Boot Longevity - Satisfied?

[cnelk]

Curious as to what you consider a good boot life expectancy is?

I currently wear a pair of Crispi Guide GTX - they've been thru 2 elk/deer seasons.
I only wear them for hunting/scouting adventures.

They are still in great shape and should wear for a couple more years - and I would be satisfied with that.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Brad this is a great thread! I was just thinking about this today. I am on my third pair of Solomon quest in the last 6 years. They seem to last two years and then they are done for. I put a lot of miles on my boots and after two years they look like they are worn out so I’m not sure that is a Salomon‘s fault. I could see someone who hunts one out of state trip a year get 10 years out of the same boots and not used them as much as I do in a year. I did find them on sale for Black Friday for $130 so I will take two years for 130 bucks!

 

[Zappaman]

OLD Danners... US made have lasted me longer than others and fit better each year I wear them (about 20 years on a few pair now). I only wear them when on serious hunts though- usually elk in NM or WY. I like the 800s as I'm usually hunting elk in cold weather. Not sure on the newer stuff (non-stitched soles) though.

 

[Dos Perros]

Depends on construction.

For a full smooth leather upper with minimal stitching, 4 or 5 years seems reasonable. I have a pair I bought in 2012 and resoled that is my backup now.

For synthetic or suede uppers, 1 year, 2 years max.

I expect the Goretex to be shot after 6 months in either scenario, maybe sooner.

 

[Zappaman]

I think the Goretex "problem" is due to "construction" (quality) Vs. durability. I've had several Gortex boots in marshes for hours (water well over the soles)-- for years on those boots without a leak. I've also send back NEW boots when they did leak right out of the box. The last pair of Vasque boots I bought spent an hour in water (submerged completely) when I bought them- no leak YMMY...

 

[Chanimal]

Depends on construction.

For a full smooth leather upper with minimal stitching, 4 or 5 years seems reasonable. I have a pair I bought in 2012 and resoled that is my backup now.

For synthetic or suede uppers, 1 year, 2 years max.

I expect the Goretex to be shot after 6 months in either scenario, maybe sooner.

My experience generally aligns with this here! My synthetic/suede/goretex construction boots do not hold water proofing at all (3-6mo).

Leather/goretex construction stay waterproof for as long as I keep them and treat them regularly, I generally want to try something new before they wear out (avg, 2-3 years).

 

[Ron.C]

my hanwag alaska GTX's lasted 8 years. This included a few backpack goat hunts, lots of elk, deer, bear hunts and more spring/summer training hikes then I can count. Wore the soles off them and had them them re-soled twice. On a recent deer hunt they both finally gave it up and leaked pretty bad. Crazy that after all this time, both boots finally leaked on the same day of the same hunt.

All that said, I have custom orthodics that are pretty hard on goretex( they're not soft like most off the shelf insoles.) Pretty sure this contributed to the failure of the goretex but in all honesty, I wore these boots hard and have no complaints.

As for treatment, boots were always cleaned and treated originally with nikwax. I swithed to Obenaufs after about 4 years.

 

[MuleyFever]

I bought my first pair good boots, Lowa Tibets, when I moved to Utah in 2011. I have hunted in them every year since. They are not waterproof anymore but they still do what I need them to do. I have never had a blister in them.

I may be spoiled now but if I got 5 years out of boots I would be ok.

 

[roosiebull]

Curious as to what you consider a good boot life expectancy is?

I currently wear a pair of Crispi Guide GTX - they've been thru 2 elk/deer seasons.
I only wear them for hunting/scouting adventures.

They are still in great shape and should wear for a couple more years - and I would be satisfied with that.

2 seasons would be great, have not had a boot that has stayed dry for 2 full seasons… I think both of my zamberlan boots will make it though, certainly show less wear than most after a long fall in the woods… put lots of miles on both, so far very impressive

They have a great warranty as well if the goretex fails, but I don’t think I’ll use it (hopefully) if they survive 2 dry seasons, I will not use their warranty and will feel like I got my money out of them

I thought the Nevada was going to be that boot, but I didn’t like them so sold them

A full leather crispi summit would be a boot I would buy, but of my 4 pair of crispi, they were the only ones that fit me well… they were still awesome, got over a season out of them, but not 2

 

[5MilesBack]

I think it depends on the environment that they're used in. If they're constantly getting wet and dried, I don't think they'll last as long. I'm still using the Zamberlan Dakota's that I bought in 2013. This year was year number 9. I use them for hunting, scouting, camping, hiking, and whenever else I want boots on. These are the best boots I've ever had on my feet. They're due for a resoling, but they've been phenomenal boots.......9 elk seasons along with a moose and sheep hunt. And I've never put any treatments on them. They have leather/cordura uppers. I'd buy these again in a heartbeat, if they still made them.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I'm something like 6 years in on a pair of zamberlans. They need a resole, and I'm sure the leather will fail shortly at the crease where my foot bends. I hunt in mud a lot, and the grit is very abrasive. I had them wet out once, and I'm pretty sure it's the leather that has kept them waterproof, not the gore tex.

