Help me decide on new late season boots

[Bearsears]

I'm considering a new late season boot. Here are the boots in the running for me right now in order of like the most to least, Zamberlan 1005 hunter pro, Lowa hunter, Zamberlan Sawtooth (although who knows if these are coming back in stock and I hate buying anything at cabelas and bass pro anymore), Zamberlan 2090, or one of the Schnees insulated boots.

These would be for late season high altitude Colorado hunts predominantly. I like a stiff boot but not too stiff. Currently I'm running a pair of Lowa mountain experts in late season which are a little too stiff for walking in and are leaking. Im really curious from Zamberlan users how the boots referenced do with side hilling with a heavy load and how well they stay waterproof. Also curious how stiff the 1005 and Sawtooth are. For reference on me, a Salewa Rapace is about perfect stiffness and a Lowa Camino is too flexible.

Also whats everyone's experience been with these boots staying waterproof overall especially Schnees, Im skeptical of anything not goretex even though it seems to fail alot too?
Thanks everyone.

 

[Wapiti151]

It’s not on your list, but I love my kenetrek mountain extremes. 400 g of thinsulate, one piece leather construction, amazing customer service, reconditioning/re-soling is a breeze.

I’ve had mine for 4 seasons and they are still rock solid from Idaho mule deer to late season black tail on islands in Alaska. No leaks, pretty warm, and unbelievably comfortable (for me) after break in. Not sure if your feet run cold or not, mine do when stationary and these keep me pretty warm. If it dips into the single digits I’ll throw a hand warmer in there while glassing. Rule of thumb for me, I go with whatever has the least amount of seams. If it has a seam, it WILL fail, just a matter of time.

All depends on your feet though. Try as many on as you can to get what’s right.

My .02. Don’t have experience with your list, just a lot of kenetrek and Crispi experience. I always go for the Kennies.

 

[Bearsears]

It’s not on your list, but I love my kenetrek mountain extremes. 400 g of thinsulate, one piece leather construction, amazing customer service, reconditioning/re-soling is a breeze.

I’ve had mine for 4 seasons and they are still rock solid from Idaho mule deer to late season black tail on islands in Alaska. No leaks, pretty warm, and unbelievably comfortable (for me) after break in. Not sure if your feet run cold or not, mine do when stationary and these keep me pretty warm. If it dips into the single digits I’ll throw a hand warmer in there while glassing. Rule of thumb for me, I go with whatever has the least amount of seams. If it has a seam, it WILL fail, just a matter of time.

All depends on your feet though. Try as many on as you can to get what’s right.

My .02. Don’t have experience with your list, just a lot of kenetrek and Crispi experience. I always go for the Kennies.

Thanks for the reply. I agree when it comes to seams. How stiff are the Kenetreks? How do they do in steep terrain? I didnt have them on the list because I've heard some say they fall apart quickly but maybe I've heard wrong.

 

[RMM]

I have a pair of Zamberlan Smilodons that I bought for a Montana rifle elk hunt. They're great for the first 2-3 miles but after that they give me a terrible pain in my lower calf/achilles area. Not sure what the cause is but these are the first boots ever to do it. On the other hand I have a pair of Lowa Zephyrs that I wear every day to work and during turkey season and my feet love them. My next boot will be a pair of Lowa tibets I believe.

 

[Wrench]

I'm a heavy dude with cold feet that hunts a lot of days in the winter. I moved into a crispi wild rocks plus and am honestly very happy with them. Fit like my meindl perfekt's did but with a bit more support plus the rand and some extra insulation.

 

[Bearsears]

I have a pair of Zamberlan Smilodons that I bought for a Montana rifle elk hunt. They're great for the first 2-3 miles but after that they give me a terrible pain in my lower calf/achilles area. Not sure what the cause is but these are the first boots ever to do it. On the other hand I have a pair of Lowa Zephyrs that I wear every day to work and during turkey season and my feet love them. My next boot will be a pair of Lowa tibets I believe.

Thats why I'm considering the Lowa hunter pro. Its basically an insulated tibet. Only thing holding me back is every lowa I've ever had leaked within one season of use.

 

[Wapiti151]

Thanks for the reply. I agree when it comes to seems. How stiff are the Kenetreks? How do they do in steep terrain? I didnt have them on the list because I've heard some say they fall apart quickly but maybe I've heard wrong.

