Crispi Hunter GTX Boot Review #crispihunting
By Jerry H.
After many years of wearing Kenetrek’s Mountain Extreme boots, they finally wore out enough that I needed to replace them. Numerous Dall sheep, bear, moose and caribou hunts in Alaska, had put enough wear and tear on them to demand a replacement. Overall, I was very happy with the Kennetreks and initially planned to buy another pair. However, here at Remote Pursuits we had heard a lot about Crispi’s new agreement in the US, and it convinced me to take a hard look at the Crispi GTX Hunter boot. After a bunch of research on them, I found they seemed to have all the same qualities and features I liked about the Kenetrek boots, but in a taller and internet”claimed” more durable package. All the reviews I found were very good, so I decided to go ahead and try them.
I wore them a few times around town before going on my bear hunt and found them to be very comfortable. There was very little break in to them. Initially the folds of the tongue pressed against my shins and were uncomfortable, but after a few times wearing them the tongue wore in and became comfortable. I then got a chance to wear them out on a 5 day bear hunt. After 5 days in the boots I was very pleased with them. First the insulation of the boot was great. We had temperatures in the high 30’s at night and upper 50’s and low 60’s during the day, with cold winds coming off the snow peaks. My feet never got cold in the boots. Even when sitting on top of the mountain not hiking my feet stayed warm and comfortable. While hiking the boots had very good support and the Ankle Bone Support Structure (A.B.S.S.) system worked very well. My ankles felt secure and don’t roll or twist at all. Also, the protective rubber band around the base of the boot has held up very well at this stage in the test.
Another feature I appreciated was the the lacing system. The boot laced up evenly, and didn’t have areas that bound to tight or loose on my feet. It also un-laces far enough down the boot, that getting the boots on and off is very easy. In general, I prefer tall boots and found the 11 inches of height to excel when walking through the Alaskan marsh, mud and swampy/Tundra. My feet stayed dry! One of the biggest items I noticed though was how much lighter the belts felt on my feet over my Kenetreks. The scale says the weight difference between the two is negligible, but holding them in my hand the Crispis felt lighter. They also felt lighter on the foot. Not sure that a few ounces should be that noticeable, but it seemed to be. The super grip Vibram soles (a Crispi exclusive) are softer than the other boots I have worn and I found this to be a pleasant surprise. Traction was significantly better because of the specially designed soles. Time will tell how well these soles hold up.
Overall I am very happy with these boots. They meet all the requirements I want in a boot, and initial use has proven satisfactory. However, I have not given them the true test yet and that will come when I go sheep hunting in August. In addition to my August sheep hunt I will be be chasing moose, caribou, and brown bear this fall. Between now and then I will also be doing some backpacking trips. I will follow up with additional comments later this fall. I have high hopes for these boots!
For more info on the unique features of Crispi boots please follow this link: http://www.crispius.com/technology
Best place to buy these boots is via Black Ovis. They usually have a sale going on if you can be patient.
Click here to see the Crispi line at Black Ovis!
I have been eyeballing these boots for a few years and was going to have a pair sent over from Italy ….. they look well built. . Very Solid and I too like a tall boot
Is it waterproof?
So far so good!