doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Since feet kill birds...?

What kind of footwear have you found the friendliest?
I would like something that stays dry even when you walk in the wet morning grass and does perspire the sweat.
I found that Kenetrek boots don't allow any water in and they stay pretty cool and dry throughout a day of hunting. They seem too rigid for me and they require quite a bit of breaking in.
Have you guys tried Zamberlans, Schnees and such?

Sliver, Check out the Danner Canadians. They actually last for almost two seasons.
Made in the USA.
Dave

kinda depends on what your feet are walking on. I assume in MT you have lots of aggressive rock, ice in season, water when it "warms up." When I lived in ID, I wore resolable Danner 8" leather Goretex boots with really aggressive Vibram soles and had to replace the soles about every 18 months (chukar hunting is especially hard on boots. Dogs. Hunters. Everything BUT chukars.).

But in the great flat plains of KS, NB, and SD, I find 8" Irish Setter #854s--mix of leather and tough fabric, mixed lug and bob soles, plus Goretex--perfect. They are light and give good protection, too. They would work fine in MT wheatfields; I've used them in the Palouse WA/ID wheatfields very happily. But I'm going to get them resoled next time with some kind of light, full-lug Vibram sole because CA quail hunting can get you into the rocks pretty fast.

I guess I'd want two sets of boots if I hunted both fields and rock breaks regularly; one "lite and low"; one high and seriously "grippy".

(However, there is no perfect boot for chukar hunting, because chukars were put here by Auld Clooty to torment us for all our other guilty pleasures. The perfect chukar gun does also not exist, unless you know of a shotgun that carries like a fourten and hits like a perfect 10....).

Pretty swampy down here in the South. I wear Muck Boots for everything; no shoe-laces! Roll'em down and step into'em and easy off as well...Geo

I am not a fan of GoreTex. They say it's waterproof, but all boots that I had with GoreTex lining would get wet after wearing them a couple of times. I figured to stay dry you have to wear rubber boots, but then you sweat inside and get wet anyway. And they don't provide good foot support.

Serban,
In my opinion..the only boots that are going to be 100% waterproof are going to be rubber. I have hunted sharptails in Nebraska and North D, walked alot of miles in all kinds of terrain and I've never had foot problems with my Lacrosse Alpha Burly boots. I always wore them early in the morning and changed to my leather boots in the afternoon after the dew had dried. They are just now starting to crack, I bought them new in 2002.

Dustin

I wear Russell Moccasins I have about 8 or 10 pair with a variety of soles and insulation...I have a couple of pair that are going on 20 years old. My favorite Russel hunting boot is the "Signature Series South Forty Bird Shooter" with a 200 gram thinsulate insulated foot bed.
http://www.russellmoccasin.com/boots_birdshooters/bs_signaturesouth40.html

If it's really wet I wear either Lacrosse or Le Chameau leather linned rubber boots...if it's really cold I break out the Mickey Mouse army boots.

When the going gets tough I go barefooted

Goretex does eventually break down, but I prefer it to rubber. Hunting pheasants in Iowa most of my life, I had to wear rubber quite often, but can't say I ever liked it. I've had good luck with the Cabela's upland boots. I treat the leather uppers, which I think helps the Goretex last longer. I've had to have a couple pairs of those resoled, and usually for me, the uppers go before the soles.

Without reservation, the Wetlander is the best water resistant boot I've ever worn. Although it does have a Gore-Tex bootie and until these I haven't been a fan of Gore-Tex as it fatigues due to the motion of the ball of the foot. But the Wetlanders even with the sole almost worn off still keeps my feet dry. The sole isn't that agressive and becomes slick with wear. I'm reluctant to have my 1st pair re-soled. Filson always leak and the Browning field boots and similar fatigue just behind the sharkskin cap.

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse