Posted: 4/20/2010 5:31:39 AM EDT
| As you can see by the post count, this is my first time so be gentle....started off at the AR section and now that the group on here has made me fearful of the zombies I've been hanging around the outdoor section more, but time to shut up and get to the question. Was reading a thread on here about boots and realized "damn I need a pair", settled fairly quickly on the Danner Desert Acadia (maybe the Fort Lewis), but where I'm stumped is what type of insulation would work best for the area I'm in. I'm in Indiana so we can have pretty cold winters and pretty hot summers. Danner has temperate, hot, and insulated as an options and I'm not sure what would work best for me? My understanding of temperate is areas that the temp doesn't vary by much year round, and hot/insulated explains itself. If I had to go off just my thoughts I'm thinking I'd either want to go with hot or temperate and if I'm in a cold weather situation make up for the lack of insulation with the type of sock I wear, is this accurate or am I way off? I did a search but didn't come across the information I'm looking for, this is all new to me, so all input is welcome. |
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Sometimes one piece of gear is not going to be a solution to multiple environments. You would probably be better off buying two pairs of boots, one insulated and one for hot/temperate weather (if your budget can allow for it).
That said, whatever boot you buy, make sure it is waterproof (gortex), and that the boot itself gives good support and is comfortable. As for buying Army issue boots, there are better options out there. Merrells and Asolos come to mind. Many of their models are in the same price range as the Danners you mentioned. Issue boots are heavy, lack good support, and are generally less comfortable than boots made for the commercial market. Just my opinion. It's worth what you paid for it. |
| Those Danners will serve you well. I have a pair of Telsons that I wear everyday. They are two years old and look brand new. The same goes for my Danner work boots. I have the Quarry 2.0. Danner they have held almost as well. Danner boots are expensive, but they last a long time, break in quick, and are comfortable. |
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I've gone through 4 or 5 different brand boots in the past couple of years and they all wore about the same until I tried the Converse boot. I recently picked up a pair of Converse, side zip, waterproof, boots to try and I think these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn.
Break-in took about 3 days in the office with very little walking. I've had them about a month or two now, so I can't say how long they'll last, but I expect them to last about as long as a good pair of tennis shoes would. I'm in Florida and they are a little warmer than I like, but they are so comfortable, I'll put up with a little sweaty feet. YMMV |
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I've gone through 4 or 5 different brand boots in the past couple of years and they all wore about the same until I tried the Converse boot. I recently picked up a pair of Converse, side zip, waterproof, boots to try and I think these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Break-in took about 3 days in the office with very little walking. I've had them about a month or two now, so I can't say how long they'll last, but I expect them to last about as long as a good pair of tennis shoes would. I'm in Florida and they are a little warmer than I like, but they are so comfortable, I'll put up with a little sweaty feet. YMMV +1 on that. Served me well in Iraq, and I'm wearing them around town these days since they are so comfortable. They'll last you about 6 months of daily hard walking (lots of weight or lots of miles). |
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Go temperate. It is not like you are in the desert of texas or the snow of alaska. But it is a compromise. I got the lightweight goretex rating in my ft lewis danners and am happy with that choice. In the winter I am either moving to stay warm or sitting near heat. If you want to go sit in the snow all day with no heat source to keep you warm I recomend mickey mouse boots. During the summer I just change socks when I come inside for my mid day meal. I already remove my footwear to let my feet air out and so I don't track stuff inside the house so it is not a big deal to change socks either. I like wool socks and I get my boots a bit big because I do not like crushing the socks down by making things really tight. Since I started getting my boots a tad loose, most people say they should fit this way anyway, my feet are happier and I am more comfortable. I can lace the boots really tight but it crushes the sock and does not let it insulate and wick moisture well. Later this year I will probably get a pair of danners with no insulation in them. Now I will readily agree with the people who said their boot with the glued on sole and maybe side stitching is light weight and very very comfortable. I just got tired of not being able to repair them and I got tired of them not lasting very long. Other than me hurting the leather on the toes of my danners they are not showing any wear and when the sole wears out they can be resoled. I work corrections and am around a lot of concrete all day so the leather sometimes gets beat up by the concrete even though I try to be careful about it. I am currently working a lot of 16 hour days and the danners let me do it with ease. The cheap boots we are issued suck after 8 hours and 16 was a bit like torture. |
| Thanks for all the info, still slightly torn though. I guess ideally it would be best to get two boots, and it may come to that but for right now was just trying to figure out what would be the best bang for the buck. Again thanks for the input, although I haven't been on a lot of forums this is one of the few I've been to that almost everyone is willing to help, seems like all forums have a group that just want to flame people no matter what. |
| See and that is what I was thinking, I wouldn't be able to take insulation out but I could add it in by using a different sock. So get the hot in a half size larger or so to accommodate large thick socks, and let the socks be the deciding factor for insulation not the boot. But as mentioned this is all new to and wasn't sure if there is something seriously flawed with that thought process. Unknowingly you guys have created a monster, preparing for the end of the world is an interesting hobby |
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I am by no means an expert on the subject.
