Thread: Which Boots

Originally Posted by Tahr

Maybe the best boots I have worn over 55 years of hunting and scrambling. I've worn these in Tahr country and the NI bush. Lasted and lasted. Grippy and comfortable. I have a second pair in a shoe box but my lads might inherit them.

https://www.completeoutdoors.co.nz/s...o-orange-12852

hows the sole of the boot, my current boots are quite hard and makes them noisy when walk dry stuff or tree roots

Originally Posted by mucko

hows the sole of the boot, my current boots are quite hard and makes them noisy when walk dry stuff or tree roots

They are good. No delaminating of the sole at all. Nice balance of stiffness and suppleness. Good in bush and on rocks. I will post a pic of the soles after a few years use (when I get out of bed )

I have the remains of a 12 year old pair of gronell Tibets, worn most days as a farm work boot. So impressed I went to get another pair after about 6 years. Got talked into lowas rubbish, they started failing within 6 months with the Rands started splitting then the sole started delaminating. Fobbed off by the agents wore them till they crapped out completly. Now have gronell stelvios a heavy boot but stitched sole and can take spikes. My ankles are a bit buggered and the rigid boot really helps. I totally agree with that hill stick comment too using one is like an extra pair of legs.

@mucko

4 years or so of reasonably hard hunting use. Tahr, SI wallaby and NI.

you would be good to track if wearing those,very distinctive pattern and lots of room between lugs for grip...nice for a vibram sole.

If you are only going to wear your boots occasionally then stay away from anything with a PU sole, they need to worn as the weight of you wearing them makes them breath an stops the material breaking down, of course there is always exceptions with people getting good service from pu sole boots only wearing them occasionally but it's a barsted if your one of the unlucky ones. In the past Ive had a good run out off Haix until they stop making the models I Iiked, an gri sports an lowa but I'm wearing them all the time. I've had a bad run out of Garmont an Andrew's an just tried some anatom bit they only lasted a few hours before the sole.started to separate (factory fault) but i got a full refund so cant complain, the andrews were particularly hard on heels aswell. Just my experience anyway.

I'm heading liteweight too. Got some Salewa mountain trainers and they were just fine hauling a pack on rocky terrain.
What I still can't reconcile is the marketing around a strongly supportive boot that protects the ankles. If you're walking on uneven terrain, then something has to take that strain. If the boot isn't allowing the ankle to work as it would naturally, then surely the strain must be taken up by the knee/hip/sacro-illiac....something further up the kinetic chain has to bear the work of stopping you tipping over when your foot isn't flat but you're trying to remain verticle.
Of course I can understand this requirement when mountaineering, it makes sense when you're clawing on the side of a mountain that the upper legs are stronger than the ankles. But for just covering a lot of ground it makes sense to me anyway that more of the leg is allowed to work as it should naturally.

Originally Posted by Ned

I'm heading liteweight too. Got some Salewa mountain trainers and they were just fine hauling a pack on rocky terrain.
What I still can't reconcile is the marketing around a strongly supportive boot that protects the ankles. If you're walking on uneven terrain, then something has to take that strain. If the boot isn't allowing the ankle to work as it would naturally, then surely the strain must be taken up by the knee/hip/sacro-illiac....something further up the kinetic chain has to bear the work of stopping you tipping over when your foot isn't flat but you're trying to remain verticle.
Of course I can understand this requirement when mountaineering, it makes sense when you're clawing on the side of a mountain that the upper legs are stronger than the ankles. But for just covering a lot of ground it makes sense to me anyway that more of the leg is allowed to work as it should naturally.

Good points Ned re ankle support, what I would say is that good quality boots allow me enough ankle articulation that I dont feel strapped up whilst still giving full support. I dont know for the life of me how they do that - never a twisted or tweaked ankle, never sore knees or hips. Much to Ryan Songhurst's chagrin I use the leather lined Lowa Tibets and have no problem with them.
I thought about this very thread this morning while I carried a deer out. I carry all deer out whole and I couldn't do that at my age now with the crappy non supportive boots I used to hunt in. The Tibets have been a game changer for me and I keep them aside to use only for hunting and use a pair of Sarvos boots for general work. Injured bruised feet while carrying are no fun

Originally Posted by viper

Thanks team, great feedback . Seems like a trend towards lighter boots and that is something I hadn't considered and will look further into.
My feet kill me on big walks and was part of the reason for last years operation which has improved the problem hugely but they ( my legs ) aren't perfect... saying that I did 21 km hike two weeks ago but I am pretty slow.
The walking pole @Moa Hunter is a great idea mate , thanks for that I will be giving it a go.

Not wanting to be picky but 'walking poles' are not items I associate with, it's 'Mustering' or 'Hill' sticks for me

I brought a pair of andrews last year for work on the farm while they have been a good boot so far and should be for the price, I used them down south island this year and i was getting little bit of rubbing so on the second bit of the trip i went back to my asolo's felt like half the weight.
To make the andrews worth there money i need to get at least 3 years out of them.

You need to work out when these guys a saying i got 5 years out of my flash six dollar boots how many actual days have they been wearing them hunting? Ten times a year or a
hundred?
A mate gets a year on the farm with his gri sports. that's 300 days plus a year getting worn never hardy ever see him in a gum boot. about $350-400

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

and Im more than happy with Sarvos cheapies.....they lasting well,not too heavy,fit my K1W1 sized feet ,not too hot and grip well,ALMOST as well as my gummies.....I have found myself wearing them more often than the gummies....and Id sworn off lace up boots after years of sore feet.

=1 Sarvos boots are awesome, esp for bush stalking. love mine, comfy as, i get another pair as soon as wear these ones out...value for money

So I'm a big guy with problematic ankles and have had reconstructive surgery on them already. And the best I have found so far for everyday use at work on the fence line have been Crispi Nevada legend, they have been super comfortable from day one, waterproof for their entire life which is now 3 years of 6 days a week usage. I have tried all sorts but these are the only ones I would buy over and over as they wear out. Pretty sure they make a steel cap version of the same boot now if that happens to be relevant to wearing them for work etc

@cheeseclip this is a boot id would buy, don't even know what the look like but if some body is wearing them 300 old days a year and for three years they are worth buying. Some of this offer shit on the market that's getting used twenty days a year for two years and they are crapping out and no body wants to know about it.

Image if you brought to trailer tires $300 each and only done 20 trips and a average 12kms, . 240KM Latter and they were falling a part would you be happy?

Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I can't help but imagine when I hear people say they are getting 5-7 years out of a pair of boots surely they must only be wearing them a couple weekends a month? Obviously a bit of care/cleaning and leather treatment goes a long way too but anything you pay good money for is worth looking after regardless right?

i can tell you being a size 16 yeti is very limiting on boot choice some bloody great options out there to suit many different needs buy very few in yeti size