Freet Impala - Zero Drop Hunting Boot

[eli425]

Picked up some Freet Impalas just recently in my quest for a zero-drop hunting boot. Haven't seen them mentioned here much so figured I'd share.

They're advertised as leather upper, grippy aggressive sole, waterproof and zero drop.

I haven't used them a whole lot but initial impressions and hikes have been great. Hit them with a coat of leather protectant for starters and am looking forward to training/hunting in them on the coming spring bear trip.

Just to compare, I've used vivo trackers and altra timp hiker gtx these past couple years. Both are great but I've had things I disliked about both. I'll put up a more in-depth comparison once I get some more time with these new ones.

If anyone has tried em out, please add your feedback here, similar to how we have the vivo tracker thread.

https://usa.freetbarefoot.com/products/impala

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[BBob]

They remind me of the very popular Vasque Sundowner from the 70's.

 

[JoeK]

tread looks pretty good. I'll be interested to hear how they perform for you

 

[menhaden_man]

I burn through a pair of Altras every 18 months or so over the last 6-7 years, these look interesting. The altra hikers I have now are decent but no waterproofing sucks. May try these out next time thanks for sharing.

 

[Wolf13]

How’s the toe box? I haven’t tried the vibe trackers, but wear their other shoes 90% of the time and love the extremely wide toe box.

 

[dtrkyman]

Seriously considering these for spring turkey to try out? Out west the non waterproof vivo or something seem fine, but in the midwest no waterproofing is an issue!

 

[Odd1out]

I dont think the leather eyelets will last long . Once they tear your screwed. That would be my main concern. U could put your own metal eyelets on preemptively.

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[RedRidge]

Any update on these @eli425 ?

 

[eli425]

Overall, I prefer them over the vivos that I have.

To me, it seems the vivo has a wider toe box which is nice.

Otherwise, the freet leather seems sturdier/more stiff. A bit longer to break in but seems to provide more support/protection.

Waterproofing works great in the several times I've tried it. Purposely hiked through some shallow creeks and puddles and my feet stayed dry.

The grip seems a lot grippier than the vivo on anything outdoors. But I noticed it's like ice skates walking in a store on tile or something, especially if your soles are wet.

No issues with the leather eyelets yet. On my altras timp hike grx the eyelets at the top protruded a lot and were catching on everything. Tripped my self on my laces getting caught several times. It also yanked the eyeslets out of the boot. On the freets, the upper eyelets seem to be low profile and don't catch on things.

The sole itself is less flexible/bendy than the vivos. So it's not as minimalist I guess but just another trade off/preference for folks. Don't feel as many rocks below foot as in the vivos.

Hope that helps!

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[RedRidge]

Thanks!

 

[JoeK]

solid update info, thanks

 

[Big_wals]

I’ll be interested in how these hold up for you, been looking at them lately and debating pulling the trigger on a pair.

 

[eli425]

Came back from a backpacking bear hunt. Great experience with the boots.
Overall boots did well. Felt great, had good grip through out and performed well even when packing out under weight.

I did notice some small tears in the leather from the many scree fields I went across. See pictures.

At one point, I slipped into a creek and water got in from the top. The boots seemed to dry fairly quickly. The next afternoon I had dry boots.

Overall, great experience thus far. Looking forward to running these during deer/elk season in the fall.

 

[HighUintas]

These are interesting. I wonder about the durability of the waterproof membrane.

How quickly does the leather wet out? It looks like smooth leather that would work well with a WP wax, but of course that would decrease breathability quite a bit in combination with the WP membrane.

 

[eli425]

Yeah I've been using coat of Obenauf's Heavy Duty LP before heading out and seems to have worked well.
Not sure on the wet out. Seemed to stay dry pretty much the whole time apart from that crossing. Even then I wouldn't say it wet out. more so the inside got soaked, like the insert and materials inside

 

[Alpineelk]

Curious what u think of the lugs on these. I saw a review that says they are hollow which seems like a bad design to me. I have had several pairs of the vivo trackers which so far are my favorite but there are things I don't like about them.