Folks,
I live in the East and am primarily a hilly woodland whitetail chaser with dreams of western hunting, or at least Canada, before my time is up. I am looking for a higher than mid-height, uninsulated, waterproof (Goretex or other membrane) hunting boot with a plush ride: flexibility, cushioning and light-ish weight are high priorities. Ankle support is important, but I am not scrambling through scree fields in the steeps with a goat plus camp on my back (sadly!).
Other wish list, but non-essential features would be a full rubber rand, and a lug pattern on the sole that sheds mud ok.
For cold and colder weather, I run insulated Danner Pronghorns, one in 800, and one in 1200 Thinsulate. (We frequently post up and sit when we hunt, and my feet run cold on any given day.) They are wearing ok, but these boots aren't worn that often. They are pretty bulky and hefty.
I'm looking for a pair of more expensive boots with better build quality than the Pronghorns. (These new boots will see many hours of wear/miles scouting, hunting, doing chores, etc.) I recently purchased a pair of Crispi Lapponias and the fit was superb. I loved them, but unfortunately they were a bit stiffer and less cushioned than I want (even with upgraded insoles), and longer sessions with them gave me some discomfort. I also recently went to the entire opposite end of the spectrum and tried a paid of Hoka One Kahas, which are light and fluffy mid height...er...sneakers. They are comfy, but cost $220, and -to me- are way more sneaker than boot.
Gen 5 Danner Pronghorns are a possibility, but their build quality is not so bueno, from what I have read. I have owned Danner Sharptails in the past, and they were ok, but build quality was not great. I have tried Salmon Quest 4D, and they were too stiff, and the volume of the fit was not great for my foot.
The boots I may buy next, not like and lose money on include: 1) from Schnees, the Timberline or the brandy new Kestrel: most of what I have read states that the Timberline is stiffer than the Lapponia, so I probably will not buy them. The Kestrel looks staggeringly expensive for a light duty boot, but they say it is a Zero flex, so it might be good for my application. Unfortunately, my polite e-mails to Schnees asking boot questions have been mostly ignored, which makes me want to not give them my money. The Meindl UltraLite Hunter might be good, but it is a 9" boot, and I would prefer something around 8", backpacking boot height and trim enough so my pant cuff won't always be bunched and riding above the boot. Lowa makes a burlier version of their classic mil-spec Zephyr boot called the Z8, which looks promising, but is in short supply in the states, and over $300. And boot reviews outside of New Zealand are essentially nonexistent for the "Zed 8".
Kennetrek looks like they are all too stiff. I have ruled out Merrell, Irish Setter, Oboz, Under Armour, Adidas Terex, and anything that I believe is poor quality or essentially a trail rated sneaker. Ankles do get rolled where I hunt, and feet can and do get banged up. I require a boot, not a sneaker.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should try next? Any particular suggestions from the other familiar euro players: Hanwag; Lowa; Zamberlan; maybe Scarpa (I understand Scarpas to run narrow in the toe box, which is bad for me)?
(A low volume, tight fitting toe box will not work for me. The Crispi Laponia 44.5 was MONEY, fit wise.)
Thanks for any suggestions.
I live in the East and am primarily a hilly woodland whitetail chaser with dreams of western hunting, or at least Canada, before my time is up. I am looking for a higher than mid-height, uninsulated, waterproof (Goretex or other membrane) hunting boot with a plush ride: flexibility, cushioning and light-ish weight are high priorities. Ankle support is important, but I am not scrambling through scree fields in the steeps with a goat plus camp on my back (sadly!).
Other wish list, but non-essential features would be a full rubber rand, and a lug pattern on the sole that sheds mud ok.
For cold and colder weather, I run insulated Danner Pronghorns, one in 800, and one in 1200 Thinsulate. (We frequently post up and sit when we hunt, and my feet run cold on any given day.) They are wearing ok, but these boots aren't worn that often. They are pretty bulky and hefty.
I'm looking for a pair of more expensive boots with better build quality than the Pronghorns. (These new boots will see many hours of wear/miles scouting, hunting, doing chores, etc.) I recently purchased a pair of Crispi Lapponias and the fit was superb. I loved them, but unfortunately they were a bit stiffer and less cushioned than I want (even with upgraded insoles), and longer sessions with them gave me some discomfort. I also recently went to the entire opposite end of the spectrum and tried a paid of Hoka One Kahas, which are light and fluffy mid height...er...sneakers. They are comfy, but cost $220, and -to me- are way more sneaker than boot.
Gen 5 Danner Pronghorns are a possibility, but their build quality is not so bueno, from what I have read. I have owned Danner Sharptails in the past, and they were ok, but build quality was not great. I have tried Salmon Quest 4D, and they were too stiff, and the volume of the fit was not great for my foot.
The boots I may buy next, not like and lose money on include: 1) from Schnees, the Timberline or the brandy new Kestrel: most of what I have read states that the Timberline is stiffer than the Lapponia, so I probably will not buy them. The Kestrel looks staggeringly expensive for a light duty boot, but they say it is a Zero flex, so it might be good for my application. Unfortunately, my polite e-mails to Schnees asking boot questions have been mostly ignored, which makes me want to not give them my money. The Meindl UltraLite Hunter might be good, but it is a 9" boot, and I would prefer something around 8", backpacking boot height and trim enough so my pant cuff won't always be bunched and riding above the boot. Lowa makes a burlier version of their classic mil-spec Zephyr boot called the Z8, which looks promising, but is in short supply in the states, and over $300. And boot reviews outside of New Zealand are essentially nonexistent for the "Zed 8".
Kennetrek looks like they are all too stiff. I have ruled out Merrell, Irish Setter, Oboz, Under Armour, Adidas Terex, and anything that I believe is poor quality or essentially a trail rated sneaker. Ankles do get rolled where I hunt, and feet can and do get banged up. I require a boot, not a sneaker.
Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should try next? Any particular suggestions from the other familiar euro players: Hanwag; Lowa; Zamberlan; maybe Scarpa (I understand Scarpas to run narrow in the toe box, which is bad for me)?
(A low volume, tight fitting toe box will not work for me. The Crispi Laponia 44.5 was MONEY, fit wise.)
Thanks for any suggestions.
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