Rubber Boots

[erussell]

I'm looking for a new pair of rubber hunting boots and have narrowed it down to the lacross alpha lites or the irish setter rutmaster uninsulated boots. Anyone have a pair of these boot and how long did they last before they dry rotted. I took back the pair of itascas I got this yr, they cracked out after 2 months of deer hunting. Before that I had lacross boots that lasted about 3 yrs before they rotted out. I also have a pair of 2000 gram thinsulate rubber boots that are way to heavy for hunting and I only use for ice fishing that have lasted 10 yrs. Is there anyway to keep rubber boots from dry rotting?

[nyslowhand]

Had a pair of Muck boots for 5-6 years and no signs of rotting/drying out.

If you treat rubber boots, doesn't it kinda defeat the scent-free theory behind wearing them???

Maybe there is some scent-free treatment, don't know???

[wooly]

I went through 2 pair of LaCrosse Burleys in 2 years. They always seem to crack on me right at the top front of the ankles durring or just after deer season. Guessing the sub-zero temps and post hunt warm up wears them out quick. My father on the other hand has had the same pair for going on 7 or 8 years now with no problems.

I bought a new pair of LaCrosse "Viper" snakeboots last fall that were supposed to be 100% waterproof. They were....for the first 3 months. They're already ready for the trash almost 200 bucks later. Glad I never had to test their fang proofness.., they're just glorified sock covers anymore. :

I've heard nothing but good things about the Irish Setters. Wish I would listen sometimes to all those reviews out there.

[mbucks27]

I know its not in your options but i use muck boots and i will never buy another boot again. they are the most comfortable boots you can buy and 100% waterproof.  Just an option to consider.

John

[phade]

I've heard the new Irish boots are harder to get off. That's about all I know of them other than some people do like them.

I have had alphas for 2.5 years. My only complaint is that I wore down the inner felt around the right heel. It must be just large enough that my foot rubbed to the point of removing the felt.

Outside of that...bone dry...great boot all around. I'd have no qualms about buying another Lacrosse rubber boot.

Rockies...I've soured on them as I've had two pairs in a row underperform (water leaks mostly).

[fasteddie]

I bought a pair of the Itasca Scent Free boots last summer . They appear to be okay . The main reason I bought them is there are slots on the top where I can grab them to pull them on . I have arthritis in both hands and it is difficul to put some of the other style boots on my feet .

I had a pair of the Field & Stream boots that lasted me about 3 years .

I think DICKs is having a clearance on some of the LaCrosse boots .

[erussell]

I don't know, the more reviews I read about the Rut masters The more I like them. There seem to be alot of good reviews for them.

[WNYBuckHunter]

For Christmas this year, I was given a pair of the uninsulated Scent Shield Bone Collector Brotherhood Boots. I have mixed feelings about them. They are pretty warm, even being uninsulated, I get awesome traction with them, and they are great because of how tall they are. What I dont like though, they are heavy to me. I am used to my Rocky boots that are pretty light. The other thing is how stiff they are. Its tough to bend at the ankles, and while I like some support, these boots cause my legs to wear out alot faster due to the extra effort from not being able to flex my ankle as much. I am upin the air about them. If they dry rot, well, Ill never buy another pair of rubber boots again, come to think of it, I may never buy another pair again anyway lol.

[Doewhacker]

Whats up with boots only lasting a couple of years??

I have a pair of Rocky's that are light weight that sprung a leak already with in two years of having them...bastards!

I am considering a lightweight pair of Rubber boots but it sounds like they are no better than the regular boots. I do have a pair of heavy Rocky boots that are I think 1200gram that have lasted me at least ten years so I guess it depends on if you get lucky with how long they last.

[steve863]

Boots are definitely not what they used to be as far durability.  I think in general they are more comfortable and break in a lot faster these days, but they will definitely NOT last as long.  If you get 5 seasons out of them you are probably doing good, eventhough it sort of doesn't make sense that they only last this long.  It's not like we wear them every day so they should last longer. 

Rubber boots are good for short walks in wet stuff.  The surely aren't made for long hikes.  Your feet would look like minced meat if you walked 5 miles in them and it wouldn't matter how much you paid for them either. 

