Good pair of starter hunting boots- 1 year review (2 hunting seasons). held up well so far... - Irish Setter Gunflint II 2813 Boots - Men's

I have owned the Gunflint II boots for over a year and used them through two squirrel and deer seasons primarily in the woods of East Texas. I have hunted wearing the Irish Setter Gunflint II 1000 gram insulated boots in the autumn, winter, and spring. Keep in mind, THESE ARE NOT SNAKE BOOTS! I have worn them in temps down into the 20s (Fahrenheit) and up into the low 80s. My feet remained dry (be mindful to wear socks appropriate for the weather) while trekking through light snow, dew and rain-soaked foliage, creek bottoms, and dry woods in warmer spring weather. They protected my feet and ankles from green briars and thick brush while providing adequate support when having to drag a deer or sliding down a short embankment. They don't seem to hold a ton of mud, although I didn't make it a point to walk through a lot of thick mud that went over the top of the toe of the boots. I have briefly slipped into creek water where the water came just overt the top of the foot of the boot for a moment and my feet remained dry. I would say that I have worn them comfortably for periods up to 4-5 hours. I have walked 3-5 miles in a day in these boots without adding inserts and my feet felt fine afterwards.

When putting them on I recommend loosening the laces almost all the way down, pulling the tongue forward, and opening the collar of the uppers before trying to force your foot into the boot. To lace and comfortably tie them try starting from the mid-foot area of the lower laces, pulling them tighter according to your comfort level, and working your way up the ankle. Once you make your way beyond the eyelets, I've found it best to bend your ankle forward some (similar to how you would if you were about to begin running in a track and field event) before looping your laces around the speed hooks. This leaves room for you to comfortably step up embankments, squat, sit on your heels, kneel on both knees, or shoot comfortably from a kneeling position without the collar of the uppers putting too much pressure on your ankle or Achilles tendon (there is adequate padding back there to where this should not be an issue anyway).Be mindful not to lace the lower ankle portion of the boot too tightly. If it feels a little tight when you first tie them up it will likely feel a lot tighter 30 minutes to an hour later. It takes time to comfortably put on these boots. They are not boots that I can easily slip on in a rush like my sneakers or a pair of pull-up boots.

I am happy to say that the soles have yet to separate from the boot as I have encountered with various types of boots. I don't oil the leather or do anything special to maintain them other than store them in a climate-controlled area when not in use. The rubber on the sole has plenty of tread left. It's not like I've worn them by walking on a ton of asphalt or concrete. The tread has provided adequate traction to the point where there were not many instances where I lost my footing due to poor traction. Think of the tread on the soles as off-road tires on a jeep or 4x4 truck. The finish on the leather has taken a beating from brush, rocks, deadfalls, and grinding the toe into the earth while kneeling. They sure look like they've been hunted in, but they have suffered no holes or tears. The camo pattern has not faded and still blends well with Real Tree patterns and other camo prints on my pants. The fabric portion is easy to clean blood off of. I was able to wipe small amounts of blood away fairly easily with a damp cloth - it wasn't there for more than a half-hour. Blood also wipes away cleanly from the leather surface. To clean mud from the boots I just take them off and smack the soles against each other, then hose off the remaining mud from soles. I think this works best if done before the mud dries. These boots are insulated and a bit bulky to me (5'10', 165), but I don't think that's anything that should impede or tire an in-shape hunter within no hip, leg, knee, ankle, or foot injuries. The fit seems true to the sizing as Nike's or work boots. Expect a little room towards the toe (width) for wearing thicker socks. As with leather boots its take a bit of time to break them in. It does take some practice to stalk animals while wearing these bulky boots if you aren't accustomed to the weight. It helps to mindful of lifting your feet when you take steps. Expect them to feel somewhat stiff the first few times you wear them until you break them in.