New Boots tested.


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Heading down into a deep canyon tommorow and for the next couple days . I plan to put alot of foot time in on some nasty terrain.

I'm going to be putting some new boots I've been excited about, through their paces. Boots are just boots ? Not for me. Non-metallic Tennis shoes worked for some years, but one horribly sprained ankle and a nasty Snake bite in in 97' changed my mind. My favorite pair of Asolo hiking/backpacking boots are great, support , grip, ankle protection, and Snake value. But , they are laden with metal eyelets. No more said.

Ive used Hi-tec, Converse, and Wolverine boots for detectiing. Lots of Nylon, No metal, but feel 'rolly' in the ankles , minimal snake protection on the footbridge even with gators, and the toes cant handle the constant kicking and shoving of stones, gravel and rocks before the toes breach. As far as comfort the Converse won in the past. But thats me.

Not all feet are the same. But the terrain is.

I am going to try two new pairs I thnk will both have their place in my gear bag. The Keen 'Targhee II ' and The 5.11 HRT desert boots. They are both completley non-metallic, and have vital attributes I look for in a good Nugget shooting boot.

Although they are very different I plan to beat on both pairs and try to provide some insight for anyone that might be looking for a good detecting boot.

Be back in a couple days.

Cheers, john

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Hi all,

Nice looking boots, I will be interested in reading what kind of

results you have. I have yet to find a satisfactory boot that

meets all my needs, as attested by my large collection/investment

of marginal boots gathering dust in the closet.

The pair that really felt good putting on out of the box, was Doc's no

metal boots, but have inadequate arch support, and soles that grip

pretty good, but have funky little tell tale nubbings that are great

for being tracked, ifn you follow my drift... :rolleyes:

Oh yes, a sheet of moleskin product is a good something to have

along, when having potential hike ruining blisters.

~LARGO~

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Largo, the new 5:11 in the picture are light-years ahead of the football-cleat model that was made first...I am picky about my boots and these are very comfortable...

Wool or silk/wool blend will treat your feet much better than cotton or even synthetic fabrics...

fred

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Heading down into a deep canyon tommorow and for the next couple days . I plan to put alot of foot time in on some nasty terrain.

I'm going to be putting some new boots I've been excited about, through their paces. Boots are just boots ? Not for me. Non-metallic Tennis shoes worked for some years, but one horribly sprained ankle and a nasty Snake bite in in 97' changed my mind. My favorite pair of Asolo hiking/backpacking boots are great, support , grip, ankle protection, and Snake value. But , they are laden with metal eyelets. No more said.

Ive used Hi-tec, Converse, and Wolverine boots for detectiing. Lots of Nylon, No metal, but feel 'rolly' in the ankles , minimal snake protection on the footbridge even with gators, and the toes cant handle the constant kicking and shoving of stones, gravel and rocks before the toes breach. As far as comfort the Converse won in the past. But thats me.

Not all feet are the same. But the terrain is.

I am going to try two new pairs I thnk will both have their place in my gear bag. The Keen 'Targhee II ' and The 5.11 HRT desert boots. They are both completley non-metallic, and have vital attributes I look for in a good Nugget shooting boot.

Although they are very different I plan to beat on both pairs and try to provide some insight for anyone that might be looking for a good detecting boot.

Be back in a couple days.

Cheers, john

The light colored boots look just like the desert uniform boots my youngest son has...he loves them and he has extremely sensitive feet...hope they work out well for you...they are really nice looking

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Hi Fred,

I'll have to take a look see, I have had SO many boots, I have to donate them to the good will, in really quite good condition,

as with my diabetic foot neuropathy, and swollen calf, the boots never seem to fit as they did when I first

tried them on at the store. Same for the tennis type shoes, they get to find a new home as well.

As for socks, for me, the cushion sole is the way to go, I just bought 2 more pair of Columbia Merino wool ankle high

socks, which I have found to be very comfortable, even in the summer heat. They are a little pricey, but

you talk about the need to keep your footses comfy, price shouldn't be much of a consideration.

