I have been wearing rubber knee-high boots for years, but they always crack and are no longer waterproof. My last pair didn't even make it 12 months.
I need suggestions for something that would allow me to wade creeks to my stands, is less than $150, and is durable...
Thanks in advance!
I have a pair of Muck boots in the Woody Max and really like them. I'm on my 3rd season with them and going strong. They are a little more than $150 but worth it. Unless you are in a lot of thorns or brush that would rip a boot open.
i second the Muck boots!
I have Mucks and like them but they crack too.
Well, I have a pair of lacrosse knee highs that are close to 20 years old and are not cracked and still plenty waterproof.
That said, I wear muck boots now and am on my second pair. My first pair I got 5 years out of but wore them out from the inside out. I have the Woody Sport now and had the Wetland previously. As long as you remember that you have neoprene uppers and use some common sense they will last a long time.
I've a pair of snake proof rubber boots. Whatever makes them snake proof also makes them tough...they're great
Muck Wetlands,second season and going strong.
Lacrosse Alpha's, you can catch them on sale at the BP for as low as $89 normal price is $129
Well, after 30 years, I finally headed east to hunt white tailed deer.
They told me to wear rubber-bottom boots, I don't know why. Seems Daniel Boone and a few others did well with leather.
. . . so I split the difference. I wore Schnees. Out west, men don't wear rubber boots, we wear Schnees or Whites or Kennetrecks, but nonetheless, we wear something with leather. Seems the least we can do.
Back east for the first time? My Leather-upper Schnees did well. Kilt three white tails with a Howard Hill bow, two of them bucks. Not too bad, outside of their element, eh?
My toes stayed toasty warm and dry the whole time.
(http://i617.photobucket.com/albums/tt252/Rikhinton/doe_2011.jpg)
Pretty sure I could do the same in leather moccasins. Only time will tell. . .
Store them in a cotton bag while not in use.. My LaCrosse boots are about 6 years old and still going strong..
My waders are older than that and still keep chucking
Oh, I forgot to mention, my Schnees are seven years old, and hard used.
Might have to replace the bottoms in a year or so. Maybe five.
Xtratuff ruber boots, they are cheep, tough, and last a long time!! my first paire lasted me wellover 6 years...You can get them insulated or not. Made in the USA.
Mucks are great! Older lacrosses are also tough.
I am using a pair of ankle-fit rubber Lacrosse boots I purchased in 1982. They received very light use for about 20 or so years and have been occasionally treated with "Armor-all" but the cinch straps still work and there is nothing wrong with them. Did you by chance buy inexpensive "bargain" rubber boots which don't always turn out to be such?
Do not store rubber boots by electric motors. The ozone given off will crack the rubber. Hap
I second the Schnee's. I absolutely love mine. Xtratuffs are a great boot, too, but they never fit my feet right. I have a high arch and they were too tight across the top of my foot.
QuoteOriginally posted by Hot Hap:
Do not store rubber boots by electric motors. The ozone given off will crack the rubber. Hap
Rubber breaking down is the result of a two step chemical process. The first requirement is Ozone, or 03 which is produced by many electric motors or outside during thunder storms. It's kinda present in low concentrations everywhere but is more present in higher concentrations.
The second requirement is a weak acid, which is usually comes in the form of acid rain which is what used to eat car tires.
If you're walking around wetlands and bogs and such they tend to be very acidic which would contribute to the breakdown of your rubber boots. A simple solution to this would be to wash your boots thoroughly after every use.
In the future when considering purchasing boots if cracking is a problem call up the boot company and ask what kind of antiozinant they put in their rubber boots to preserve them. For years tire manufacturers and other rubber related industries have been experimenting and improving various chemical additives to rubber products to slow their breakdown.
Lacrosse burly classic. Store them standing up, even if you have to stuff them with something to train them to stand on their own. After a while they will learn. If your boots are cracking around the ankle area, it's because they bend there. If stored standing up, no cracks.
The burly classic is cheaper than the fancier burly models and will outlast them. Chevron sole is better on slippery ground too. For where I live - in Louisiana - if you don't wear 18" rubber boots, you will have wet feet eventually. No matter how nice they are, no leather boot is made for walking around in a foot or so of water day after day, which is routine here.
Bogs. $70 and the same thing as Muck Boots. Mine are two years old and look like new.
have you tried Armor- all? I use it on almost all of my vinyl or rubber stuff, from hunting boots to Jeep dashboards.
Wash the mud off them at the end of the day, store them in a cool dry place out of sun light away from electric motors. Good rubber boots will last for years if they are cared for properly. At work we store our rubber hip boots laid out flat in a wooden box out of direct sun light I have had the same pair for 12 years. My lacrosse hunting boots i have had for 4 years.
QuoteOriginally posted by limbolt:
Muck Wetlands,second season and going strong.
Same here. Extremely compfy too!
Experienced "crows feet" cracking a number of times over the years w/many different rubber boots. Leads to rips & tears. Probably from leaving outside in the back of the truck &/or other laziness? Have LaCrosse & another (?) now that are holding up well. But, I only wear them when it's real wet. Not everytime in the woods.
QuoteOriginally posted by LV2HUNT:
Well, I have a pair of lacrosse knee highs that are close to 20 years old and are not cracked and still plenty waterproof.
That said, I wear muck boots now and am on my second pair. My first pair I got 5 years out of but wore them out from the inside out. I have the Woody Sport now and had the Wetland previously. As long as you remember that you have neoprene uppers and use some common sense they will last a long time.