 

[BRTreedogs]

2 Seasons is plenty.
But id say thats around 200 days for me per set. I have different sets for different things.
Sure it sucks but its a consumable.
But again if had a ton of fut and heel problems. So I prioritize comfort.

I switched to the Repace this year knowing pretty much every review warned of durability.
With how comfortable they are i don't really care. If I can get 45 day out if them ill be happy.

 

[Whisky]

Due to heel slip, I've had better luck with shorter, synthetic and suede boots. However, they wear and start leaking water too quick, 1-2 years max. Next year I'm going to try a taller leather boot, and just continue to tape my heels up. I would like to see a couple more years of life anyways.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I got just shy of 8 years out of a pair of Asolo Pumoris averaging (conservative estimate) 100 miles per year before the soles suddenly began peeling away at the heel due to hydrolysis of the polyurethane midsole. Apparently this is a well known and virtually inevitable mode of failure that boot makers generally just accept as a necessary evil. Per the article linked below, hydrolysis sets in around 6-7 years after manufacture, so I guess that would be the upper end of my expectation on boot life.

Midsole Midlife Crisis - Bergpost

Every now and then our service team receives a call from a customer concerned that the sole of their boot has come off. In some cases, it’s crumbled to

bergpost.hanwag.de

 

[rideold]

I'm still wearing the same pair of Meindl boots from 2015. This last 3rd season was the first time I had the thought "hey, these boots are starting to feel kind of worn out". There are a total of 15 hunts on them with an average of 5 miles/day for and average of 5-7 days per hunt. I've kept them cleaned up and leather conditioned. I also wear them as my winter boots and for upland hunting so there are some other miles on them. Can't say I'm disappointed. I'm now in the market for new ones and have a hard time not just buying the same darn boot.

 

[peterk123]

Well, I hope it is longer than two years! My schnees beartooths are close to their one year anniversary. They get hiked a lot. At least three times per week. Granted some walks are only a couple of miles but they get used often. I would only now call them fully broken in. The uppers are forming nicely to my feet. Seem to get better and better every time I put them on. I expect the uppers to last several years. I would expect to put new soles on after a few years. I treat them well. Cleaned anytime the mud gets caked on them. Oiled whenever they start to feel dry.

The beartooths have taught me to really appreciate good footwear.

 

[wyodan]

Damn. I'm lucky to get more than 2 seasons out of a pair of boots. Some of those boots are named above and I see people are getting 6+ years out of them.

 

[isItFallYet]

I have a pair of Asolos (don’t remember the brand) that I have had for 4 years. I finally replaced them with some Lowas, but I doubt they’ll last as long. I’ve used them elk hunting in ID, NM, WY, and CO. I’ve worn them hiking and for casual work as well. They have to have 400 miles on them.

 

[jhm2023]

My Lowa Tibets just got finished with their 5th year which includes a sheep hunt, a moose hunt and multiple caribou and bear hunts every year, plus a random goat hunt mixed in there. They're also my daily wear boots during the summer. I'll be replacing them before next season as the tread is worn down to a point that I'm not getting the traction I'd like to have. The gortex gave up the year prior and the rubber rands have been in rough shape for a couple seasons since Lowa hasn't figured out out to bevel the edge of them and they catch on rocks and peel up after they're a few years old. The body of the boot is still fine, just the outsole, gortex liner and rand is the reason I will replace them. I feel like I got my money's worth from them considering how many big long distance back ocountry hunts they've been put through.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[TheColorCamo]

I'm still wearing the same pair of Meindl boots from 2015. This last 3rd season was the first time I had the thought "hey, these boots are starting to feel kind of worn out". There are a total of 15 hunts on them with an average of 5 miles/day for and average of 5-7 days per hunt. I've kept them cleaned up and leather conditioned. I also wear them as my winter boots and for upland hunting so there are some other miles on them. Can't say I'm disappointed. I'm now in the market for new ones and have a hard time not just buying the same darn boot.

ive got a pair of meindls as well that have lasted me 6 years so far and are still in great condition. never been happier with a boot... the pricetag is high, but hey you pay for quality. To be fair, I was not happy with them at first, took about 15-20 miles to break them in, which wasn't super fun, but now they are perfect! they probably still have another 4 or 5 years in them.