I spent 4 hours hunting the Los Padres National Forest.
Desert/mountain conditions.
Bagged 3 California Quail (an oxymoron)
and realized, MY BOOTS SUCK!





Gokey?
Kangaroo
Others?
What do your "dogs" say?

What? No picture of the sucky boots??

I love Beans Maine Hunting Boot, but would love to try a pair of Danner grouse boots.

Red Wing Irish Setters. Get the ones that don't have the stitched seam around the top of the toe. I'm pretty sure you have to go to an actual Red Wing dealer to get that model. I don't know if there is an uninsulated model available, I doubt you would need the 32 grams or, whatever it is, of Thinsulate that are built into these.
The pair I have now is most of a decade old and is just geting broke in perfectly. I've owned a bunch of them, and never had a pair I was unhappy with. Broke through the ice pheasant hunting today, and they still hold the water out.
Good thing, it was cold out there.

Best,
Ted

i have 8 inch kangaroo boots light and tuff and i hunt in the same crappy desert/upland area that you show in the pictures but i don't think you can buy kangaroo boots in california anymore.

Orvis has them but no choice for width.
Do you find them true to size?
Wide or narrow?
Do tell?

And the nominees for the " I think I can get one more season out of these..." are Bob Cash and "California Quail'...

Irish Setter 2875 Vaprtrek Waterproof 17 Inch Snake (and thorn/cactus/cholla/sand burr) Boot

Bob, thats some kinda beat up boot man. That top one looks like a kinda hybrid brown trout/snake head/alligator that could bite your toes off....
Did you get your moneys worth out of them??
Man, that last pic of the spiky thing looks awful, what the hell is that?...Cholla?
thank god they are not here up in NH.
I think a new pair are in order
franc

Umm, Uhh, why yes,
In fact, these boots are a family heirloom.
They've been handed down from father to first born son for the last 6 generations.

I've been wearing Cabela's Full Draw uninsulated boots in warm season hunts for about 5 years.

VERY SATISFIED.

It all comes down to if the food bed fits your foot, and your personal walking mechanics.

I don't like to see older guys wearing heavy boots, as they always complain about their hips aching. If you don't wear boots every day, they can be very heavy.

Last time I hunted desert quail it was in terrain that looked exactly like that, just outside Tucson. I wore a well broken in pair of Selous boots. They worked fine for me. Same boots I work in. I have worn out two pair, but it has taken many years to do so.

I like Bean's Maine boot, too, but mostly for places where you may be in and out of wet.

SRH

Russell Boots, various styles.
The leather wraps completely around the foot in one piece for a slipper like comfort. since you are in the desert, a single vamp will be sufficient with a lightweight Vibram sole.
I have a pair of 'Birdshooter's with double vamp and pullons for bird hunting. Just great.
I also have a pair of PH Safari in full elephant.
Custom made to your feet, still made in Wisconsin in a small factory using 20th Century techniques by real people you can actually visit and talk to.
Many big companies have tried to purchase Russell but Ralph just won't sell.
All they would do is close the factory and move the production off0shore ruining a great brand and tradition.
I llive close enough to go to the factory for fit.
It's a real treat!-Richard

So far I'm liking these.
Red wing dealer in my neighborhood will bring in any boot I want to try, no obligation.
Irish Setter Men's 801 Havoc WP 9" Upland Boot



Has anyone walked a mile in the other guy's zippered boot?
Irish Setter Men's 802 Havoc WP 10" Upland Boot

Moc toe boots rub right through at the seam in just a couple weeks walking in the grass. Kangaroo is probably the worst.

Lace up boots have more flexibility in fit.

I felt that Goodyear welt, vibram soled, boots were too stiff in the desert. Another matter hunting on volcano hillsides.

mine are "wood and stream".and they were true to size , these were good right from the start.i have had terrible experiences with other boots.i bought two pairs of these.i think this brand is a little wide ,that worked well for me.

i had a bad experience with iris setter boots hunting chucker in the California desert.i walked right out of one of the seams. i don't have a lot of miles on the kanaroo boots but they seem to be holding up,and they are lite and comfortable.your mileage may vary.

