[ARCHIVED THREAD] - SHTF Boots (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 4/17/2011 10:36:48 AM EDT
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I'm looking for a fantastic pair of boots that have the following qualities:
-Amazing ankle support -Comfortable as fuck - Keep your feet dry and warm (short of walking through a river and below freezing but not below zero) -Have to last damn near forever -Are wide enough for ortho inserts Basically your general SHTF Boots, any suggestions? Price is not an issue. -Dep |
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Belleville. I can't wear mine out............About $150 depending on which style you get. a-bare which model. copes has some sizes and different models, but i dont know what to get. I wear the 790ST. Steel toe and water proof. If you look on there web site they are broken down into groups; hot weather, cold weather, safety toes, etc. I'm not a real worldly guy, but these are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn. They're about 4-5 years old and I wear them to work every day. a-bare |
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I like Danner Acadias (military styling–– I've had both regular and 200g Thinsulate) and Asolo Fugitive (civilian hiking boot). I have used both extensively for both civilian and military use, although in combat I wore Belleville desert boots which don't meet your requirements for warmth and waterproofness. They were great, too.
I have also had a pair of military insulated Matterhorns, which were about as good as the Danners. ETA–– I missed your below freezing part. Based on that, I can recommend the insulated versions of Danner or Matterhorn. A lot of people like the "sneaker" style boots, which are comfortable, but they won't last as long, nor will they be nearly as warm. |
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http://www.danner.com/boots/dannerr-usmc-rat-temperate-steel-toe-military-boots.html
Best boots I have ever owned. |
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Really it's like asking what woman is the best to f*ck! Each person likes what they like! I can't tell you who to f*ck because that's what you like! The boots are the same!
Now saying that I have worn Under Armor , Belville, Bates, Danner, Magnum, Oakley and most other military style boots. Now you ask yourself what do I need? Do you need WP? Or are you in a hot area? Will you need something for cold weather? I'm not going to tell you what is best but most of these boots I have used when I was in the military and can tell you what ones I thought where good! 1. Danner best if you have the money don't buy the striker type sole is bad in 6 mo and can't replace them 2. Under Armor/ Oakley= If you are in no need of WP 3. Original swat= Would be number 1# if they added some where to pull when you tried to get your boots on! Major - for them 4. Magnum I bought these in SOI wish I never did blisters like crazy on the hikes 5. Belville/ Bates= I was forced to have these shitty boots Try on all the boots and see what you like no one can tell you what you are going to like! |
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I'm looking for a fantastic pair of boots that have the following qualities: -Amazing ankle support -Comfortable as fuck - Keep your feet dry and warm (short of walking through a river and below freezing but not below zero) -Have to last damn near forever -Are wide enough for ortho inserts Basically your general SHTF Boots, any suggestions? Price is not an issue. -Dep Muck Boots |
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I have large feet so my choices are limited. But I went the custom boot route and am glad I did. My Russell Moccasin boots are the most comfortable boots I have ever owned. I could walk all day in them. I would recommend them as you can build into them as many features as you want. I ended up paying between 400-500 for my but it was a good choice. Made my hunting days more pleasurable. This is a picture of what I ended up getting but they have more choices. Design your own boot.
RM boots 
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Belleville. I can't wear mine out............About $150 depending on which style you get. a-bare I have never had a boot as good as belleville. Honestly, i think I am upscale when I wear these boots. They are issue, but as an officer I have to buy my own. I go to reclamation sales and can get them for 20 bucks after they have been worn a couple days/weeks by recruits. I had some others but got rid of them after trying on the bellevilles, and they are gore tex and built like a tank. |
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Seriously, what works for one person very well may not work for another when it comes to boots/shoes. NEVER buy a pair of boots/shoes because someone else tells you they are good/comfortable.
