Crispi Idaho II GTX

[MisterOrange]

Hey guys. I'm new to the forum, figured I'd start with a question on some boots I'm looking at. I'm a young guy, never really had a good pair of hunting/hiking boots. My dad and I hunt a lot together, planning some mountain hunts in the near future for bears, elk, etc. I don't expect to hike more than a few miles from the road pretty much ever. My dad got a pair of Crispi Idaho II's this fall and went on a couple mountain hunts with them. He's impressed, highly recommended them to me. Any of you have them, and can attest to their comfort, etc.? Or maybe more importantly has anyone had a BAD experience or negative feedback on them? Thanks guys.

 

[nobody]

Love mine, picked them up the day after the opener of Utah Archery season this year. Rained on us and realized my 5 year old Crispi Thor's had a split in the Gore Tex bootie. Boots were still in great shape, but the split bootie got my foot wet. Immediately ordered the Idahos, they showed up on Thursday and I took them out that weekend and haven't had any issues since. They're all I wore all fall, with the exception of a freak early cold and snow storm that pushed temps into the negatives, I swapped to an insulated boot for that. But the Idaho's are awesome, I think you'll like them.

 

[MisterOrange]

Love mine, picked them up the day after the opener of Utah Archery season this year. Rained on us and realized my 5 year old Crispi Thor's had a split in the Gore Tex bootie. Boots were still in great shape, but the split bootie got my foot wet. Immediately ordered the Idahos, they showed up on Thursday and I took them out that weekend and haven't had any issues since. They're all I wore all fall, with the exception of a freak early cold and snow storm that pushed temps into the negatives, I swapped to an insulated boot for that. But the Idaho's are awesome, I think you'll like them.

Great, thank you for the feedback.

 

[Jimss]

The only time I would use Idahos is in deep snow. They weigh way to much and are way to stiff for my style of hunting. I hunt Colo, Wyo, and Alaska on a regular basis. My preference is lighter weight mid-height hikers. You will likely find you can cover a lot more country and stalk a lot quieter in lighter, more flexible boots. I sheep and mtn goat hunt quite a bit and tall boots are overkill...but I stay in great shape and have pretty healthy legs and ankles.

According to the website Idaho's weigh 2 lbs each.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I like my Idaho’s but if I were buying again I would go with the low top version. Very roomy toe box. Their wides are Great for my EEE feet.

 

[MisterOrange]

The only time I would use Idahos is in deep snow. They weigh way to much and are way to stiff for my style of hunting. I hunt Colo, Wyo, and Alaska on a regular basis. My preference is lighter weight mid-height hikers. You will likely find you can cover a lot more country and stalk a lot quieter in lighter, more flexible boots. I sheep and mtn goat hunt quite a bit and tall boots are overkill...but I stay in great shape and have pretty healthy legs and ankles.

According to the website Idaho's weigh 2 lbs each.

Very good insight. Do you have any recommendations in that lighter weight category that you prefer? I do NOT stay in that great of shape, and I know that generally the ankles and calves are the first thing for me to get worn out early on in a hike. For that reason, I assume it would help to have stiffer, taller boot with more ankle support?

 

[MisterOrange]

I like my Idaho’s but if I were buying again I would go with the low top version. Very roomy toe box. Their wides are Great for my EEE feet.

Is there an Idaho model with a lower top? or is that called something else? Like the Nevada or Wyoming or something?

 

[nobody]

Very good insight. Do you have any recommendations in that lighter weight category that you prefer? I do NOT stay in that great of shape, and I know that generally the ankles and calves are the first thing for me to get worn out early on in a hike. For that reason, I assume it would help to have stiffer, taller boot with more ankle support?

Keep in mind that if a boot gets too light, support and durability goes out the window. A good way to cut weight if 2 lbs is too much (BTW, don't buy Kennetreks if you want lightweight, so there's lots of boots that weigh more than the Crispi's) is to buy a lower ankle boot than something like the Idaho. Everything is a trade off, you have to weigh out the compromises yourself.

Also, if you call Crispi, they actually recommend AGAINST using the Idaho or any of their synthetic boots in the deep snow and late season, saying that having snow/moisture sitting on top of the synthetic materials will eventually soak into the outer layer of the boots. Obviously it doesn't mean you can't use them late season, but maybe it would be worth calling up Blackovis and talking to them about their recommendations too?