I wore a pair of LLBean rubber bottoms on a quail hunting trip to Tamaulipas State in Northern Mexico once. Never, ever kick a cactus out of the way with a rubber bottomed hunting boot!...Geo

Another vote for the Irish Setter Havoc Upland Boot. I tried Irish Setter after my LL Bean boots died within two years of buying them. I find they have a rough break in period, but after that no issues at all.

Irish Setter

Back when I worked we had to have steel toe capped boots and the company chipped in on the price. I had tried different boots and some were ok. They opened a Red Wing store near me and I decided to try them. The fellow asked me what size I needed and told him 9 1/2 D. He asked if I had my foot measured and I told him no, he measured it on some type of electronic foot measurer. It came out to be 10 1/2 E. I told him that was too big, he explained that they had the same area size. He put one 91/2 D on one foot and a 10 1/2 E on the other and didn't say which one but said to walk around the store. Came back and said which one felt better, and I said which one and took it off and showed me it was a 10 1/2 E.
I had also mentioned to him about breaking new shoes in of which he told me if the shoe fits right there is no breaking in.

Which ever you decide just make sure you get the right size. Also everyone's has a foot that is larger than the other and the only way some people take care of that is to have shoes custom made.

I have a pair. I can't say that I am a real fan of them. I hunted Africa in them, and I hunt antelope and birds wti them where the ground is not super rocky. They are very flat in the insole, which can be solved with foot-bed inserts but that seems sort of crazy for such expensive boots. I need to seen them back to have the toes restitched, but I have to say the original stitching lasted much much longer than "a couple of weeks". More like a decade.

I also have a pair of Cabela's Mendele's Ultralight boots. Man, are they comfy. HOWEVER they do not have aggressive enough tread for chasing elk and the like in very steep muddy, or snow terrain. They are fine for birds though. They are holding up okay but some of the stitching is starting to pull through the leather in a couple of places.

I don't know what the best boots are, but I do know I ain't got'em.

I have a pair of Irish Setter Wingshooter and they are great.

These boot type threads surface from time to time:

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=408028&page=all


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

I've spent literally 6 figures in the last 15 years buying, selling and retaining a very modest cabinet of some very nice doubles.

Herein lies the rub, a slightly painful rub in the case of my "sucky" boots, in that I have neglected my feet and in the past
and not spent more than $100 on any particular pair of boots be it for work or sport. That's all about to change.

I paid a visit to Red Wing today, put my feet in the way back machine and got fitted for three pairs of new boots.
Pick up and pay on Black Friday and save 20%.

1 for work,
Irish Setter Men's 802 Havoc WP 10" Upland Boot


one for shooting the flats
Irish Setter 7" Wingshooter 838's


and one for the rocky hills.
Irish Setter Men's 801 Havoc WP 9" Upland Boot

I like most styles of boots, including Danners. But the stitches always get wore out in the first year with miles and miles of grass and brush. Then, i'd have to send them in for repairs.

So, I picked up a pair of Danner Light II's and really do like their toughness. No stiches, one piece leather. A touch short at the ankle at times, but they are nice on the plains. Going on year 3 w/the help of a little shoe gue on the toe and sides.

I have been hunting that sort of terrain and worse in AZ since 1981. I have a pair of Russell boots with a thick oak midsole and vibram soles (3d soles as the rock rounds the edges off and they no longer give a good grip on rock edges. The thick leather between the moccasin and the vibram sole keeps the sharp rock from bruising feet. I have hunted deer in this stuff in places where I swear to have not stepped on anything but rock for over a week! The boots themselves are a double layered oiled leather moccasin and are a little scratched up but good for another 20 years (probably without me). Little pricey but I think worth it. I wore out a pair of Rocky's with molded soles in one day, and 2 pairs of my Vietnam jungle boots in 2 seasons although they were a good design for the desert. Wear LL Bean rubber bottom boots in this stuff and you will come back barefoot after a couple hours. If you are worried about snakes wear some Turtle Skin gaiters or chaps. They also help with the Cholla.

Love my Irish Setters 808's. 9 inches tall, non insulated, soles have great grip. No break in time, comfty right out of the box.

I have been wearing that Irish Setter Pull on Havoc model shown in photos above,exclusively for three seasons on the Plains of West Central Texas for nearly any type of outdoor activity ; work or shooting , and it will take something pretty Special to get me to change........