Go to your local outdoor store and try them all on. Vasque, Lowa, Scarpa, Asolo, La Sportiva, and Montrail are all VERY good boots. But only one or two of them may work for you. A little bit of time spent on finding the best shoe/boot for yourself can very well save you a lot of ankle, knee, back, or neck pain now or later on in your life. |
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Seriously, what works for one person very well may not work for another when it comes to boots/shoes. NEVER buy a pair of boots/shoes because someone else tells you they are good/comfortable. Go to your local outdoor store and try them all on. Vasque, Lowa, Scarpa, Asolo, La Sportiva, and Montrail are all VERY good boots. But only one or two of them may work for you. A little bit of time spent on finding the best shoe/boot for yourself can very well save you a lot of ankle, knee, back, or neck pain now or later on in your life. Exactly my sentiments. If money is no object then get a custom pair that is made for your feet. I had no choice but to go that route and now that I did, I don't regret it. I could walk all day in hilly terrain with my Russells and my feet would be in good shape. |
| Here's the deal on Danners. They make absolutely the best boots of anyone suggested here. But here's what you have to look for. Some of their boots are not what they call "reconstructible" and those that aren't are mostly not entirely made in the USA. Look on their site and find a good pair of reconstructible boots that are all made in the USA and find the insulation weight you need for your climate. I prefer to go , light on the insulation and add thick wool socks if I need more, but that's a personal decision. Now these boots will cost you about $250, but what you get for that is essentially a boot that will never wear out. What will happen in about four or five years if you wear them a lot is the interior lining will start to give and the sole will be worn out. At that point you box them up, send them back to Danner with about an $80 fee and they'll completely disassemble the boot down to the leather components and build a new boot off the leather from your old boot. Then they'll condition and polish the boot like it's new and send it back and wham, you have another five years of boot. You can do this many times. If you are truly looking for a long term investment in a boot, I wouldn't even consider another brand, as they are disposable. My favorite model is the light hikers. Check out their site. |
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http://www.danner.com/boots/dannerr-usmc-rat-temperate-steel-toe-military-boots.html Best boots I have ever owned. I wholeheartedly agree. BEST boots i have EVER owned, and i beat the snot out of footwear. Most boots only last 3-4 months for me, before they disintegrate. These i have had for 6 months and show almost no wear, except for the half-gallon of grease that has been poured on them, but that just makes them waterproof. 
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I've had a pair of Oakleys for the past year. They are comfortable, but they seem to wear out fast. Conversely, I have a pair of boots I was issued in the Marines 6 years ago that have been beat to death and they are showing no signs of wear. They were terribly uncomfortable, and actually contributed to me getting stress fractures in both feet, which ultimately ended my Marine Corps career. The guys who ponied up for the Danners didn't have that problem.
I would look hard at the Danners for a long-lasting and comfortable boot. Whatever you get, wear it around a good bit before you think you will need to. Nothing worse than bad shoes when you need to carry a heavy pack somewhere far away in a hurry. |
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Buy a pair of Merrells and they'll be comfortable from the box. Ok in longevity not that great. A pair of Jack Wolfskins will be a bit on the though side and pricey, but after a brief break in, they're the best boots I've had. The pair I've been using as my daily wear looks EXACTLY the same as the day it got out of the box. Just sexy. I've read hugely positive and some negative reviews on Scarpa's. They're Italian and pricey, a bit rough on the feet out of the box but after a break in period, they're way more boot than the 200$ you'll shell out for the pair. Unbreakable. Why yes, I DO have a thing for boots. |
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Quoted: http://www.danner.com/boots/dannerr-usmc-rat-temperate-steel-toe-military-boots.html Best boots I have ever owned. My SHTF boots are a pair of issue USMC Danner RATs. Here's why I think they are ideal: *Danner quality and USMC tested, no guess work. *Stitched soles are probably stronger than glued on or molded soles. Can be re-soled *Smooth leather can take mink oil or polish for longevity. *Durability: these may be the last boots you'll ever have. The running shoe style boots got me thinking when I saw "the Road" and they showed what they were walking in, their shoes were almost all gone and duct taped up. |
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My every day footwear is my SHTF footwear. I typically buy uninsulated, protected toe, waterproof, 6” tall, leather boots with some sort of speed lace system. They get worn casually until pressed into service for work when my “work boots” fail. Then I buy another pair of boots with the same specs to rotate in for casual use. Recently, I tried a pair of Danner, steel toe Acadia’s, which are built on the 650 last. A number of models are built on that last. Be advised, any boot built on that last is probably narrow. A Brannock device (metal, foot size thingy) indicates my feet are 12-12.5C. With these boots, 13EE’s correct width but too long, and 12EE’s correct length but too narrow. After exchanging the 13EE’s for 12EE’s, I wore them 8 or 9 times hoping they would “break in”, but no luck. Now I am trying to unload them to pay for the recraftable, stitch-down design Red Wings (5632-1) I bought. Danner appears to have some great USA-made footwear. Their customer service is great, also. They really do not have anything that fits me and meets my criteria for my most common footwear, though. In addition, I am not aware of a local stocker of a wide variety of their footwear, for inspection and fit-testing prior to purchase.
