Meindl Perfekt Hunters are the best ones I've owned. But you won't get them for $300.

The ones I have now have been going for a LLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time and lots of miles and are still in great shape.

 

I had a pair of Danner pronghorn and they were great for many yrs until they started to leak. They were made in the USA but are now made in china. So I got my first pair of perfect hunters from Cabelas & they lasted over 10 yrs and ordered a new pair right from Meindi last yr. They are a great boot. Never leaked And very comfortable

 

irish setter recommended these three

Men's Hunt Waterproof | Hunt Footwear | Irish Setter

 

I see they completely redesigned the elk trackers, wonder how they are. I liked the old ones besides being on the heavy side & leather wearing fast above the sole. Looks like they corrected that with the rubber rand.

 

Kennetrek or Meindl get my vote. And both can be refurbished by the factory. Last the rest of your life Bo!
Buy once, cry once.

 

Of the ones you mentioned I like the Danner Pronghorns I’ve put a lot of miles on mine. They are not comparable to higher end boots but for the money they’re a good boot. More and more I’ve been going away from the pull on muck style boot and back to lace ups too.

 

I been wearing Elk Trackers for a long time. Wear good and leather upper supports great.

 

I'm with you on the elk trackers. I have 4 pairs one with no insulation one with 200 grams one with 600 grams and one with 1000 grams. 95% of the time I wear the two with the least insulation. I too have bad ankles but they work well.

 

Here ya go...Boots and gaiters all in one...

...you're welcome.

 

bohunr in those? He'd have Squatches chasing after him!

 

Get a good ankle brace then get boots big enough for your foot to fit in with it on.

 

Heck with bohunr.....Do those legs come with those boots and gaiters???

 

I snapped an ankle 35 years ago back in grouse hunting.Stepped in snow covered hole and it CRACKED.Went down and woke up minutes later.Pulled myself out tree by tree.Drove home and as soon as I took those high leather boots off POOF.Went to ER and they said I would have been better to break it than sprain it.Weeks with a plastic support but it got better.

 

This might be a little long but here's my $0.03, and this is just me.
I sprained mine numerous times when younger at work and in sports so my ankles are a bit "loose and unstable". Any lace up boot I wear I get extra long laces and wrap them around the outside of the boot as I'm lacing up. Makes a significant difference. Look up Sierra laces. Wear like iron and are made very long to custom cut for such things. Remember to buy 2 as you may not get enough for both boots to do the wrap around thing depending on length from one pack. A pack has one very long lace or at least it did last time I bought them. Also check out different ways to lace up on the net. Some really useful ways rather than the normal, backpackers really pay attention to such things, they have it figured out for better foot and ankle support, crucial to their activity.
I hear you about the muck style so I'll only wear mine in certain conditions and terrain if I'm familiar with where I'm going.
I like Danner pronghorns but not for rough terrain or side-hills, or rocky places, but lacing as described above helps.
No wheels, no hunting, no foot no horse, so In my opinion the better boots are worth it ( keeping in mind you want to prevent this from happening again which will only weaken your ankles further) and Meindl perfect hunters as mentioned by someone is my favorite along with Zamberlan's but yes both pricey.
Never wore the Irish Setters so can't comment on them except they seem well made and they must be popular because they have been making that model for quite some time so I wouldn't hesitate if that's your pick.
Lastly, you might want to consider ankle, calf and lower leg strengthening and flexibility exercises before next season, as nothing replaces your own inherent anatomical integrity.
Happy shopping!

 

Lastly, you might want to consider ankle, calf and lower leg strengthening and flexibility exercises before next season, as nothing replaces your own inherent anatomical integrity.
Happy shopping!

Good points.

Simple toe raises is a simple exercise that strengthens feet, ankles,etc. Do the exercise without shoes. Just raise up on your toes, then lower back down. Do a bunch of repetitions.

You can also do simple balancing exercises. Just stand on one foot, raising the other foot. See how long you can hold it. Try extending your arms out to the side, and overhead.

You can do these exercises in the kitchen while waiting on the microwave!

 

I bought a pair of Kennetrek Mountain Extreme 400 gram boots 2 yrs ago. Great boots. Need time to break them in though. I had some gift card so it helped with the price.

 

Try a store that sells prostetic (sp) shoes and braces . Check wth a podiatrist for recommrndations in your area.

 

I went to a GOOD feet shop and they measure your feet for the exact size for lifetime arch supports. For me it made my walking worse & more uncomfortable. Prices started at $1200 up to $2400. No thanks. I did walk out with a pair of walking sneakers that felt great @$150.

 

I have had a pair of these for 3 years and so far like them.

