Boot question

[Lhleggtowner]

First I realize there are different terrains but, overall if you fellows , would point out some of the better boots you have carried into the field. Terrain along with that type Of boot. I am looking at do I need new boots r carry what I got. do you need gore Tex? Go for lighter weight? I would like some great insight from the guys that have put some shoes thru the gammit. Thanks in advance for the info.

 

[JLF]

Miner's Booty: Raincoats. Atothermic, I mean they keep the foot at the same temperature.
Fit all terrain

 

[mdwest]

Boots are super personal, and whats "good" often depends on where youre planning on wearing it..

If youre talking southern Africa, lots of guys swear by Courtneys and Russells..

For me, I wore Danner Agitators for years.. Theyre reasonably priced (about $120).. tough as nails.. pretty light weight.. and very comfortable.. Im not sure if Danner makes that boot anymore though.. I havent seen them in stores or online in a while..

My most recent boots are a pair of 5.11 XPRT's... I happened to be in the 5.11 store in Dallas last January and they had a big after Christmas clearance sale.. the XPRT normally retails for a little more than $200.. but they had a pair my size 50% off, plus I got an additional 50% off of that price for some special deal they had going on that day.. so I got them for something like $65 out the door with tax, etc..

I didnt know anything about them.. but I figured for that price I'd give them a try...

They have been OUTSTANDING hiking and hunting boots.. every bit as tough as the danners.. quiet.. water resistant.. just enough insulation to keep the feet warm without having you sweat like a pig, etc... and very comfortable..

XPRT® 3.0 Waterproof 6" Boot

Discover the high-quality XPRT® 3.0 Waterproof 6" Boot by 5.11 Tactical®. Experience the unbeatable grip and comfort provided by its Vibram Megagrip outsole and OrthoLite Imperial footbed. Shop now!

www.511tactical.com

 

[Scott CWO]

Meindl and Hoffman Boots. Available through Hoffman website. Can work in Africa but not specialized to Africa. Incredibly tough but not cheap. I guide six months a year and they last me a couple years or more. Last most hunters a lifetime if you clean and condition them once in a while.

 

[Red Leg]

First I realize there are different terrains but, overall if you fellows , would point out some of the better boots you have carried into the field. Terrain along with that type Of boot. I am looking at do I need new boots r carry what I got. do you need gore Tex? Go for lighter weight? I would like some great insight from the guys that have put some shoes thru the gammit. Thanks in advance for the info.

So where do you plan to use your boots?

If wet hilly ground is where you are headed, then something like @JLF recommends would be spot on. They would be the last thing that I would take to anywhere I have been in Africa.

For most of Southern Africa, something like the Courtney Selous or Russell PH are hard to beat. My feet live more comfortably in Courtney, but that is a personal preference. If you are headed to the Caprivi or Zambezi Delta, you need something that works well submerged - gore tex is of zero value. You need something like Danner's jungle boot or even the old military surplus model. For true mountains (few in Africa outside Ethiopia and a few corners of Tanzania), you need a true mountain boot. I personally love Kenetrek for true alpine hunting, but meindl also makes a quality product as do others.

In most of Southern Africa, the challenge is noise not terrain. If you are wearing a heavy boot with an aggressive sole as you try to approach game, you will soon find that neither your PH nor your tracker is still your best new friend.

 

[JimP]

You leave a lot out as far as where you are wearing your boots and what you use them for.

For warm weather hiking and hunting I like a pair of light weight hikers, there are a few different brands but you just need to find some that you like.

I hunt in southern Arizona every spring and put a weeks worth of hiking in and a light weight pair is all I need. The ones that I have support my ankles just fine and I have never had a problem with them.

Now if you are talking snow, ice, and cold then a pair of light weight hikers will not work. For this type of hunting I like a 8" high boot with at least 400 grams of thinsulate in them for insulation along with having to be water proof.

 

[Lhleggtowner]

My area is not tied down yet. I am in the planning stages. I am wanting to do a plains game hunt with a cape buff hunt. I am figuring the areas I have looked are drier than the Caprivi. I have hiking boots ie merrell and Salomon. I just didn’t know if they were good enough. They are pretty comfortable. But the Solomon’s are a bit heavy. And have a more aggressive sole.

I have done a few hunts in the states. This African hunt , I am finding myself all over the place trying to plan. It is sort of like saying I want to deer hunt North America.

I just know that shoes anywhere to me are important. If your feet ain’t happy it really doesn’t matter where you are.

thanks for the input. Keep it coming. yall guys are super informative.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

First I realize there are different terrains but, overall if you fellows , would point out some of the better boots you have carried into the field. Terrain along with that type Of boot. I am looking at do I need new boots r carry what I got. do you need gore Tex? Go for lighter weight? I would like some great insight from the guys that have put some shoes thru the gammit. Thanks in advance for the info.

I was fortunate enough to purchase a pair of the NEW Courtney canvas/leater boot. They are a great boot for Southern Africa much lighter than a regular Courtney, more toe room and virtually no break in. I did put a set of Dr. Shoals 440 inserts/arch supports in mine which made them even better. They probably will not last as long as a all leather pair (especially elephant), but they are a great boot especially coupled with Courtney's Mohair socks!

 

[cal]

I love my Courtneys. I've worn them on many hunts in southern and eastern Africa and they perform as expected, extremely well. For wetter hunts I actually use trail running shoes, they dry quickly and are light when wet. Do not get goretex, the water gets in the top and then the shoe drains a lot slower. I have hunted in the colder mountains in SA and Tanzania and use a pair of La Sportiva hiking boot, these are goretex. For 'general' hunting in Africa in dry, flat-ish terrain a lightweight leather boot will be your best bet (Courtney, Russel etc). I always take a pair of trail running shoes as camp shoes and as back up as well in case something goes wrong with boots. I like the Adidas I have, they are a dark green, no bright colours, they have a pretty aggressive tread so good traction in sand and dirt but rubber is soft and supple so they aren't noisy.

