CarmeloLabadie

I got back in from hunting this morning and went to take my boots off and noticed that the side was busted out of both of them. These boots are probably 4 or 5 yrs old and are only worn when it gets cold. This makes my second pair of these. The first pair the toe busted out on them within a year of buying them so I sent them back to Rocky and they replaced them free of charge. Now I'm gonna have to buy a new pair of boots, I can guarantee they won't be Rockys though. You guys have any suggestions on a good pair of insulated boots. I need at least 1000 grams of insulation when it gets below 40 degrees.

redmag

I have tried many brands and levels of insulation in boots in an effort to keep my feet warm to no avail. I even tried Baffin which are supposedly used at the N/S Poles. I had decided to try the Predator by Cabelas but found them not available. I have decided to try boots with less insulation with the Artic Shield overboots. I went with the Cabelas Iron Ridge with 800gr insulation after 2020 hunting season in size 11 to allow use of good socks since I am 9.5 size. I have really only worn them in the house but they felt good on my messed up feet. Surgery on the left foot and ruptured achilles on the right leg which required reattachment which has affected the ball of my foot. The most comfortable boot I have ever purchased in late May 2021 is a pair of Crispi Wyomings. I have worn them and my feet felt great after a couple test hikes in very rough mt.trails. Their boots do not offer much insulation, maybe 400gr. I received excellent advice from Weston at BlackOvis and maybe he can help you also. I am a stand hunter and know your pain. Good luck.

mrbb

My first question for you would be, how far will you be walking in them and on what type of terrain?
as some good boots for walking don't always make the best for long all day sits and vice versa!
I will also some what agree with the above on cabela's iron ridge boots, however, I have different view on there latest one's

from about 2000 to when bass pro took over
I used to buy 2-3 pair of these boots every 3 yrs or so,a s after that the soles would always peel off, but up until that point they were very good boots for the money, and for me still worth the price of them
BUT once Bass Pro took over , the boots started to get made slightly differently, there sizes didn;t stay the same, and the build on them also changed
the new sizes didn;t fit MY feet like they used to and I would get blisters on exact same sized boots, and I also had issue's with the boot quick grips pulling off the boots in under about a yr of use!
So, I honestly quit buying them, and a shame,a s they were a great boot for the price IMO, but quality on them isn;t the same for long term use from my experience on the 2 pair I tried!
I also have had several foot surgeries over the yrs as well as broke a lot toes and ankles, so I have blood flow issue's, , but I am still more cold hearty than most, so my friends tell me!
for me, I am guy that has tried about every brand of boots thee are, and have a small fortune in boots on hand, I typically Only wear boots for one purpose and then another type pair for something else, my hunting boots never get worn for anything but hunting

I have seen countless company's over the yrs go from making great boots to pinching corners/changing owners, and quality drops(Danner was one of these, and now they seem to have both quality one's and lesser one's
so JUST using a NAME anymore, doesn't work)

best advice I have is, buy quality and try things on before you buy, or buy from places that have free returns!

a REALLY good boot , and a proper fitting boot, needs very little if any break in!

the brand I have the best luck with now, is Merrel, another very good company with long standing products is Schnee's
but I do admit there NOT cheap to buy!

but for all day Long sits in very cold temps
I still find myself NOT wearing boots at all
I take them off, and use boot blankets with heat packs, have sat in minus 40 temps for 10 hour days for weeks at a time doing this!


but again the type of use you need for a boot makes a big difference in what I would recommend, like all things in life, there is IMO< no one boot that is great every where, what is great for hiking isn;'t good for long sits in cold

mrbb

OH and I forgot to mention, on the cabela's iron Ridge boots, I was speaking on there ALL leather versions one's not the one's that have the nylon uppers, then I never tired, I prefer All leather boots I can treat the leather on ,as I found this makes boots last a LOT longer(have some Danner Super Rain forest model boots that are 25+ yrs old and still holding up, and still waterproof, awesome costly up front, but LONG lasting, work boots, but not so great for hunting ))

MudderChuck

IMO some of the cold feet syndrome is mental. People have a tendency to chase the warm, where warm enough is good enough. If you can wiggle your toes and feel it, you're not so cold to cause damage. A quick test is to press in your toenail until white and then see how fast the pink returns.
Wet socks are bad, it is simple, air insulates water/moisture is more solid and passes heat quicker. Two pair of wool socks, one over the other, works well for me, I've tried many dozens of the newest and best insulated socks and found nothing works better than plain old wool. Moderately insulated boots with two pair of wool socks and if you need it wrap your feet, boot and all, in another layer of insulation ( I carry a lightweight synthetic sleeping bag or sometimes a wool blanket with me for long high seat sits in cold weather).
If you get your feet too hot they are going to sweat, the sweat and soggy socks are going to steel warmth. I've found wick socks area a gimmick and have never helped me much, synthetics are moisture pass through and the inside of your boot gets soggy. "Wool's natural structure makes it incredibly effective as an insulator. Each wool fiber is composed of protein molecules (keratin) organized into five follicles. These fibers effectively trap air, moisture and harmful chemicals". Another tip is knee socks, have you ever noticed when you overheat while sleeping you usually first kick the blanket off your calves to vent heat, or wear shorts in hot weather. Keeping your calves covered with an extra layer of wool helps. The search for toasty feet IMO is a fools errand, your mind is going to trick you into never being warm enough and/or you are just going to sweat and the sweat is going to steel heat away from your skin. I've spent a lot of time in very cold to sub zero environments and have tried almost everything at one time or the other.
I've also never found anything better than German made Meindle boots. The inside of the boots are the key and their manufacturing techniques have been around since 1683.
A side note the reason your extremities get cold is your body automatically increases circulation to your core when it is seriously cold outside. In my experience, if you keep your, neck, your head and your core warm (especially your kidneys) your extremities are unlikely to get cold enough to stiffen.

sergeis

Kenetrek is my selection, but a bit slide on wet stones

Oldtimr

The best insulated hunting boots I ever owned was Herman Survivors. Lasted a long time too.

redgreen

You couldn't give me a pair of Rocky boots, after the soles fell off of both of them. wet feet pisses me off. I'll stick to my sorrels.

flyinlowe

I've had a few pair of Rockies for work and every time the soul falls off. Never seen anything like it. The last/best pair of boots I bought is a pair of Itasca hunting boots with 2000 grams of thinsulate. They are warm and have held up for close to 8 years or so. I only wear them during deer season but other brands of boots I have had start to fall apart after this amount of time just from age, not necessarily from use.

caplock

I agree with mrbb, we need to know what you are going to use the boots for, stand hunting? walking? These two forms of hunting require totally different kinds of boots.