1.) DParker - 01/10/2019

It's time for a new pair. After what I think has been about 8 years (or nearly that, anyway) my relatively inexpensive Red Head (Bass Pro) snakebite boots finally need replacing. They're lace-up + zipper style and are still in decent condition overall, but the slider for the zipper (I actually had to look that up to see what it was called) on the left boot broke off when I was trying to zip them up this past Sunday for the last day of deer season, rendering them unusable. Lucky for me that it waited that long to fail. In any event, I really liked the boots. They were comfortable, provided great support, kept my feet dry in even calf-deep mud and water and held up well enough for my use. My only real gripe with them was that the zippers were a bit persnickety, and would occasionally (though not that often) hang up...in both directions...requiring a bit of finagling to get them to finish (un)zipping. The thing is that I don't want to give up on the lace+zipper combo because it allows for both a perfect fit and easy on/off without having to re-tighten and tie/untie the laces every use.

So, why not just get a new pair of the same boots, or at least the closest thing in the current Red Head lineup? Because based on all of the online info (reviews and such) I've been able to find, their quality has gone significantly downhill since I bought mine, and pretty much nobody has anything good to say about them.

So...what says the hive on recommendations for a replacement pair? Snakebite protection is a must, as I often hunt areas where cottonmouths are occasionally encountered...and once in a blue moon, areas with rattlers. Being waterproof is another, as hunting season has also become the rainy season the past few years. I'm also very fond of the side-zip feature. I'm pretty easy on soles, as I'm not hiking any rocky areas. I just need something that will not fall apart, grip fallen logs and the like and protect my feet from any locust tree thorns I might step on. I'm open-minded when it comes to budget, so long as I'm getting what I pay for and what I'm paying for is what I need.

OK, spend my money.

ETA: I'm currently looking into Irish Setter's "Vapertrek" and LaCrosse's "Venom" boots. Both seem to have the features I want, with street prices of around $199 (I can live with that). But reviews are all over the map, depending on which site you're viewing. The biggest theme I'm seeing is people claiming that many boots advertised as "waterproof" are anything but. That's distressing, if true, as my budget Red Heads actually did a good job of keeping my feet dry even in swamp-like conditions.

2.) bluecat - 01/10/2019

Provide credit card number in pm and I'll do it.

3.) DParker - 01/10/2019

[QUOTE=bluecat;57626]Provide credit card number in pm and I'll do it.[/QUOTE]

I'll just do it here so everyone can help.

42

4.) Swamp Fox - 01/10/2019

Wow ...42 ... That's a lot more than I have. :-)

I don't want to rain on your snipe hunt, but I gave up a long time ago on any boots advertised as waterproof being anything close to the mark, unless they were rubber or neoprene. This eliminates most of the lace/zippered boots. I know why you like them (although the zipper-and-laces combinations never saved me any time --YMMV) but I wouldn't look at a nylon-and-leather boot and say to myself "I'll bet the marketing people stayed absolutely bone dry in those things before they wrote the blurbs."

Skipping past my fascinating history with truckloads of boots, I'd look at Bogs and LaCrosse. Rubber boot fit, comfort and walkability have come a long way, so if the last rubber hunting boots you remember were from the 80s and 90s, it's time to pull those nasty things off from your memory and smell the petunias.

5.) DParker - 01/10/2019

I'm glad you said LaCrosse. I decided to bail out of the office early, beat rush-hour traffic and head to my local Cabela's, just to try on a few pairs. It turns out that not only did I like the LaCrosse Venoms, they just happened to have a display pair (in pristine condition) on clearance for $60 off...and they were in my size. I'm on my way to the checkout line now.

6.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

Check these out.

7.) DParker - 01/11/2019

Those boots were made for walkin', and I'll that's just what they'll do.

8.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

I'd be interested in how they perform.

Talk about an advertising image that sticks with you---- As soon as I saw bluecat's pic, I thought of this, from 1982 or 83:







If anyone's wondering ... Yes, they are nice boots.

9.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

They make nice baseball gloves too.

10.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

Didn't know they did that.

11.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

Actually they are probably the best. They don't accept pro endorsements so you don't see them on pro players.

12.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

So I've always wondered:


Would you cut off the head and ruin the knife's edge on the desert floor, or would you slice the rattler in half and risk nicking your boots and getting snake goo all over?

I think I'd slice, and regret that I ruined the snake skin later.

13.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

I'd turn the page and see what the centerfold looked like. You can play with the snake later. See what I did there?

14.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

[QUOTE=bluecat;57645]Actually they are probably the best. They don't accept pro endorsements so you don't see them on pro players.[/QUOTE]

Huh. I learned something today.

It was close, though.

I was going into the evening thinking I'd wasted *another* day of my life ... LOL

15.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

[QUOTE=bluecat;57647]I'd turn the page and see what the centerfold looked like. You can play with the snake later. See what I did there?[/QUOTE]

LOL ...

+5.5


(See what I did there?)

LOL

16.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

I bought one way back when an expensive glove was 70.00. It was over 100. It is still like new.

17.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;57649]LOL ...

+5.5


(See what I did there?)

LOL[/QUOTE]

Shrinkage or I'd have gotten a 6. lol

18.) bluecat - 01/11/2019

Not sure why but the baseball gloves are spelled with a k.

[url]https://www.nokona.com/[/url]

I see some pros are starting to use them. I think they make some nice wallets and belts too.

19.) DParker - 01/11/2019

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;57639]I'd be interested in how they perform.[/QUOTE]

You and me both. If the weather cooperates, I might dust off the 12 gauge and go chasing squirrels on Sunday. The ground should still be pretty wet.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;57639]Talk about an advertising image that sticks with you---- As soon as I saw bluecat's pic, I thought of this, from 1982 or 83:







If anyone's wondering ... Yes, they are nice boots.[/QUOTE]

Oh, hell yeah, I remember that one...which is strange considering the absence of scantily clad female in it, and where my mind spent most of its time in the '80s.

20.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

It's cold here, too. LOL

C'mon, Spring!

21.) Swamp Fox - 01/11/2019

[QUOTE=bluecat;57652]Not sure why but the baseball gloves are spelled with a k.

[url]https://www.nokona.com/[/url]

I see some pros are starting to use them. I think they make some nice wallets and belts too.[/QUOTE]


Couldn't trademark the name of an incorporated town, according to Wiki, at least at that time.

[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocona_Athletic_Goods_Company[/url]



Makes sense.

Probably why there's no San Francisco Buttless Chaps Company (that I know of).