Best lightweight hunting boots?
Equipment
Wondering what some of yall's favorite lightweight hunting boots are? Crispi lapponia look sweet but possibly discontinued? Really looking at the crispi atteva mid gtx, but no store near me has in stock to try on... thoughts and advice appreciated, would like to stay under 325 bucks.
Take a look at Lowa Renegades. I've had mine for 6 years and just got done wearing them almost everyday for the last month deer and elk hunting in Arizona. I have renewed appreciation for them.
For lightweight hunting boots, I’m partial to the Salomon offerings. 200 gram insulation, goretex, 9 inch boot is very light, supportive, and comfy.
Crispi Attiva Mid the heel was too wide for my foot so created hot spots. Lowa Renegade I used for years, pretty good, typically the stitching on the outside of my foot at the joint between toe and foot was the failure point. My favorite are an Asolo that is also discontinued but I stocked up on some extra pairs.
Salomon Quest are pretty light, fit my feet like a glove, but they recently modified the boot and I don't like it quite as much.
Boots are just so particular, my main hunting partner loves Crispi, for me they don't work. Really tough when you can't try them on without ordering online.
Maybe others will chime in with ideas.
Depends on what terrain I’ll be using them in. If flat to moderate terrain with little to no side-hilling or shale then Lowa Renegades are okay. In steeper terrain I’m stepping up to a slightly heavier boot such as a Lowa Camino and I’ll go with the leather lined version for early season every time. Leather lined are way cooler and more comfortable than GoreTex lined boots.
Some of the offerings by Schnee’s are also worth looking at.
Thanks fellas, live in utah so i do travel through some steep gnarly terrain on my walkabouts. Also do alot of still hunting, when im in somewhat flat areas i will wear my tennis shoes. Trying to find the best of both worlds......
Salamons are great for warm weather
I'll add that Lowa Camino's are my go-to boot for most elk hunting. If I'm backpacking or packing meat I prefer my Hanwag Alaska's. They're similar to Lowa Tibet's but they fit me better and I like them better than the Tibet's.
Renegades leak, Salomon quest 4D leak, Salomon x ultra leak, oboz bridger leak. I may try the crispi lightweight next.
I like the Salomon Ultra GTX for early season. But if they get saturated they will leak. My Crispi Thors are also a good lightweight but sturdier. But they got totally saturated for four hours of hiking one morning last week and also leaked. But for crossing creeks, bogs, etc, they are fine.
The Salomons I've tried didn't fit my feet. I also have a pair of Crispi Colorado's that are pretty lightweight and have seen very little use but I don't like the fit on them either. Thinking about selling them...
I really like the Lowa Renegade. They are a great hiking boot, they work well for hunting or whatever else you want to do with them.
Meindl makes two lite weight boots. One's the "Comfort fit light hiker' and the other is the "Comfort fit Hiker". The light is made in Italy and the hiker is made in Germany. For me the hiker is a much better boot than the light hiker. But the key is will what ever boot you pick fit your foot well.
Apparently, Mike and I have all the same boots...lol. His probably have more blood on them than mine.
I like the Renegades for easy terrain. Used them for antelope hunting last week. Mine didn't leak for 4 seasons.
Lowa Caminos are my all time favorite. Not too heavy, not too light, best lacing system ever! Still don't leak after several seasons.
I now have a pair of Hanwag Alaskans but they aren't broke in yet. We'll see how they do in Alaska this November. Definitely a heavier duty boot that I would use for packing a heavy load or a hunting a little more extreme terrain.
"Lowa Renegade I used for years, pretty good, typically the stitching on the outside of my foot at the joint between toe and foot was the failure point".
Truth! I already had one pair replaced because of this, now it's doing the same thing on my second pair. It's the Renegades "Achilles Heel", so to speak.
So, I'm also in the market for something better.
"Renegades leak, Salomon quest 4D leak, Salomon x ultra leak, oboz bridger leak. I may try the crispi lightweight next."
That is one of my concerns about dropping serious coin on any boots....leaking after two to three years. The second is finding ones that fit excellent without getting blisters or hot spots.
