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On a hunt, good boots are one of the most important pieces of equipment you can have. They are in constant contact with the environment, have to withstand all kind of challenges and should keep your feet warm and dry. While many top-of-the-line boots provide hunters with extreme levels of comfort and a lot of warmth throughout the day, the best cheap hunting boots can do the same. Of course you need to find the right pair, but once you do, you too will receive these great benefits at just a fraction of the cost. Wadinglab presents the list of the best cheap hunting boots with quick reviews, so you know what to buy.
Fitting And Sizing
It is almost not worth mentioning, that your hunting boots should fit perfectly. Only this way they will support you feet best. Most manufacturers offer sizing tables where you can check for the exact size you need. Keep in mind, some brands sizing is just a bit odd. Take advantage of their return policies and maybe order two pairs in different sizes, so you get the exact size you need. Just return the the one that doesn’t fit.
Another thing to take into consideration is what socks you are going to wear in them. Do you plan on hunting in arctic cold temperatures where the insulation might not be sufficient? Then leaving room for an extra pair of socks might be a good idea. Wearing two pair of socks at once also greatly reduces the chance of blisters. An additional insole provides extra insulation as well as it can help to adjust the fit of the boot. Too big is always better than too small when it comes to boots.
Essential Features
There are some features that are essential for every hunting boot that performs well in the outdoors. And just because you don’t want to spend crazy amounts, it doesn’t mean you can’t find boots coming with those features.
Ankle And Heel Support
The number one thing you want to have in boots that you sports like hunting or hiking with is good ankle and heel support. This prevents injuries like rolled ankles or worse things that might be life threatening in the wrong situation. As mentioned earlier it’s essential that your hunting boots fit perfectly only then your boots can provide the best ankle support possible.
Good Traction
Another feature that upgrades your safety significantly is outsoles providing enough traction to give you a save stand in all different terrains. If the floor is wet and covered in leaves tricky situations can occur where you have to be able to rely on your boots. Same as with a rolled ankle falling in the wrong situation can turn out way worse than you might expect. Hunting isn’t golf or tennis where medical help is available at all the times. When you are out in the wild you have to count on your gear!
Breathable Materials
Yes, implementing breathable materials into a rubber hunting boot is nearly impossible. Although materials like rubber are completely waterproof, which can be really beneficial in some situations (wading through shallow water), they usually fail to let your feet breath. The result is an uncomfortable feeling as soon as you start sweating. Therefore, if you do not necessarily need rubber hunting boots, it is a good idea to look for breathable materials in your boots. This can be the classic GORE-TEX that is really popular in the outdoor industry or just an other DWR coated fabric. A DWR (durable water repellent) coating makes a material waterproof without limiting the breathability more than necessary.
Insulation
Since hunting often takes place under unforgiving and cold conditions a certain level of insulation should always be present in the best hunting boots. Fortunately, insulation is cheap so even cheap hunting boots come with all levels of it. Which insulation you get highly depends on the weather you hunt in. While a certain pair might work great during early fall it might fail once the snow hits the land. Having some extra room in your boots is therefore not the worst idea, since it gives you the chance to level up the insulation with an additional pair of socks.
The 4 Best Cheap Hunting Boots On The Market
While we often preach: You get what you pay for (and yes, that’s still a solid rule), there is no reason why you should spend crazy amounts of money on your hunting boots. Often you pay a ridiculous amount of money simply because there is a certain brand on your gear. Money spend for marketing directly increases the cost of the product without increasing its value. So if you know where to look for and go for smaller brands that offer fair prices you still get what you pay for: Good boots with a great price/performance ratio minus the the brand and all the marketing around it.
The list below contains the best cheap hunting boots on the market.
Kamik Men’s Hunter Boot
Yes, rubber is a bit old school and yes, rubber waders are the worst you can buy today BUT: Rubber hunting boots are still a valid option if you hunt in terrains with wetlands and shallow waters. If you stand in ankle deep puddles for longer periods of time even the best GORE-TEX will surrender eventually.
Kamik made some rubber hunting boots here that are fairly cheap compared to others in their line. They come with a -40 degree Fahrenheit temperature rating, an 8mm removable thermal-guard liner and an adjustable collar to keep out snow and debris. The insert inside the boot is removable so even in warmer weather extensive sweating won’t be that big of an issue. This is a pretty important feature since the optimal level of insulation is especially important for rubber hunting boots. Why? Because they are not breathable, not even a bit.
It seems like they recently changed their sizing since a lot of the people complained about them being too large. Exactly the opposite was the case for us. The exact size wasn’t too big at all. Maybe a little snug but still totally fine. An additional pair of socks wouldn’t fit in though.
Even though rubber would make you think otherwise, the ankle support is pretty decent. Of course it doesn’t come close to proper leather boots, but on the other hand, these boots beat leather everytime when it comes to waterproofness. So you have to know what you need for your type of hunting. If a typical day of hunting involves a lot of climbing or steep hills, one of the boots further down might be a better choice. In flat wetlands though these boots outperform most others.