X2 Yeah Bronz the Lacrosse's won't crack. 10 years and still going strong.
The Muck boots are awesome as well. Have many friends with them and they are very nice and hold up as well as the Lacrosse.
I guess the first question should be...what make of rubber boots have you been using?
I have some Lacrosse burley boots that are at least 20 years old, no cracks.
My wife and I have been wearing Muck boots. They are no longer made in the USA. I have a pair that the bottoms just fell off of and my wife has a pair of the Winter Sports that the sole is coming off of after a year of light wear. The company will not stand behind them.
My Lacrosse lasted 5 or 6 years before they cracked on me rendering them useless. Not too bad of a record but it still gets you mad.My Sorel pack boots rubber bottoms took nearly 20 years before they started getting cracks but rubber is after all a natural material.
Buy boots from LL Bean, everything you get from them has a lifetime guarantee even if not there brand. Cant beat that for insurance.
I have the old Lacrosse Burlies I think. I bought them in 95. No leaks just never stored in the garage all summer.
I got more life out of my older Lacrosse Alph Burly 800 about 5 years they were made in the US. My last pair didn't even make it a year, I was looking at the box they came in for warranty info and found there made in china now. :mad:
I have a 30 yr old pair of Lacrosse that I still use and they are in excellent shape. I only wear them hunting and store them inside in my hunting room.
QuoteOriginally posted by David Yukon:
Xtratuff ruber boots, they are cheep, tough, and last a long time!! my first paire lasted me wellover 6 years...You can get them insulated or not. Made in the USA.
Also recommend these. Add a felt insole that you take out to dry at the end of the day and they are less clammy.
You can get them with cork (spiked) soles too.
BTW, there was a story on state public radio a while back that they are now going to be made in China. The fact that this story made the news tells you how much a standard piece of gear they are here.
QuoteOriginally posted by Stone Knife:
Wash the mud off them at the end of the day, store them in a cool dry place out of sun light away from electric motors. Good rubber boots will last for years if they are cared for properly. At work we store our rubber hip boots laid out flat in a wooden box out of direct sun light I have had the same pair for 12 years. My lacrosse hunting boots i have had for 4 years.
Same here...
I only where my 2 prs. of rubber hunting boots, one lightly insulated and one for colder conditions, for hunting.
I have another pair for everything else. Stored out of the sun....they seem like they'll last forever...
Also if you go with Schnees or Kenetrek you can get new rubber bottoms put on. They will not be as waterproof if standing in water do to the stitching to the leather uppers. Lacrosse probably started makeing rubber boots in China from sales being to low. With boots lasting 2 years versus 10 they became more profitable.
Get some "Shoe Goo"
QuoteOriginally posted by rraming:
Get some "Shoe Goo"
:thumbsup:
Tried Shoe Goo..lasts for about 2 days if lucky. It's ok for minor repairs but not so good on big jobs. I am very disappointed with the quality of the new Muck boots and the attitude of the owners/importers. As comfortable as they are I can't afford the lack of wear and tear they take.
I have found that putting my rubber boots on a boot dryer has made a BIG difference in how long they last.
I had some Mucks and they got ripped the first hunt they were on. Shoe goo got a couple of years out of them.
I went back to Burlys as they work best for me.
I really feel drying them after use is a key to how long they last!! Also seems to help keep down on scent?
I have LaCrosse boots that are MANY years old and still are functional. I also have Mucks and they too are working well after 4 years. I do like the LaCrosse boots better though.
I have always bought LaCrosse boots by the time they crack I am in need of new ones anyhow, I bought a rubber conditioner with last pair but cant comment boots are only 1 season old.
Funny how company's move production to China due to cost savings but price goes up????
Schnees are great, I wear them in the woods and swamp every time out.....they aren't wading boots though. If you are standing in water above the stiching, they will leak eventualy.
I have a boot rack in my garage that is not much more than heavy gauge wire, it stores the boots upside down with no bending. I have never had a problem with any quality rubber boots cracking.
Those Muck boots look interesting, but I think my spots would destroy them quickly, too many thorn brambles.
Quotehave you tried Armor- all? I use it on almost all of my vinyl or rubber stuff, from hunting boots to Jeep dashboards.
That deafeats the purpose of why I hunt in rubber boots -scent control .
These Finnish boots are very popular in Canada, especially with hunters, trappers and ice fishermen.
Hand made with natural rubber.Extremely well made.
http://www.nokianfootwear.com/
http://www.outsidemetro.com/
How come no one has suggested L.L. Beans Maine Hunting shoes? I've wore the same pair since 1986 and they still look and work great. I have to think the 16" boots would work well in boggy areas. I also have a pair of Schnee's that I wear when the temps really drop. I've been impressed with them.
Bucksaw...you are right about Nokia. I have one pair that is at least 10 years old. I wear them frequently in moderate temperature situations but they are not quite warm enough for really cold weather situations. They are an excellent boot but last I looked they were a bit pricey. I'll have to give them another look see.
Bucksaw...you are right about Nokia. I have one pair that is at least 10 years old. I wear them frequently in moderate temperature situations but they are not quite warm enough for really cold weather situations. They are an excellent boot but last I looked they were a bit pricey. I'll have to give them another look see.
nice boots, nice deer, nice bow....
Give your boots a spray with food grade silicone every few months and they wont crack. Other option is neopreme but then the glue around the seam fails and you have to use wader seal.Thgis is how the shoe and boot companies stay in buisness if it was made to last it would be a one time sale.