I gravitate to Pull ons for convenience, and these really out shine (for me personally, your results may vary) any pull on outdoor boot including several of the various zippered Russell offerings I have bought over the years....

I always would prefer Meindl Boots:

http://www.meindl.de/english/

available at Cabelas

Cheers,
Gunwolf

I am very interested in "No Tie" boots pictured on an earlier post. I can't tie my left boot by myself because of a stiff replacement hip. I would also like a recommendation for a no tie 6" or 7" boot.

Asolo Hiking Boots.

http://www.rei.com/product/693828/asolo-tps-520-gv-hiking-boots-mens

Muck Boots!...Geo

Eightbore- You could get the Russel Cavalier or Zephyr side zips. They are great if you like wet feet. The strap allows for more fitting than with a regular Wellington style boot. The soles are stiff like tap shoes, and for only a little more money, you can fit a pair of molded insoles into them from K-mart.

Alternatively, a lovely pair of natural rubber, Hunter Balmoral Sovereign's are available in multiple calf sizes, and have replaceable soles. Strong dollar has UK distributors dumping them here in the states. I paid $275.00 for my last pair.

I worked at Cabela's until I retired: I went into the Sidney store several years ago, and told a young guy (who happened to be a Cabela) my tale of woe on hunting boots while he listened patiently.
He grinned & went into the back and came out with a pair of Meindls.
I put them on, and 10 or 12 years later, am still wearing them. They looked more like a hiking boot with high tops, but they are tough. They DO squeak when I walk, but hey....I will take the squeak! I do not hunt in the mountains, but have hunted in Arizona in the cactus.
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

I was shooting doves a couple of years ago and finally knocked down a bird and ran out to retrieve it.When I got back near my stand I saw a boot sole laying on ground and looked at my Irish Setter boot and it had come completely off! Bobby

Now, that's a hot shoot!!

SRH

Maybe I'm the only one that hunts in a pair of Simms boots, over a pair of Dan Bailey hip waders. I have boots from most of the makers mentioned but now if I want to wear them it is going to be sometime other than when I'm hunting.

Keeping boots tied has been the bane of my hunting existence. Double knots, and even Lefty Kreh double knots, haven't worked. A buddy finally gave me a solution. After tying the double knot, tape the loops together with duct tape. Painters masking tape works in dry places. Jerry also uses a plastic wire tie from bread to wrap the loops together before applying tape. I've found that tape alone is enough. I also despise the speed loops at the top of the boot. They are useless for me. These are the open hook type. I stop short of them and wrap the laces around the boot where they start and tie off. My insteps are too high to accomodate slip-on, laceless boots.

That's what I say...
Meindl are simply the best for hard and rough terrain!

Cheers,
Gunwolf

[quote=Gunwolf]That's what I say...
Meindl are simply the best for hard and rough terrain!

Cheers,
Gunwolf [/quote

Like I said above, depends on which model. The Ultralights are NOT hard, rough or slippery terrain boots. ]

No, I was using the same for moose hunting earlier this fall. I was wishing I had them yesterday in flooded grass, chasing pheasants, but I had LaCross kneeboots that were good enough.

Well, you are right. When I say Meindl, I mean real Mountain Boots, ultralights are in my opinion not needed for hunting ;-) The most versatile model for rather every purpose is the "Island".

Cheers,
Gunwolf

Sorry, I had not seen you meant Meindl... ;-) (Cabela's Mendele's Ultralight boots)

Cheers,
Gunwolf

By the way, another great Bootmaker is Hanwag:

http://hanwagboot.com

Nearly as well as Meindl.

Cheers,
Gunwolf

Meindl Perfekts, I think they are called, seem to be a very good boot for steep hunting, with decent traction and stiff soles. Unfortunately, they have a smallish toe box.

I'm pretty sure that boots are just like pocket knives. It is maddenly obvious what the ideal model should be, but no one makes it. Hence, I have 8+ pairs of boots and twice as many knives and none of them are better than adequate.

At one time I prefered jungle boots for hunting turkeys. Jungle boots were designed with the fact in mind that you are gonna get wet, might as well have boots that can drain and dry quicker than conventional. After a buddy had a close encounter with a canebrake rattler, snake boots made more sense. For upland, I wear a pair of boots from Bass Pro that seem to fit and do the job for which they were designed. Nothing fancy or expensive, but they fit and are comfortable.