I have only worn a handful of brands, but never have I found a boot that stays remotely leak-free for 2-3 years that isn't actually rubber or plastic...in which case my feet get plenty damp from sweat. Since I now reside in NM, wet typically isn't a huge problem, so I just try to time my boot purchases such that I'm wearing a new breathable boot on a hunt where wet is going to be a concern.
Crispi Thor 2 performed very well for me regarding staying dry in wet slushy conditions this past year a couple times; however, the fit itself wasn't good as my heels rubbed a little and I developed hotspots so went back to my Salomon Quest 4D after the weather dried out. And I don't have long-term experience with the Thor.
I've had my Baffins for maybe 5-6 years and they don't leak at all. I use them alot in the cold weather and snow up here in the north woods.
As many have confirmed, fit is more important than brand in higher end boots. I have a friend who used to be a sales exec for Rocky. He got me numerous pairs at cost. None fit my foot. The other thing is inconsistency in last sizes. I need anywhere from 11-12, depending upon make and model.
Crispi Thors are great but you will wear the soles right off them in a season. At least the pair I have I did. Lowa Renegades performed well for me too for several years. Lots of great choices mentioned here, let your foot tell you what to get.
Don’t know how high end you want but for my hunting needs mindel have treated me very well! Fit me awesome
I've pretty much switched over to Crisipis. The Crispis I've tried have all held up incredibly well. My next boot will likely be the Crispi Thors. They are a chunk lighter than the other Crispis I've warn. I had Lowa Renegades (not the all leather version) and they didn't hold up very well and also didn't last. I also had Caminos and they actually were one of my favorites before Crispis. I've warn a couple Scarpas and they were good but they are too narrow for my feet.
I go to another level of "lightweight" than the boots mentioned above. Altra Lone Peak mids. They're really an ankle high trail running shoe with a rugged tread, but they're the most comfortable thing I've ever had on my feet beyond socks. I've worn them elk hunting in rough steep terrain and with a 50# pack and they were fantastic. Not particularly durable for those uses, but still worth since I do those things very often.
Try on a pair of Vasque Breeze.
Esean, those Altras look like a comfortable *shoe* but would only work for someone with *strong* ankles. I couldn't wear those on most 3D trails around here, can't imagine using them with a loaded pack in rough terrain. jmo-ymmv
"X, Y and Z leak..."
*Seams* leak. Put a hundred needle holes in that waterproof liner and it don't matter what maker does it. Every seam is stressed as the boot flexes, making those holes a bit bigger. Not so much a problem in a loose fitting parka, but in a boot?
Dana, the Altra Lone Peak you linked is my current trail running shoe of choice but not the all-weather mid esean was referring to.
See my link.
I have most of the boots mentioned above. And use them for different applications. Another boot to look for. IF you can find them (discontinued) are Arcteryx Bora 2
Or any mountaineering boot that uses a removable liner. When they get wet you wear the liner in your bag at night to dry them. Then different thickness liners are used depending on the weather
I wish more hunting brands would offer removable liners for early season
danner used to have the Pronghorn, and they were light
I love the Lowa Renegades. I have very wimpy feet. Blister very easily. The Renegades are one of the few boots I can wear non stop without blistering. I've found them to be as waterproof as any goretex boot. Some guys stay they are too light for heavy packouts. Not to me. Plenty of ankle support.
I just bought two extra pair, just in case they ever stop making them.
What works for others may not for you. I tried the Lowa Renegades based on the glowing reviews from this site, and they didn't feel good on my feet. Maybe I should have bought them and broken them in, but I passed.
I have two pairs of Crispi Monacos. I like them. But there isn't a ton of cushion. They can start to hurt on a long long day.
My favorite pair was Under Armour speed freaks. But they don't make them anymore. Light as a feather. Cushioned. But not support (which I don't feel I need)
Good luck in your search. I'm still searching myself . . .
The Altras I use are the mid-height "all weather" version of the Lone Peaks. Not even close to waterproof like they claim, but better protection than a standard non-waterproof fabric shoe. Humans walked over this entire planet from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego without elevated heels, arch support and stiff ankle protection, so I decided to try the minimalist approach. Works great for me, but I realize those used to heavier, stiffer footware find it too drastic a change.
Wore a pair hunting yesterday. Salamons are great.