I am now on my 3rd pair of Red Wings, and they have all been extremely comfortable for waterproof boots/hikers. The models worn have fit me very well. The first two pair I bought in 2005 were adhesive-constructed. The first pair finally died last year with terminal, sole separation, after having been re-cemented together at my Red Wing store. I am still wearing the other pair for work, but they too were re-cemented late last year. It would be nice if they make it through the year. As mentioned, this latest pair are stitch-down design as opposed to adhesive-constructed. I am hoping they will be a bit more durable, and the uppers will be in good enough shape to re-sole when the sole fails. Red Wing customer service is top-notch. Having a store local is great. I really like the free life-time service: in-store boot cleaning, dressing, and/or polishing; laces; and minor repairs. |
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You will be disappointed. There is no "do it all, forever" super boot, anymore that there is a "do it all, forever" rifle. There are always trade offs. 1) NO boot lasts a lifetime, if you do a real amount of hiking. This is the same mentality of knives or guns lasting a lifetime. Sure, they will if you don't use them. If you use them on a daily basis and under rough conditions, EVERYTHING wears out. 2) Adding durability adds weight. Another trade off. 3) Good ankle support means you need a snug boot. These are less warm. Pac boots are warm. They suck for walking. Hiking boots are supportive but not necessarily warm. Mountaineering boots are supportive, warm and you CAN hike in them but it sucks and they are heavy as hell. 4) Stitched soles are perfered but unless you're a cobbler, you'll likely not be able to resole them yourself. Still, they're more durable than the glued on ones. 5) Really, it comes down to: you need more than one pair of boots. You don't have one coat that does it all. You don't have one rifle that does it all. A drawer full of assorted, quality socks and liner socks helps manage your boots, too. If you get goretex or similar and they're leather, as soon as you put a proper leather preservative on there, your breathability is gone. Otho, I've yet to see a pair of synth boots last as long as good leather ones. Then, again, I'm not in the jungle, which shows again that there is no perfect boot. |
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I love my Asolo gtx520 boots. With the ones pictured, I see a whole bunch of seams and glued surfaces spending all thier time trying to figure out how to let you down. I just replaced 520s due to delaminated soles. I wish I could find a stitched sole boot that fit my foot properly. |
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I love my Asolo gtx520 boots.
