I ordered my 1st pair of PH's last year. They were a touch large, but I blamed myself for trying to measure my own feet. I stopped in at their booth this year at the South Eastern Wildlife Expo to see if they could make some adjustments. Ralph offered to make me a new pair at no charge and measured me himself. I really didn't expect an offer like that, so I went ahead and ordered a pair of Thula Thulas as well. I received invoices 2 weeks ago stating that my replacement pair should ship end of May, and the Thulas in mid June.

We'll see... I don't have them yet. I know lots of people that have multiple pairs of Russells and give their products and service nothing but praise. I hope they rectify your bad experience. At this point I can only say they've been good to me. That could change if I don't receive my orders before too long.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
Like Jeff says - Merrells.

Any problem with the thorns etc.?

Will I will look it up and get back with you.
Thorns, yes, but they never go through the sole.

Man, I feel your pain. I bought a Rolex and it does not keep good time. It gains about a minute a day. It has been serviced several times but it is still off a little. That does not stop me from wearing it. I love to show it off. When I wear it I notice people checking it out and looking at me like I am one of the in crowd that has a Rolex.

So go ahead and wear your Russels even though they don't fit. They are way cool custom boots and people will notice that you are one of the in crowd that has a pair of custom boots.

Muletrain--do you happen to drive a Landrover as well?

Seems an awful lot of people get fitted at a show and then get bad boots. I wonder if there is any connection here? Admittedly, the people at Russell probably know how to do it better than us laymen, but I can see a lot of room for error at a show. Lack of concentration due to repetition and interruptions come to mind immediately.

LEDVM- Same sh*t happend to mine, except I didnt get in any water, the sole just bunched up and made them very uncomfortable. I called, and mailed them back with a note, and they actually fixed them, and included a check for the shipping cost of 20$ because i put the receipt in with the shoes! Make sure you put in the note that they would refund the shipping!

Still waiting on our lecture...feel free to bring anyone down, anytime!

Just buy a pair of New Balance 974's and press on. I walked all over the Selous and Kitiangare in them, did a thirty-minute thirty-yard stalk in dry leaves on a dugga boy who never heard us, and I wear them quite often at home.

No, they ain't safari-chic, but for a hundred bucks, it sure beats the headaches of dealing with a company who is obviously cruising on a reputation garnered in days gone by.

Either they were tipped or they read AR, but I am glad to report that Russell called me (yes, they called me) looking to make this right. I am sending the boots back tomorrow with fresh sketches and foot measurements. The call was very friendly and very professional. There were no excuses made for my bad experience, only an apology and a promise to make it right.

That's cool.

Rich
DRSS

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Either they were tipped or they read AR, but I am glad to report that Russell called me (yes, they called me) looking to make this right. I am sending the boots back tomorrow with fresh sketches and foot measurements. The call was very friendly and very professional. There were no excuses made for my bad experience, only an apology and a promise to make it right.

Not to worry -- everybody screws up from time to time, but my experience with Russell's is that, if you give them a chance, they'll get you a pair of boots that you'll enjoy forever.

quote:

Originally posted by jeff h:

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by Aaron Neilson:
Like Jeff says - Merrells.

Any problem with the thorns etc.?

Will I will look it up and get back with you.
Thorns, yes, but they never go through the sole.

Radland waterproof $86.00 Cabellas

This is probably my 10th response to such Russell boot threads.

Several years ago I was on my way to a Western Ontario fishing trip with my my youngest son and routed the drive up through Berlin Wisconsin. Stopped at their shop and got 'measured' by them for some PHII's made out of elephant hide that I provided. The boots arrived a couple weeks later and initially fit fine. Left shortly thereafter for a trip to Namibia. The custom boots were a major disappointment as their soles resulted in blisters. Those boots went on to be sent back two times to deal with the issues I was having with them (resulting in blisters on multiple hunts). Couple years ago I ended up throwing them away....they were useless!!!!

For serious hiking I wear a pair of Redwing workboots. A bit heavy they are very solid and have no issues.

