Hopefully, this is the correct forum. Would a upper end set of running shoes work for a Namibian hunt in March?

Bobby B.

I'd be a little apprehensive Bobby. That can be some rough country and very tough on anything but the best made footwear. Upper end sounds expensive but will they handle the job? That's in question. You need some solid ankle support and blister free footwear. Good hunting, David

They would, but you would be better off with an all leather boot to helo turn the thorns, Ecco make a great version. Soft soles and with a pair of leather gaiters as an add on, you are in business.

Bobby,
I would suggest any pair of shoes that are not going to allow sand to filter through them like the breathable mesh sides do on most trainers. The alternative and this is what I have used for many years is to go completely open foot with some solid sandals like the Rocky type shoes.
While I have not hunted Namibia I know sand as I was a field guide at a desert resort here in Dubai called Al Maha.
For us it was always completely closed or completely open, in between just tends to trap wet sand against the foot and chafe the hell out of you. If you go with closed, i.e. full leather upper then use good breathable mohair socks to stop your feet from becoming swollen and waterlogged. Take along a pack of small plasters for any blisters you develop and make sure you walk the boots in well before the trip. If possible walk them in water for a few days and wear them while damp, this allows them to shape well to your foot.

One last option may be the new boots that have a very tight weave breathable fabric, that said though, the fine sand gets in everywhere.

Good luck
Ian

I hunted the Erongo Mountains in Namibia in July. That is very rocky and rough country. I bought and used a pair of Montrail Torres for the hunt. I was very happy I did. They are all leather (no thorn issues) and gave me very good ankle support. I found them comfortable and tough.

Bobby,
Yhr terrain in Namibia varies. Parts of the country are rocky and very rough like Bengo says. Other parts have ground just like sand at the beach. So it depends which area you will be hunting in. The thin fabric on most running shoes won't be much protection from the ever present thorns. Many ankle high hiking shoes are built similar to running shoes and would be worth looking at.

Hunted NW Namibia about 1 1/2hrs south of Etosha National Park this past May. I had a pair of US issue desert boots and g/f wore a pair of full leather with leather tongue. Neither of us used gaiters. Due the heavy spring rains in that area the PH said the grass was taller then normal (waist high) and thick.

The biggest problem was the grass seeds would work part way into the canvas tongue/lace area and be…bothersome. As long as I took the laces out twice a day and dug out all the grass/weed seeds it was not troublesome…just time consuming. G/F with the full leather didn’t have any problems. We both bloused our pants into the boots and didn’t have any trouble with seeds in the tops of our socks.

Liked the lighter weight and coolness of the canvas boots and when we go back to the same place Aug 09 will just use gaiters.

The soft soles of both boots were great for climbing the Kopies (sp?) as they gripped the granite rock real well. Found the granite boulders there not as “crumbly†under foot as in Colorado and after going up the first one or two you could have pretty good confidence in your footing at pretty extreme angles.

Trekking through the hillsides with all the loose rock made the extra ankle support and abrasion protection of the higher boot tops nice.

My criteria for boots that I would wear in Namibia would be - medium high (6-7 inches), all leather, thick sole, non-insulated, well broken in.

If I could find a puncture-resistant liner for the bottom of my feet, like the ones issued in the latter part of the Vietnam War to the G.I.s, then I would put that in the boots as well. I stepped on a thorn once and it pierced the sole of my boot and stuck me good.

The PH-in-training that lined me up for my zebra in March wore sandals until he wanted to get closer to the animal, then he stalked barefooted, through the acacia brush even.

For the plane and casual wear in town I bring chukkas or low-cut mocassins. The hunting boots I give to the PH after the hunt to have him give it to one of his workers. It saves me weight and space in my luggage for souveniers.

Namibiahunter

I wore Cortenay Selous, expensive but excellent, I wear them all but summer months here at home and really like them. I also wore Browning Kangaroo leather bird hunting boots. Both worked well, this was in Vaughan Fulton's conservancy areas, Tsiseb and Otjimboyo. I would not like running shoes in such a rocky area. In soft sandy soil, I try to wear flat soled, leather shoes...flat soles don't dig in as bad as soles with a heel, leather keeps sand out better than any of the fabric shoes. My 2 cents.

quote:

Originally posted by BEGNO:
I hunted the Erongo Mountains in Namibia in July. That is very rocky and rough country. I bought and used a pair of Montrail Torres for the hunt. I was very happy I did. They are all leather (no thorn issues) and gave me very good ankle support. I found them comfortable and tough.

+1 on the Montrails. I hunted the area around the Brandberg and into the Namib Desert last year. It was both rocky and sandy. My Montrails didn't miss a beat. Honestly, they are the most comfortable boots I've ever worn. My dad bought them as a gift for me before I went on safari, and I have to say I appreciated them.