http://www.asolo.com/_files/image.php/prod_1235147033.jpg?resize(1000x800) Asolo fugitive gtx With the ones pictured, I see a whole bunch of seams and glued surfaces spending all thier time trying to figure out how to let you down. I just replaced 520s due to delaminated soles. I wish I could find a stitched sole boot that fit my foot properly. Ya but they are comfy Usually have good luck with Asolo boots |
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Belleville. I can't wear mine out............About $150 depending on which style you get. a-bare Yep my issued bellvilles are still going strong after years of hard use. I dont know the exact model bit they are goretex combat boots with a Sierra pattern sole. |
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sexy  |
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I'm looking for a fantastic pair of boots that have the following qualities: -Amazing ankle support -Comfortable as fuck - Keep your feet dry and warm (short of walking through a river and below freezing but not below zero) -Have to last damn near forever -Are wide enough for ortho inserts Basically your general SHTF Boots, any suggestions? Price is not an issue. -Dep I highly recommend that you have 3-4 pair of shoes for a SHTF, reason being, if you travel a lot by foot your going to have smelly feet and the sweat from them will and is going to be in your boots causing foot fungas...they need to be able to dry out for a day and so it is wise to have a second pair for the next day. If you have a river crossing or swamp to get through, you'll want to have dry warm boots to wear, in the north you walk in the snow and ice, you need to let your boots dry the next day so again spair boots. Then you run into a long term SHTF and wear out your sole's on the boots, you need serviceable ones to take there place... This is all just in MHO. |
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http://www.asolo.com/_files/image.php/prod_1235147033.jpg?resize(1000x800) Asolo fugitive gtx Do those come with rainbow stripes? |
| The best pair of boots that I've worn are the Vasque Kenai model. Non-insulated and cambrelle-gore lined. They are 1999 vintage, but made in Italy before the production moved to China. They were comfortable out of the box and in great shape. Yep, I've spared them from everyday use. Worth every penny and seen trail and bush time. Great quality, fair price. |
| Another thing that some have suggested. I learned years ago that if you have two or three pairs of similar boots and rotate them every day, they will last exponentially longer. The drying out after wearing them really makes them last more than twice as long than if you didn't rotate them. |
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Belleville. I can't wear mine out............About $150 depending on which style you get. a-bare which model. copes has some sizes and different models, but i dont know what to get. I wear the 790ST. Steel toe and water proof. If you look on there web site they are broken down into groups; hot weather, cold weather, safety toes, etc. I'm not a real worldly guy, but these are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn. They're about 4-5 years old and I wear them to work every day. a-bare I will second the 790ST my last pair lasted two years in Iraq and I tossed them because they were nasty not because they were unserviceable. I work in aviation and had spilled about every solvent know to man along with several types of adhesives. |
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http://www.danner.com/boots/dannerr-usmc-rat-temperate-steel-toe-military-boots.html Best boots I have ever owned. I wholeheartedly agree. BEST boots i have EVER owned, and i beat the snot out of footwear. Most boots only last 3-4 months for me, before they disintegrate. These i have had for 6 months and show almost no wear, except for the half-gallon of grease that has been poured on them, but that just makes them waterproof. These. I have a pair of RAT temperate climate boots and they are awesome. I also have a pair of Danner super rain forest boots that I wear for work. Both are holding up very well and when they need to be resoled I can just send them back to Danner. |
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I wore the expensive redwings when I worked as a mechanic. They just fit my feet the best. Now I wear danner, my feet changed size to where danners fit better than redwings. I buy the expensive all leather boots that can be resoled, they have a stitched on sole and are usually also glued on as well I think. I had a pair of 5.11 boots I got during a special and those boots were very light and very comfortable and I never had an issue with the side zipper on them. After less than a year the inside lining was wearing out and the plastic heal cup was loose and cutting into the back of my ankle. These boots had glued on soles and where the flex point is for the toe the sole had come unglued a bit by this point. My current danners have the 200 gram thinsulate in them that I wear for work but I also have a short pair of all leather danners for hiking and what not and they have no insulation. I prefer no insulation and I can insulate with socks or when I get somewhere and will be sitting in the cold I can wrap