Thread: Whats your hunting footwear????

Just get some red bands ow no point spending the big bucks until you no they need spent I spend 90% of my hunting in them if you wanna swank them up a little you could put some little lamb skin insteps inside ..not that I do that ! but if there good enough for arawata bill there good enough for me

mixed reports i see.. It would really be so much easier if you fellas just all shared the same opinions but the sharp contrast between them all is amazing!

Nah in all seriousness i appreciate everyones advice and input. Will see what i can get my hands on when i go shoe shopping and will probably just decide on the spot. Have heard good things about the navigator south mens hiking boots from the warehouse haha https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/nav.../R1974711.html so might just get them and thrash em until they give up. then by that time, i have hopefully made up my mind about what will be the best buy. bet they arent waterproof either so water will drain quickly Dont want to rush into some expensive boots/shoes when i havent even been out there to see what it will be like with a heavy pack etc..

cheers

If it was me id get some gri sport hikers

I have size US14 hooves, so I wear trail-running shoes. No one stocks boots in my size, but I'm not prepared to pay NZ retail prices anyway.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I recently bought a pair of Stoney River Hikers from Taranaki Rubber Company. They are a lined rubber boot, simmilar to a snow/pac type boot. They are light and comfortable. I havent had them wet yet but being lined I imagine they will take a bit of drying. At about $110 delivered they seem pretty good value. Their sizes are quite big so if you try a pair I would suggest going for a size down from what you normally wear.

Originally Posted by eltoro

I also recently bought a pair of those boots from Taranaki Rubber Company and they are fucken light. And being fully lined on the inside they are warm and comfortable. Yet to see how long they last.

How are the Taranaki Rubber Company Hiker boots holding up? Tempted to try them, or the Bullers.

Originally Posted by TheJanitar

mixed reports i see.. It would really be so much easier if you fellas just all shared the same opinions but the sharp contrast between them all is amazing!

Nah in all seriousness i appreciate everyones advice and input. Will see what i can get my hands on when i go shoe shopping and will probably just decide on the spot. Have heard good things about the navigator south mens hiking boots from the warehouse haha https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/nav.../R1974711.html so might just get them and thrash em until they give up. then by that time, i have hopefully made up my mind about what will be the best buy. bet they arent waterproof either so water will drain quickly Dont want to rush into some expensive boots/shoes when i havent even been out there to see what it will be like with a heavy pack etc..

cheers

You will spend the rest of your life using your feet so its worth while looking after them.

I'm not brand new, and have done a few miles hunting for a living and recreation all of my life. And farming.

The worst long term effect on your feet is anything made entirely of rubber, especially in the summer - its like having your feet in a sauna all day. Red Bands and Bullers buggered my feet - a good dose of arthritis in them now. And the extra disadvantage is that they give the top of your foot no protection from impacts (especially if you work with stock a lot).

The other thing is having a sole that is thick enough and stiff enough to protect your feet from impacts, but it depends on your load and the terrain. Horses for courses.

I use good cross-trail shoes for paddock and easy/bush hunting (Salamon), and Meindal type leather boots for Tahr and more rugged country.

MY opinion is that the Warehouse ones you linked may not be ideal, but still better than Bullers.

Originally Posted by Tahr

You will spend the rest of your life using your feet so its worth while looking after them.

I'm not brand new, and have done a few miles hunting for a living and recreation all of my life. And farming.

The worst long term effect on your feet is anything made entirely of rubber, especially in the summer - its like having your feet in a sauna all day. Red Bands and Bullers buggered my feet - a good dose of arthritis in them now. And the extra disadvantage is that they give the top of your foot no protection from impacts (especially if you work with stock a lot).

The other thing is having a sole that is thick enough and stiff enough to protect your feet from impacts, but it depends on your load and the terrain. Horses for courses.

I use good cross-trail shoes for paddock and easy/bush hunting (Salamon), and Meindal type leather boots for Tahr and more rugged country.

MY opinion is that the Warehouse ones you linked may not be ideal, but still better than Bullers.

Horse's for courses.. Hunted Te Urewera much Tahr??? Warehouse boots wouldn't last more than a couple of trips. IMO... Water and gravel is a hard combination..

Originally Posted by Biggun708

Horse's for courses.. Hunted Te Urewera much Tahr??? Warehouse boots wouldn't last more than a couple of trips. IMO... Water and gravel is a hard combination..

