Hoffman Explorer 8" Boots

[fullbored]

I stumbled upon a fantastic deal on the Hoffman Explorer 8" hunting boots and couldn't resist. They're marked as size 9.5, but they fit more like a tight 9, which worried me at first. I took them along on a rugged week-long trek around Yellowstone and the Tetons, including a challenging 15-mile hike that put them and me too the test. The real reason for the purchase was to go with me to visit a friend in SE Alaska where we are planning some remote hiking/exploring. Needless to say I need some waterproof boots

Performance in the Field

These boots performed exceptionally well in various terrains. Crossing creeks and waterflows attested to their waterproofness Even trudging through snow and slushy melt-offs, they kept my feet dry without fail. They worked as described and no complaints on that end. They withstood what I threw at them. There was some slide pain on the pinky toe side on the longer hikes resulting on some pain but more to do with the boots being on the small side. Hoffman is 100% upfront on the sizing and I would heed their direction that if you are between two sizes you should go up . I wear a 9.5 -10 and a 10 would of been perfect.

Comfort and Support

I'll admit, these boots are on the stiffer side, which took some getting used to. These are the first type of boots I have had in this range/stiffness. I'm from the Midwest so my dealings with mountain, switchbacks, and things of that nature are limited. With that said I been around and done a lot of things so not a complete idiot. I have used a lot and wore out a lot of gear.

The boots themselves offer excellent ankle support, which is great on uneven ground, rocks, falls, etc . However, the stiffness did start to bother me, especially considering I had knee surgery 20 years ago. After that 15-mile day, my knee was feeling it. There is simply no give at the ankle so the knee takes the brunt.

My heel has a slip in it and I can wear a boot out after about 400-500 miles. With the limited amount of time I had with these boots I would say the wear on the back is way better than others I have deal with (Danner, muck leathers).

Overall, the Hoffman Explorer 8" hunting boots are solid performers. They definitely deliver on their promise of durability and waterproofing, with top-notch ankle support. For me, though, the stiffness and ankle support isn't ideal for long hikes with an old knee injury in mind. I think I will be trying Schnees Beartooth V3 non insulated mids next

 

[Wapitiwhisperer767]

I stumbled upon a fantastic deal on the Hoffman Explorer 8" hunting boots and couldn't resist. They're marked as size 9.5, but they fit more like a tight 9, which worried me at first. I took them along on a rugged week-long trek around Yellowstone and the Tetons, including a challenging 15-mile hike that put them and me too the test. The real reason for the purchase was to go with me to visit a friend in SE Alaska where we are planning some remote hiking/exploring. Needless to say I need some waterproof boots

Performance in the Field

These boots performed exceptionally well in various terrains. Crossing creeks and waterflows attested to their waterproofness Even trudging through snow and slushy melt-offs, they kept my feet dry without fail. They worked as described and no complaints on that end. They withstood what I threw at them. There was some slide pain on the pinky toe side on the longer hikes resulting on some pain but more to do with the boots being on the small side. Hoffman is 100% upfront on the sizing and I would heed their direction that if you are between two sizes you should go up . I wear a 9.5 -10 and a 10 would of been perfect.

Comfort and Support

I'll admit, these boots are on the stiffer side, which took some getting used to. These are the first type of boots I have had in this range/stiffness. I'm from the Midwest so my dealings with mountain, switchbacks, and things of that nature are limited. With that said I been around and done a lot of things so not a complete idiot. I have used a lot and wore out a lot of gear.

The boots themselves offer excellent ankle support, which is great on uneven ground, rocks, falls, etc . However, the stiffness did start to bother me, especially considering I had knee surgery 20 years ago. After that 15-mile day, my knee was feeling it. There is simply no give at the ankle so the knee takes the brunt.

My heel has a slip in it and I can wear a boot out after about 400-500 miles. With the limited amount of time I had with these boots I would say the wear on the back is way better than others I have deal with (Danner, muck leathers).

Overall, the Hoffman Explorer 8" hunting boots are solid performers. They definitely deliver on their promise of durability and waterproofing, with top-notch ankle support. For me, though, the stiffness and ankle support isn't ideal for long hikes with an old knee injury in mind. I think I will be trying Schnees Beartooth V3 non insulated mids next

I hunted in my uninsulated 8” explorer’s right out of the box. Just about the perfect combination of comfort and support.

 

[plebe]

I returned my Insulated Explorers. They are really well built, but in my back and forth with Hoffman they wanted me to pay for a return to try the exact same size. I thought that didn’t make sense.

I spent probably double on custom boots, but they definitely weren’t as space-walky as the Insulated Explorers. And they fit me great. Like them at least 2x better.

Got a pair of off the shelf name brand mountain boots on sale for like $70, and they were pretty nice too for what they are.

Buy and try.

 

[pnw]

I love mine except for that they are slippery as snot on wet rocks ,creek beds ect ,,, like ice skating. but I like them so much I might pay to have them resoled , I had to size up also and if I remember right the owner took good care of me on that exchange since they hadn't left the carpet

 

[plebe]

I love mine except for that they are slippery as snot on wet rocks ,creek beds ect ,,, like ice skating. but I like them so much I might pay to have them resoled , I had to size up also and if I remember right the owner took good care of me on that exchange since they hadn't left the carpet

The owner emailed me offering an exchange for another pair of the same size. I wrote back and he never responded. I was also disappointed when I called hoping for sizing advice…but Baker Boots was just as bad. All this led me to custom boots.

The boots I ended up with are far, far better imo, but I do think the construction of the Hoffman boots is of high quality as well.

 

[pnw]

I wear 11 in most stuff and I had to go up to 111/2 in the explorers , I wish they made them exactly like they are except a little less stiff and with the vibram sole like georgia boots& danner rain forrest I would probably wear them everyday

 

[plebe]

I wear 11 in most stuff and I had to go up to 111/2 in the explorers , I wish they made them exactly like they are except a little less stiff and with the vibram sole like georgia boots& danner rain forrest I would probably wear them everyday

They are the most ski boot feeling MTN boot I’ve tried. And I ski.