Anyone tried these in elk country? Rocky Athletic Mobility L2 Men's 8" GORE-TEX® Hunting Boots-Style #FQ0005253 In the past 6 months, I've tried Danner Pathfinders (returned; they were right size but fit my foot all wrong,) Irish Setter Vaprtreks (kept; I like but don't love. They are a bit warm and are taking longer to break in than I expected/care for.) I'm looking for a light weight, warm weather, non-insulated type boot in the mold of the ones I mentioned above. My feet are trashed so the more like a hiker/trail shoe hybrid the better. $250 is my max.
i deployed with the military version of the one you posted. the only thing i'll say is that it's great for less rocky/gravely terrain. i find that having a bit more tread is worth the bit of extra bulk for that extra punch of traction. i tried using my tan colored boots to hike around wyoming and wanted more traction on several occasions.
I have those boots except for the previous year model which featured orange trim instead of green. If I was smart I would have bought a few pairs. I was a muck and lacrosse boot guy prior to owning rocky. I'll never go back. Mine have 400 gr insulation and a goretex liner. My feet were comfortable anywhere from September temps (70-90's in Kansas) to December temps where windchills go well below zero and I was comfortable in these, I just adjusted which socks I wore. They are durable, comfortable, quiet, and wear more like a rugged sneaker than a bulky hunting boot. I highly recommend them.
I can't speak to their performance in elk country unfortunately, but I feel they are more durable than any pair of boots I've ever owned
thanks guys. I went ahead and ordered them as I had a couple of ridiculous coupon codes to use or lose at Sierra Trading Post. Ended up getting them for about $80. Figured as long as they don't kill my plantar fasciitis I couldn't go wrong with them; and their promo video shows that nice insole so I'm thinking they have a lot of potential. If nothing else I can wear them early season in WI. On a separate note, I figured out today that the reason my uninsulated Vaprtreks seemed so warm was the "warm weather" hiking socks I had been wearing in them since it warmed up. I wore those socks today in a pair of mesh Merrills, and my feet were roasting all day. Won't be wearing those socks in temps above 50* anymore. I'll keep training in both the Vaprtreks and the Rockies, and post comparison opinions after a month or so.
FWIW, I think I'm returning them...found a pair of Solomon Quest 4D GTX for $130. Got them today and wore one on each foot. While I like the Rocky's near-calf high uppers more, the Solomon's are much more rigid across the top of the foot and will definitely support my feet under load much better. Plus the Solomon's tread is much more aggressive as jeffacarp referenced.