You are right! Same with me..

Gunwolf

Gil, I'm with you on boot laces. I graduated into slip on Muck Boots some years ago. A buddy of mine was struggling to lace his Russells a coupla years ago and someone quietly suggested to him that he might be within a few pounds of zipper boots...Geo

I've got a pair of Le Chameau neoprene insulated pull-on boots. They are comfortable, but not as warm as I'd like them to be in the kind of conditions where you want an insulated boot. I've thought a lot about getting a pair of the Le Chameau zip-up boots. I don't think they're a replacement for a tie rough country hiking boot.

Kenetrek has a good reputation with one of me ex students who spends several months per year in the back country of Wyoming at a game and fish biologist. Hard to get a better recommendation and his boot allowance let's him spend whatever is necessary. It's a whole lot of overkill for a pheasant boot, but it might be my next big game boot. Cabela's sells them.

The OP was about desert hunting!
I hunt in waders a lot but for mostly waterfowl hunting.
I have a pair of Le Chameau side zip but they are basically muck boots and not for the desert!
I have a pair of custom Limmer mountaineering boots but I would never hunt in the desert in them! Large toe box, you look like you have club feet, heavy construction, your ankle will not buckle and rocks make no impression.
Until i found Russell, I had two pair of Browning Kangeroo boots that were very comfortable but the Russell BirdHunters top them all for the conditions we are discussing, dry desert.
The acquisition of a pair of Russell's requires some work and a wait while they are built but there is just no comparison for the conditions that were Posted!-Richard

I'm glad you are happy with your Russel's Dick.
I'm done with them.


A synthetic, well constructed boot is superior to a moccassin style boot in every way except fire protection.

Pick the foot bed and toe box that fits your foot, and choose the boot that is carrying it. Which bears repeating.

Pick the foot bed and toe box that fits your foot, and choose the boot that is carrying it.

I'm like Dick, I like Russell's too. About 20 yrs ago, they put gortex in their boots. I was a kid then and left one of my boots at a hand car wash....bummer. No more gortex. I wish Ralph would use gortex again......NO WAY. Plus, they are over $500 a pair for bird shooters now. HOLY COW!!!! I've gone to Irish setters, but I don't think they are as comfie as Russell's.

I know they have a cult of worshipper's, and I'm glad they are still made in the USA, but fer chrissakes, you can't even walk across the front yard to pick up the morning paper in a brand new pair without getting wet feet in their super boots.

So, at some point, reality has to enter the picture.

I was a church member through two pairs fwiw.

I agree CZ. I've got a couple old pair I still wear. Obenauf grease helps, but if it's real wet, they leak. The old boots I mentioned with the gortex were the trick. I brow beat Ralph at least a dozen times re bringing back gortex, but to no avail. His reply was always triple vamp is great. He's wrong, but it is what it is.

Kind of beside the point now-a-days given the cost, but I still have my knee length Gokey Botte Suavages from when I was 18 back in 1966. The grease they came with was a pretty good waterproofing and still is. My feet aren't the same size as they were, but I still wear them from time to time...Geo

Kenetrek is the best boot I have ever used. I used Miendls for years and they are great, but Kenetrek boots are a step above. I am a native of AZ and we have a diverse state that can really put boots to the test.
When a friend introduced me to these boots and I checked the price "ouch" but these boots are tough, and very comfortable. Also for about $150.00 they completely re-sole and recondition. When I received my recondioned boots back they practically looked new. These boots had over 100 days of hunting in them when I sent them in.
Kenetrek,s are worth a look if a guy is looking for a boot made for hunters.

Am I wrong, or do I recall kenetreks as having a rock hard footbed?, and I mean no inner padding at all, just the cushion of the tred material. I didn't get how that would be comfortable... Steve

In my opinion Russel Signature South 40 bird shooters are the best/most comfortable leather boots made. I don't have a problem with them leaking stepping in the occasional water hole but in wet grass they will leak but they easily walk dry.

