Boot problems

[TreGrizz]

I'm having boot problems. For years I wore a pair of Danner pronghorn boots while hunting elk and deer. I liked them, but they finally gave out on me last year (tore and eyelet)

I bought a pair of Crispi guide gtx boots as an upgrade. They have much better ankle support which I love. However, they gave me bad blisters on my heel while breaking in. I ended up finishing my hunt last year on the broken Danners.

This year I went back to the Crispi boots, broke them in well (at least I believe I did) , and hunted elk in them this last week. I again had horrible heel pain and blisters.

I did some closer looks into things and I think I know the problem. The Danners have a thick leather heel counter (part of the boot that contacts the back of the heel). the crispis have a rigid one that feels like a polymer of some sort. The polymer doesn't bend, give, or mold to my heel. I have found my heel to be more pointy than the contour of the heel counter and so when going up hills, I get a lot pressure on a ~1 inch square portion of my heel, rather than it spreading across the entire heel. This leads to pain and blisters.

I need advice on what to do. Will the heel counter on the crispi boots eventually mold a bit better to my foot? Should I swap to a different boot? Has anyone else had this or similar problems and if so, what did you do?

If anyone has boot recommendations they might work with my pointy heel, I'd appreciate it. I have thought about going back to another danner pronghorn , but while liking them, I didn't love them.

Lastly, what do I do with the crispi boots since I can't seem to wear them without pain? Is there a market for used boots with a lot of life left in the?

Thank you in advance.

 

[HighUintas]

I haven't worn crispi boots, but I highly recommend getting a different boot.

I have a pair of nice leather scarpa r evolution boots that I loved until they repeatedly gave me Achilles tendonitis (upper Achilles) due to the heel counter. I've also had running shoes that put too much pressure on the heel causing the same issue lower on the heel. There's no fixing it for me. I had to find a boot that has a very soft and flexible heel counter.

To me, it's not worth risking injury to try to make a boot work for me.

 

[swavescatter]

I recommend REI for their boot return policy. Just have to find one that fits your foot. I had the same heel slip issue with Lowas that I otherwise loved. Crispis were money for me out of the box.

 

[Taudisio]

I’ve ran around in all kinds of boots and issues, everyone’s feet are different. I found Salomon’s fit my feet the best, perfect right out of the box. Just don’t expect them to be waterproof from day one. I’m on my second pair since 2018. I wore them in 3’ of snow in my profile picture. Wool socks and kept moving and they did fine getting meat and myself back to camp, and the next 4 elk and a pile of deer/bears, still wearing the same pair this year. I have a brand new pair in a box for when they fall apart. In the middle of this pairs 3rd season now.

 

[kcm2]

Lathrop and Sons. It'll cost more than standard buy at the outdoor store boots, but my last run of blisters didn't heal for 2 months. Lathrop and Sons boots....no problems at all. I have an odd-shaped pair of feet, too...wide and high, with a narrow heel.

 

[bat-cave]

My .02 is that everyone's feet are different and there is no one clear answer. I have worn Danner Pronghorn's (long time ago) and upgraded to Lathrop & Sons full customer Mtn Hunters after a series of nasty foot related issues. Those have served me well, up until ~3 years ago when I started developing pretty debilitating pain in the big toe / 2nd toe. X-Ray's and such found no clear cause, but I have narrowed it down to the more time I spend on my knee's (toe's bent as a result) the toe pain begins.

As much as I like the L&S Boots they are heavy and I opted to try and pair of Crispi's this year. I was pleasantly surprised to have zero break in time and logged over 120+ miles of steep terrain during archery season this year and my feet did the best they have in years.

A few things that I have learned that make a big difference for me - YMMV:
- Pre-tape key areas (Heel, Ball of foot, big toe) with Leukotape. Zero blisters and I know many others than also swear buy it.
- Lacing is key, especially for things like heel slippage. For me, I need to keep the toe box snug, but nut cranked down. If I crank them down over the top of the foot, I have pain/numbness, so slightly looser there and I crank the upper hooks nearer the ankle as snug as I can make them. YMMV, but play with what works for you.
- I am a huge fan of wearing a synthetic liner with an over sock. The over sock thickness matters and while some of the really padded ones initially feel great, less is more for me. I have been pleasantly surprised how much I like the Hollow socks and again this impacts boot lacing.
- If the boots simply don't fit your feet then the above will be lipstick on a pig.