They are a good stiff mountain boot…but not too stiff in my opinion. The key for me has been getting them good and broken in. I’ll hike 50-60 miles in them before i hunt in them. They are stiff, don’t get me wrong but…man, I’ve grown to absolutely love them. Kind of hard to explain on the stiffness unless you just get into a pair. All I can compare to is the crispi Nevada, the crispi is far less stiff at the ball of the foot due to their flex design. This is more comfortable to walk in on flat terrain…but far less effective for me when climbing.

I have three pairs of kenetreks that i use regularly… an insulated and non insulated MT Extreme and a hard scrabble. All of these have held up very well with no leaks, no sole separation, no rand separation. But that could just be me? I’m not easy on gear either BUT I do take care of them religiously by cleaning and waxing as soon as they start to lose their hydrated color.

They are excellent for steep climbing and side hilling due to the stiffness. I can dig my toe into the mtn and move without an issue. They are also excellent for side hilling. They may not work for you, or fit your foot at all…but I think they are worth a solid look for any western hunter.

 

[Theringworm]

They are a good stiff mountain boot…but not too stiff in my opinion. The key for me has been getting them good and broken in. I’ll hike 50-60 miles in them before i hunt in them. They are stiff, don’t get me wrong but…man, I’ve grown to absolutely love them. Kind of hard to explain on the stiffness unless you just get into a pair. All I can compare to is the crispi Nevada, the crispi is far less stiff at the ball of the foot due to their flex design. This is more comfortable to walk in on flat terrain…but far less effective for me when climbing.

I have three pairs of kenetreks that i use regularly… an insulated and non insulated MT Extreme and a hard scrabble. All of these have held up very well with no leaks, no sole separation, no rand separation. But that could just be me? I’m not easy on gear either BUT I do take care of them religiously by cleaning and waxing as soon as they start to lose their hydrated color.

They are excellent for steep climbing and side hilling due to the stiffness. I can dig my toe into the mtn and move without an issue. They are also excellent for side hilling. They may not work for you, or fit your foot at all…but I think they are worth a solid look for any western hunter.

I have The Mtn Extremes as well. I will agree with everything Wapiti151 has said about them except for one thing, FOR ME - they were the worse side hilling boot I have ever worn. I took them to Alaska for a black bear hunt 2-3 years ago. We were in some really steep off camber terrain. The boot ankle support simply wasn’t stiff enough. My ankles rolled almost with every step. I tried multiple lacing setups, different foot approaches into the side hill, it simply didn’t matter, the ankles rolled.

Beyond side hilling they are an amazing boot. Vertical climbing it felt stiff enough. Footbed is comfortable and the heel cup has enough ”bite” around you heel to keep you heel planted in the bottom of the boot. No heel slippage at all. But side heeling………they are terrible IMO. I have a pair of uninsulated Zamberlans I wear also, forget the model but I wear them in early to mid season but I haven’t side heeled in steep enough terrain to provide honest feedback.

 

[Bearsears]

Anybody else have experience with the boots I listed?

 

[Tikka90]

I am a huge fan of the Hanwag Alaska's. Super comfortable out of the box, and they just keep getting better

 

[PRC_GUY]

I am surprise that you didn’t look at Kennetrek Mountain extreme 400 insulated.

 

[wind gypsy]

The zamberlan 980 and 966s really nail the stiffness balance for me. Some rocker in the toe some and flex to allow for a natural gait but stiff enough for the toes to bite while climbing and ankle support on sidehills. If the 1005 has a similar stiffness and the wide last they come in works for you they're probably a good option. The sawtooth is probably the first one I'd try in insulated boots if they are ever available.

 

[carsonkeys]

I'd take every recommendation you get here with a grain of salt until you try them on for yourself. Narrow it down to a top three (or so), buy them all, and compare them side-by-side. I've personally returned boots to Backcountry.com and GoHunt. Additionally, I've found GoHunt's sizing guide to be extremely helpful.

These blisters came from a pair of broken in leather boots mentioned in this thread. No doubt that they are great boots, just not for me.

 

[Roosterstraw]

I'm considering a new late season boot. Here are the boots in the running for me right now in order of like the most to least, Zamberlan 1005 hunter pro, Lowa hunter, Zamberlan Sawtooth (although who knows if these are coming back in stock and I hate buying anything at cabelas and bass pro anymore), Zamberlan 2090, or one of the Schnees insulated boots.

