Lathrop and Schnees

[catorres1]

I am in the market for boots and have limited access to try them on. Okay, other than Kenetrek and Lowa, no access. But I have tried Kenetrek, Lowa, Schnees, Crispi and a few others at a trade show in January. Of all of them, the Schnees felt the best, but it was a very limited try on.
I have some foot and ankle issues (seems like we all do!), and I want a boot for Colorado this year, but general hunting in Texas as well. I prefer a tall boot...no insulation please.

I've talked to the folks at Schnees, super nice, and they recommend the new version of the Beartooth they have coming...but they are delayed until at least mid August...and this is after several other delays. This makes me a bit nervous, as I don't like buying version 1.0 of anything. Still, I really like the folks I have worked with there and, most of all, their policy of being able to return them if they don't work out, even after wearing them outside and even after hunting in them. As I cannot sit for a proper fitting with them, this is a valuable piece of insurance to me, as I have had several boots go to the trash because they just did not work out and it was too late to get my money back by the time I realized it.

Based on my brief fitting and this guarantee policy, I had decided on Schnees, but I see from the review that Lathrop has their own boot out. From what I understand about them, they really understand boots and fitting. I spent some time on the phone with them today, and they were really informative, absolutely knew their stuff, and that level of knowledge really appeals to me. But I have never seen or tried their boot, and Schnees is the only company that' s going to really let me try them out heavily and still return them....so not sure which way to go.

I have read a good amount on Schnees...people seem to like them, but their new Beartooth is really totally new in many ways...midsole, outsole, lacing, leather, footbed, waterproofing...all new stuff. I have not read as much on Lathrop (saw the review posted on top, obviously, and I see they are a sponsor here...).

Any thoughts would be appreciated...btw, I have a slightly wide forefoot, pretty narrow heel, and very sensitive toes on the right foot due to surgery to fix a wrecked ankle (subtaylor joint and hind foot, actually). So I gotta get this right...and I can't afford to do this twice.

Thanks!

 

[maninthemaze]

I wear the Lowa Tech lites from Lathrop and Sons. I am fortune enough that they were a two hour drive away. They are great people and I feel they offer good advice. There father (Lathrop) was a podiatrist, while Steven has a degree in Orthotics.

I don't know anything about the Schnees boot and haven't tried on the new Lathrop. I went to Lathrop because of a foot that was injured in a car wreck. Crushed heel, fractured ankle, 3 broken metatarsals to be specific. Steven really knew what would help.

If I'm not mistaken Lathrop offers fitment, even through the mail. I think it cost more. Something about tracing the foot and then taking a bunch of pictures. They would adjust the boot specifically for your foot until it was right.

Custom Boot Hunting Systems | Lathrop and Son's
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[dotman]

Schnees has been making boots a very long time, I wouldn't worry about a first gen product as it isn't like it's their first boot and I'm sure their years of experience have gone into it.

Really I think you can't go wrong using either company so go with your gut.

 

[catorres1]

Thanks for the replies guys. Lathrop does offer a custom fitting service where they send over some kind carbon footprint thing, but all in all, that adds something like $500 to the cost. Honestly, if I was in the tax bracket, I'd probably do it....or maybe just fly up there for a fitting or whatever. But I am definitely not able to do that on a one salary family budget. Going with my gut, probably go with Schnees, simply because I can actually buy, try and really try some more and still return them.

Quick story, my current boots, searched carefully with what was available to me locally for about 4 months. Finally made a decision. Wore them around the house. They seemed fine. But after my first time wearing them all day hiking....realized I made a bad mistake. I tried to make them work thinking they would break in or whatever...but in the end...it was a costly mistake, but it took really using them for me to find that out. So that warranty really appeals to me.

Thanks again for the thoughts!

 

[maninthemaze]

You might also check buying through REI. I think they have a one year return policy. Don't quote me on that though.

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[wind gypsy]

You might also check buying through REI. I think they have a one year return policy. Don't quote me on that though.

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I don't recall exactly what it is, but it is fantastic.

I returned some $350 La Sportivas there that had 40 miles of hunting on them for a full refund.

