MuleyMadness Hunting Forums

i recently bought a $120 pair of irish setter uninsulated gortex boots i was really excited about....the other day i went out for the first time with them, i maybe made it 20 yards (granted i was going straight up on all fours) and i was like no way this hurts way too much (and i assumed it wouldnt get any better)....so i left my stuff there dropped back down and put on my hiking boots, which thankfully i brought with or my hunt would have been over for the day.

they are the size i always wear, they seem to fit properly, but somehow my heel is lifting slightly and hitting on something hard that makes these boots unwearable for going up hills more than like a 25 degree grade.

so i need something new for the rest of this years extended....my hiking boots took a beating with all the thick stuff i went through, not sure they would make the rest of the season, plus i imagine snow is coming soon enough

any recommendations?

I am a fan of the Kenetrek Mountain boots. From the breaks to the mountains, dry and dusty, to wet mud, to snow, these are great boots.

http://www.kenetrek.com/products.asp?dept=12

I switched this year to the Hanwag Alaska GTX boot from Lathrop and Sons. I had problems with boots in the past because of bunions, but they did a great job fitting them for me. I used them this year in NM and loved them. I had absolutely no hot spots, blisters or pain of any sort. I think part of that was also because I broke them in thoroughly and used Obenaufs to treat the leather.

I went with Danner's Grouse Hunter and wear a heavier sock late season. I've got 4 hard seasons on them and they are holding up great. I wear them year round for hiking at our cabin, shed hunting, archery hunting, muzzle loading, and this year on the rifle.

I wear a pair of Irish Setters they have been the best boots i think ive had them for 4 or 5 years they keep your feet warm pretty good and fairly comfortablle look into it man

yeah thats what i have right now....must just be the wrong size or something because the pain is not tolerable in my heels from the boot slipping...bought them when i was visiting my parents in wisconsin so they've been worn twice and are being retired. I was half tempted to throw them in the snow in big cottonwood before i left the other day , my heels are badly bruised from them...they seem like such great boots though im sure i can find someone they fit better

Yeah ive heard kenetrek are good boots too there just a little pricey i think but maybe get ya another pair of irish setters my worked out perfect for size for me cause i grew into them i think i was 14 or 15 when i got them and they were twelves now im 21 and i grew right into them what grams of thinsulate you got in yours that might make it uncomfortable i got 400 i think

I had a pair of kenetreks and I returned them, My heel was raw after a short hike up and down a small hill... I now have a pair of zamberlans and they are awesome. That is a company that knows how to make boots.

i was talking to a guy at sportsmans warehouse and he says im having problems because i have a narrow heel...he showed me some 35 dollar insoles that help, but i still need to find the right boot, which is hard right now because my heels are already so messed up. I think im going to go with the 6" uninsulated danner pronghorn, but for now the only boot i can wear without pain is my tall neoprene(sp?) boots for wet weather hunting....i never thought in a million years i could hike the mountains with them being they have no laces, but they fit tight enough and the heel flexes..otherwise my hunting season was about over because of my heel. still got a month left now

With all the cactus and rocks in some parts of New Mexico, I need a rugged boot that I can also hike in for 6-8 miles from base camp in all kinds of terrain and weather. Danner Talus are the ones that I now use. Great boots.