You've Made the Switch to 0 Drop - Did you go back

[Bulldawg]

I have to get new boots, for the last 12 years I've been wearing heavier, stiffer boots like La Sportiva, and Meindls. I've gotten to the point where the narrower toe of those boots bothers me more and more. I've also been wearing zero drop shoes for my everyday and running, and I've noticed it seems that there is a cult like following building on some zero drop shoes like the vivo trackers.

My question is, for those of you that have made the change from a more traditional mountain boot to a zero drop lighter boot, have you gone back or thought of going back? Did you have any issues in terrain?

My believe my options I'm choosing between are the Altra lone peaks and the meindl air revolution's (These are probably my favorite boots i've had over the last 12 years, they were discontinued from cabelas years ago and now back for the last couple years).

 

[SouthPaw]

No, I can't go back. Traditional shoes/hunting boots now hurt my feet. Every set of footwear I had needed to be replaced. It's an investment but the long term benefits are worth it.

No issues in terrain, even in nasty stuff with heavy loads. Building up your connective tissue and foot strength once out of the casts that are hunting boots, you'll be better able to support yourself on slopes and rough ground. Best part is your feet don't get that end of day sore after long days of hunting in terrain.

 

[Lawnboi]

I did similar to you. Used stiff boots for years, both hunting and at work. Switched to minimal or zero drop running shoes, and now am on the barefoot boot train.

So far my feet have felt better than they ever have in my mountaineering boots. Though it took years to get where I am. My feet feel stronger.

The hardest part is the lack of viable hunting boots in the barefoot space.

 

[LongWayAround]

I love the lone peaks but don't wear them hunting. The new lone peak 9's look pretty solid though.

 

[TheCougar]

Vivobarefoot. This year I’m going to bring both my Crispi Nevadas and my Vivos and see how they do. I think I can get by day hunting with them. I doubt I’ll be packing out a bull with the barefoot boots, though. I’m not ready.

 

[Walkstoomuch]

I've been wearing Schnees Timberlines for the past 5 years. Switched to Altra Lone Peak mids this summer while scouting and training with weighted pack. So far they've been great, durability is a factor. I paired them with the Altra running lightweight gaiters after a couple hikes.

 

[LCguy]

I love zero drop for backpacking and wet wading, specifically Altra Lone Peaks, but use regular boots for hunting. Prefer more substantial footwear for hunting off trail, especially because the units I hunt deer and elk in are very rocky with lots of plants that want to stab me.

 

[dtrkyman]

All barefoot for me other than runners, but those are zero drop ALtra.

 

[dgfavor]

I worry less about the drop than I do about flexibility and groundfeel in my outdoor footwear. I think the heel-toe drop "factor" is pretty minimized going up/down/across steep hills. I can tolerate a shoe/"boot" with some drop hunting/hiking but cannot tolerate the locked in, stiff feeling, poor ground feel that comes with most popular marketed boots these days.

All my work shoes/around town shoes, where I'm on flat concrete all day, are zero-drop with zero drop insoles which really makes sense to me in that setting...going up and down steep hills and uneven terrain it has less importance.

 

[North of 60]

I'm fond of Altras and Topos for trail/general everyday shoes. The wide toe boxes, tight heels and zero drop/low drop are most comfortable.

It would be nice if there were more choices with boots- companies offering lightweight zero drop or very low drop hunting boots.

 

[rickyw]

Been wearing zero drop shoes over ten years now. No going back for me. My mountain boots have some drop but it’s not much (I don’t know what it is but it feels okay).

 

[elsb0048]

Maybe I'm an outlier here. I own some altras, lone peaks, and wear them sometimes. But I also have mid height light hikers, 3 season mtneering boots with 3/4 shank, and classic mtneering boots with a full shank. For me they all have a place and there are lots of days the altras ain't it, most notably when lots of sidehilliing is expected, I just get too much motion and blister between my toes in the flexy ones.

I've definitely trended lighter and more flexible over the years and the shanked boots get less use than before.

 

[Braaap]

To answer the question simply, no. I wore some regular boots one day on a hunt last year and they’re for sale in the classifieds. I wear a regular heavy stiff boot at work because I have to and they’re awful.

The ESC’s are way better than Alta’s for those that are dabbling with Alta’s in the backcountry. I’ve been wearing Altras daily for probably the last five years and they absolutely suck in comparison. Mellow trails they’re fine, or around town, but hunting off trail or packing meat they flat out suck compared to the ESC’s.

 

[North of 60]

Do the ESCs have a wide toe box like Altra's and a narrow heel (tight heel cup)?

 

[Braaap]

Maybe not as tight as Altra but my feet are wide at the forefoot, narrow heel, and low volume, and the ESC’s are by far my favorite boot I’ve ever owned. They’re soft boots, no stiffness, so even if you have some space it doesn’t matter like it does in stiff boots. It’s kinda hard to describe and if you’re curious I would just say buy some and try them. I was pretty skeptical when I bought mine but I was sold on them after a couple hikes.

 

[North of 60]

Thanks much for the info Braaap, i just may do that down the road a bit...get them off of Amazon and return them if i don't like them.

 

[Moccasin]

I wear Altras or Jim Greens and have been for the last ~2 years. Add in a basic strength regimen with squats and deadlifts and my foot and knee pain are greatly reduced and I don’t get the general soreness at the end of a day. No issues in terrain.

 

[rabbithuntr]

Been wearing barefoot shoes, mostly vivos for the last 5 years and sold all my others except a pair of muck boots that I only wear at last resort and a pair of cowboy boots for when I need spurs. I wear esc most of the time but they are heavier and stiffer than I’d like, I enjoy gobis more but they don’t last.