E
Exorcist45
October 07, 2016
Great Boots
This is my second pair of Kenetrek's Mountain Extreme boots. I purchased my original pair on the advice of a guide who had extensive experience with this brand and spoke of them glowingly. I can see why. I had been exclusively wearing my old standby brand for over thirty years but the last two caused very painful heel blisters. That problem has disappeared since switching to Kenetreks. Each fall, I hunt very hard in the Sierra Nevada mountains, then fish remote streams and lakes each summer. This is very steep, rocky terrain and these boots provide the best protection for my feet of any boot I have ever worn. They are fairly light weight, offer excellent traction as well as terrific heel and arch support. I have also found the waterproof membrane used in Kenetrek boots to be superior to gore-tex because it is more breathable, yet water-proof, so my feet do not sweat like my old gore-tex boots. These boots are non-insulated but I must say even this non-insulated model is warmer than the pair of Danners with 200 grams of insulation that I own. I have hunted in weather down into the low twenties and been perfectly comfortable. Kenetreks come treated with a waterproofing wax that is very good; water simply beads up and rolls off. If there is a downside they are a bit stiff and can require a bit more break in period than other brands. This can be shortened if you treat the boots periodically with Kenetrek boot wax. I figure I have over 800 rough miles on my original pair and they are still serviceable. This experience makes it easy for me to highly recommend these boots.
✔ Verified Purchase
Awesome but…
The boot is perfect for what it’s supposed to be. First off - there is a waterproof lining but you will want to waterproof the leather using the waterproofing paste THAT COMES FROM KENETREK. It will protect the leather, make it supple and eliminate it getting heavier with moisture. DONT USE ANYTHING ELSE - it can void the warranty. They use different glues that can dissolve with things like mink oil or petrol based solutions. If you use their stuff, it is perfect and sheds water like a ducks back side. Second - the boot is built like a tank. I see these lasting me 8 years or better. It’s foot bed is stiff as a board with no flex. They are perfect for hard terrain where foot flex can get you in trouble. They are not perfect for light day trips, on even trails that are dry and well maintained. If you take them out there, you are just wearing stiff ankle weights. They want to get muddy and be abused so your feet won’t be. Lastly, they fit like a glove. That last statement is often overused but not in this case. Right out of the box they wrap your foot perfectly with no hot spots. You still need to break them in but the break in is short and completely painless. I absolutely love these things. I have amazing confidence that my feet are protected and my footing secure. They are in fact, perfect but… use them how and where they were meant to be used.
✔ Verified Purchase
Expensive but worth it. I wish some of these American made boots would learn from Kenetrek or at least compete with them.
In the past, I have always worn a different brand due to their price point. Recently I needed new hunting boots and purchased my same brand but the quality is just not the same. I figured I would try and give them a chance, but after a couple of weeks I returned them. Then I decided I should just take that leap of going to a higher end boot....the Kenetreks.I was very apprehensive to purchase a boot like the Kenetrek due to the price range. However, I tried on a pair and was thrilled at how comfortable, supportive, and well-made they are.Kenetreks are the real deal when it comes to a solid boot - heres why...Once I put them on, laced them up, I noticed the tongue did not cram up or bunch up under the lacing. The tongue just folded up neatly all the way up along my ankle and shins. I never felt any of the eyelets digging into my skin or shins. During the lacing up, I noticed that I did not have to mess with putting the tongue in place, folding it, or aligning it up as I laced the boot.The arch support, at first, seems just a tad high. The support around the sides of feet were snug. My foot basically felt as if it was glued to the sole and would not at all slide around, such as my other lower-quality boots that I returned. I still have wiggle room for my toes. I am wearing a light wool sock and at first, they are a little too snug, but immediately as I start walking around in them it's like the boot loosens up just perfect to where my feet are perfect. I noticed now, that the arch support is just fine. Its probably because my other boots arch supports are worn out. I noticed with these Kenetreks, each time at first when I put them on that I noticed the arch, but then after 10 minutes, either the arch support forms to my arch or my feet get use to it.I used the regular shoe size measuring device, and one foot is a 8.5 and the other is 9. And of course you are suppose to go with the bigger size foot. But even when I tried on both sizes, I felt I could wear either size. That I couldn't believe, because all the other shoes and boots that I've tried on in the past, there was a noticeable difference between the 8.5 and 9. With the Kenetreks, it was hardly noticeable. I opted to go with the larger size 9, that way if I could wear a thicker wool sock and allow for that extra wiggle room for my toes. I believe these boots a true to size.I've worn these on several training hikes in preparation for my hunt. I've gone on 2.5 mile hikes each time to start breaking them in. I noticed the soles have great traction. The soles grip the gravel, sandy, rocky, dirty, muddy, grassy, etc.. terrain very well. The support in these shoes are awesome. When I walked through a Sam's Club on the concrete surface, they felt a tad hard and I felt that it was much better to be worn on dirt/rocks. Seemed like these boots are definitely for the outdoors.Now the awesome part. I've come to notice the following as I have been putting on and taking these boots off several times now. When taking these boots off, talk about easy. You just unlace all the speed laces down to the eyelets, and then with a gentle nudge at the heel, these boots just slip off with no work at all. None of this having to kick hard, or pull hard, to yank your boots off, or having to unlace even more to loosen the boot laces down to its toes just to fight to get the boots off!! And now to put them on.... easy! I can have the boot standing on its own, without me holding the boot up, no hands, just slip my foot in and step down into the boot, and my foot goes right in! I dont have to do the pulling the sides of the boot up or fight and shove my foot down into the boot to get these on. Lace them up, and I'm ready.So my first impression of these are that they are a solid, boot and are the real deal for a hunting/mountaineering boot. I've got two hunts, deer and elk, coming up. I hope these last for a reasonably long time based on normal wear and tear. The construction of the boot seems of high quality. We'll see how these do in the next couple of years.
✔ Verified Purchase
