Hunting Boots, Did I do alright?

[WyoBull]

To the OP - don't overthink it and believe you have to have a pair of Courteney's just because they are worn a lot if Africa. As has been said above, they fit very different from what we are used to here.
I wear Kenetrek here in the US and for my last trip to Africa I wore my Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hikers and they did outstanding. On a safari years before that I wore a pair of Merrills.
Wear what is comfortable for you and you will be fine. Whatever you would wear for hunting Pronghorn Antelope here in the west will be perfect for Africa.

 

[coreydb]

You can easily get by with tennis shoes. When I as in the Kalahari, I had hiking boots, big mistake, all sand. In Zambia hard packed dirt easy walking. Tanzania when on the plains tennis shoes would have worked just find. The two days they we walked up the side on the mountain, I was thankful that I had the ankle support, lots of loose volcanic rocks. The Massai however were wearing sandals made from old tires and they had no problems.

me too, but in Spain.

 

[RSL]

I'm gonna get a pair like Buzz wears....... ;-)

 

[Cme1983]

I'm gonna get a pair like Buzz wears....... ;-)

You have to find someone to sew the tire rubber on the bottom for you

 

[Bandera]

I don’t buy or wear shoes that are uncomfortable when I try them on.

I like my Courtney’s. I find them very comfortable, they required no break in.
I did a Safari this last June and the Courtney’s preformed great. My other pair of boots, have a cloth side panel. I wore them 1 day of hunting and benched them. The grass made a scuffing noise on the cloth as moved through it.
Hunted 6 of the 7 days in Courtney’s, then toured another 7 days in them.

I also did a two week trip in Spain and the Courtney’s did great.

 

[Rare Breed]

James Leddy safari boots start at $350 a pair and go up from there.. at $100, if they are in good shape, you got a serious steal..

I wear leddy's.. I had Al (the bootmaker there) make mine using the cape buffalo hide from my 2019 hunt.. he does stellar work.. a handful of other AH members also have had Al make boots for them..

You got a steal on value so good on you. I had trouble getting any boots to fit comfortable until I did two things: 1. buy saddle soap, that is what Courtney polish is, 2. buy the highest arch orthotic. The reality saddle soap is not polish!!! You should rub in a heavy layer and let soak over night. Next day wear them all day. At night repeat until your bottle/can of saddle soap is gone. Then apply true polish. You will be absolutely amazed how well your boots fit!!!

 

[Rare Breed]

One additional note…some boots pinch your pinky toe. After doing my above two step process I bought a pair of boot expanders for $20 and leave them in my boots until I wear them. My Courtney boots in elephant skin are now an absolute pleasure to wear all day anywhere

 

[Hunt27]

If those dont work out for you go to a rei if you have one close and check them out, they have a great selection of light hikers. I bought a cheap pair of timberland hikers for my Africa trip.

 

[375Fox]

I have a pair of Courteney safaris that I purchased new of a Belgian Vendor. I quite liked them, although the toe box wasn’t high enough for me.

On the Safari that I wore them, I took a bull elephant and had Courteney’s make a pair of safari’s out of the hide, with the specification of a higher toe box. They are now my favourite Safari boot.

I’m used to wearing harder shoes and boots though, leather soles, wood heels. Or relatively heavy Derby boots. So most of the criticism I read above (weight, stiffness, must be walked in) I do not find true so much. Any good boot or shoe needs to be walked in. If it does not need this, it will probably not last that long as it had to be made from more forgiving materials.

I don’t know if we are all confused or every pair of Courtney boots are different. One of my complaints is way too much room in the toe box and too heavy at that end. They are one of the few boots I’ve liked less the more I’ve worn. They felt good trying on. I wish I liked mine because they are definitely well made.

 

[Andrew62]

Gum rubber sole are absolutely the most quiet, but they are also the most flexible so your feet will get sore more easily.. I just bought a pair of ObOz non gore tex hikers, on sale right now for $125. Footwear is such a personal thing, and honestly if you are careful the noise factor is far less a big deal than people want you to believe when you're rifle hunting

I’ve worn Oboz hikers on my last 7-8 safaris, they have served me well. I have 3 different models of them and bought a 4th pair recently on a Black Friday sale.

 

[Bejane]

most people put an insole into Courtneys to make them comfortable

has anyone tried the Jim Green Moc toe?

 

[Bandera]

most people put an insole into Courtneys to make them comfortable

has anyone tried the Jim Green Moc toe?

