Best hunting boot?

[Tundra Tiger]

You are closer to correct than me Red Leg. I just checked my outfitter's website. I was remembering the nighttime temperature range. Indeed it says 60-80 daytime.

 

[fourfive8]

Boots and hats are personal. Also, terrain and conditions are different between seasons and locations so what works in one area in one season will not work in another.

It also depends on what one is used to. Buzz Charlton (Zim PH) has gone on hunts wearing crocs.

That's true. I've seen PHs wear quite a variety of foot wear. From sandals and vellies without socks to fairly substantial medium height, fairly heavy duty boots like Keen or similar military style or even surplus. Same for trackers and game scouts. A lot of PHs seem to prefer something on the order of or similar to Courteneys with gaiters.

 

[Red Leg]

Boots and hats are personal. Also, terrain and conditions are different between seasons and locations so what works in one area in one season will not work in another.

It also depends on what one is used to. Buzz Charlton (Zim PH) has gone on hunts wearing crocs.

You are closer to correct than me Red Leg. I just checked my outfitter's website. I was remembering the nighttime temperature range. Indeed it says 60-80 daytime.

Where will you be? May can be pretty warm (as in more than 80) during the day.

And I don't mean uncomfortably hot. But not the climate for a high top Maine boot clone.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Where will you be? May can be pretty warm (as in more than 80) during the day.

And I don't mean uncomfortably hot. But not the climate for a high top Maine boot clone.

Eastern cape - Grahamstown area. I am no stranger to really hot temperatures. I grew up in central KS. I love my Bean boots but may rethink them, in light of an extra 20 degrees. The high coverage seemed/seems like good protection from things getting in.

Oh... and Crocs work dandy. I shot a caribou while wearing a pair. He dropped 80 yards from the tent. That is not, however, an endorsement for their use as all around hunting footwear.

 

[Ike85123]

Eastern cape - Grahamstown area. I am no stranger to really hot temperatures. I grew up in central KS. I love my Bean boots but may rethink them, in light of an extra 20 degrees. The high coverage seemed/seems like good protection from things getting in.

Oh... and Crocs work dandy. I shot a caribou while wearing a pair. He dropped 80 yards from the tent. That is not, however, an endorsement for their use as all around hunting footwear.

My uncle lived in south Africa about all his life. He always wore sneakers with no socks. Cold or hot. He said it was the best way.

 

[Philip Glass]

Kenetreck are very good.

 

[Tanks]

One thing in regards to boots for Africa. Most people gravitate either towards Courtney's and Russell's. The former being less expensive and the latter being custom made to measure.

In order to weigh them to confirm the website weight I pulled a pair of my Russell's out. That's when I noticed that the right boot was half a size smaller, I had totally forgotten about that. I also have a 3mm lift built in to the left boot as my left leg is 3mm shorter than the right one (probably went to that extra half size ).

If you amortize the cost difference over the course of a lifetime it is not much for the value you are getting. I have one pair over 20 years old that has been resoled by Russell's already due to wear and tear and it should last another 20 years before requiring more maintenance.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

For Africa in Namibia and Limpopo I used and really liked my courtney selous boots, well broke in. The terrain was relatively flat, some rolling hills. In Eastern Cape I found them less desirable mainly because of all the rocks and boulders where we hunted. I switched to Ariat lace up boots as they were the only option I had available, they were better but not great. Another factor in the Eastern Cape hunt was that I was waiting for hip replacement surgery. I had that done three weeks ago today. Feel like a new senior citizen now.

 

[Stephen Ausband]

Wow! Lots of different choices, and some extreme ranges in footwear. I've used a well-worn pain of Russell boots that I had made years ago to fit my over-sized and (I'm told by some) unattractive feet. (I think my friend's comment was "if anthropologists discover your footbones centuries hence, they may think they've found a new species.") I've also used a pair of New Balance low-top boots, sort of like leather athletic shoes, for hunting in NC/VA and in Africa. I like NB because they come in big and wide, and they're not too expensive. When I hunted with Barry Style in Zimbabwe, he always wore Crocs. We saw two mambas and two puff adders in 10 days. I'd prefer a little more protection than that offered by Crocs, thank you.

 

[Ike85123]

Its hard to find a good boot for arizona without having to have 10 pairs.
Summer is about 120f in the hottest part. Nights can also be 80s or 90s or even 100s. But 3hrs to flagstaff and it can be very cool.
Ive always tried to find a pair of midrise boots that keep feet dry and have some give in the sole to make it comfortable to walk miles. Then I just make sock changes due to the temp.
Still, its hard to find a nice boot. Bought 3 pairs this last year, was just a waste of money.

 

[Chickenfarmers]

I prefer mid weight and height hikers. Taller boots similar to Crsipi Idahos or Lowa Tibets are a chunk heavier weight and stiffer. Taller and stiffer boots are nearly impossible to stalk quietly. The name of the game in NM or elsewhere with elk is covering gobs and gobs of country. You may also sweat a little more in taller boots? To me weight and comfort are on top of my list. I often use taller boots when there is lots of snow.

Boot brands I've had the most success with are Scarpas, Lowas, and Crispis. Scarpas are great but tend to run narrow. I've had great results with several Lowas over the years (Vantage and Caminos). It's tough to beat Crisipis. I recently bought Wyo's and Dakotas. Crispi recently reduced updated versions of several of their models that you can get for around $100 off....which is tough to beat!

I would highly recommend all leather with the fewest seams available. The more seams the fewer miles you will get out of them. Most synthetic boots have lots of seams and may breath better but likely won't last as long.