Jim Green boot hides claim “natural dead buffalo hides “, a good story?

[PerH]

Came across this one and it was bit odd of a claim that buffalo is not hunted for their hides to shoes and boots , but “found naturally dead” ??

Not the quite bit I was thinking as one see the SA utility of the buffalo when hunted , and with the hyenas, lions , jackals and tons of other animals getting to the carcasses . Nothing last long in the wild .


Anyway I just thought this was a odd claim to have and probably just for the pc brigade or so this one

 

[dchum]

I think that twink misread their statement.
They are pretty clear besides the word use of “removed” - But we all know what that means

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Good looking boot except for the sole. Great for a walk to the store but not so much in the bush.

 

[poco]

Good looking boot except for the sole. Great for a walk to the store but not so much in the bush.

What’s wrong with the soles ?
i been wearing mine for 2 years now and my only complaint would be walking uphill in mud terrain
or
are you trolling us again

and of course that YouTube video is kinda misleading

 

[Ontario Hunter]

What’s wrong with the soles ?
i been wearing mine for 2 years now and my only complaint would be walking uphill in mud

Or wet rocks, or snow, or wet grass, ... I had soles like that on my boots 50+ years ago when that was available technology. I remember my first pair of boots with cleated Vibram soles. Thought I'd gone to heaven! Wavy soled moccasin toed pair went right in the dumpster. How many times did I slip and sprain an ankle wearing those damn things on the fire line! Ugh!

 

[AZDAVE]

These boots and the vibram soled boots have a much different purpose. The Jim Green boots would suck in the mud, snow and we conditions but be super quiet stalking boots in the african bush, where the vibram soled boots are the exact opposite. Pick a boot for the conditions. I have stalking boots to boots for Alaskan hunts they each have a special purpose.

 

[Hillcountry63]

I've had a pair for several years and they are great for what they are designed for, sandy rolling/flat terrain. Cloths, boots, rifles, optics are like golf clubs......you've got to pick the right one for the job.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

These boots and the vibram soled boots have a much different purpose. The Jim Green boots would suck in the mud, snow and we conditions but be super quiet stalking boots in the african bush, where the vibram soled boots are the exact opposite. Pick a boot for the conditions. I have stalking boots to boots for Alaskan hunts they each have a special purpose.

I have been working in the bush and stalking animals for sixty years in all conditions including dry and crunchy. Vibram sole is no noisier than a flat soled boot. Hard soles are hard soles. I'm at a loss to understand how a solid flat sole is supposed to be quieter than semi-arieated cleated sole. Laws of physics seem to indicate the opposite. More of the sole is in contact with debris. I imagine soft soled moccasins or bare feet are substantially quieter but I've never been tough enough to hunt that way.

 

[AZDAVE]

Mine have a soft gum rubber sole that is much quiter than vibram. But I have always had tough feet.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I've had a pair for several years and they are great for what they are designed for, sandy rolling/flat terrain. Cloths, boots, rifles, optics are like golf clubs......you've got to pick the right one for the job.

Solid flat soles are best for sandy rolling terrain? In sand a flat soled boot is like wearing a surfboard on my feet. Of all places, that is where one needs some grip underfoot.

 

[Hillcountry63]

You would argue with a fence post........do you own a pair of Jim Greens? No, you don't, so you don't know how they wear. The soles work for the terrain they're designed for just like Courteny's and several others that are specific to drier arid climates. Do us all a favor and spare us from your "expert" opinion.

Solid flat soles are best for sandy rolling terrain? In sand a flat soled boot is like wearing a surfboard on my feet. Of all places, that is where one needs some grip underfoot.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

They are well designed for the conditions they are intended for. Just as a thin linen shirt would be comfortable in a hot humid environment but not in a cold Canadian rain, soft gum soles are great on dry flat terrain, but not on wet rocky slopes.

A typical heavy lugged stiff American boot simply isn’t ideal in the places I’ve hunted in Namibia. They work, but I prefer a soft sole, flat or wedge rather than something with a heel. Horses for courses.

I like my Jim Greens- next pair I will take advantage of their custom options and get a size 9 on the left, 9 1/2 on the right. They were very responsive to email when I asked about this.

 

[375Fox]

Or wet rocks, or snow, or wet grass, ... I had soles like that on my boots 50+ years ago when that was available technology. I remember my first pair of boots with cleated Vibram soles. Thought I'd gone to heaven! Wavy soled moccasin toed pair went right in the dumpster. How many times did I slip and sprain an ankle wearing those damn things on the fire line! Ugh!

That must have been where you fell and hit your head?

 

[Spearhead]

I have three pairs of Jim Green rangers. Cape buff in brown and bovine in black and natural. First thing I did was remove insert and replace with Sole cork inserts. Super comfortable, quiet and does not pick up mud or rocks unlike my Courteney Selous boots. My natural hide rangers climbed all over the bush and granite hills of Namibia. That sole does grip to my disbelief and never slipped. Yes they would suck like any other like sole in mud and icy conditions, but I'm smart enough to avoid that. If you have questions, WhatsApp Gareth (one of the sons/owners). He will be more than happy to help answer any questions you may have. This has been my experience.