[erussell]

I like the rubber boots for the scent free qualities, if taken care of . To many things to worry about with hunting, having a nice buck come the "wrong way" and scent my tracks is always a real possibility. Better just to cut that part of the problem out altogether. I keep my rubber boots super clean and wash them off with scent free soap after every hunt. When I took my itascas back I had hunted out of them for two month just about everyday and the lady at the desk said they looked like I had just picked them up from the store. : ) Plus there are several creeks I have to cross to get to some of mystands back in the thick stuff and its just better to be able to cross where I need to with knee high rubber boots than to have to find a tree to cross everytime.

[132 eight pointer]

I am not an expert but the soap you are washing the boots with may be drying them out.I have an inexpensive pair of 400 gram Guide gear boots from the Sportsman's Guide I have used deer and turkey season for three years now and I am satisfied with them.I paid $38 with shipping for them.I know of others that paid more and ended up with leaks or punctures in the more expensive boots.

[erussell]

Boots are definitely not what they used to be as far durability.  I think in general they are more comfortable and break in a lot faster these days, but they will definitely NOT last as long.  If you get 5 seasons out of them you are probably doing good, eventhough it sort of doesn't make sense that they only last this long.  It's not like we wear them every day so they should last longer. 

Rubber boots are good for short walks in wet stuff.  The surely aren't made for long hikes.  Your feet would look like minced meat if you walked 5 miles in them and it wouldn't matter how much you paid for them either.

Tell that to the Benoits, they use uninsulated lightly soled rubber boots exclusively and they walk 15 miles or more in a day for weeks on end till they find something they want to shoot.   I think it matters what kind of rubber boots you get. You get 15 dollar rubber boots from walmart your going to be hurting if you walk for a while in those.  The lacross boots I had were almost like wearing sneakers. I walked all day on some steep NYC watershed land for several days in a row and my legs killed me but my feet never hurt.

[erussell]

Decided on the Muck Boot Arctic pro. They are a $160  boot and the local Agway had them for sale for $104 so I couldn't pass them up they are like walking on air a wicked light.

[erussell]

So this spring while putting up my hunting stuff and the muck boots, I noticed they were already dry and cracking around where the foot meets the uppers. And this was with only about 2 months of total use on them. So I took them back to Agway to see what they would do and they replaced them for me. So if you need some boots Agway in binghamton is a good place to go.

[Nomad]

I don't know what to say,my Muck boots have been great for 3 or 4 years now. Take em off throw them on the driveway hose 'em off. They have sat right in front of the fireplace scores of time as well,no issues .

Everyone on the farm wears them,all the hired men,they get zero care no washing etc.rode hard put away wet .

Are you leaving them in the sun or by a heat source ?

As far as walking miles in them,well folks run marathons i low cut sneakers....

Good luck.

[deerpassion]

I went through 2 pair of LaCrosse Burleys in 2 years. They always seem to crack on me right at the top front of the ankles durring or just after deer season. Guessing the sub-zero temps and post hunt warm up wears them out quick. My father on the other hand has had the same pair for going on 7 or 8 years now with no problems.

I bought a new pair of LaCrosse "Viper" snakeboots last fall that were supposed to be 100% waterproof. They were....for the first 3 months. They're already ready for the trash almost 200 bucks later. Glad I never had to test their fang proofness.., they're just glorified sock covers anymore. :

I've heard nothing but good things about the Irish Setters. Wish I would listen sometimes to all those reviews out there.

any of the snake boots that say "waterproof" only means from the dew in the air, or walking through wet grass , never submerged,,, and waterproof only means until the spray treatment they put on it wears off... the only boots that are waterproof are the ones equipped with the gortex lining ... rocky makes some solid gortex snake boots... turkey hunting and well any hunting here in south FL boasts a good pair of snake boots as essential... !!

[landtracdeerhunter]

After going through several companies, hundreds of dollars, and failure after failure with rubber boots, I purchased a pair of $40 Kamik rubber boots for the 2010 deer hunting season. I wear boots almost on a daily basis, from November right through to the end of spring turkey season the following year. , so they get quite a bit of use. When they start failing about the end of May. I purchase a new pair faithfully, which I did in 2011 with the same results going in this May turkey season. They have removable liners, weigh 5.6 lbs. and are steel shanked. When temps. dip down to below freezing, I wear heavier socks and do keep my feet warm. When they wear out, I throw them in the recycle box, out by the road, and they do take them. (You do have to remove the liners though.) They are made in Canada, who better than our northern neighbors, to know how to make boots. Nice to know, u can still purchase a value priced item, and still have them preform quite well, and u get a fresh pair of boots every year. I figure $40 every year is better than $120+ every 2 years, with about, the same results.

Edited April 25, 2012 by landtracdeerhunter