quote:

Originally posted by gooseblitz22:
I picked up a pair of Altama Exospeeds a while back they are state of the art milspec desert warfare boot....very good for covering serious ground...light and tough. Do a search online and see the reviews they get.

Lowa makes a fine, quiet desert boot - the Desert Seeker I believe. A low quarter of this same boot would be perfect.

Order one pair of Courtney boots model Selous from Safri and Outdoor today, hopefully I will get these in a month of time. I was recomended to use them a while before hunting.

I took a tip from PHC and bought a pair of Clark's Desert Boots for my last safari. Since I have high arches and the support is not the best with Desert Boots, I put a pair of Dr Scholls insoles in them. On previous safaris when stalking game I have felt like a bull in the proverbial china shop stepping on twigs and making all kinds of noise. With the Desert Boots I was the quietest of our party and could hear the PH and trackers making more noise than me! Also the thorns were no problem.

I have spent WAY too much time thinking about this. I just bought these

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7251874/c/87162.html

They are extremely comfortable and incredibly quiet with some ankle support and everything a stalking boot should be.

BUT....

They don't offer anywhere near the support or give the confidence that my Asolo Fugitive GTX boots do.

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7134394/c/19077.html

These Asolos served me perfectly on my mule deer hunt in New Mexico last Nov and still looking brand new. They are bar none the best boots I have ever owned. They are the kind of boots that make you want to buy another pair even though the ones you have are still perfect. I walked countless miles with no blisters and incredible support. Even towards the end of the hunt when my feet were getting tired as soon as I put these boots on it was no issue at all because my feet were supported so well.

This brings up the dilema

Quite and soft or support and durability? I'm still not sure.

One of the biggest complaints from PHs is that clients can't walk quietly. Some of that is technique and some of that is equipment related, which is what we are discussing here. IMO, you've got to take that into consideration.

Used Lowa Renegades on the hunt I just returned from. Needed no break in and they stood up well to a week of hunting and two weeks of travel afterwards.

quote:

Originally posted by GeoffM24:
I have spent WAY too much time thinking about this. I just bought these

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7251874/c/87162.html

They are extremely comfortable and incredibly quiet with some ankle support and everything a stalking boot should be.

BUT....

They don't offer anywhere near the support or give the confidence that my Asolo Fugitive GTX boots do.

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7134394/c/19077.html

These Asolos served me perfectly on my mule deer hunt in New Mexico last Nov and still looking brand new. They are bar none the best boots I have ever owned. They are the kind of boots that make you want to buy another pair even though the ones you have are still perfect. I walked countless miles with no blisters and incredible support. Even towards the end of the hunt when my feet were getting tired as soon as I put these boots on it was no issue at all because my feet were supported so well.

This brings up the dilema

Quite and soft or support and durability? I'm still not sure.

GeoffM24, I have a pair of Temberland boots I bought back in 1992, and they are still as good as new! HOWEVER, I bought another pair in 1995, and the soles came off then withing less than one day of hunting in Canada's conifer woods! I sent them back to Temberland, and they sent me a new pair, with what looled like different rubber in the soles, I used them on one hunt and they did the same thing. The soles came off them on a hunt where I only rode in a pick-up to a blind, and sta in the blind for a few hours, and walked back to the pick-up when they picked me up again, and rode back to ranch house, and when I got out of the pick-up at the skining shed the sole of the right bood came off, and the other one was split in a dozen dirrections!

Needless to say a pair of boots that cost in the area of $130.oo should last longer than a half dayof sitting in a blind,watching a medow!

I will never buy anything else with Timberland's name on them again!

Lots and Lots of Information on this thread, now my next question: Do you guys take a back up pair of boots? I didn't take an extra pair on my first trip, but I never had to walk in water either, However my next trip, I want to hunt bush buck in the bushveld along the rivers, or should I take a pair of hip waders....CK

Take some canvas type tennis shoes for getting wet and they can double as camp or travel shoes.

Good quality tennis shoes worked great for me. They are light and easy on the feet

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
Take some canvas type tennis shoes for getting wet and they can double as camp or travel shoes.

I agree
I wear over a light tennis/hiking shoe. Kind of a combo tennis shoe with a more aggressive sole tread. Very light weight. Great for camp and can double for your daily hikes if you have a major failure of your other hiking/hunting boots. I
my other shoes I take is usually a very old worn hiker. The reason for this that I use it for the hunt and they are very broke in. After the hunt, I give them away sense they are nearly worn out. That way I don't have to carry them back--lighter bags and more room for curios etc.

Wear over light tennis-hiker combo shoe and bring a worn hiker/hunting boot. At the end of the hunt--leave the hiking boot behind. Don't over think this--just have some fun blasting game

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
I've never seen the Altama Exospeeds before. They actually look pretty interesting. Of course, they're seriously backlogged from military orders.

I found mine on Ebay...they sell for a little premium but considering they are $100 still not too bad.
They also make a 6 inch and a 8 inch with side zip.
I learned long ago that great boots are a tool and your feet, legs and ankles will thank you. I have used Asolo, Lowa and LaSportiv for cold weather and steep rocky terrain and they are night and day from my old Rockies.
The Exospeeds are light and supportive. (and also invisible to Infared Light....just in case the African game has gone high tech!)

http://www.uspatriotstore.com/category.aspx?categoryID=73

Good link for desert boots!

I know what you mean about those Asolo's. I thought about buying a second pair. I had the Globalines and htey were so good they defy explanation. Problem is they last so freaking long by the time you need new ones they are long gone out of production.

AKSheep: PLEASE don't take hip waders - they're just too hot & uncomfortable. Yes, do take a spare pair of hiking boots. Ideally they should be lightweight, quick-drying & ankle-height. I guess some form of canvas combat boot will do it. BTW, even on short hunts locally I always take a spare pair of boots. If something goes wrong with my boots & I don't have a spare pair the hunt is over. You can always borrow a rifle, but you can't always do that with boots.

Waders are also very loud and wouldn't last in the thornbush...kind of like our devil's club in SE. It would probably be the first set of waders the locals had ever seen.

hip waders?????

that reminds me of a joke about waders and sheep--let's not go there!!

I guess that answers my question...waders are staying home!!

Quickshot, I've done the waders and sheep thing before, it was just a hassle taking off the boots to cross glacial streams.

quote:

Originally posted by AKsheephunter:
I guess that answers my question...waders are staying home!!

Quickshot, I've done the waders and sheep thing before, it was just a hassle taking off the boots to cross glacial streams.

Glad to see you have a sense of humor

In Tanzania, Botswana, and Mozambique I like Tennis type walking shoes, they are comfortable, light, quiet, and they dry real fast..

For RSA in the mountains of RSA any good boot that you use for hunting Mule Deer works well, I like Horse shoes, they are very comfortable, don't need breaking in, and cost about $85.00 a pair..

Some PHs wear Courtneys, mostly because they are available to them and they are cheap in Africa, but actually most wear canvas deck shoes and no socks as socks pick up grass seeds.

Short canvas gaitors are available from Cabellas, and they are the very best, and not expensive.