I tried on several pair of Jim Greens.
I like the price and the style of the boot.
All of them that tried on have a hump in the foot bed that runs the length of the boot.
Very uncomfortable for me.

 

[fourfive8]

@JCHunter62, with those prices, no way a mistake. Certainly worth the chance. Maybe get a couple of decent insole inserts to try out combinations then wear the heck out of them. You have plenty of time. Various stretchers and water and/or denatured alcohol can help any tweaks needed for best fit. I don’t know if there is such a thing as as a quiet sole or not… IMO, more a function of the person “wearing” the sole.
Would also pay to get a pair of light weight gaiters.

 

[SZSA375]

I wear my Courtney Selous nearly every day. Saying that, I wore tennis shoes on my last safari. Great price for your boots. Enjoy.

 

[thriller]

I

Good point, my dad said he thought the Courtney's were uncomfortable when trying them on too. I am hoping with 6 months to break them in, I can make them comfortable atleast.

wear mine everyday 3 different pairs. I find that superfeet insoles make all the difference in the world

 

[PARA45]

Since you already know the quality of Crispi boots, I'd suggest a pair of Attiva Crispi boots and call it a day. I wore a pair on my last safari on the Eastern Cape, and they performed very good. However, since I was hunting in the mountains, I would have preferred a stiffer sole.

 

[Sika98k]

You can easily get by with tennis shoes. When I as in the Kalahari, I had hiking boots, big mistake, all sand. In Zambia hard packed dirt easy walking. Tanzania when on the plains tennis shoes would have worked just find. The two days they we walked up the side on the mountain, I was thankful that I had the ankle support, lots of loose volcanic rocks. The Massai however were wearing sandals made from old tires and they had no problems.

The tires were probably BF Goodrich A/T’s

 

[Safari Dave]

If they fit well and you like them, you did great.

I'm just not a fanboy of Courtney's, like most seem to be.



I've worn a couple of different Danner boots on my safari's and they were fine.

I will probably wear Kenetrek Safari boots on my next hunt. I have a pair, and they seem almost perfect.

 

[mdwest]

I don’t know if we are all confused or every pair of Courtney boots are different. One of my complaints is way too much room in the toe box and too heavy at that end. They are one of the few boots I’ve liked less the more I’ve worn. They felt good trying on. I wish I liked mine because they are definitely well made.

I think they are a testimony to the global truth that every foot is different and unique..

My wife absolutely loves her Courtneys… she’s got two pair… won’t hunt without them (in appropriate climates)… swears they are the most comfortable boots she’s ever worn.. and they are quiet on her feet…

I on the other hand don’t like them at all… I’ve tried them on a number of times, really hoping to find a pair that are comfortable because my wife loves hers so much… I’m convinced a comfortable pair just doesn’t exist for me.. the toe box bangs my big toe up, and the angle of the ripple sole is uncomfortable to me…

So I had Al at James Leddy Boots make me a pair of his Safari boots, which are very similar to Courtney in appearance, but are bespoke and purpose built for each foot…

The JL boots are nothing short of perfect for me… super comfortable.. quiet.. and honestly not that much more expensive than Courtney.. you just have to go to Abeline to sit for a fitting.. which may be a challenge for some…

 

[Russ16]

I think they are a testimony to the global truth that every foot is different and unique..

My wife absolutely loves her Courtneys… she’s got two pair… won’t hunt without them (in appropriate climates)… swears they are the most comfortable boots she’s ever worn.. and they are quiet on her feet…

I on the other hand don’t like them at all… I’ve tried them on a number of times, really hoping to find a pair that are comfortable because my wife loves hers so much… I’m convinced a comfortable pair just doesn’t exist for me.. the toe box bangs my big toe up, and the angle of the ripple sole is uncomfortable to me…

So I had Al at James Leddy Boots make me a pair of his Safari boots, which are very similar to Courtney in appearance, but are bespoke and purpose built for each foot…

The JL boots are nothing short of perfect for me… super comfortable.. quiet.. and honestly not that much more expensive than Courtney.. you just have to go to Abeline to sit for a fitting.. which may be a challenge for some…

Question on the Leddy boots. Does he build up any arch support or will he make them to accomodate a custom insole? I use SheepFeet inserts in all my shoes and boots.

My foot is very hard to fit, narrow heel, high arch, and tall midfoot. There are almost no slip on loafers that I can get my foot into because of the height of my foot and lots of boots are very loose in the heel once they are big enough for the rest of my foot.

I had custom Russell's for my bird hunting but after about 20 years my foot got a little bigger and they don't fit anymore. I'm considering a custom option for my safari boot.