Newb boot question

[foss]

Just got back from a week of camping, hiking, and scouting in Colorado with my son. My boots were broke in and comfortable from the conditioning I was doing prior to the trip, but it's been all flatland hiking with my pack. They fit snug but felt good. In one spot we hiked in about 5 miles and a few thousand feet of elevation and camped for a couple days. My feet had no issues until the hike out. The trail was pretty much a straight line from the top back to the car with very little side hilling. I was sore after having my toes jammed in the tips of my boots as we went down, and one of my nails actually turned purple/bruised.

1) should I be fitting boots for the mountain differently than flat land to have extra toe room?
2) How long does it take to reasonably break in a new pair?
3) I leave for archery opener in a week and a half, would you risk a new unknown pair or stick with the devil you know?

 

[trophyhill]

I have a pair of Danners that are great for hunting high plains deer, but suck for hunting elk. Especially going steep downhill. My feet slide forward and create similar issues you experience.

Enter my Meindl's and problem solved. Great arch, ankle and lower leg support fixes alot of problems. 11" high compared to 6-8" is all the difference......

 

[deerhunter628]

Crispi summits dont take much or any break in. Sounds like you need a 1/2 size bigger

 

[foss]

I have a pair of Danners that are great for hunting high plains deer, but suck for hunting elk. Especially going steep downhill. My feet slide forward and create similar issues you experience.

Enter my Meindl's and problem solved. Great arch, ankle and lower leg support fixes alot of problems. 11" high compared to 6-8" is all the difference......

My boots are shorter, probably around 6". My feet are always warm and shorter boots are more comfortable. Even tall socks I find mildly annoying. At this point I know I'd rather have the annoyance of tall boots over sore toes.

 

[foss]

Crispi summits dont take much or any break in. Sounds like you need a 1/2 size bigger

I do think the 1/2 size is part of the problem. My left foot is a bit bigger and I frequently find myself meeting in the middle with one foot being a touch snug and the other a touch loose. One foot was definitely worse than the other. I didn't look at Crispi when I bought these, but have heard lots of people loving them. Maybe its time to look for someone local that carries them....

 

[deerhunter628]

You need to figure out why your toes are getting crammed into the end to make your toe nails purple. If the boot is not too small then maybe you need a different lacing technique to make your foot quit moving so much. Maybe better insoles would help. You will have a miserable hunt if your toes are crammed that much.

 

[Holocene]

I moved to Oreogn three years ago and hunt all over the state -- from Roosevelt on the rugged coast to devilish Hells Canyon and John Day River slopes for chukar.

Oddly, I wore LL Bean 10" boots for 2.5 years and got by okay but little by little started to feel pain and have foot issues. General stiffness. "Pump bump" on my rear heels. Etc.

Then Crispi.

I bought a pair of Crispi Wyomings on a recommendation from my co-worker, another experienced backcountry hunter, and my hiking world changed. The sole is stiff enough to provide support, but the boot is well made enough to not feel like you have railroad cars on your feet. I loved the lightweigh Beans ... but a serious boot's needed for Western 2-10 day expedition hunting on rugged terrain.

HIghly recommend Crispis -- or any fine Italian hiking boot for that matter.

PS, If a modern shoe is made well, I believe it will require about 2-3 wearings or 10-15 miles to break in enough to be comfortable and hunt/hike. Some will disagree.

PSS, Wear two socks to fine fit your size if you have to go up a size. Thin merino socks are a joy since they are warm, have minimal odor and dry quickly.

That's my footwear journey. Good luck on yours!

 

[ljrunyanii]

I think you probably need a half size up. It is realatively common to need that half size to prevent what you experienced. I'm not big on pimping a boot brand because boot fit is so personal but Crispi boots, in my experience, require little to no break in. That being said I do worry about you buying some and them not being the right fit for you and you not finding that out until your on the mountain. Good luck

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[foss]

Thanks for the input guys. I bit the bullet and opened up the wallet for a pair of Crispi Summit's tonight. Also sized them a little bigger than I normally would. The higher tops absolutely drive me crazy, but hopefully I get used to that after some miles.

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[deerhunter628]

I think you will be very happy with them. Let us know what you think if them.

 

[txhunter581]

1) trim your toenails right before you go
2). 1/2 size may help
3). boots that lace up further down toward toes so they don’t slip forward helps too. Whatever boot you have be sure you start at the bottom and lace down near the toes snugly

 

[Whitetail Ridge Runner]

I have both Crispi Lapponia and Crispi Thor's and I would say the Thor's are the boot to own they came broke in basically! They are so worth the money. Best boot I have ever owned

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

I'm not sure if any of the Crispi boots have this feature, but I like boots that have a locking cleat at the junction of the ankle. This allows me to keep the toebox a bit more loose and get the upper and ankle tight to keep my heel back in the pocket. I'm in the minority here and think Asolo are great. All of mine have that option.


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[Hnttillmt]

Boots can be a tough one to get right. Remember everyone has different feet. Same as optics, everyone's eyes are different. A brand recommended is probably a good brand but only as good as they fit YOUR feet/eyes. All the fit tests you can possibly do in the store won't be able to tell you if they fit you for a brutal downhill slog.
So you've invested in a quality brand. That's a good start. It's really underestimated how important it is to keep your toenails trimmed.
Second: experiment with otc footbeds with different arches/ thickness.
Third: look into thermo molded footbeds with a professional bootfitter. This is the highest level of perfect fitting you can get. Don't know where you live but a ski town is where you can find this service.
I'm lucky that I have always "slipped" right into my hunting boots. For the many years that I was a professional ski patroller I found the thermofit was the only way I could survive 12 hours a day ski boots and still walk. I recently went through this process with my wife. Her feet got a little "confused" after a year in Iraq. One pair of boots just needed the right pair of footbeds from the pharmacy. The schnees needed a full Thermo treatment but now she's loving both pairs. Hope this helps.

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Learn to tie an ankle lock with your laces. That will help keep your heel in the back of the boot. There are many different ways to tie it. Learn one and use it every time.

The one I learned back in scouts was to go around the top of the lace hooks all the way up, then back down one or two sets of hooks going under the hooks.

 

[AaronFells]

Crispi summits dont take much or any break in. Sounds like you need a 1/2 size bigger

I have a pair of Summits and like them. They do fit snug and not much wiggle room.