 

[MisterOrange]

Keep in mind that if a boot gets too light, support and durability goes out the window. A good way to cut weight if 2 lbs is too much (BTW, don't buy Kennetreks if you want lightweight, so there's lots of boots that weigh more than the Crispi's) is to buy a lower ankle boot than something like the Idaho. Everything is a trade off, you have to weigh out the compromises yourself.

Also, if you call Crispi, they actually recommend AGAINST using the Idaho or any of their synthetic boots in the deep snow and late season, saying that having snow/moisture sitting on top of the synthetic materials will eventually soak into the outer layer of the boots. Obviously it doesn't mean you can't use them late season, but maybe it would be worth calling up Blackovis and talking to them about their recommendations too?

I have a local Scheel's store with really good staff in that department, have a coworker who used to work there who just directed me to the right guy there. I will get his opinion and try on some boots too. I'm assuming the lower top boots aren't going to support the ankle as well as higher tops, right? That seems obvious to me but maybe it's counterintuitive..?

 

[nobody]

I have a local Scheel's store with really good staff in that department, have a coworker who used to work there who just directed me to the right guy there. I will get his opinion and try on some boots too. I'm assuming the lower top boots aren't going to support the ankle as well as higher tops, right? That seems obvious to me but maybe it's counterintuitive..?

Depends on your anatomy. I run 4-5 days a week in spring and summer, hike a fair amount scouting, and lift daily year round, but previous high school rode knee and ankle injuries have left me with weak ankles. I've never rolled an ankle super bad in lower boots, but I switched to these Idaho's and there's an obvious difference in stability, even if its mental. I'll never go back to a mid-ankle boot ever personally.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Is there an Idaho model with a lower top? or is that called something else? Like the Nevada or Wyoming or something?

The Wyoming is the same boot in low top.

 

[MisterOrange]

The Wyoming is the same boot in low top.

Oh, that's great to know!!! thanks for your help

 

[Grundy53]

I love my Idahos. Was deciding between them and the kenatreks but the store I was at didn't have the kenatreks in my size. I wore them every day of our extremely rainy November Western Washington elk season and my feet stayed dry. They never stay dry during elk season lol. That made me a believer. They are also very comfortable. The weight doesn't bother me at all.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Desk Jockey]

Oh, that's great to know!!! thanks for your help

Sure. Fwiw the nevadas come in hidh top.

I use the hell out of my thors. Hiking and hunting. I switch to insulated boots when temps hit freezing. I like my Idaho’s but if I were doing it again I might have gone Nevada. Then I would have had Thor for summer lightweight, my knetreks for cold and Nevada in between. If I ever walk enough till those kennys, I will probably replace them with crispy.

 

[Jimss]

As Desk Jockey mentioned it's great to have several boots to choose from for several situtions. My preference is always the lighter boot available unless I'm just still hunting. There are lots of factors to consider if you just want 1 all=round boot. What type of country do you hunt the most, how many miles do you hike in a day, and how wet/snow is it? It sounds like you have bad ankles so that is another totally different scenario.

What I can say with tall, stiff boots is it's WAY tougher to stalk quietly and they are a major chunk heavier than lower boots. The next consideration is exactly how steep and rocky is the country you will be hunting? If I had horrible ankles and was on incredibly steep slopes I would likely sacrifice wt/flexibility for possibly a higher boot. If I mostly hunt rolling hills I would likely sacrifice a little ankle support for lighter boot.

I actually have Wyo's which someone mentioned are similar to Idahos. There is no way I would buy Idahos because the Wyo's are a bit heavier than I prefer. I have excellent ankles and just bought a pair of Thors. The Thors are a chunk lighter than Wyos. I will likely switch totally over to Thors once my Wyos are worn out.

One boot you may want to consider is Lowa Tibets. They are definitely heavier but are all leather and pretty darn comfortable. They also are fairly high for ankle support. I love my Tibets but the only time I wear them is in deep snow....due to their weight. If you do a search on Tibets there are lots and lots of guys that rave about them.

I would 100% stay completely away from Kennetreks Mtn Hunters....especially if you have bad ankles. I tried them 1 day and returned them. They have tall ankle support but unfortunately their heels are super high. I felt like I was literally on stilts. I stumbled all over rocky/hillsides that I normally are super stable on with lower heeled boots. They also are super stiff with extremely thick, heavy soles.