These would be for late season high altitude Colorado hunts predominantly. I like a stiff boot but not too stiff. Currently I'm running a pair of Lowa mountain experts in late season which are a little too stiff for walking in and are leaking. Im really curious from Zamberlan users how the boots referenced do with side hilling with a heavy load and how well they stay waterproof. Also curious how stiff the 1005 and Sawtooth are. For reference on me, a Salewa Rapace is about perfect stiffness and a Lowa Camino is too flexible.

Also whats everyone's experience been with these boots staying waterproof overall especially Schnees, Im skeptical of anything not goretex even though it seems to fail alot too?
Thanks everyone.

Did you end up going with the boot mentioned? If so, how’d you like them?

 

[Pony Soldier]

I have leathers custom made for my feet but I don't wear them once it gets cold and snowy or when the ground is frozen. By November I switch to Hoffman pacs with midcalf height. The soles are caulks (corks) hence I rarely ever fall down. I have to stay clear of my horses when leading them on hillsides once the ground freezes otherwise they occasionaly the fall and take you for a hair toboggen ride to the bottom of the hill.

They give good support, are warm and easy to dry with the felt liners.

I usually get 20 years out of them before repairs.

 

[Bearsears]

Did you end up going with the boot mentioned? If so, how’d you like them?

I ended up going with the Zamberlan 1005 Hunter Pro Evo gtx . They have been my favorite late season boot Ive ever owned so far. Break in wasn't too bad and I was pretty surprised how comfortable the high uppers ended up being once they molded to my feet and ankles.
Overall pros:

• They are plenty warm with the goretex insulating liner. Im pairing them with the Kenetrek liner sock and either the Kenetrek Canada or Alaska over the calf socks depending on conditions.
• I love the wider last of the boot which accomodates my fat feet and two socks. (go hunt suggests sizing down a full size on these boots and that was spot on for me.
• FULL GRAIN WAXED LEATHER! I have a theory now that if you want to have dry feet in wet snow and mud, you have to have full grain leather with no synthetic or nubuck and minimal stitching. Ive never had good luck with spray waterproofing on nubuck or synthetic. These boots on the other hand are waxed from the factory and Ive found that if I keep them treated with Zamberlan Hydrobloc wax, they will last days and days of not even allowing the leather itself get wet let alone the goretex liner or my feet. First boot Ive had that has actually stayed dry for me. Paired with gaiters Ive been in some really deep snow, mud, creek crossings, etc. and Ive never got wet.
• Decent tread pattern and I havent ever felt any issues with traction confidence.
• Lacing gear is stout and stands up to punishment and corrosion.
• The rubber rand is tall and thick
• The wear has been excellent. Ive had them two seasons now plus plenty of break in miles and they still look great. No rand separation or leather issues and the soles are wearing quiet nicely.
• The leather and rand are actually going to last long enough to resole them and keep going when the sole wear out.

Cons:

• Id maybe prefer them be just a touch stiffer but this is really me being picky. Paired with my sheep feet they have been plenty stable and comfortable.
• They are a full size full leather tall boot so they aren't light but I think that's to be expected. There are trade offs with everything
• It better be decently cold or you feet are going to sweat. Id saw 45 degrees is the warmest Id wear them. Again this is to be expected.

Overall Im very impressed with them and I expect them to last many more seasons. Im also pretty surprised more guys havent tried them or talked about them. I think there is a fad right now that says lighter and nimble is better than anything. I disagree for myself anyway. Most likely Ill transition my earlier season boots to Zamberlans after the experience Ive had with these boots. Let me know if you have any other questions or want pics of them to see the current wear.