But I think you will find there is no boot that is really ideal for all seasons. A boot good for cold, wet, and snowy weather will probably be too warm in hot weather. Some of you know I bought a pair of Chinese knockoff jungle boots 3 or 4 weeks ago. I was not really intending to do so but from the first day I had them I have worn them every day as my regular shoes plus for walking the dog and some light hiking. They turned out to be really comfy. I think the Dr scholls inserts I got probably helped a lot, but with the inserts they are really comfy. They are not for cold weather though. I wore them outside walking the dog a couple times when it was down near 30 and even with a pair of wool socks on my feet were not warm. OTOH, they are clearly not made for cold weather, so I can't blame them for not being especially warm. |
| Even though I don't think you can get them anymore, I have Timberland Super Race Hiking boots. I used a pair for an easy year and a half in the HVAC trade daily. 200mg of Thinsulate, which means some kind of heavy sock in colder temps. But not to hot in summer. Vibram sole and Goretex waterproofing. They're about 9" tall and waterproof to about 8" |
| I wear my boots every day at work and like I said, I've got a pair of Danners with the lightest insulation and I'm in North GA. It gets pretty cold sometimes and I put on Wigwam murino wool socks. If I know I'm going to be on my feet all day (like at an event or 4th of July parade) I'll wear them as well because they are so comfortable. I do have a pair of Altma jungle boots that I wear when the weather is warm or dry. I do wear the Danners in the summer if I know it's going to be rainy so the light insulation is good. |
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i wanna get this... anyone know where to buy these either online or any where in the u.s.
i feel like a baby wanting a toy from the store, but cant get it. 
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For hiking around the shopping malls of Los Angeles I got a pair of bottom of the line(ie budget priced) Vasque with Gortex lining that I got on close-out from Camp-Mor for $85 incl ship. In the summer time I wear summer hiking socks that wicks away moisture thru the tops of the socks. In cooler evenings of fall & spring I wear normal weight merino REI wool socks(they are a bunch cheaper than Smart-Wool, but there is nothing free, the thread count on the REI is like half), and in the colder winters I wear the heavy wool REI wool socks. If it came down to it, and it was really cold, I could wear two pair of socks. If you plan to wear heavy wool socks be sure that your boot has enough room to hold all of the extra material.
ETA: If you want a set of boots for SHtF-scenarios, be sure to break them in prior to the SHtF. I usually just walk around the malls to break in a new pair of boots, and to oogle at the girls with their shorts.(This old man isn't dead yet). The stitch-down construction of the repairable USA-made Danner boots require break in, whereas the molded sole PRC-made require a very short time period for break but to repair the shoe is kind of expensive making repair iffy when the sole is worn, so pick your poison carefully. |
Danners !re great boots, I don't know what that comment about them not being a good choice was about but . Anyways, I am also in Indiana and I have exact boots in temperate. Afterthe years I've spent in the mil I have determined that unless your in in very extreme cold the insulated boots suck. They are heavy and still let my feet get cold. The temperate with food wool socks is where its at. Socks make or break it man, you'll see. Good luck and you'll like the Danners.