something around my lower legs and feet for insulation. As long as I am moving the no insulation stuff works for what I do in the winter, but note I am in east tn and rarely go further north than mid ohio. In the summer the all leather boots are kind of hot but it seems like the nylon built boots, even with leather added, are usually not made for long term use. I bought the all leather danners because they are about the best pre made boot I could find. I have zero issues saying redwing also made excellant stuff as well, I just don't own any more redwings because my feet changed a bit in size and the danners work better for me right now. And that is something to consider. As you get older and depending on what you do for a living your feet can change shape somewhat. I have no issues with going the custom route, that would be the boot made exactly to fit each foot and made to what you want. I have never gone this route but I might do it this year or next year because I expect a lot of companies to be going out of business or short changing things. I think the danner military stuff will always be made the way it is, but I no longer consider their cheaper stuff. I never owned the cheaper redwing stuff and never even considered it. The 5.11 boots were bought because of their being on sale and I might spend money on some again for a similar sale but I consider them disposable boots. After a year of use the liner in my danners shows little to no wear. The 5.11s saw the same use, used at work, and its liner wore out quickly and the rest of the boot also had issues at the year mark as already mentioned. If I ordered something custom I might order white brand stuff. |
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Here's the deal on Danners. They make absolutely the best boots of anyone suggested here. But here's what you have to look for. Some of their boots are not what they call "reconstructible" and those that aren't are mostly not entirely made in the USA. Look on their site and find a good pair of reconstructible boots that are all made in the USA and find the insulation weight you need for your climate. I prefer to go , light on the insulation and add thick wool socks if I need more, but that's a personal decision. Now these boots will cost you about $250, but what you get for that is essentially a boot that will never wear out. What will happen in about four or five years if you wear them a lot is the interior lining will start to give and the sole will be worn out. At that point you box them up, send them back to Danner with about an $80 fee and they'll completely disassemble the boot down to the leather components and build a new boot off the leather from your old boot. Then they'll condition and polish the boot like it's new and send it back and wham, you have another five years of boot. You can do this many times. If you are truly looking for a long term investment in a boot, I wouldn't even consider another brand, as they are disposable. My favorite model is the light hikers. Check out their site. I agree with most of the above. I've got 3 pairs of Danners: Super Rain Forest's, Pronghorn 1000 gram Thinsulate and Quarry's. The Pronghorns are just for extreme cold and get worn little, so no real comments there. The Super Rain Forests are probably 9 years old. They've been worn a bunch, everyday for a few years and now a few times a week for chore boots, they've been rebuilt once and I love them. Comfortable and solid. The Quarrys are great boots as well. They are not the US made, rebuildable type. I've been wearing them 4 or 5 days a week for at least 8 years. Sadly, from my observations, the Quarrys have been very close to the quality of the Super Rain Forests. The SRF's look better, and I'm sure that the American craftsmanship HAS to be better, but I'm not sure that when one of these 2 wears out I won't save the money and get another pair of Quarry's (or whatever they've been replaced with by now). This shouldn't be taken as a knock on SRF's but a praise of Quarry's. |
| Call me crazy but you don't want waterproof boots. I have learned this through backpacking for weeks on end. When you cross any body of water higher than your waterproof boots they will no longer be waterproof. They will be buckets of water. You can take them off and dump the water out but they will take forever to dry. I recommend you get the fastest drying boots you can find. This way you can walk through whatever water you want and once out of the water about 30-45 minutes later they will be dry. Since the waterproof boots take like 15 hours to dry your feet will be suffering the whole time. I recommend Danner desert non goretex boots. The ones made in USA will last longer too. |
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Been wearing every day, all day, Lowa Renegade II GTX Mid Hiking Boots for 3 or 4 years now and they have worked well for me in snow, wet, cold down to around 20 degrees for hours at a time.
They're mid-length. They used to be available from REI [be sure to ask where ther ammo section is] and on sale were about $120 and $190 regularly. They are made in Austria IIRC. I'm pretty happy with them and am pretty rough w/ them while doing everything. http://www.lowaboots.com/catalog/SelectType.cfm?Category=3&CFID=43595700&CFTOKEN=55362107 |
