Been looking at purchasing a pair of 16" or 18' boots with about 800-1000g of insulation but most of the reviews I have seen say that the ankle runs small and a person should get at least a size or two bigger. Would like to hear from actual hunters that have used these boots if the reviews are right or not. There is no close supplier here so I would be ordering them online before trying them on. Thanks in advance.
I'm extremely wary of ordering shoes or boots online, especially specialty types. Earlier this month I ordered a pair of White's Smoke Jumpers on Amazon from a store in Washington as a pair of work boots. I asked them about sizing and they had me place my foot on a sheet of paper, scan it and send it to them. I got them and love them. They're a 10" top and all leather with a vibram sole. They've been a little rough to break in but great otherwise. So I'd be wrong if I said I would never order boots online like I used to think I wouldn't. That wouldn't work to fit an ankle however. I don't think I'd chance ordering a pair of boots a size off without some sort of decent idea of what I was doing. If anything I'd probably order the correct size and a size bigger and return the one that didn't fit like I wanted. (Though I likely wouldn't do that with a pair of these White's just because of the price...) Poorly fitting footwear is a waste of money though.
I have owned a few pair of Lacrosse boots. I currently wear the Aeroheads. I got mine a size bigger so I could wear a thicker sock or more than one pair to help keep my feet warm. The Aeroheads are not restricting on my ankles. However, the Alphaburly's I owned about 3 years ago were tight at the ankle. I noticed it more when I first wore them and it eventually got better as I wore them that day. They were NOT a size bigger. I would go with the Aeroheads.
I have a pair of Lacrosse "Big Mountain lace up boots that I wear for guiding/hunting and they have lasted for about 15 years. I wear a size 9.5 but got these in a 10 and they fit just fine. Don't know about today's Lacrosse since they joined the throngs and went overseas for manufacturing. I've been thinking about going with Schnees this fall. American made and still rebuildable. Whites like CM talked about are a great boot for work but are hard to break in and once again, American made.
Yep, I've had mine since March 15th and have worn them every day, often times from about 6am to about 11pm and they are just now getting to where they feel like they belong on my feet. I'm not sure if I broke them in or they broke me in but either way I love wearing the stupid things. Two reasons I went that direction with work boots is American made and rebuildable all leather construction. I've bought three or four pairs of boots and shoes from walmart per year since I graduated from high school. Cheap isn't always cheap. Whites sold out and the parent company is not American but they are still an American company and american made. Nicks boots are said to be at the top tier now but they supposedly have a different fit and really need to be custom fit. But these are all work boots, not hunting...I imagine these smoke jumper style boots would be cold in winter being they aren't insulated and the leather breathes. I also went to Darn Tough wool socks. I got away from the crap cotton junk and my feet feel so much better and no more putrid stinky feet and boots. Darn Tough socks have a lifetime warranty! That's the third reason I went this way. The leather and wool are a good healthy combination and aren't nearly as conducive to bacterial growth as synthetics and cotton. I enjoy my feet and socks now smelling like sweet leather when I pull my boots off at night after wearing them for a long day and my feet are dry rather than wet and slimy from sweat and non-breathing materials. I never realized for all these years that those conditions are not normal and are unhealthy....just thought that was the way life was with boots and socks and feet...was that ever wrong.
Darn tough socks are fantastic. I wear them if I'm hunting and it's 0 or doing hay and it's 100. If boots go on my feet darn tough goes on first.
Yes they are amazing. They are pricey but damn well worth it. Heck before I bought these White's and the Darn Tough socks, my old crappy cotton walmart socks were getting holes in them at the heel of my left foot by the time the socks were maybe a month old. I'm talking like half of a big multipack of socks getting a hole in the heel...not just one or two. Didn't seem to matter which pair of boots or shoes I wore either. I pulled on a clean pair of socks one day (like the second pair that day) and went through several socks before I found a pair without holes or thin spots. Then when I pulled my crappy walmart boot on I noticed the right one was separating in the back and side. That was when I decided to try a different tact. Found the Whites boots and the darn tough socks on youtube and started researching like I usually do before buying expensive stuff and pulled the trigger. I bought 4 pairs of the socks, two each of the cool max and two of the 100% merino wool. The cool max are definitely cooler but I love both. The full cushion made break in on my boots way easier too and I still don't feel any change in any of them. I hand wash them and hang them up to dry. The expensive part sucked but I just appreciate them that much more and take better care of them. I wash a pair when I take them off and change socks and the four pair I bought seem more sustainable than buying two six pair packs of the cotton crap at walmart. I don't think I'll ever by a GD cotton sock again.