Years ago, prior to my first hunt in Zimbabwe, I drank the Koolaid, stood on the podium at SCI and got measured for a pair of PHII's, crepe soles. They were the most ill fitting,foot crippling blister machines I have ever had the misfortune to have had on my feet. Since I live about an hour's drive from them I took them back. They made me another pair. Same story. Gave them away. Got a pair of Courteny's
in Bulawayo and never looked back. I shudder to think how far I have walked in them. A pair of gel inserts for more arch support have made them even better, and they wear like iron.

If you have had good luck with Russell's, more power to you. Me, not so much,YMMV.

quote:

Originally posted by Muletrain:
Man, I feel your pain. I bought a Rolex and it does not keep good time. It gains about a minute a day. It has been serviced several times but it is still off a little. That does not stop me from wearing it. I love to show it off. When I wear it I notice people checking it out and looking at me like I am one of the in crowd that has a Rolex.

So go ahead and wear your Russels even though they don't fit. They are way cool custom boots and people will notice that you are one of the in crowd that has a pair of custom boots.

Funny because it is so true....some guys on this site would absolutely rather wear a Rolex that won't keep time than a Seiko 5 Automatic that is good to within 3 seconds a day! Similarly, many guys here just HAVE to buy a new pair of $500 custom boots to go to Africa. As a vote against that, I remember seeing a great picture of Wally Johnson years ago. He was standing by a downed tusker and wearing Converse Chuck Taylors. Good enough for me!

fred BEar wore Chuck's too... he huned with Wally JOhnson. Soft rubber sole, quiet...sounds like a decent hunting shoe...

Absolutely. They are probably not the most durable shoe for the purpose, but a pair or even two per season definitely winds up being cheaper than $500 boots that don't fit...and much quieter as you mention. And if a guy weren't content with beige canvas, I also just noticed that Converse now allows you to customize colors. I am thinking about a black, brown, and dark green combination that will probably make for a decent camo pattern.

I am a recovering Rolex owner, and a recovering Range Rover owner. Not to mention a recovering Jaguar owner. The word you are looking for is "dumbass." Volvo and Seiko, thanks very much.

Hijack now complete. I am extremely flat-footed. So, whatever low-top running shoes are on sale. Works for me...nothing else does.

Good hunting.

Uninsulated Browning Kangaroo, low cut. Very soft vibram sole, no lugs, just a touch of heel. Some say they are hot, but I walk 3-5 miles a day in Houston summer in them, no problem.

My wife's Russells arrived today about two sizes too big. She was fitted at SCI in Reno.

Good looking boot. Hopefully they get it right the second time.

I've had five Rolex's, wear one now that is 19 years old, and never had one that wouldn't keep the guaranteed two minutes a month. Period.

But I wouldn't buy Russell boots on a bet.

I got my Russell Thula Thula boots about two months ago. I was measured in Russell's booth at DSC last January by a fellow also named Russell. I asked him what boots Jeff Wemmer liked to hunt ele in, and he set me up with these.

They have a thin Vibram sole with no heel, and fit well. The toe box is generous; I like this because I have lost toenails due to ill fitting backpacking boots in the past.

I'm pleased so far. The're quiet and fast. I'll continue trying them out on my ranch, which is a good test for my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by notlim:
Hi Will,
I used these merrells in Zim and Tanz. last year: http://hikingbootsbestprice.co..._Mid-B000KR1CUK.html

They are without goretex and although they have a lug on the sole it is really soft and I think quite quiet. Thorns weren't really a problem thru the mesh-but the grass seeds with the pointy ends in the save could quite easily work their way thru. I picked them out of the mesh every night, they just worked deeper and deeper into the mesh like a porkypine quill until they found my tender tootsies underneath.

other than those grass seeds I thought they were great, nice and cool and comfortable as running shoes to walk in all day. In tanz. those grass seeds either weren't there or had already fallen by that late in the season so no problems at all there. I also had a pair of crepe soled suede desert boots in both places but I found the merrells to be so much cooler and more comfortable I wore them alot more.

One of the all leather merrels posted earlier would be pretty comfrtable and much more thorn/grass seed proof but I'm sure quite abit hotter than the ventilated ones.