Men's Kangaroo Upland Hunter's Boots, Insulated

Find the best Men's Kangaroo Upland Hunter's Boots, Insulated at L.L.Bean. Our high quality Men's Boots are thoughtfully designed and built to last season after season.

www.llbean.com

 

You don’t want kenetrek. They will be the stiffest boot that you’ll learn to hate when walking in the PA woods. Look at the Lowa superwarms. Wait for a sale and you’ll be happy. Next to no break in period and comfy

 

Crispi lapponia lite with the crispi alto gaiters. I wore this set up this year late season out west, they're uninsulated just adjusted sock weight as needed. Good support with flex rating of 2, they make stiffer models also if you want more support. Got into some deep snow but with the gaiters it was a comfortable setup. The lapponias & some of the newer crispis have attachment points sewn in the heel for the strapless gaiters. It's nice not having stirrups tripping you up, collecting mud or snow, or failing.
Edit: I put a ton af miles on these boots with heavy packs last year hunting & training without issue.

 

Danner or Kenetrek. The American made Danners are decent and probably slightly less expensive than Kenetrek.

 

I vote against Danner pronghorns. While very comfortable, they do not stay waterproof very long. I have also tried the USA made Danners, but did not find them all that comfortable.

I picked up a set of Crispis about 1.5yrs ago during a 40% off sale. I am not sure I will ever buy a different brand of boots. They are great. Super comfortable after a short break in period and still water free. Mine are the Valdress Goretex model. They are only 8” and do not have ankle support like a mountain boot, but have WAY more support than a rubber boot. I may buy a set of 10” Guides on the next sale.

 

Georgia boots I just got a new pair 100% waterproof... Cabelas sells one of its top sellers Ridge something and they have good ankle support and you can go to one of their stores to try them on..

 

The thing I like about Danner's stitch down boots is the sole can be replaced as long as the upper is still in good condition. I did this with a pair or their rain forest boots.

What I don't like about Danner's is the heel. My feet just don't fit well into the heel. The heel rubs when walking on slopes.

Irish Setters fit me very well.

 

Lots of supportive boots are available, finding the ones that fit you right and are comfortable will be the thing. Hopefully you can find a few stores within reasonable driving distance to try some different brands and styles on.
Since I sprained my ankle 2 years ago I’ve been wearing the Crispi Idaho’s for deer and can get away with the Crispi Wyoming for spring turkey. A friend that broke his ankle and now has pins and screws in it called Kenetrek and they got him setup with a pair of boots that are different sizes due to his injury. He loves them.

Even though lots of these boots are outside of your price point, they all run sales at some point in the year. Right now there are shows coming up and decent discounts should be available. Down here at the Great American Outdoor Show, the folks from Centre Boot have Crispi boots discounted and Kenetrek has a booth too. Not sure if they discount or not.

 

I also downvote the danner pronghorns. Very comfortable boot, good traction, got about 50 miles out of them and they leaked like crazy. I just picked up a pair of Rocky Utility boots. I was skeptical but was told they have a lifetime guarantee on the eyelets, waterproof membrane, and soles. We will see. Hopefully the salesman wasn't full of it. They were $160, very comfortable out of the box, and 600 grams of insulation

 

I have a pair of Danner Steadfast boots. I don't believe they make them anymore but I have worn them for 10+ years without any leaks or problems. I do know that good quality boots are getting very expensive. I'm at the point where I think my next boot is going to be a buy it for life made by Russell Moccasin in Wisconsin.

 

https://a.co/d/9eBPRIj

I have been on the hunt(hehe) for some boots too. I am new to this cold and terrain. Down south I wore RedWings, absolutely best boot I've worn. Irish setters are a sister company or something so I wanted a pair of those but the tread isn't aggressive enough for me. I was recommended rockys also so I just ordered these. 7 day try on before you commit to the purchase. Kinda hard to not try em out. 1400g insulated which i am stoked for. i got a pair of cheap boots from Dunhams at the start of the season. Northside or something, looked them up online and only 200g insulated. Toes get cold in 30 mins or so. so we'll see. ill update with my experience.

 

You will find that heavily insulated boots are not necessarily the answer to warm feet. Seem strange, I know.
Spend the money on a good pair of boots where the laces can easily be adjusted and loosened (roller bearings). My last two pair (Hanwag and Schnees) are uninsulated boots that I can wear with heavy wool socks or light liner socks, and the laces allow me to cinch them down to be comfortable and supportive with any sock

 

i went to the boot box in meadville. tried the pronghorns, looked nice, fit decent only came in a 2E width i need at least a 3E. didnt care for the looks of the tread on the soles.

also tried the irish setter elk tracker and elk tracker xd. the elk tracker is 12 inch high and i couldnt close the top of the boot around my calf and again only in a 2E same as the XD model but it was 8 inch high but the tongue wouldnt lay flat. it seemed like there was to much material and no matter what i did it just kept bunching up when i laced it. thought that would be uncomfortable after walking awhile.

 

Hey Bo, Did you ever look into Govx or Guidefitter discount programs? Many of the brands have discounts through signing up for these. I’m not sure what the percentage is but I’m sure it’s worth checking into.