Matt you have been holding out. I have never heard of these socks. I will be using them now! Thanks!!
Be prepared for a bit of sticker shock, lol. They're like $20 a pair. They are worth it though, I'll never think twice about the price in the future. Sorry I missed you guys talking about these socks here on the forum in the past. I recall reading folks talking about wool socks but I never paid much attention to it. I was always convinced a sock was a sock and cheap boots were as good as expensive ones. I've had Carolina boots in the past and they were decent but not good enough in my mind to justify how much more expensive they were than cheap walmart types of boots. I didn't realize how much better great boots were above okay boots. I didn't realize anyone made rebuildable boots anymore until I started looking into the subject. This says a lot for our throw away generational mindset. I find it hilarious that in the last 150 ish years we've gone from the civil war to the space age and arguably the best boots and socks we have are still made basically like they were in the 1910's, lol. Pretty cool to rediscover quality and realizations of our ancestors though.
Darn Tough socks are made about a half an hour from me. Great socks and not just because they are made here. I wear them for everything from dress to work to bicycling.
I learned about the Darn Tough from Matt here. Awesome socks. Saved my feet at work, walking 10-15 miles a day. I've been slowly investing in more DT socks. Can't beat it. I've got a pair of Alpha Burly's 1000g, and they are narrow at the ankle. I think I'm gonna transition to a lace up and get a pair of those Arctic Shield boot blankets for this year. Have heard good things about that combo on here.
Covey, fill those whites up with water, let them soak for 10-15 minutes. Put them on and wear them till they dry. I have had my whites rebuilt 3 times, don't wear them very much anymore I switched over to La Sportiva much lighter boot.
I've worn wool socks year round for years. Cotton socks SUCK!!! My feet sweat way too much to wear cotton socks while wearing boots. IMO it's the only way to go. I'm pretty much a Danner fan. They fit well and last while being able to be rebuilt.
I have worn alpha burly lights for awhile and they finally got to many holes so I just went and purchased Irish setters very tight ankle support I liked them better then the burlys and muck there all good but the Irish got the nod this year just did about 2 miles in the mud and wet feet feel good no turkeys
I think I've got them pretty much broken in now. I heard a great many people say the same thing about the water, I'm sure it works great. I just oiled the crap out of them with conditioner and wore them, they never were too terribly uncomfortable. They're good enough now I really don't care whether or not I even take them off. The weight of them was a little odd for a few days but I got used to it pretty quick. I wore them on my trip up into Iowa today, put them on at 5am, just got back and still have them on. It's a little weird that my feet feel better with them on than off. I used to yearn for the chance to get home and pull my boots off when I had cheap crappy ones for work boots....
I never filled them with water but if you have the chance to wear them in the spring when the dew is really thick on the grass you can accomplish the same thing. I used to break mine in this way. At least you don't start out with you feet wet from the inside out.
I wore Alpha Burleys for years until they fell apart. I bought them around 2000 or so. So that's 17 years ago. Lol Boots have changed a lot since then. I've changed too because I'm 2 full sizes bigger foot now ! Lol (60 pounds heavier too). I loved the Alphas. I'd go back too, and was thinking about doing so. I never had 1 blister anywhere ever with my Burleys. My go to boots are 2 pairs of UA HAW and I just got a pair of Mucks. I hunt every weekend, year round, so my boots are made for walking ! I was given advice from a hunting guide from Maine once. He said get a boot 1-2 full sizes bigger for cold weather hunting. The trapped foot air aides in keeping your feet warm while tight fitting boots that touch your skin get you colder. He's right too. When it gets cold I use my bigger sized boots and sock up more. BTW In Florida? I hunt HAW boots and those thin ankle running/tennis socks. No more do I use calf sox. Feet stay much cooler. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