As a side note in tanz. Paddy Curtis (PH) wore a pair of old canvas tennis shoes and his feet were so wide his little toes had worn thru the sides and hung out over the edge- he thought they were great! Not very much thorn or seed resistance there.

I had just about the same shoe, didn't I Dan? I can't wear any kind of leather boot without getting blisters.

I wear these kinds of Merrels when I backpack down the Grand Canyon, once or twice per year. I am going to the Tibetan Plateau for three weeks this summer and wearing these.

I wear them in the desert here in AZ and yea, a thorn can go through them, but I am so cognizant of where I place my feet due to snakes that I don't have a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Jeff and Aaron:

What model(s) do you like?

What about stickers, thorns, briars and whatnot coming through the mesh panels?

Sorry to jump the thread for Jeff/Aaron...but I'd avoid any Merrell with any kind of mesh or synthetic other than the footbed. On my first day in Zim. I walked about 10 feet off road to answer 'the call'. Took about 2 hours to fully extract all the 'stuff' that they picked up--much of which penetrated the upper. The Merrell Safari on the other hand is a GREAT alternative.

p.s. My Art Carter's from Russell are awesome looking boots--but as with yours, they fit horribly-even with insoles, heel inserts and tongue inserts.

$500. for a pair of boots????? WOW. PT Barnum was right.

quote:

Originally posted by Tembo:
$500. for a pair of boots????? WOW. PT Barnum was right.

They average about $300 a pair I believe. And in defense of those willing to pay 2x to 3x the price of the Chinese imports, Russell boots are the type of footwear(materials, etc.) that should last decades as opposed to years.

Just an observation here, but how many folks buy the custom boots, just so they will look cool in camp on their safari?

Not Africa, but Newfoundland, and hunting in Canada has its own unique problems as far as foot wear and clothing goes.

In 1996 as I was getting all my chit together for a moose/woodland caribou/black bear hunt in the Crabbes River region, I asked the outfitter, Leo Hammond, during one of our many phone conversations, what type footwear did he recommend.

Turns out, from his experiences with various clients, that the best boots I could get for the type hunting and terrain I would be experiencing, were the exact same boots, knee high rubber waiding boots that I wore everyday at the zoo.

So instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a specialized hand made set of boots, I spent about $20.00, and had more money to spend on the trip.

It is like some opf the folks that come out nd hunt javelina with me in west Texas.

When working out the details of their booking, some will ask me what type of camo clothes would work best, and my standard reply is whatever will make them feel most comfortable and acceppted in camp, javelina's don't care, they are dang near blind.

I have not been to Africa yet, but do all my hunting (and pretty much everything else that involves walking) in an Asolo backpacking boot. They are incredibly comfortable and well made. I'll be wearing mine for my first Africa hunt coming up in September.

Just curious, what are the "specs" for a safari boot?

The rest of the story . . .

After Doug from Russell called me and requested that I return the boots with fresh foot sketches, I did. That was a little more than one month ago. The replacement/new/redone boots arrived yesterday. The verdict . . . they are perfect. I walked in them for about an hour last night and I wore them around the yard for a while. I am very pleased with the end result. All's well that ends well.

Will,

You're ahead of me.

I ordered mine last fall and intended to wear them for my hunt at Gras this past March. My boots arrived ahead of schedule but did not fit so I sent them back.

Unfortunately, the second pair did not arrive in time for my hunt but shortly after my return. This pair did not fit either so I sent them back. In fact, the second pair fit far worse than the first.

I'm now waiting for my THIRD pair to arrive and hopefully they'll fit.

While the quality of the fit of my ordered Russells is very poor, the customer service I've received so far from Patty inclines me to believe I'll eventually have a pair which fits.

Bobby B.

I was measured at DSC by the owner (whose name I forgot) and I told him the size that I generally wear in off-the-shelf boots 10-10 1/2. About a month later I received a letter from the owner stating that he reviewed the information that I gave him concerning the size that I generally buy because it did not match what he measured 9 1/2 left and 9 3/4 right when they began making my boots. He included a new measuring paper with instructions and I had my friend who owns a shoe store trace for me. They fit perfectly and are QUIET. I got the Thula-Thula with the very thin vibram sole with shallow tread.