Yea I agree, but I'm afraid of spending 300+ on boots and then not having them last more than a couple of trips as I'm assuming the te ureweras are pretty wet and muddy? I don't mind paying under $50 for a pair of boots and then having them crap out on me after he 4th or 5th hunt worth it imo. Im thinking it may be a good idea to just get them to be able to get out there doing it for cheap at first, and then after they give up on me, I'll have a better idea of what Ill need.

HAIX K2, awesome footwear!

HAIX K2 and lowa z8s the lowas feel more soft to walk on but the HAIX offer more protection........
After running down a scree a few weeks back my z8s are full of gravel got its way in through the knackered stitching and now I can't get it out


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I have tried a few of the higher priced boots (Lowa, Miendl, Scarpa, Gronell, Bestard, Hanwag, La Sportiva, Gri Sport, Stein) and have yet to have a pair last more than 2-3 years without something significant failing - whether that be soles coming off, lace eyelets pulling out, stitching breaking down, rands pulling/breaking down off, etc. I wear them everyday, but not everyday on the hill - but they do get looked after. A lot of the time I wear them just to and from the office, or cruisy days out in the field. But all of them get put through their paces eventually. I've also tried the odd cheaper boot, but wearing them everyday they really only last a few months.

Currently I'm using Hanwag Alaskas and Bestard Coto's for hunting, and find both of there boots very supportive and kind to my feet. Hanwags are better in the rough stuff, as they have much better grip. Both pairs are coming up two years old and the Hanwags have blown stitching out the back (fixable) and are no longer water tight, and the Bestards have lost the sole on both boots at least once - glued once by distributor and other time by me. Their soles are rooted and I'll get them replaced locally with something more suitable for hill work as the boot them selves are still in pretty good condition. As they are at the moment they're a death wish on the hill.

Some of the best boots for durability in my experience have been top end La Sportivas and the Gronells. The Sportivas are very stiff and mainly designed as alpine boots - which is fine for what I do. They can be hard to break in and hard on your feet after a big day. The Gronells I liked as they fit my foot like a glove and lasted really well. However they went up in price quickly after they gained popularity here in NZ. My scarpas were awesome on the hill and the boots themselves lasted well but the internals fell to bits quite prematurely. I had a pair replaced under warranty and the new pair lasted a bit longer but failed in the same way.

These days I really only spend around $450-500 for a pair of boots, and am inclined to import them as it is a shite load cheaper, and I've been let down enough times by NZ distributors to believe their 'after sales support' is an irrelevant argument. My recommendations for buying boots for regular hunting use would be stay away from cheaper brands, still stick with higher priced quality Eurupean brands. For the average hunter who's wearing these boots only a handful of times a year, they should last a few years if looked after. Buy the boots that feel most comfortable for your foot, and provide what you feel has the most support. Grip on the sole is very important too - grippy boots will make you a lot more confident on the hill and may save you from a slip.

For evening hunts around the farm or forest I just use a pair of Ashleys, or my Quatros.

I don't think I would trust any Warehouse boots. They may not last 1 trip. My son was off to Caving school with the scouts & the only thing we could find at short notice were $50 warehouse boots or flash ones from H & F. Came back after 4 days & had worn a hole in the toe of one boot. I considered taking them back but one of the dogs decided he liked the smell of Waitomo mud & had a chew on it.

@JoshC. Interested to know what model your Scarpas were. I have owned a few pairs (currently have 5) and the only issue I have had was wearing a hole in the lining at the back of the heel on my oldest pair. Fixed with a piece of thin leather and Ados F2.
The most comfortable boots I have ever owned are some Zamberlans but the sole keeps peeling off. A real piss off as they are such nice boots.

I think Bullers would be perfect if the sole had better traction, theyre pretty dangerous on greasy hillsides with seeps and springs making everything saturated, I find it impossible to kick into mud banks wearing them so climbing straight up isnt really an option, I have to now zig zag up digging the heels in. I got some lastrite boots on trademe Im breaking in and they went pretty well and I dont think the sole will be falling off any time soon.

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I've had a great run from La Sportiva, quite stiff ones for me as I generally do more tops/alpine stuff than bush stalking. Currently a pair of Karakoram, but had quite a few years in some Makalus before that - uppers still solid as when the soles had worn down.

Also have a pair of Scarpa Escape which are doing well too, not quite as solid/supportive as my Sportivas and don't fit my feet quite as well for confidence on steep edging etc so I mostly use them for the less steep stuff.