Whether you are wearing them in rain, snow or warm weather, the Kamik Men’s Hunter Boots will keep you warm and dry. For the price, you won’t find anything better suited for the outdoors. $50? That’s a no brainer when you are looking for cheap rubber hunting boots.
Danner Men’s Steadfast 6” Waterproof Hunting Boots
Danner Men’s Steadfast Hunting Boots provide a lot of those features just mentioned while still being reasonably priced.
The Danner Men’s Steadfast 6” Hunting Boots are made with an abrasion-resistant form of nubuck leather combined with 900-denier uppers. Who ever owned something made from nylon before know how resistant this material is. When we tested tactical dog vests here at wadinglab we actually failed to cut a nylon one with a box cutter, this should give you an idea what you can expect. Their “Danner dry linings” lock out moisture pretty effectively while at the same allowing your feet to breath well enough to avoid extensive sweating. The footbed is cushioned and in combination with an additional insoles those boots are incredibly comfortable. This prevents early fatigue during the day and lets you stay out much longer before your feet get tired. Even though these boots are extremely durable, they do not have to hide for their weight and you could almost forget you wear them once you are out for a while.The outsoles had decent grip on all terrains we tested them.
These are warm boots! Designed to hunt in high elevation or really cold areas you do not want to wear them in late spring Texas. You also won’t need an additional pair of socks here. Get an exact fit size so they are snug and provide all the ankle support you need. The camo pattern comes from reel tree and should blend in well with most of their other patterns but since it’s half leather half camo it wouldn’t look odd no matter what other camo patterns you would combine them with.
Guide Gear Men’s 400g Sport Boots
Much like the Danner Men’s Hunting Boots, these hunting Boots provide decent quality for an incredible price.
Starting from the top these boots come with a combination of full-grain leather and nylon for their upper, a popular choice even for more expensive hunting shoes. To keep your feet dry Guide Gear included a waterproof membrane which doesn’t limit the breathability. No sweaty feet!
400g Thinsulate ultra is a well proven material which traps the warmth inside your boots effectively. Nothing special, just something that works. The bobbed outsole provides enough traction for your average hunt and as long as you don’t try crossing frozen lakes or similar they should do the trick.
The sizing is exactly how you would expect it to be. Just get your regular size and you should be fine. If you plan on wearing the with additional socks, step one size up and just get yourself another pair of insoles at the same time. We tested them that way and the combination seemed to work out really well.
The collar comes with a comfortable padding which makes sure your ankles stay in place and together with the fairly stiff back part of the boot it makes up for great ankle support. No heel lifting everything stays where it’s supposed to stay, even during sprints.
Definitely one of the best cheap hunting boots on the market and with around $60 you really can’t go wrong here.
Northside Men’s Banshee 600g
The last but not the least: A hunting boot suitable for temperatures most of us will never experience.
The classic combination of suede leather and synthetic keeps them waterproof and breathable. The rubber sole provides decent traction and a mid sole designed to limit fatigue during a day of hunting. 600g Thermolite will keep your feet warm in pretty much every temperature you can find in the northwest. Padded collars and stiff heels provide support for your ankles and heels and once your feet are in those boots and everything is laced up correctly, nothing will wiggle. A classic realistic camo pattern is printed on the upper parts that are synthetic which fit together well with a Realtree camo pants I was wearing that day.
We tested them in wetlands where you would usually prefer rubber hunting boots. They are waterproof! And not just to a little drizzle, I stood around 10 minutes (pretty boring 10 minutes) in a ankle high puddle. I honestly didn’t expect them to hold up to that, but they did! I had warm and dry feet the whole time and hours after it.
That’s pretty much it already. No fancy unnecessary features you have in higher priced boots. The Banshees do exactly what you need, not more and not less. They keep you warm and dry and if I would have to guess the price of this pair I would probably put it in the $150+ price range. I would expect it to hold quite a few hunting seasons.
Conclusion On Cheap Hunting Boots
When looking for hunting boots that provide warmth and comfort while being extremely durable, the boots listed above are the way to go if you are on a budget.
As opposed to breaking your bank on top-of-the-line boots and brands, just buy one of the best cheap hunting boots listed above. You will receive the same great benefits while spending just a fraction of the amount. Though the price would make you think otherwise, the boots reviewed here will last you many hunting seasons and make sure your feet stay warm and dry during that time.
As somewhat of an added bonus, it is worth mentioning that many of the pairs listed above can be used for hiking, snow shoveling and mountain climbing as well.
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The Best Hunting Clothing – Buyers Guide
Since my last pair of cheap hunting boots broke down after 4 season of hunting I was looking for a new pair, that doesn’t break the bank.
I can tell you, there is no need to overspend here. A friend of mine owns the Guide Gear reviewed here and is totally hyped about them. After seeing them on this list I know what to get.