Sneaky Silent Shoes

[wysongdog]

Solomons are ok but the thorns will eat you up.

Well damn there went that idea lol

 

[Rare Breed]

Well damn there went that idea lol

I used solomon’s on my April elephant hunt. Most comfortable hunting shoes I have ever owned lightest too. Two problems, they were loud and yes a thorn went through them fortunately not long enough to penetrate my foot

 

[Green Chile]

If they could make available that thorn proof liner that some of the boot makers use, that would make a lot of shoes more viable. I've never seen it offered as a stand along product? The thorns can be such a problem in some places. I fear them more than snakes.

 

[robertb4wd]

I wore Danner Crag Rats on my trip. No issues at all. This trip coming up I bought some On Cloud 5 waterproof thinking they would be good. After reading the comments, I didn’t think about the thorns. I guess since none went thru my danners. I’m packing my Crag Rats. No sense in fixing something that isn’t broke.

 

[HankBuck]

I used solomon’s on my April elephant hunt. Most comfortable hunting shoes I have ever owned lightest too. Two problems, they were loud and yes a thorn went through them fortunately not long enough to penetrate my foot

@Rare Breed - good to know those details——, won’t be buying those boots.

 

[dneaster3]

LEMs shoes & boots currently have my attention the most (followed close by Gokey) but of the LEMs I am considering one or two pairs of any of these.View attachment 618954

I own a pair of LEMS Outlanders just for kicking around town and have thought several times that they would make a good stalking boot on soft/flat ground. Waterproof, zero-drop heal, light weight, decent tread grip, and very quiet.
There isn't enough structure or support for dealing with significant terrain, but if you are in sandy soil or flat ground, they'd work well.

 

[dneaster3]

What about a Solomon trail running shoe? I’ve been using them for elk hunting here in Wyoming and am fairly impressed.

I wouldn't go with the trail runners, but I love the Solomon Quest 4D GTX boots. Light enough for summer hiking, hanging tree stands, etc. But structured enough to pack out an elk and sidehill a scree slope without blowing an ankle.

Almost any boot that has a rubber outsole, rubber rand, and EVA midsole is going to have a bit of rubbery "bonk" noise on rocks wood. The softer, more flexible leather boots are naturally going to be quieter.

But the softer and thinner your outsoles or sidewalls, the more vulnerable you are to thorns, sharp rocks, or barbed wire.

As with all things, there is not perfect solution. Only trade-offs.