 

[Dewald]

My area is not tied down yet. I am in the planning stages. I am wanting to do a plains game hunt with a cape buff hunt. I am figuring the areas I have looked are drier than the Caprivi. I have hiking boots ie merrell and Salomon. I just didn’t know if they were good enough. They are pretty comfortable. But the Solomon’s are a bit heavy. And have a more aggressive sole.

I have done a few hunts in the states. This African hunt , I am finding myself all over the place trying to plan. It is sort of like saying I want to deer hunt North America.

I just know that shoes anywhere to me are important. If your feet ain’t happy it really doesn’t matter where you are.

thanks for the input. Keep it coming. yall guys are super informative.

For Southern Africa walk and stalk something comfortable, light weight and QUITE. I often hunt with Salomon running shoes or Keen sandals in the summer, or Courteney Safaris or Selous boots in the winter or when guiding. My Safaris have the ripple sole, and are dead quiet in the bush.

 

[spike.t]

I was fortunate enough to purchase a pair of the NEW Courtney canvas/leater boot. They are a great boot for Southern Africa much lighter than a regular Courtney, more toe room and virtually no break in. I did put a set of Dr. Shoals 440 inserts/arch supports in mine which made them even better. They probably will not last as long as a all leather pair (especially elephant), but they are a great boot especially coupled with Courtney's Mohair socks!

Nice to know..looked at them on the website

 

[Lhleggtowner]

Nice to know..looked at them on the website

How do these Courtney’s run size wise? I have a wide foot.

 

[CBH Australia]

I own Courteneys after reading about them.
I have only hunted Africa once, January just gone.
I like leather, Courteney are renowned for being quiet.
They are often recommended for Africa and hot dry climates. Like Australia, or at least where i live.
I wore my Courteney Selous from home as i travelled light. I wore them the whole trip except when i kicked them off on camp.
I have another pair ordered. I had not seen the leather/canvas models but I have it on good Authority that the new toe box is an improvement. It has a little more room and should suit more people overall. An overall improvement available in the leather models too.

 

[CBH Australia]

How do these Courtney’s run size wise? I have a wide foot.

I always where a 9.5, ussually a half size denotes a wide fit . Thats talking Australian/UK sizing guides.
So yes a wide fit. The Courteney boot sizing has a slight increase in length with a half size. There is info on their website. I have been in contact with them directly.
Jim at @African Sporting Creations may chime in soon

 

[JLF]

I use a pair of miner's boots for 10 hours a day, I use them as work shoes ... throughout the year ...
Those boots are the ones that I use in my hunts in La Pampa, where the characteristics of the terrain do not differ much from the soil of Africa.
Something fundamental in all footwear are its insoles ... that will make you feel comfortable or not.

 

[Philip Glass]

First I realize there are different terrains but, overall if you fellows , would point out some of the better boots you have carried into the field. Terrain along with that type Of boot. I am looking at do I need new boots r carry what I got. do you need gore Tex? Go for lighter weight? I would like some great insight from the guys that have put some shoes thru the gammit. Thanks in advance for the info.

Check out my Top 10 gear items for safari video. I have some lightweight Lowa boots there that I am really liking. It all depends on the terrain for your hunt so talk with your PH and then have two pairs of boots broken in and ready to go. Maybe you could have one pair of more standard hiking boots and one pair a bit lighter weight.

 

[chashardy]

I wore Kennetrek light hiking boots on two safaris in Limpopo, SA. My PH wore sneakers.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I have a bit of arthritis in the feet, particularly the left. I used to wear a slip-on Australian boot that had a hard sole. Anyway, I nearly went lame, pain every night. Tried a pair of Courteney Safaris, the soft 'bovine' leather model. An immediate improvement, like night and day. I put this down to the fact that they bend in just the right place under the toes, no magic design feature, it is just the way it is, but it was magic for me. Ive worn these same boots for several years now, every day. There may be another that would work too, but why risk the experiment? Besides, hunting Africa is also about the mystique of it all, how can you wear plastic track shoes on a buffalo hunt!

 

[Tanks]

My area is not tied down yet. I am in the planning stages. I am wanting to do a plains game hunt with a cape buff hunt. I am figuring the areas I have looked are drier than the Caprivi. I have hiking boots ie merrell and Salomon. I just didn’t know if they were good enough. They are pretty comfortable. But the Solomon’s are a bit heavy. And have a more aggressive sole.
...

I like Russell's others like Courtney's. However, in reality, anything you are comfortable in will work in the area your are talking about. If you like Salomon's maybe their all-terrain running shoes? I use the following in USPSA competitions.

Amazon.com | Salomon Men's XA Pro 3D GTX Trail Running Shoes, Black/Black/Magnet, 8 | Trail Running

Buy Salomon Men's XA Pro 3D GTX Trail Running Shoes, Black/Black/Magnet, 8 and other Trail Running at Amazon.com. Our wide selection is eligible for free shipping and free returns.

www.amazon.com

For perspective Buzz Charlton (Zimbabwe PH) guides hunts in flip flops.

 

[BeeMaa]

We hunted SA and used Rocky S2V boots.
Uninsulated, no steel/composite toe, no GoreTex...just boots.
Doesn't have an aggressive sole and are very comfortable.
Really like the speed laces, very quick in the morning to lace up.
Wife's were Coyote Brown and mine were Sage Green.
I'm now on my second pair because I started wearing them to work.