 

[catorres1]

I don't recall exactly what it is, but it is fantastic.

I returned some $350 La Sportivas there that had 40 miles of hunting on them for a full refund.

Wow, that's pretty awesome, that's probably the kind of insurance warranty I need, I will check what they have that might work.

 

[Jeff Martin]

I run Schnees and love them. They are hands down my fav boot. You will not be disappointed. I am willing to bet that the new version has been field tested. Relax, you are buying a great boot.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I give Schnee's a 10+ rating on customer service. They WILL take care of you and any subsequent issues. As others have said, it's not like Schnee's just got in the boot market. Each generation or iteration of boots just builds and improves on earlier models. Now that said....

I'm one guy who just will not take a new pair of boots on a mountain hunt...especially a stiff boot. I learned this the hard way in the NWT back about 2000. I had a great feeling pair of European boots that reeked of quality but I hadn't had enough time in them...less than 20 miles. I thought my feet would be fine. After a very brutal day of forced hiking in extremely rugged terrain my feet looked like I needed a hospital ER. I had several black toe tips and severe bruising...not to mention blisters that were more like wounds. I spent a lot of time treating, taping, wrapping, padding and protecting my feet just so I could walk a moderate distance. I couldn't hike aggressively for many days and in the end it cost me chances at animals. My only trophies from the trip were severely messed-up toes and a pair of boots I wanted to beat with a sledgehammer. Don't rely on a boot until you have used it to the point of absolute certainty....that's my advice.

My most recent mountain boots are the Zamberlan Vioz 1012 GTX-RR. I pulled 7 straight days in them hunting in sheep terrain and my feet were as happy as a couple puppies.

 

[Steve O]

I would never worry about buying anything from Schnee's--they are quality all the way around. Version 1 or 1000 they are not going to put something out there that is not right.

BUT

If I had problem feet my first and only stop would be Lathrop and Son's. I wait a LONG time to pony up for their system. Wish I hadn't. Between the phone and the computer they will be able to hook you up perfect IMO.

 

[tim tarras]

I did the custom fitting with Lathrop and Sons as I suffered a broken heel in 2015. They went to great lengths to get me fitted and comfortable in my boots, including weekend phone calls. They figured out that because of the injury I was a 1/2" shorter in my right leg which in turn solved all my heel, ankle and lower back pain.

They will have my business for a long time.

 

[catorres1]

All,

Thanks for the input, you guys make it really hard to make a decision! In the end, being risk averse, I am going to wait a bit longer for the Schnees, as the ability to return them after seriously trying them just takes away the risk I don't like. That said, if the boots don't come available soon, I'll go Lathrop.

Kevin, totally agree on breaking them in first, which is why I am concerned about the Schnees timeline. My plan was to start wearing these in in May. I'm now down to probably early September, best case scenario. I do hike a few 5-10 miles a week with a loaded pack, so that will help get some miles on them. But I think I will also start wearing them as my daily shoes as well. Hopefully, these combined will get me sorted in time for the November hunt.

 

[Schnee's]

I am in the market for boots and have limited access to try them on. Okay, other than Kenetrek and Lowa, no access. But I have tried Kenetrek, Lowa, Schnees....

Hi Catorres1 and thanks for checking us out! If I can help at all, just shoot me a PM!

 

[6mm Remington]

I have not used the Schnees boots such as the Beartooth but I have had the Schnees Hunter II pack boots for a long time and they are fantastic. The folks there have been great to work with also.

 

[nflesher]

I run Schnees and love them. They are hands down my fav boot. You will not be disappointed. I am willing to bet that the new version has been field tested. Relax, you are buying a great boot.

I give Schnee's a 10+ rating on customer service. They WILL take care of you and any subsequent issues. As others have said, it's not like Schnee's just got in the boot market. Each generation or iteration of boots just builds and improves on earlier models. Now that said....

I would never worry about buying anything from Schnee's--they are quality all the way around. Version 1 or 1000 they are not going to put something out there that is not right.

BUT

If I had problem feet my first and only stop would be Lathrop and Son's. I wait a LONG time to pony up for their system. Wish I hadn't. Between the phone and the computer they will be able to hook you up perfect IMO.

