Thread: Which Boots

I've tried a lot of the big brand boots over the years and found them all good, I don't just wear them hunting but wear them everyday all day on the farm.
My ankles are pocked so no gumboots at all.
A few years back a mate suggested these and I've never looked back
Very lightweight
Salomon Men's Quest 4d hiking boot.
Very expensive in nz but very good buying on Amazon.

https://salomon.co.nz/products/quest...34487257268375

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Thanks team, great feedback . Seems like a trend towards lighter boots and that is something I hadn't considered and will look further into.
My feet kill me on big walks and was part of the reason for last years operation which has improved the problem hugely but they ( my legs ) aren't perfect... saying that I did 21 km hike two weeks ago but I am pretty slow.
The walking pole @Moa Hunter is a great idea mate , thanks for that I will be giving it a go.

Originally Posted by viper

Thanks team, great feedback . Seems like a trend towards lighter boots and that is something I hadn't considered and will look further into.
My feet kill me on big walks and was part of the reason for last years operation which has improved the problem hugely but they ( my legs ) aren't perfect... saying that I did 21 km hike two weeks ago but I am pretty slow.
The walking pole @Moa Hunter is a great idea mate , thanks for that I will be giving it a go.

Not wanting to be picky but 'walking poles' are not items I associate with, it's 'Mustering' or 'Hill' sticks for me

I'm another fan of the lightweight boots these days. For me its the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX and around the same price range as other boots mentioned. These were a game changer for me after years of heavy full leather boots. As mentioned may not do as many miles overall as a full leather upper boot but the comfort and feet staying in good condition is a good trade off for me.

Originally Posted by possum_shooter

I'm another fan of the lightweight boots these days. For me its the Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX and around the same price range as other boots mentioned. These were a game changer for me after years of heavy full leather boots. As mentioned may not do as many miles overall as a full leather upper boot but the comfort and feet staying in good condition is a good trade off for me.

I have the next model down and absolutely love them when it's a bit warmer. Due to knees/ankles issues I find anything too high or stiff actually makes things worse. Wear a pair of Sarvos mid season boots in any other conditions and haven't felt I needed to get the winter weight ones yet.

I run meindl dovre extreme gtx wide. Got them from varuste.net for a third of the price buying them in NZ. The height on them offers really good support, never had even a worrying about hurting something when I have them on. Good solid boot. More of an Alpine boot though so flex is limited and the height and waterproofing up to the mid-calf means they run warm, but the flip side is they keep you dry during crossings. The biggest thing I like about them is they are hard wearing and Meindl sells different insoles so you can fit them out depending on what kind of support you need.

I have the remains of a 12 year old pair of gronell Tibets, worn most days as a farm work boot. So impressed I went to get another pair after about 6 years. Got talked into lowas rubbish, they started failing within 6 months with the Rands started splitting then the sole started delaminating. Fobbed off by the agents wore them till they crapped out completly. Now have gronell stelvios a heavy boot but stitched sole and can take spikes. My ankles are a bit buggered and the rigid boot really helps. I totally agree with that hill stick comment too using one is like an extra pair of legs.

@mucko

4 years or so of reasonably hard hunting use. Tahr, SI wallaby and NI.

you would be good to track if wearing those,very distinctive pattern and lots of room between lugs for grip...nice for a vibram sole.

If you are only going to wear your boots occasionally then stay away from anything with a PU sole, they need to worn as the weight of you wearing them makes them breath an stops the material breaking down, of course there is always exceptions with people getting good service from pu sole boots only wearing them occasionally but it's a barsted if your one of the unlucky ones. In the past Ive had a good run out off Haix until they stop making the models I Iiked, an gri sports an lowa but I'm wearing them all the time. I've had a bad run out of Garmont an Andrew's an just tried some anatom bit they only lasted a few hours before the sole.started to separate (factory fault) but i got a full refund so cant complain, the andrews were particularly hard on heels aswell. Just my experience anyway.

I'm heading liteweight too. Got some Salewa mountain trainers and they were just fine hauling a pack on rocky terrain.
What I still can't reconcile is the marketing around a strongly supportive boot that protects the ankles. If you're walking on uneven terrain, then something has to take that strain. If the boot isn't allowing the ankle to work as it would naturally, then surely the strain must be taken up by the knee/hip/sacro-illiac....something further up the kinetic chain has to bear the work of stopping you tipping over when your foot isn't flat but you're trying to remain verticle.
Of course I can understand this requirement when mountaineering, it makes sense when you're clawing on the side of a mountain that the upper legs are stronger than the ankles. But for just covering a lot of ground it makes sense to me anyway that more of the leg is allowed to work as it should naturally.

Originally Posted by Ned

I'm heading liteweight too. Got some Salewa mountain trainers and they were just fine hauling a pack on rocky terrain.
What I still can't reconcile is the marketing around a strongly supportive boot that protects the ankles. If you're walking on uneven terrain, then something has to take that strain. If the boot isn't allowing the ankle to work as it would naturally, then surely the strain must be taken up by the knee/hip/sacro-illiac....something further up the kinetic chain has to bear the work of stopping you tipping over when your foot isn't flat but you're trying to remain verticle.
Of course I can understand this requirement when mountaineering, it makes sense when you're clawing on the side of a mountain that the upper legs are stronger than the ankles. But for just covering a lot of ground it makes sense to me anyway that more of the leg is allowed to work as it should naturally.

Good points Ned re ankle support, what I would say is that good quality boots allow me enough ankle articulation that I dont feel strapped up whilst still giving full support. I dont know for the life of me how they do that - never a twisted or tweaked ankle, never sore knees or hips. Much to Ryan Songhurst's chagrin I use the leather lined Lowa Tibets and have no problem with them.
I thought about this very thread this morning while I carried a deer out. I carry all deer out whole and I couldn't do that at my age now with the crappy non supportive boots I used to hunt in. The Tibets have been a game changer for me and I keep them aside to use only for hunting and use a pair of Sarvos boots for general work. Injured bruised feet while carrying are no fun

I brought a pair of andrews last year for work on the farm while they have been a good boot so far and should be for the price, I used them down south island this year and i was getting little bit of rubbing so on the second bit of the trip i went back to my asolo's felt like half the weight.
To make the andrews worth there money i need to get at least 3 years out of them.

You need to work out when these guys a saying i got 5 years out of my flash six dollar boots how many actual days have they been wearing them hunting? Ten times a year or a
hundred?
A mate gets a year on the farm with his gri sports. that's 300 days plus a year getting worn never hardy ever see him in a gum boot. about $350-400

So I'm a big guy with problematic ankles and have had reconstructive surgery on them already. And the best I have found so far for everyday use at work on the fence line have been Crispi Nevada legend, they have been super comfortable from day one, waterproof for their entire life which is now 3 years of 6 days a week usage. I have tried all sorts but these are the only ones I would buy over and over as they wear out. Pretty sure they make a steel cap version of the same boot now if that happens to be relevant to wearing them for work etc

Originally Posted by cheeseclip

So I'm a big guy with problematic ankles and have had reconstructive surgery on them already. And the best I have found so far for everyday use at work on the fence line have been Crispi Nevada legend, they have been super comfortable from day one, waterproof for their entire life which is now 3 years of 6 days a week usage. I have tried all sorts but these are the only ones I would buy over and over as they wear out. Pretty sure they make a steel cap version of the same boot now if that happens to be relevant to wearing them for work etc

I just read a review for those legends, they seem pretty good. A solid boot probably equivalent to the Tibets in performance and support, but from what people are writing may well last better and for a lower price. Could be a good choice for Viper