 

[poco]

What’s wrong with the soles ?
i been wearing mine for 2 years now and my only complaint would be walking uphill in mud terrain
or
are you trolling us again

and of course that YouTube video is kinda misleading

Seems like they addressed the walking in mud with a video, i am still a fan @ the price point, and usage design
i wear three different types of boots, Jim Green, redwing & Chippewa snake
and none of them are perfect for muddy walking

 

[Ontario Hunter]

You guys ... As I said, I'm old enough to have hunted in those wavy soled boots with no heel when they were in style. And the crepe soft soled stuff was all the rage when Rockport first came out with it. I wore those in the NPS as a ranger ... for about six months before the edge of heel wore off. And yes, I have worked in "arid hot" environment ... day and night for six years as an aluminum plant laborer. The ore is dust, even in winter the environment is hot and dry, and climbing was required every day. Standard issue st the plant warehouse was steel toe Red Wing eight inch loggers with hard Vibram soles. Summer students on a budget would invariably try cheap K-Mart flat bottom wavy sole boots ... for a week or two. For one thing, they are a lot hotter due to more contact surface and laborers are often required to climb onto hot catwalks and machinery. But mostly they were downright hazardous in dusty (essentially fine sand) conditions. They are slippery.

This is about fashion, pure and simple. As I have stated a few times before, my last PH told me the second day we were hunting that he judged me as well-experienced when he first clapped eyes on me ... based on the boots I was wearing. And what do you think he was wearing? Typical (required?) PH footwear: Courtney. "But I'm not wearing those." "Yep," he replied with a grin.

When hunting in Africa, I don't wear shorts and gaiters in the winter, or a safari hat, or a double yoked linen shirt, or carry a double rifle. It would not make any difference to my hunting experience if I did or didn't follow safari fashion code. But I have been around long enough to know what does make a difference more than anything else is what's under my feet. In more than one instance the difference has been life and death.

 

[375Fox]

You guys ... As I said, I'm old enough to have hunted in those wavy soled boots with no heel when they were in style. And the crepe soft soled stuff was all the rage when Rockport first came out with it. I wore those in the NPS as a ranger ... for about six months before the edge of heel wore off. And yes, I have worked in "arid hot" environment ... day and night for six years as an aluminum plant laborer. The ore is dust, even in winter the environment is hot and dry, and climbing was required every day. Standard issue st the plant warehouse was steel toe Red Wing eight inch loggers with hard Vibram soles. Summer students on a budget would invariably try cheap K-Mart flat bottom wavy sole boots ... for a week or two. For one thing, they are a lot hotter due to more contact surface and laborers are often required to climb onto hot catwalks and machinery. But mostly they were downright hazardous in dusty (essentially fine sand) conditions. They are slippery.

This is about fashion, pure and simple. As I have stated a few times before, my last PH told me the second day we were hunting that he judged me as well-experienced when he first clapped eyes on me ... based on the boots I was wearing. And what do you think he was wearing? Typical (required?) PH footwear: Courtney. "But I'm not wearing those." "Yep," he replied with a grin.
View attachment 616661
When hunting in Africa, I don't wear shorts and gaiters in the winter, or a safari hat, or a double yoked linen shirt, or carry a double rifle. It would not make any difference to my hunting experience if I did or didn't follow safari fashion code. But I have been around long enough to know what does make a difference more than anything else is what's under my feet. In more than one instance the difference has been life and death.

Trying to compare Jim green boots to cheap K-Mart boots from a photo really shows how you don’t know what you are talking about. They are made to last and can be resoled once they do wear out. That is their selling point. They are also made to be quiet in a dry climate. Your Georgia Eagle trail boots probably do well for a hunt in eastern cape but they aren’t made to last or made for quiet stalking. The foam midsole in most hiking boots (like your boots) amplifies the noise as you try and stalk in close. You really need hunt some more areas in Africa besides the one “lodge” you hunt at in eastern cape and some different times of the year. If you hunted as many areas as you seem to have had jobs you might actually have a valid opinion on something.

 

[Hillcountry63]

You guys ... As I said, I'm old enough to have hunted in those wavy soled boots with no heel when they were in style. And the crepe soft soled stuff was all the rage when Rockport first came out with it. I wore those in the NPS as a ranger ... for about six months before the edge of heel wore off. And yes, I have worked in "arid hot" environment ... day and night for six years as an aluminum plant laborer. The ore is dust, even in winter the environment is hot and dry, and climbing was required every day. Standard issue st the plant warehouse was steel toe Red Wing eight inch loggers with hard Vibram soles. Summer students on a budget would invariably try cheap K-Mart flat bottom wavy sole boots ... for a week or two. For one thing, they are a lot hotter due to more contact surface and laborers are often required to climb onto hot catwalks and machinery. But mostly they were downright hazardous in dusty (essentially fine sand) conditions. They are slippery.