Another happy Schnee's guy here. I run the Beartooth's and will probably never buy anything else but Schnee's boots! They have held up great so far, the fit and feel were great for me out of the box and the break in was not bad at all. I think what really sold me was how great the staff is and how they stand behind their product.

 

[catorres1]

Yeah, the folks from Schnee's I have talked to have been super great. I get the feeling of serious customer service when talking to them. I noted that the new boots showed up on the site, yesterday or so. so maybe they are on the cusp of being available! Gonna call tomorrow and see what the story is, but they have a bunch of new stuff. My favorite, looks wise, are the Granite Pro's, but I suspect they will be too stiff for my needs.

 

[Bubblehide]

I had an awful experience purchasing from Schnee's, and posted about it here in the past. I managed to get my issue resolved, but it took an arduous effort on my part. From reports here, I thought Schnee's customer service was getting better (not that I would ever make another purchase from them), but after a conversation with a good friend of mine, it obviously has not. In his case, he used a credit card, but went through so much grief over a less than $50.00 purchase, he decided to just write it off. I on the other hand would have just used the consumer protections of the credit card to resolve the issue.

I get it, for many, their experience with Schnee's has been good. Mine and that of my buddy has been nothing short of atrocious. To top it off, the Schnee's advertised "we will make it right" is nothing more than a cheap statement, as no effort was even made to make things right for myself or my friend. Nope, nothing but empty words.

Schnee's, nope, I'll pass.

 

[Owenst7]

I got a pair of beartooth mids this past spring, and I've put about 100 miles of off trail steep mountain backpacking on them so far. I stopped in to their store last week while I was on a road trip up to Alaska to talk to them about a minor fitment issue and they took care of it.

The one thing I will say in criticism, is their insole is lacking in support and padding. I'm used to buying aftermarket insoles, so that's no big deal, but the beartooth is pretty low volume and I had trouble finding something that worked. That was actually my fitment issue, and the guy that helped me (I think he is the son of the owners or something) knew what he was doing and had a good suggestion right off the bat.

I can't really speak to their return/warranty/etc because I haven't had experience with it, but the guy that helped me seemed very knowledgeable and eager to help.

The boots themselves have been awesome. They're a great mix between something that will plant you on gnarly sidehills and not kill you from being too stiff on the flats. They were a great design for the last however many years, just because they've got a new fangled idea for v2, doesn't make them any lower quality than they were last year. The main thing the guy discussed with me is a new waterproofing membrane. That peaks my interest as a material engineer, but I'd personally be interested in seeing some run time on a new technology before jumping on a bandwagon. I guess the engineer in me likes the tried and true, belt and suspenders kind of design. I'm sure they've vetted things themselves, I just haven't had time to research, and eVent is a fairly established technology.

 

[DWhitt]

I've had the bear tooths a few mint ago and sent them back. I now have a pair of L&S mountain hunters. In stiffness the mountain hunter blows the bear tooth away. The bear tooth is very comfortable and a nice boot. The hardware was lacking imho on the first ones. The beartooth 2 looks like they addressed that. The L&S mountain hunter feels very stiff but comfortable to me. The cam rocker insole is amazing and you can really feel the difference. I've have freaking 6 pair of boots in the last 3-4 months. I'm settling with the mountain hunters because I feel there the best boot I've had on my feet. I'd like to have tried the new beartooth 2's on but with just switching boots less than 4 weeks before my hunt made me nervous. So I bought the L&S last week and it gives me 5 weeks to get them right lol. I put 7 miles with 45#'s on them on the first hike. Felt great. No blisters and I could tell the boot leather and strings were stretching so there break my in. One thing about the schnees boots is there no questions ask returned policy they have. I did a 5 mile hike on my bear tooths before I sent them back. Just had to pay for shipping.


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[catorres1]

Well, ended up ordering some Beartooth II's. I really liked the height and possible extra stiffness of the Granite II's, but as mine will see use in Texas during all conditions, I needed an uninsulated boot. The Pro's and the Tetons are apparently a super stiff boot, so they were not recommended for my use. Should, hopefully, be here soon!