What's a great un-insulated 8-9" boot?

windymtnman

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Sep 17, 2014
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For the past several years, I've been wearing Danner Pronghorn uninsulated boots. I wear them around the ranch year around. They came out with a model with rubber tipped toes & heels, and I really liked them at first, as I live in the Rocky Mts. and the rubber prevents the leather toe damage from rocks. My last pair developed a defect in the sole that became uncomfortable, so last August I decided to buy a pair of Cabela's-Meindl Featherlite uninsulated boots. I was disappointed in these boots. Although I order a D width, and other boots fit my typically shaped foot fine, these boots were really wide in the ball of my foot. Ridiculously wide.
I got to looking at the construction of both the Danner Pronghorns and the Cabela-Meindl boots. They are both made in Vietnam, both have the identical inside lining. Both are extremely similar in the leather panels and synthetic panels in the boot construction, (except for the rubber tipped models).
In short, I suspect both boots are made in the same Vietnamese factory. The Pronghorn model is about $190.00, and the Cabela-Meindl boot is about $200.
It seems to me, a lot of the brand name boots have gotten super expensive. Some are $500.00! How can they be worth that much?
Is there a better boot that will hold up, and be comfortable I'm not aware of? I like the tall boots for ankle support on rocky slopes, and want a light weight boot that doesn't leak in wet grass and momentary immersion in water. I also like the rubber toe bumpers to keep the leather from getting beat up from rocks? My hard use limits them to about a year of use, and I don't want to pay some ridiculous price for a pair.
What do you like to wear?
 
I wear Meindl Denali and are made in Germany. They probably have 500 hard trail miles and also daily wear miles. I think they are a great boot and I'm not afraid to walk small streams but super wet grass for a couple days they will soak through but not bad. Rumor has it that current Gore-tex isn't as quality as it used to be. I use Obenauf's boot grease religiously. The real problem is they are damn heavy compared to other boots.
 
I'm sure boots are like anything else in that you get what you pay for. It's very difficult to find boots made in the USA but there are a few. If I could afford to pay $300-$500 bucks for a pair of boots it would definately NOT be one made in china.
Most of those top dollar boots are made in Europe and are top quality and are worth every penny. They would probably last the rest of my life since I only wear them for hunting.
Good luck in your search.
 
You bought two crummy boots unfortunately. Shoebuy.com is a great place to shop and there is a 30% off sale right now. Go there and input below promo code. Free shipping and maybe free return shipping as well.

$389 lowa tibet GTX can be had for $272 as one example.
$439 lowa hunter gtx extreme for $300...etc.

On here and places like bowsite you can search "best boot" and already see a lot of great insights on the good versus the bad...

The promo code EMLSHOEFAMILY has been applied to all valid items in your order.
 

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