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i wanna get this... anyone know where to buy these either online or any where in the u.s. i feel like a baby wanting a toy from the store, but cant get it. I've purchased Asolo and Zamberlan boots at REI before. ( I prefer Zamberlan, best boots I've ever bought. ) |
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Danners !re great boots, I don't know what that comment about them not being a good choice was about but I think that came from the fact that most, if not all, of them are made in China now, and Danner quality dropped off a lot when manufacturing went to China. |
| That sealed the deal for me, I think I'm going to go with the temperate (although I'm still considering the Fort Lewis version) and start researching socks now. I'm working OT this weekend when I didn't think I was going to, so that's my excuse for buying them :) |
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Danners !re great boots, I don't know what that comment about them not being a good choice was about but . Anyways, I am also in Indiana and I have exact boots in temperate. Afterthe years I've spent in the mil I have determined that unless your in in very extreme cold the insulated boots suck. They are heavy and still let my feet get cold. The temperate with food wool socks is where its at. Socks make or break it man, you'll see. Good luck and you'll like the Danners.Sorry for the double spot but realized I hit reply and not quote.......... that statement is what sealed the deal for me. Also for the other comment I guess I jumped on Danner without too much research but the pair I'm looking at is American made and I've seen enough positive reviews to believe they aren't junk |
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I've gone through 4 or 5 different brand boots in the past couple of years and they all wore about the same until I tried the Converse boot. I recently picked up a pair of Converse, side zip, waterproof, boots to try and I think these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Break-in took about 3 days in the office with very little walking. I've had them about a month or two now, so I can't say how long they'll last, but I expect them to last about as long as a good pair of tennis shoes would. I'm in Florida and they are a little warmer than I like, but they are so comfortable, I'll put up with a little sweaty feet. YMMV +1 on that. Served me well in Iraq, and I'm wearing them around town these days since they are so comfortable. They'll last you about 6 months of daily hard walking (lots of weight or lots of miles). Similar to these:http://www.lapolicegear.com/co88wasitabo.html ? |
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I wear Danners year round.
Used to use the Ft Lewis, but my last 4 or 5 pairs have been the Acadia, which suit me just as well. usually have to resole a pair 2 or 3 times before they are all the way worn out.... a vibram sole lasts maybe 4000 to 5000 hours. ( guestimate) I keep two pairs current, work in one, everything else in the other, rotate into a dry pair after each work day. They are good down to about zero degrees if I am moving and active.. For stationary dickin around, I will use bunny boots, or mukluks below about ten degrees or so. Bunny boots are really good for cold weather intermittent use, or in and out of vehicles, with melting or overflow conditions. for CONTINUOUS extreme cold weather, with no indoors or melting conditions, Mukluks are the way to go. |
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I wear Danners year round. Used to use the Ft Lewis, but my last 4 or 5 pairs have been the Acadia, which suit me just as well. usually have to resole a pair 2 or 3 times before they are all the way worn out.... a vibram sole lasts maybe 4000 to 5000 hours. ( guestimate) I keep two pairs current, work in one, everything else in the other, rotate into a dry pair after each work day. They are good down to about zero degrees if I am moving and active.. For stationary dickin around, I will use bunny boots, or mukluks below about ten degrees or so. Bunny boots are really good for cold weather intermittent use, or in and out of vehicles, with melting or overflow conditions. for CONTINUOUS extreme cold weather, with no indoors or melting conditions, Mukluks are the way to go. So although it should have been pretty obvious from the start you guys have helped me realize that I'm not going to find something that's "one size fits all", the zombie bug has hit hard and I've jumped in trying to do catch up extremely quick. So I think I'll start with the Danner temperate and as time goes on and I get more serious I'll expand on what I have. |
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My danner ft. lewis say they are made in the usa. I read something a long while back about the parts being made outside the usa and being assembled in country but I never saw anything I considered proof on that being true but I also never researched it enough to prove it false. Redwing also has some made in china stuff and I think their top end stuff is still made in the usa but it has been a while since I read up on them. My feet used to fit redwings perfectly so I had redwings. My feet changed and I wound up in between sizes in redwings but now danners fit great. For hiking I have a pair of short danners but forget their name. They are darn heavy and mostly just one piece of leather for the outer so there are fewer places for water to try and get through where things are stitched together. They cost about like the ft. lewis and are in the top end of the danner line as well. I like the top end danners, I prefer to buy them while they are made in the usa and I can get them easily. |
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Good point regarding weight. My Danner Mtn Lights weigh ~0.75lb more than my PRC-made molded sole Vasques. Since this weight on on the end of your foot, it would probably be the equivalent of carrying an extra 2lbs.
. . They are darn heavy and mostly just one piece of leather for the outer so there are fewer places for water to try and get through where things are stitched together. . . |
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I wear Danner Acadia's (uninsulated, black not desert) year round in N. Idaho. Winters CAN get to neg 20, usually 0's is the lowest we get. Summer's have a few weeks in late July/Aug of really hot 90's all day hitting the 100 mark on occasion. The rest would fall into a normal seasonal range.
My feet hold up fine to daily Acadia wear. As you and others have said, socks can make or break a good pair of boots and can help with warmth. They're your feet. "Buy Once, Cry Once". |
| I've got a pair of Danner Pronghorn's uninsulated. They are the most comfortable boots I've ever had, love 'em. Straight out of the box they fit me like a glove and were incrediably comfortable, now with being broken in I'd take them over my street shoes any day. Try a pair and see what you think. |