 

[Roosterstraw]

I ended up going with the Zamberlan 1005 Hunter Pro Evo gtx . They have been my favorite late season boot Ive ever owned so far. Break in wasn't too bad and I was pretty surprised how comfortable the high uppers ended up being once they molded to my feet and ankles.
Overall pros:

• They are plenty warm with the goretex insulating liner. Im pairing them with the Kenetrek liner sock and either the Kenetrek Canada or Alaska over the calf socks depending on conditions.
• I love the wider last of the boot which accomodates my fat feet and two socks. (go hunt suggests sizing down a full size on these boots and that was spot on for me.
• FULL GRAIN WAXED LEATHER! I have a theory now that if you want to have dry feet in wet snow and mud, you have to have full grain leather with no synthetic or nubuck and minimal stitching. Ive never had good luck with spray waterproofing on nubuck or synthetic. These boots on the other hand are waxed from the factory and Ive found that if I keep them treated with Zamberlan Hydrobloc wax, they will last days and days of not even allowing the leather itself get wet let alone the goretex liner or my feet. First boot Ive had that has actually stayed dry for me. Paired with gaiters Ive been in some really deep snow, mud, creek crossings, etc. and Ive never got wet.
• Decent tread pattern and I havent ever felt any issues with traction confidence.
• Lacing gear is stout and stands up to punishment and corrosion.
• The rubber rand is tall and thick
• The wear has been excellent. Ive had them two seasons now plus plenty of break in miles and they still look great. No rand separation or leather issues and the soles are wearing quiet nicely.
• The leather and rand are actually going to last long enough to resole them and keep going when the sole wear out.

Cons:

• Id maybe prefer them be just a touch stiffer but this is really me being picky. Paired with my sheep feet they have been plenty stable and comfortable.
• They are a full size full leather tall boot so they aren't light but I think that's to be expected. There are trade offs with everything
• It better be decently cold or you feet are going to sweat. Id saw 45 degrees is the warmest Id wear them. Again this is to be expected.

Overall Im very impressed with them and I expect them to last many more seasons. Im also pretty surprised more guys havent tried them or talked about them. I think there is a fad right now that says lighter and nimble is better than anything. I disagree for myself anyway. Most likely Ill transition my earlier season boots to Zamberlans after the experience Ive had with these boots. Let me know if you have any other questions or want pics of them to see the current wear.

Good review. What temperatures did you wear these in on the low side? Were you able to compare these to the sawtooth Or a pac style boot? So you sized down and still had room for the kennetrek liner and a heavy wool sock? Those liners are pretty thick.

 

[Bearsears]

Good review. What temperatures did you wear these in on the low side? Were you able to compare these to the sawtooth Or a pac style boot? So you sized down and still had room for the kennetrek liner and a heavy wool sock? Those liners are pretty thick.

I have worn them down to about -10. I did and do put some little hotties toe warmers in when it gets super cold though. Id say warmth wise they are comparable to 400g thinsulate. I didn't get the Sawtooths because they were never in stock when I was shopping. I handled them a few times at Cabelas though and they seemed nice. Really the Sawtooth are almost the same boot design with subtle differences. The Sawtooth has the startrek 2 outsole and the hunter has the darwin outsole. The hunter is full grain and the sawtooth is nubuck. Ultimately I decided that I didn't want another nubuck boot for late season. I wanted a smooth full grain. After having them I feel it was the right choice. This is total bro science but it seems to me that water beads up and runs off my boots in a way that nubuck cant. I'm also completely done with waterproof sprays. They seem to last about ten minutes in wet conditions in my experience. I'm even considering using the Zamberlan hydrobloc wax on the rest of my nubuck boots and seeing how it does.

I havent messed with pac boots much, Ive never felt for me they have enough support.

I should also mention that I wear all my boots with full cushion sheep feet customs.

Yes, I sized down. Every boot I own is a 12 and in the Hunter pro I wear an 11. I had the same skepticism as you. I even called Gohunt and told them the sock setup I was wanting to run and they still suggested a full size down. They were right. These are big wide boots. I still have plenty of room for the Kenetrek liner and the Alaska sock which is their thickest late season sock.

 

[yfarm]

I have leathers custom made for my feet but I don't wear them once it gets cold and snowy or when the ground is frozen. By November I switch to Hoffman pacs with midcalf height. The soles are caulks (corks) hence I rarely ever fall down. I have to stay clear of my horses when leading them on hillsides once the ground freezes otherwise they occasionaly the fall and take you for a hair toboggen ride to the bottom of the hill.

They give good support, are warm and easy to dry with the felt liners.

I usually get 20 years out of them before repairs.

You have corks only in the instep? Hard to use stirrups otherwise.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Use corks full length. I only put the front portion of the boots into the stirrups. About up to the base of the big toe.

I have corks in the arch of my air bobs.