This is about fashion, pure and simple. As I have stated a few times before, my last PH told me the second day we were hunting that he judged me as well-experienced when he first clapped eyes on me ... based on the boots I was wearing. And what do you think he was wearing? Typical (required?) PH footwear: Courtney. "But I'm not wearing those." "Yep," he replied with a grin.
View attachment 616661
When hunting in Africa, I don't wear shorts and gaiters in the winter, or a safari hat, or a double yoked linen shirt, or carry a double rifle. It would not make any difference to my hunting experience if I did or didn't follow safari fashion code. But I have been around long enough to know what does make a difference more than anything else is what's under my feet. In more than one instance the difference has been life and death.

Bless your heart, you just can't help yourself. You remind me of my Father-In-Law....he's an engineer, intelligent, talented, an actual rocket scientist. The problem is he has the people skills of rock. He has to have the last word, his opinion is the only one that's valid, is always the representative expert on everything and can't get it through his head that nobody cares about his opinion and don't want to be around him because of the way he comes off as a pompous jerk. I'm sure you have some valid life skills to share, however, the way you constantly insert your opinion as the only valid one to ad nauseam is tiresome.

 

[Doug3006]

My 2 cents. I’ve yet to hunt in wet, muddy conditions in Africa. My safari’s have taken place in SA, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia. The people who live there would have been ecstatic if there had been a heavy dew! Alas, dry, dusty and sandy conditions prevailed. I choose lightweight boots without lugs. I don’t want or need waterproof safari boots. All I care about is comfort. I haven’t hunted in tennis shoes, but I wouldn’t hesitate to if that’s all I had.

 

[KurtVH]

You guys ... As I said, I'm old enough to have hunted in those wavy soled boots with no heel when they were in style. And the crepe soft soled stuff was all the rage when Rockport first came out with it. I wore those in the NPS as a ranger ... for about six months before the edge of heel wore off. And yes, I have worked in "arid hot" environment ... day and night for six years as an aluminum plant laborer. The ore is dust, even in winter the environment is hot and dry, and climbing was required every day. Standard issue st the plant warehouse was steel toe Red Wing eight inch loggers with hard Vibram soles. Summer students on a budget would invariably try cheap K-Mart flat bottom wavy sole boots ... for a week or two. For one thing, they are a lot hotter due to more contact surface and laborers are often required to climb onto hot catwalks and machinery. But mostly they were downright hazardous in dusty (essentially fine sand) conditions. They are slippery.

This is about fashion, pure and simple. As I have stated a few times before, my last PH told me the second day we were hunting that he judged me as well-experienced when he first clapped eyes on me ... based on the boots I was wearing. And what do you think he was wearing? Typical (required?) PH footwear: Courtney. "But I'm not wearing those." "Yep," he replied with a grin.
View attachment 616661
When hunting in Africa, I don't wear shorts and gaiters in the winter, or a safari hat, or a double yoked linen shirt, or carry a double rifle. It would not make any difference to my hunting experience if I did or didn't follow safari fashion code. But I have been around long enough to know what does make a difference more than anything else is what's under my feet. In more than one instance the difference has been life and death.

But have you worn any Jim Green boots? I’m clearly less of an expert than you as I’m only 60 YOA and thus don’t have 60+ years of hunting experience, but I’ve owned a pair of the Jim Green’s with the wedge sole for about a month and have been wearing them daily since I got them and I think they’re pretty good. No mountain time with them, but lots of suburban and urban walking and a few days in the very wet SE Louisiana woods and dry fields and woods as well. I’m encouraged by the comfort and quietness of the JGs so far.

No boot is going to give you a lot of traction in the mud. At least not in the slimy swamp mud we see down in LA (or what I’ve experienced in and around the lakes of Ontario and Quebec). The JGs are about the same as anything else in the really slick stuff, which is not very good. Lugged soles are greatvfor the first step or two and then the lugs are packed solid and no better than anything else.

I generally find that the softer the sole the more traction you get on hard, uneven surfaces. Softer soles are also quieter than harder ones all else being equal. The JG soles are pretty soft, certainly softer than most hiking and hunting boots.

The wedge sole or flat sole is better for your feet and joints once you’re used to them; at least for me. They’re not necessarily quieter. It seems, however, that quietness would be at least as much a function of the composition of the sole as of its configuration (wedge or flat sole vs. heeled sole). And I think your assertion that physics would tell us that the smaller contact patch of the heeled sole compared to a wedge or flat sole would be quieter may have it exactly backwards. Newtonian physics tells us that the greater the area of the load bearing surface the lower the pressure exerted on the ground (force per unit of area; PSI e.g.). I would think the exerted pressure would affect quietness more than the area of the contact patch. That is to say, a larger contact patch may mean less noise than a smaller one because pressure in a given area would be lower. I don’t necessarily assert that, but it seems like a decent argument.

I’m still breaking in my first pair of Jim Green’s, but they seem very good so far. They’re quiet, comfortable, and provide good ankle support. I have no opinion on durability or customer service after the sale.