Footwear thread

[Wildcard]

What do you guys wear for muddy New England?

I don't much care for any of the hiking shoes that are popular right now because during a fieldex at Fort Drum a few years back and one of our guys in Merrils got his shoe sucked off when he stepped into a deep pool of mud while crossing a stream. I also don't find them very comfortable. They dry fast though.

I figure a jungle boot would be the way to go but I don't know if someones developed something better. What have you guys found to be the best?

 

[whacko]

What do you guys wear for muddy New England?

I don't much care for any of the hiking shoes that are popular right now because during a fieldex at Fort Drum a few years back and one of our guys in Merrils got his shoe sucked off when he stepped into a deep pool of mud while crossing a stream. I also don't find them very comfortable. They dry fast though.

I figure a jungle boot would be the way to go but I don't know if someones developed something better. What have you guys found to be the best?

Summer? Winter?

Hunting or long hikes? Need some details .

 

[Al-Jim19]

Winter: the goretex ll bean boots have treated me well for very snowy activities. Expensive but worth it.

Summer: the ankle height merrell chameleons are really nice for shorts weather. They don’t do well in the wet, though I don’t imagine they’re designed to. Bought them for some desert hikes in Arizona last summer.

Fall/winter: for cooler pants weather I have some hi-tec above the ankle boots which I could not tell you any more about because they’re so old. About 6 years old now and they wore out pretty well this spring. I need to replace them in the fall but for 5 solid years they were warm enough for general use and an annual layer of spray on water proofer kept me almost totally dry. Wicked comfortable.

Most of the time I just wear nike sneakers though.

 

[Lone Wolf McQuade]

For the Winter I wore a pair of Merrill Tactical Moab 2 8 inch boots every day. Always dry and comfortable while making deliveries. Liked them so much got a pair of the low cuts for Summer. Purchased both pairs at Go Bannas in Wareham.

 

[Wildcard]

Summer? Winter?

Hunting or long hikes? Need some details .

Long hikes in the summer, sometimes through questionable terrain.
Winter is indoors time.

 

[Hetzer]

I know they're not high end by any means but my Hi Tec Yeti 200's have been serving me well for years. They're the most comfortable "real shoe" that I own aside from sandals, slides etc. With Hi Tec's, you have to avoid the lower priced models, they're just not comfortable. These have 200g of insulation but my feet never get cold or hot in them. They're extremely comfortable and supportive and I could wear them all day.

BTW, I used to love my old jungle boots with the Panama soles

 

[snax]

I channel the late great George Carlin when I say...
When the fvck did shoes become "footwear"!?

Had a pair of insulated Servus? Boots that went over 10 years. They were USA made. Now Honeywell makes them in some 3rd world dump.

 

[Lignum Vitea]

A few years back I switched from Vasque to Keen, so far it's been a good move.

 

[PilotRPI]

Just got a new pair of Keenes for hiking in Acadia and they are very comfy. Had to buy a size bigger than normal. Merrils are comfortable, but never held up all that well for me.

 

[45collector]

I have a pair of Danner hiking boots that served me very well for over a decade and are just now starting to fall apart.

 

[tuna]

If I'm moving around a lot in mud / wet conditions I use the old fashioned Bean boot - but mine are Cabela's knock offs.

Colder weather for more stationary hunting I'll use a pair of Wolverine boots, and for warmer weather a pair of Irish Setters.

 

[Mark from MA]

Depends what your doing in the boots and the weather.

Goretex pretty much in every boot I wear.

Bird Hunting (walking all the time) - Under Armour light weight goretex boots. The lighter the better.

Deer Hunting - Wolverine 400 gram Thinsulate. When I don't walk that much.

Deer Hunting Standing or Treestand in the real Cold - A decent pair of pack boots with good insulation

 

[01906]

I wear these for everyday use I love them. I used to go through boots every 3 months. These last about a year.

 

[BrianWilson]

For serious miles of the "up" variety it's Lowa Renegade GTX. Great support and protection, comfy right out of the box, they stick like glue on bare rock and bone dry if you don't go in over the ankle.
Deep mud, shallow streams, deer hunting in the snow it's Muck boots. Not a great hiker by any means , but they will keep you dry, which is where warm starts.