Boot covers for trying out boots

[JeffRaines]

I realize that most places don't offer returns on boots that have been worn outside for various reasons, I'm sure cleanliness is one of them along with the wear on the sole etc... but they are perfectly okay with you wearing them indoors on a treadmill for some miles to try out.

I've posted about my Haglunds before, its no secret that finding good fitting footwear is damn hard. Often, footwear will feel absolutely on my feet. I'll hop on the treadmill on max incline - still great. Weight? Great. Hit actual trails - shit hits the fan, they aint gonna work.

I've often seen it mentioned to just put plastic bags over them, and while I'm sure thats great for short jaunts around the park and to keep them clean, I don't think its gonna do much once you start hitting a trail with some elevation gain - a true test of the boots capability.

Doing some research, I've found numerous shoe cover devices on Amazon. They look like 'overboots' with their own sole. You put them on over your boots, zip them up and go. They seem to be marketed toward people wanting waterproof sneakers, but I don't see any reason this wouldn't work for some fair weather not-crazy trails(what I mean is well groomed with not a ton of rocks/etc) for just trying out boots in a real world condition.

Does anyone have any experience doing this? I figure its probably a long shot.

I hope it doesn't come off as I'm trying to rent boots or use them for an extremely long time for free - I just want to be able to test boots in some condition other than inside on a 10% incline that doesn't even come close to simulating an actual hunt.

 

[Ndstevens]

I've never done anything like this in order to test boots but I pour concrete for a living and have warn overboots while at work. Their big, clunky, heavy. imo would be a waste of money for your intended purpose. I don't personally think they would give you any sort of true indication of what the actual boot is going to be like. Maybe it would tell you if a boot will cause a hotspot for you in certain areas but that's about it. Even then, with another boot over top of the boot your testing I dont think your truly testing that boot to place blame on problem areas that may arise.You mentioned not thinking a walk through a park with plastic over top would be a true test and I agree 100%. But when you mention using the over boot on a well groomed trail with incline at that point if it's fairly groomed then you should be fine just using plastic. Double it up, use thick plastic or something you feel is a solid protective layer and check often to avoid breaking through and voiding your warranty. I completely understand your frustration and desire to truly test something at 3-4 hundred dollars but I dont think the over boots are the answer. This is the exact reason you could read hundreds of "which boot?" threads on here each year. If you find a boot that works for you, run that model till they dont make it anymore regardless of the latest and greatest. Sry for the rant, I wish you the best on your new boot journey!

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[JeffRaines]

Thanks for the heads up... when I mentioned overboots I was thinking more along the lines of something like this

LINKEASE Reusable Boot & Shoe Covers Water Resistant Non Skid and Washable for Real Estate Contractors to Keep Floors Carpets Footwear and Rooms Clean-Black (2 Pairs) - - Amazon.com

LINKEASE Reusable Boot & Shoe Covers Water Resistant Non Skid and Washable for Real Estate Contractors to Keep Floors Carpets Footwear and Rooms Clean-Black (2 Pairs) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Fairly cheap(10 bucks for two pairs) and while they're not going to last for hundreds of miles or anything(not really my intention anyway) they seem like they would last at least a couple miles to give you an idea of how the boot is gonna fit in the real world.

My plan was to buy a couple pairs of boots, do the in home try out first to eliminate any obvious non-fitting boots, then take them to the trails around my house, some are 1k a mile which is a damn good test, and see what works. Maybe carry a few pairs with me in a pack that way if they start not working I have another pair on standby... if they don't work either I can have a pair of my normal shoes ready for the hike down.

 

[muddydogs]

I have thought about this as well. For me even just walking around the yard or block tells me more about a boots fit then 4 or 5 days of wearing them in the house.

 

[JeffRaines]

I have thought about this as well. For me even just walking around the yard or block tells me more about a boots fit then 4 or 5 days of wearing them in the house.

With my condition, even doing that doesn’t guarantee anything other than they work on flat ground, which to be honest most boots do... it’s in the steeps where they fail.

I went ahead and ordered a pair of the boot covers and I have 4 pairs of boots coming to try for the month. I’ll give a review of my method when I know more.

 

[JeffRaines]

An update -

So I’ve put 15 miles or so on these boot covers that I ordered and to be honest they’re holding up much better than I expected. I just did 6 miles with tons of sharp rock and they don’t look much worse than they did when I purchased them.

If you’re looking for a better way to experience new boots I’d highly recommend them. They’re definitely worth the $20 considering I would’ve been out over a grand in boots so far.

These are the ones - MyShoeCovers Premium Reusable Shoe and Boot Covers for Contractors - Pair, Black, XX Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XFJ45WV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_zaGkDb7883DVF