Meindl Denali's

[BATTLEBORN]

Im going to be buying a new pair of boots this summer and I think that pair will be the Meindl Denali. Anyone have experience with them? I went to Cabelas today and tried them on. They felt great and had a ton of ankle support. They even seem to fit my fat foot without having to go to a EE. Lets hear your thoughts please.

 

[Beastmode]

Love these boots. The most comfortable boot I have ever owned.

 

[cali_hornhunter]

I have the meindl Alaska gtx uninsulated and there great boots

 

[Ross]

I own 2 pairs of the Perfekt Hikers by Meindl. They have served me well for several seasons, are extremely comfortable, with very good ankle support.

 

[realunlucky]

Mine get warm for insulated but have taken all the abuse I could dish out

 

[a3dhunter]

I had them, they did me well hunting western states for elk and mule deer but they took a long time to break in. Put some miles on then, and stop to tighten laces every couple of miles.

 

[big10hunter]

Denalis are REALLY stiff soled. I almost bought them until i tried them on, and i thought i liked stiff soles. maybe it was just the way they fit me. I have used the Miendl Canadien hunter and was satisfied. They did me well on a Sheep, Goat, and Elk hunt. I thought it would be my boot forever. that is until I was introduced to Hanwag. I now use the Mountain lite by Hanwag and the are just awesome. I don't want to knock Meindl, and I'm sure everyone has their own boot preference. I'm just saying I wore meindls and was happy, but I'm extremely impressed with the Hanwags. Hanwags does make a leather Alaskan model if you want leather, but the mountain lites have been extremely comfy, supportive, and easy to break in.

Lots of choices when it comes to boots, and everyone has their favorite. I consider Aron a boot expert, you could PM him. He turned me onto the Hanwags. He is a big fan and puts tons of miles on boots...they are his choice. Good luck!

 

[shaun]

I was half tempted to try a set on in Reno last weekend but never did. Tried on the granite from schnees and liked those. Have to get away from the torcherous kenetreks. Half tempted oh just pulling trigger on Alaska or mtn light

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Thanks guys, one reason I like them is because they are unisulated. I do plan on putting some miles on them this summer before the season.

I have heard great things about the Hanwags, but I cant get myself to buy a pair of boots I cant try on in advance. We also have a sierra trading post in town so I might try on the Asolo sassalong boots in the mean time.

I should be meeting aaron at the sheep show this weekend, I know he will be busy but I may try to quickly pick his brain about boots.

 

[big10hunter]

The Asolos are short. 6" I believe, maybe 5". Not good enough ankle support. If you find a Miendl and know the size, call Lathrops and tell them the size and they'll know which Hanwag size is for you. You can always send them back if they don't fit. Maybe they will be t the Sheep show.

 

[shaun]

Us size is 1 size larger than uk witch is how Hanwags size...13uk is size 14us

 

[Vandal 44]

I have a pair of the Denali's and the sole is very stiff, I am not a big fan. When I tried them on the in the store they felt awesome, however, after putting a lot of miles on them I am not sure anymore. If you need a lot of ankle/foot support then these would be a good boot.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Im starting to re-think the Denali's. The stiffness of the sole concerns me and I think it would bug me as well. I tried on a Pair of Crispi Idaho boots at the sheep show and they were by far the most comfortable pair of boots I have put on my feet, but at $399 they are beyond my price range. I should have tried on the Schnees while I was there but did not. Anyone have suggestion on a great boot in the 200-270$ range?

 

[Daniel_M]

Are we talking stiff sole, as in sole make-up or are we talking shank? My leathers are Lowa Sheephunter GTX, full shank, super comfy. Usually in the $350 range but can be found cheaper.

Shoebuy is currently running their 20% off sale, so they are priced at $340 + free shipping.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Well....... I wanted to update this thread. I went to Cabela’s this morning and tried on several pair of boots. I was also wavering on buying a couple different pair off the internet but in the end I could not get past not being able to try on a boot before I bought it even though I could have gotten something for way less money. Anyway, to the point.......

I walked in the Denali's for about a half hour, up and down their rock incline about a hundred times. I was getting a pressure point in the heel area on my left boot when I would walk uphill; I tried it in four different sizes and still felt the rubbing/pressure point on my left heel (right boot felt fine). I was pretty disappointed because I had been eyeballing these boots for a while now. I decided I would put a pair of the Perfekt insoles (sold separately) which are substantially thicker than the one the boots come with in the Denali's. Instantly that remedied the heel lift/ rubbing I was experiencing on the left side. I finally bit the bullet and bought the Denali's with the Perfekt insole installed, I have been wearing them all day and so far they feel great. Obviously the Jury is still out as I have not had the chance to break them in or put any miles on them but I plan to keep this thread updated and I will check back as the summer progresses.

Hopefully this thread will be helpful to someone in the future.

Patrick

 

[tstowater]

I have a pair of the Perfekt Hunters (wanted the insulation) and also a pair of the Schnee Granite boots. Might want to look at an aftermarket insole for the Denalis at some point. I have Superfeet in my boots, but there are others available. Surprising on how the different boots fit and the insoles can make a huge difference. Let us know how you get along.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Will do !! I replaced the footbed with the thicker Perfekt footbed and so far I like it.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Ok.... So i took my Denali's on their first hike today and I hate to say it but they absolutely killed my heels. They provided great ankle support and were comfortable on the footbed area but the heel is so hard that every step i took was painful. I took them back to Cabelas and the search continues for the right boot for me.

 

[tstowater]

Boot shopping isn't near as much fun as it should be, isn't it? Sorry to hear about the boots. Seriously, there are guys here how can tell you more, but the insole can make a huge difference. Remember, a stiff boot doesn't have the flex and therefore your feet may move if the fit isn't quite right.

 

[Rocky]

Sorry to hear about the boots I put the cork inserts in my and the feel great.