I appreciate his attention to detail to insure that they fit.


Dutch

I too, finally received my second pair of Russell Thula Thulas three weeks ago. The second pair finally fits.

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
The rest of the story . . .

After Doug from Russell called me and requested that I return the boots with fresh foot sketches, I did. That was a little more than one month ago. The replacement/new/redone boots arrived yesterday. The verdict . . . they are perfect. I walked in them for about an hour last night and I wore them around the yard for a while. I am very pleased with the end result. All's well that ends well.

And, I'm guessing that they will be just the first of several pairs of Russell's that you will eventually own. When they fit right, there's nothing else on the market that will match them, is my experience.

I know that I'd never part with any of mine.

Well for someone like myself, with a wide, flat foot, it has always been hard to find shoes, I have a sole insert problem, and sent them back, but the initial fit was fine.

Some people scoff at spending 300 for a pair of Ph's saying they are just SAFARI Chic and show, however they are extremely tough shoes.

I paid a $100 for my 1st pair of kangaroo chuckas wore them on my first safari, after I got home, they got drenched, and shrunk! So I decided to get the russels.

I've been pleased, they fixed my insert issues.

...imho, russell moccasin boots/chukkas/shoes are amongst the best-made footwear in the states...a sportsman's version of a business man's “lobbs”...with proper care and the re-soleable goodyear welt design, the boots/chukkas/shoes should last a lifetime, as advertised...

...the trick is to get a pair of russell's fitted correctly, and then to ask russell's for the particulars of the order in terms of the "last number” used, the name of the cutter, the exact sizing dimensions, etc...you can subsequently specify the particular last, cutter, size, etc, for later orders...

...another trick is to use thinner socks for boots (which are cut larger using the "fuller" munson last), and regular socks for shoes/chukkas (which use narrower lasts)...

...also bear in mind that feet are frequently prone to swelling, which magnifies the volumetric dimensions of the boot's interior when based on a two-dimensional foot tracing...hence, early morning self-traces may result in a better fit (verses traces based on miles-equivalent walking at the sci shows)...

...as a last resort, ralph stands by his products, and will do more than any shoe manufacturer i know of to "make it right" if the fit or anything else is improper...as an alternative, you can develop a relationship with a particular sales person and refer all subsequent orders to that same sales person with a pre-order / post-order call to insure things proceed smoothly on the latest order…

...some personal experience based on many many boots, chukkas and shoes over the years...

+1

JW

As I read all this I really wonder why anyone would pay $500.00 for any boot/shoe? Is it the ego thing? My boots cost more than your boots?
Look at me I have $500.00 boots. With all the really GOOD footwear available today at 50% to 70% of $500.00 Russells, it has to be something of this sort. No way in hell is a Russell that much better. Geez!!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by Tembo:
$500. for a pair of boots????? WOW. PT Barnum was right.

AMEN!!!. this thread comes up about every 12-18 months and the result is ALWAYS the same- way over priced and shitty fit at least a third of the time, in spite of being measured by the so called experts from the factory. for what these clowns charge, the return rate should be less than 10%.

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Sellers:
As I read all this I really wonder why anyone would pay $500.00 for any boot/shoe? Is it the ego thing? My boots cost more than your boots?
Look at me I have $500.00 boots. With all the really GOOD footwear available today at 50% to 70% of $500.00 Russells, it has to be something of this sort. No way in hell is a Russell that much better. Geez!!!

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

Same goes for double rifles, Rolex, BMW, and 2 million dollar homes, not to mention SCI (since it cost way more to go to than DSC)


BTW last year in camp I told the staff I was wearing Russells, they all bowed down to me, made it worth the money I spent.

I had to send my first pair of Russells back.

The next 3 pair have fit perfect.

The PH's are the quietest boots I have ever worn.

Mike70560 - Having the camp staff bow down in reverance of your Russells does surly justify the exaggerated expense????

For me it costs $75.00 more to attend DSC in Dallas than SCI in Reno for four show days from here in New Mexico, but we have beat that horse to death numerous times here also.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member