Short Term Review: I used the Mountain Hunters on a CO archery hunt last month. Overall, I really like the boots now that they've been through one hunt. They are very comfortable and have great support. I have always had issues with rolling my left ankle. Typically at least once or twice a day I step over a log or rock and roll it over to some extent. On steep sidehills I roll it constantly. But, I only recall doing this once in the Lathrop boots. So, I'm very happy with the support. They also kept my feet bone dry on a 3 mile slog through wet grass and underbrush after an afternoon storm soaked things. My brother's new Hanwags soaked through that afternoon. Bottom line, after one hunt I really like them. Hopefully that continues through the next few.
I will be doing something with the insoles, however. I went with the L&S Synergy footbeds (standard non-orthotic) and had L&S fit them to the boots. I really liked the feel of the insoles the first few days and preseason, but by the end of the hunt the bottoms of my feet were pretty sore. In fairness, I did not do as much preseason hiking as normal due to tweaking a knee and having a newborn at home. So, my feet were definitely not conditioned as well as they should have been. But, I still think I need a little bit thicker insole. I believe with the L&S customs they can make them a little thicker. So, I may try going that route because I really liked the feel of the Synergy footbeds the first few days while my feet were fresh.
I did get a blister on my right heel the first day. Again, this was mostly my fault as I felt the boot rubbing in the first half mile of our hike, but was wearing gaiters and did not want to stop to re-lace because the rub felt minor, and I didn't think it would be enough to cause a blister before we got to the top of the mountain. Dumb decision. But, the good news was after a strip of moleskin and two pieces of Leukotape I felt no pain the rest of the week.
Overall, these are extremely well built boots and very comfortable. I've used Kenetreks (Mountain Hunters & Guides), Crispi Colorados, and Lowa Hunters in the past. This is not a knock on the other boots, as I think they are all very well built and high quality, but the Lathrop Mountain Hunters strike me as the highest quality built boot out of that bunch. And for my feet, they are the best I've tried so far. If I had done a better job putting miles on preseason and not being too lazy to stop and re-lace the first morning I don't think I would have had the issues with the blister or soreness.
