Ok….so let me give my initial impressions after walking a bit in the woods with my new African ranger barefoot.
@PARA45
First, I tried the standard ranger model but with my left foot being slight longer than the right, the hard toe box on the standard was killing my big toe nail. The barefoot model has a soft toe box and feels great to my foot.
I would say the sizing on the boots seem pretty standard. I have tried them on and worn them with my favorite sock. People socks below zero quarter sock. An Ideal height with these boots too. They are medium thickness daily wear merino wool blend. If you haven’t tried them, I highly recommend them….
I go barefoot around the house, yard, boat and unless I’m in the woods, I wear flip flops, year round. A luxury of living in the Deep South. I can say for me, the barefoot model may be the most comfortable boot I’ve worn. One of those ah ha moments where I thought I never knew what I’d been missing in a boot. I don’t know who is responsible for the barefoot boot movement but I’m grateful.
The principle behind a barefoot boot is that our modern foot wear constrains the toes and the arch support weakens the muscles in the foot to where we become dependent on it. I had never heard of a barefoot boot and had to do some research.
That said, and with my normal barefoot mode, I don’t feel any need whatsoever for arch support or an insole. In time, I believe the leather inner of the boot will mold slightly to foot.
I will also say they may be the lightest and quietest boots I’ve worn. My normal boot being a Danner sharp tail, light in its own right.
The quiet comes from two places. The construction of the boot and the feel it allows. The sole is soft and flexible and has no insole or steel shank. This, in my opinion makes you feel more ‘connected’ to the ground. I found that walking in the thick leaves in a hardwood bottom on my property that I would feel a stick under the leaves before i put enough pressure down to snap it and make noise. Does that make sense?
The leather seems to be of above average quality with good stitching and resoleable for years of use. The lower needs no break in for me but the uppers are a little stiff but already better from a couple short walks with the dogs.
I believe the best advice I could give to anyone considering the ranger are to get a pair of both and try them on side by side. The difference was amazing to me. Also, they will make custom boots on their website as
@112Savage mentioned. You can pick leather sizing and they even said the would do me a pair in a half size bigger on one side.
Let me end by just saying one more time….try both pair and wear them around the house before making a decision. I think you may be surprised.
