. The Lowa's ended up hurting my feet a bit...about an hour. Then I put the Meindl's on and they were way more confortable with plenty of room, but tight at the same time.

[Viper]

I've had the Cabelas Perfykt Hiker (Meindl) for about 6 years now. I am always amazed how comfortable they are everytime I put them on. It seems my aging feet have become more picky of footwear so it takes a while to settle on a boot. After 6 years and hundreds of miles the soles are about 1/2 worn down, but the rest of the boot is in great shape. I think what really helps is the cork footbed that molds to your foot. I was a bit skeptical when I first bought them, but they broke in after about three outings and have been great ever since. I usually take my flip-flops to change into for the ride home....but sometimes I forget to change because the boots are so comfortable. I had always worn a "high-top" boot before, but now I prefer the lower cut boot for breathability. I bought a pair of short gaitors to wear with them, which keeps debris out. They are still as waterproof as the day I bought them. I treat them 1 - 2 times a year with a bees wax based treatment. I can't say enough about the quality of Meindl products. They've gone up in price since I bought mine, but they will be at the top of my list when these wear out.