Thanks everyone! I'll be hunting out of the Gras Ranch south of Windhoek. I'll stick to the runners for around camp and obtain a good pair of leather hikers for hunting. My problem is my feet sweat alot so I've mostly avoided leather footwear. Will the mohair socks really make a difference or should I go with some of the high tech socks on today's market?

Bobby B.

Hi Bobby
My feet sweat a lot too and my boots end up humming to high heaven with normal socks. The mohair socks do make a big difference to me. They basically keep you feet as cool as possible and allow the sweat to dry. They are so good that I have on occasion just left them overnight to dry out and put them on next morning without having to block my nose to do so.
I have not tried all the high tech socks out there but the Columbai socks which are a wool and synthetic mix were great for the first few uses and then flattened out at the pressure points causing uneven foot pressure and consequently sore feet.
The mohair are also slightly looser knit and are easier to get the sand out of at the end of the day, just beat them against a pole etc and they loose their sand in a hurry.
If you have time I would say buy a few pairs and test them with the boots, I do think there is a lot to be said for matching socks to boot fit and design too.
Good luck
Ian

Bobby B.,

I really like the new high tech socks. I was happy using cotton socks under wool socks for years, even in hot weather. I bought a pair of high tech socks (Genius at MEC) and found them more comfortable in all but the coldest weather. It's even a bit easier to pull grass seeds out of them than wool. The only problem was that boots broken in using the cotton/wool combo were pretty sloppy on the feet when I switched to the much thinner high tech socks.

Cheers,
Dean

I swear by the "Courtney Safari" boot. They cost about $US110 in Botswana and as far as I am concerned are just about bullet proof and extremely comfortable.

The kangaroo boots from Cabela's, and smart wool socks worked for me. The boots were well broken in, and they are as light as most tennies. Plus, they kept the thorns out! These were the uninsulated model, that were green, 8" high. Will take them again, if I ever get the chance.

Mad Dog

As namibiahunter states. Near the first of the month, I watched a guide get a very nice thorn through the sole of his rubber-soled boot. Within two days, the same happened to the PH. I wore some clunky old Danner's that I use for elk hunting - heavy soled, leather covered with rubber - and had no problems.

Get a couple of pairs of blister proof socks from Rainbo Sports. You will thank me. Don't know why I remember this, i think a sheep hunter told me about it. I can't give the Coutney's a postive vote though. Sorry. I think I am a tough fit in all fairness.

Jeff

Try Arcto boots from Namibia - www.arto.iway.na or similar.
Lightweight seal skin desert boots/vellies.

Sorrynthat should be www.arcto.iway.na - it has a "c."

I prefer to stay clear of synthetic socks and reccoment socks with a minimum 80% wool or Pure cotton.
The brand smartwool socks are great. (have been using a heavey pair of smartwool's for over eight years and only recently been using the light ones for Africa) .
Bullterrier, those Seal boot desert's look good,
alot like Coutenay's

Additional comment:

I experimented with a coolmax sock vs. smart wool while in Namibia. Smartwool won. Also, grass seeds were very aggrevating until I remembered the canvas gaiters from Long Grass that I had packed. They were great.

Bobby,

On the Gras you'll have a lot more rocks than sand. Also, you'll likely be hunting by vehicle most of the time, so footwear isn't as critical as it otherwise might be. But save the "tennie" shoes for camp and wear a good, rubber soled shoe or boot that is at least ankle high. I'd hate to walk on a puff adder with tennis shoes.

If your socks get ironed, and they probably will, the synthetics will melt.
I understand that everything is ironed to kill bug eggs....can anybody confirm this?
Robert

......one more thing, use leather laces, I trashed the "fabric strings" on the second day.
Robert

Another vote for ECCO Track II's. Very comfortable right out of the box, quiet, good ankle and foot support, durable, should last for many, many hunts in Africa and back home here in the mountains. I have also worn Danner Pronghors's, ankle top variety, with good results. The ECCO's and Pronghorns will be my boots of choice for Moz next year.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

All leather un-insulated hiking boots at least 8 inches tall.

Most uninsulated Danner hunting boots would be excellent.

I have a pair of Courtenys - Selous, have had a pair of Safaris, and have some Arcto Hikers.
The Courteny boots are stiffer and offer more ankle support, and if I was to buy another pair I'd have the Safaris - slightly lower cut - and cheaper(!).
The Hikers are a very soft leather - a bit more of a "boot" than say a Clark's desert boot,but still lightweight and queit and you would be able to wear them without socks if you wanted.
There is no such thing as a boot for all seasons - which is good because we always need another pair of boots
If you can take 2 pairs of boots on a trip, a stiffer boot and a soft boot for easier country is good.