I just did a 4 lap power walk around inside the mall this morning, each lap takes about 11 minutes to complete, so it is a fairly good distance, (don"t think I would do that in the heat do you??) and my feet feel very good, no hint of chafing or uncomfortable feeling, as I may have when wearing cotton socks, which seem to be good for a couple of washings, then loose their nice new cushiony feeling. Not so with the merino wools socks, however,

they seem to maintain the good feeling for a loooonnnnng time.

You may need those same feet to carry you to safety, should you experience a vehicle breakdown of some sort, something

that a person may not consider whey they leave home or where ever.

Have a really good day...

~LARGO~

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Largo, certainly a health condition such as yours would complicate having a shoe fit properly. wool has many properties that make it far better foot-wear than cotton or most synthetics...The Filson Clothing people explain it very well...(might as well have the best). Anyway, back to your feet and mine...if your feet differ in size from the morning to the afternoon, have you tried having two sizes, an a.m and p.m. set???

When I went to Moore Creek Alaska I lent a very thick pair of woolys to my friend Dean which gave him considerable relief from the blisters he got from cotton socks and new boots. By the way, if the fit is right you should never get blisters just because the shoe is new....

Walmart always has inexpensive wool socks on sale in the fall, winter or spring...

fred

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John,

You should find the 5.11 HRT desert boots to be quite comfortable. I have went thru 2 pair since they were first introduced. The last time that L.A. Police gear had a sale on them, I picked up a couple extra pair. The only thing that I have found wrong with them, is that some pairs have a tendency to develop a split on the seam, mid-way up the back of the boot. A number of guys have had this problem in the past. A little shoe-goo dabbed on the spot when it first develops, will solve the problem.

Jim

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I've gone through 5 pair of the 5.11 boots shown...My experience was that I wore the soles out very quickly...Average was maybe 3 or 4 months each...I do put alot of miles over very rough ground, but I gave up on them...However I will check them out again if it looks like they've made improvements...LA Police Gear had a short lived special boot made which were the best light boots I've ever worn, but they discontinued them for some strange reason....Cheers, Unc

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I have also had a couple of pair of 5.11 HRT's, not a bad boot for a couple months, but they break down fairly fast. I read a book about the Navy Seals in Afganistan that were wearing Oakley Boots. I figured if it is good enough for them in that terrain and the gear they pack, then they would probably work well for me here in AZ. I ordered a pair and they were very comfortable and athletic. I did have to snip the eyelits off and metal Oakley Logo on the side, also snip out the metal screen mesh vents on the inside of the boots. Filled them in with shoe goo. I now have the best hiking/detecting boot I've ever had on my feet. They last a lot longer than the 5.11 as well. Its obvious that they are built better and wear better. I just ordered another pair the other day. Here is the link if you want to check them out.

http://oakley.com/pd/4299/14014

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Welp, got back yesterday from the Mokelumne. Did find four nice little nuggs. (thats a different post) And... was able to beat on those boots a little bit.

I did like the 5.11's alot good ankle support, good grip and were very comfy over the trip. I am wondering how long they may last though. They are nice and light , but will the nylon hold up ? We'll see. As far as Im concerned, they will go with me again.

On to the Keen's . Things I liked : Very comfy for my wide flat feet. Nice thick foot bed for rock hopping, funny looking toe section does give better protection for flipping rocks than the 5.11's. Things I would like to have in this boot.. Better ankle support. Of course they arent as high as the 5.11 HRT, but Keen does make a similiar boot with higher ankle support im told. Snake protection is very questionable even with gators. They were water proof opposed to the 5.11 HRT.

The bottom line ... Im not a shoe expert. Im just trying to find a comfy, tough boot, with no metal in it, that repels top attacks from Rattle Snakes, last a decent amount of time, good ankle protection and feels good on my flat wide feet. Is that too much to ask for ? ;)

These will work for now, and Im happy with my purchases. I keep my eyes open for non-metallic boots now and then to see if anything new catches my eye. we'll see.

Cheers, john

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