Boot help

[RackStar]

Hey guys, i figured I would ask the pros!

last summer after getting strung along by AJ BROOKS for 3/4 of a year saying my boots are 2 weeks out I decided to get my money back and buy something else before hunting season comes and I have no boots.

I went with meindl Denali from Cabela’s. Felt great in the store hugged my feet nicely. After my first hike my feet were KILLING ME. The soles feel like cement. I upgraded the insoles to meindl perfekt foot bed. And am still having problems with sore feet. I even had to take these boots off 4 days into my hunt this year and wear my old elk trackers. I keep trying to “break” these boots in and tough through it. But I have finally given up and come to accept I’m at a loss with these boots and need new ones.

I’m now looking at meindl islanders, and a couple different scarpa and lowa boots.

im shying away from super stiff soles because maybe my feet just don’t work with them.

Anyone rocking the meindl islanders? Anyone with similar problems with boots?

and suggestions / recommendations will be very helpful!!

thanks guys.


(Looking for a sturdy boot but not overkill)

[Fella]

I’m using Lowa Tibets, they’ve worked well for me the last couple seasons.

[S.W.A.T.]

Just pulled the trigger on some hagswag's and must say I love them. Pretty much my daily shoe now. I did really like the meindl as well but because I use them for more then just hunting and hiking I steered away from the higher ankle. But man did they feel comfy.

[604redneck]

I had lowa Tibet GTX until last year and went with lowa weisshorn GTX and both are great boots. The weisshorn is more than most hunters will need as it's a true mountain boot. Both are extremely comfortable.

The weisshorn is also fairly expensive.

I steer clear of boots made for Cabela's or bass pro. Cheap Chinese crap with a fancier name

[Buck]

salomon quest 4d 2 gtx i use these for all my training hikes sole is not two stiff compared to my Meindle Canada 3000's.

[Wentrot]

Iv been using hanwag trapper tops for a couple years now. Great boots. Pretty pricy but worthwhile for comfy feet.My Lowas before these fell apart in one season.

[Salty]

Hey guys, i figured I would ask the pros!

last summer after getting strung along by AJ BROOKS for 3/4 of a year saying my boots are 2 weeks out I decided to get my money back and buy something else before hunting season comes and I have no boots.

I went with meindl Denali from Cabela’s. Felt great in the store hugged my feet nicely. After my first hike my feet were KILLING ME. The soles feel like cement. I upgraded the insoles to meindl perfekt foot bed. And am still having problems with sore feet. I even had to take these boots off 4 days into my hunt this year and wear my old elk trackers. I keep trying to “break” these boots in and tough through it. But I have finally given up and come to accept I’m at a loss with these boots and need new ones.

I’m now looking at meindl islanders, and a couple different scarpa and lowa boots.

im shying away from super stiff soles because maybe my feet just don’t work with them.

Anyone rocking the meindl islanders? Anyone with similar problems with boots?

and suggestions / recommendations will be very helpful!!

thanks guys.


(Looking for a sturdy boot but not overkill)

Are they on the narrow side for you by chance? I have a pair of Meindel Islanders, for a couple years I played around with foot beds as the sore spots were on the bottom of my feet not on the sides. I toughed it out a while thinking they'd 'break in' but finally went to an old school shoe maker shop and got him to stretch the boots for width. Viola. Gave up on all the foot beds I'd tried and go with how the boot comes, which I like the memory foam bed they have. The boots are good and comfortable now.

[Phila]

Have had the Cabelas Meindl Ultralight boots for a couple of seasons and they have proven to be very comfortable walking ~8 hrs a day. Made in Vietnam fwiw.

[NChunter]

I got a pair of viberg boots (made over seas not in house) last fall. The left boot is nice and comfy but the right one really hurts my heel after a couple hours even if i'm not hiking. Thought i could break it in but just wasn't happening. Picked up a pair of Scarpa Sl activ about a month ago and have been wearing them a lot. So far pretty happy with them, they are a one piece leather without and gtx liner (seems like its getting hard to find all leather boots anymore) and are pretty stiff. Need some more breaking in but no issues yet on a couple of good hikes. Treated them with obenauf's (well actually the stuff from viberg but pretty sure its made by obenauf's) and seem waterproof so far.

[TARCHER]

Are you hunting on rock mountains or flatter softer ground? For harder rock type I have Lowa but they are a stiffer platform. For flatter softer I have a pair of Russell moccasin high country hunters that are the nicest boots I've ever had but the price is really bad now.