One other thing to mention is that all leather will outlast synthetics by far. The more stitching and the less leather the quicker they tend to fall apart when seams get wet. All leather can also be treated for water-proofing.

 

[MisterOrange]

As Desk Jockey mentioned it's great to have several boots to choose from for several situtions. My preference is always the lighter boot available unless I'm just still hunting. There are lots of factors to consider if you just want 1 all=round boot. What type of country do you hunt the most, how many miles do you hike in a day, and how wet/snow is it? It sounds like you have bad ankles so that is another totally different scenario.

What I can say with tall, stiff boots is it's WAY tougher to stalk quietly and they are a major chunk heavier than lower boots. The next consideration is exactly how steep and rocky is the country you will be hunting? If I had horrible ankles and was on incredibly steep slopes I would likely sacrifice wt/flexibility for possibly a higher boot. If I mostly hunt rolling hills I would likely sacrifice a little ankle support for lighter boot.

I actually have Wyo's which someone mentioned are similar to Idahos. There is no way I would buy Idahos because the Wyo's are a bit heavier than I prefer. I have excellent ankles and just bought a pair of Thors. The Thors are a chunk lighter than Wyos. I will likely switch totally over to Thors once my Wyos are worn out.

One boot you may want to consider is Lowa Tibets. They are definitely heavier but are all leather and pretty darn comfortable. They also are fairly high for ankle support. I love my Tibets but the only time I wear them is in deep snow....due to their weight. If you do a search on Tibets there are lots and lots of guys that rave about them.

I would 100% stay completely away from Kennetreks Mtn Hunters....especially if you have bad ankles. I tried them 1 day and returned them. They have tall ankle support but unfortunately their heels are super high. I felt like I was literally on stilts. I stumbled all over rocky/hillsides that I normally are super stable on with lower heeled boots. They also are super stiff with extremely thick, heavy soles.

One other thing to mention is that all leather will outlast synthetics by far. The more stitching and the less leather the quicker they tend to fall apart when seams get wet. All leather can also be treated for water-proofing.

Good points and suggestions. I will take a look at the Tibets as well.

 

[MisterOrange]

Sure. Fwiw the nevadas come in hidh top.

I use the hell out of my thors. Hiking and hunting. I switch to insulated boots when temps hit freezing. I like my Idaho’s but if I were doing it again I might have gone Nevada. Then I would have had Thor for summer lightweight, my knetreks for cold and Nevada in between. If I ever walk enough till those kennys, I will probably replace them with crispy.

I don't know if I fully understand the difference between the Nevada and the Wyoming. I will be sure to try them both in person. Comparing them on Crispi's site, They seem to be spec-ed pretty similarly. In actual user's terms, what would be the main differences??

 

[nobody]

I don't know if I fully understand the difference between the Nevada and the Wyoming. I will be sure to try them both in person. Comparing them on Crispi's site, They seem to be spec-ed pretty similarly. In actual user's terms, what would be the main differences??

They're made on the same last (jig) according to Crispi, so they will fit the same. The difference is leather vs. synthetic construction. That's it.

 

[Huntkook]

Hey guys. I'm new to the forum, figured I'd start with a question on some boots I'm looking at. I'm a young guy, never really had a good pair of hunting/hiking boots. My dad and I hunt a lot together, planning some mountain hunts in the near future for bears, elk, etc. I don't expect to hike more than a few miles from the road pretty much ever. My dad got a pair of Crispi Idaho II's this fall and went on a couple mountain hunts with them. He's impressed, highly recommended them to me. Any of you have them, and can attest to their comfort, etc.? Or maybe more importantly has anyone had a BAD experience or negative feedback on them? Thanks guys.

I have the Idaho's and Summits, both are extremely comfortable. I did six mile hike out of the box with the Idaho's. You won't regret getting them

 

[Desk Jockey]

I don't know if I fully understand the difference between the Nevada and the Wyoming. I will be sure to try them both in person. Comparing them on Crispi's site, They seem to be spec-ed pretty similarly. In actual user's terms, what would be the main differences??

Nevada is a heavier, more supportive boot IMO. Leather construction is probably more durable but I can’t say for sure. Both are going strong for me.