For wet conditions I wear Le Chameau Chessers with a Super Feet Green insole.....A fellow from Georgia told me if you ever wear a pair you'll wear nothing else. The thing about the leather lined boot is that your feet don't get clammy when hot. My original pair is going on 6 or 7 years old they look pretty rough the side zipper broke last spring. I just stopped zipping them and just buckled the top strap. I have since bought a replacement pair but think I've still got a few years left on these.

I cannot, for the life of me, imagine paying $500-650 for a pair of rubber boots, leather lined or not. I thought it was ridiculous when I paid $150 for a pair of insulated La Cross knee boots. Not sure what the authentic French version will do for $400 more that the faux French can't.

I'm glad folks like Russells, but I know I have bought my last pair.

Brent, that's kinda like the difference between a Model B Fox and a Fox D grade small bore.

They both go bang and when pointed properly, birds will fall out of the sky. But there is a world of difference between the experience of using one or the other....a difference many people are prepared to quantify as worth $10,000 plus.

The very best tends to cost more.....and getting the last 10% to 15% of improvement tends to cost the most!

I spent many years in the footwear business including having my own designs made. When I look at a LeChameau Chasseur I am looking at what I think of as a very well made, calf high leather boot that has an exterior rubber layer. Not a "rubber boot". That would not be inexpensive to make anywhere. You could hardly pick a higher cost country to make them in than France.

James, it sounds as if some of the very best mentioned in this thread have rock hard footbeds, stitching that tears after only a couple years, or leaky uppers that will leave you with wet feet when walking through wet grass. I absolutely agree with the idea of buying quality boots, but price and prestige does not always translate into comfort and durability.

I kind of understand BrentD on this subject. From a quick glance in my basement last night, I'd say I probably have at least 14-15 pairs of hunting boots ranging from light leather and uninsulated rubber to heavy Gore-Tex and Thinsulate lined, felt pac, or insulated rubber Mickey Mouse boots for sub-zero conditions. None is perfect for all hunting, but I have come to prefer some over others, and the most expensive have not always been the best, most comfortable, or most durable. The final choice for the day always comes down to the conditions and the type of hunting I plan to do. Then I usually toss an extra pair of boots and socks in the truck for those days when you break through the ice up to your knee and fill your boot with cold black swamp water.

I do find it mildly amusing when I see some teeny tiny women's shoes selling for $500.00 to $1000.00 when I can buy good work or hunting boots that have half a cow's worth of leather for a fraction of the price. The women don't bat an eye.

Keith, I couldn't agree more. Everyone's foot AND gait is different and unless truly custom made, all boots are designed to maximize the number of people that can fit them. And I sure know that high cost does not necessarily mean perfect. Any boot is only as good as what the guys on the line did when they stitched that boot together. (Or cut or glued or lasted or all the different steps that go into production). But I can see where the cost is, is what I meant.

And I have cupboards full of boots and shoes from my time on the business. Some work well, some not so well....including same models from different production runs. What my experience tells me is that it's a crap shoot, listening to the advice of others. To do that effectively one needs to understand how your foot and gait differ from whoever is giving you advice.

I'll never argue with anyone when they tell me what works for them. I just know that is ALL they are telling me....it works for them.

And as an aside, when you see women's fashion shoes selling for $500 plus, know that the retailers is usually making a 60-65% margin on initial retail price when it hits the stores. Selling for $1000 means he paid $350 for it. But by the time he sells the last of his spring shipment he will be doing well to have averaged 45% on his sales and he will still have inventory that he will never sell....last seasons crap doesn't move well in the fashion business.

What it will do is in warm weather your feet will remain comfortable and not hot and clammy like they will in a pair of LaCross.

Yes Steve you are in this case incorrect. The Kenetrek boots that I wear have a well made replaceable insert, a well made bed liner, under that is a medium stiff dense rubber sole that is close to an inch at the heel an tapers down to the toe and adhered to this is a treaded sole. The Mountain boots are extremely well made and manufactured in Italy.
I live to hunt so I would not, and have not put up with boots that are not comfortable with great support. On top of this they need to last, which these do.
Like all things it does not mean they are for everybody, but for hunting out West they sure work well for me. I share this information as it might help someone to narrow down their choices.

This has been a fascinating exchange. I have heard of several boot options, and I have enjoyed everyone's take on their experiance. I am a desert quail/chucker hunter and my boot choice in part is conditioned on weight and heat management, rarely is water resistant an issue. I found that Merrel mid heights are absolutely the best. There is one model Reflex Mid are true to size and have room in the toe box. The Vibram soles have great traction and prevent rock bruises. The soles are not so large (wide) as to hang up on cactus and rocks. There is another model the Merril Moab Ventilator. This model runs small and requires a half size larger, the soles are too wide and I find they hang up on rock projections. The ones I have came from Cabelas and I'm in my third pair. The negative, once the sole is gone they are gone. I get about 3 years wear out of a pair. Merril just changed the liner from GorTex to their proprietary liner which according to reviews may not perform as well. Thanks for all to good information and opinions.

Interesting thread here, surprising to see how much of an individual thing boot choice is ......in some ways more diverse than gun preference among posters here......

I'll admit that I too have tried (repeatedly) to catch the right "vibe" that makes the Russell's such a cult item among its supporters... But they just don't get there for me.....

I have shooting friends that dote on them......
I recall my last effort was at the insistence of one of these die hard champions of the Company, he insisted it was because I did not have them "made to measure" following personal measurement by Ralph or other company employee.

Giving in and trying this "sure fix" I sat and was carefully measured at one of the Safari Shows some years back.....

Went thru the waiting period in the off season and at last received the boots.... The result.... no difference, in fact perhaps less comfortable than my attempts to buy off the shelf....

I called and discussed my plight with Ralph , and found his sense of humor lacking at my statement to the effect of....
" I bet that other S.O.B. was really mad" he rather hesitantly asked to whom I was referring, to which I replied,
" The guy that got the boots I ordered, 'cause surely I haven"t got them......"

I stumbled across my last pair of them in a closet this Fall, McIntosh Bird Hunter or such....If anyone knows of someone who can use them I'll gladly send them along gratis.... @ 12 1/2 to 13 C- D width

I have two pair of boots i wear hunting and a pair of waders as mentioned for waterfowl.
I have a high instep and 2E 10&1/2 foot.
Ergo my custom Russell's fit to a T.
My other pair for wet or muck are the Le Chasseur leather lined zip side.
For hiking as I said a custom pair of Limmers.
No need for 14-15 pairs of boots!
My point is if you choose wisely and go to the extra effort and cost, you can obtain the best in terms of fit, comfort and wear.
I don't wade streams in my Russells so maybe I have never put them to the test but on dewy mornings, I have zero problems.
I haven't looked at a hunting boot in a store after my first pair of Russell's.
In fact I am going to have them make me a pair of fleece lined slippers soon as I get up there again. It's about a 100 miles one way for me but I judge it well worth the effort.-Richard

I am surprised no one has mentioned Whites Boots. They cater to loggers and wildland fire fighters. I bought a pair of their 10" insulated hunter boots 12 years ago and my feet have never been wet while wearing them. When I hunted Dall Sheep in Alaska 11 years ago I waded a stream with them on and my feet did not get wet even though they are just leather boots. I have never hunted in wet grass with them on so do not know how they will hold up for that. But that is what they make rubber boots for.

I worked on a forestry crew fifty years ago during summers while going to college. At the time I had not heard of Whites and I wore Red Wing boots. They would last the summer and that was about it.

Last year I was diagnosed with having three joints in my left foot as bone on bone and the doc suggested I wear good boots to provide support for my feet. I bought a pair of 6" uninsulated Whites boots and they worked fine except that small rocks would pop into my boots as I walked in gravel. I just got a pair or 8" Whites and they are the most comfortable pair of boots I have ever worn.

[img:left][/img]

Russell Boots......Right......but if you do it may take over a year and twenty phone calls to get them. And then they may not fit. And if you send them back and wait several more months they may lose your order for a while and you might have to call them another twenty times and they still might not fit and they may have changed the sole to something you never heard of. Then they may refund PART of your money and tell you to keep the ill fitting boots with the wrong soles. Then you can give them away in a charity drawing and make someone they actually fit happy..............at least that's my nearly two year experience with Russell. And that all started with a personal measurement session with Ralph himself at the Vintagers. Besides that they were rude and totally incompetent every time I called. Just a generally nasty bunch. Fool me once....

I like the Lacrosse. Never had a problem and had them for decades.

Wet grass is IMHO a worse boot soaker than wading water...go figure.