Post by driftwoody on Jul 7, 2023 14:28:02 GMT -8
After my March backpacking trek in Tennessee's Savage Gulf, I decided I need more underfoot and ankle support for traversing rocky uneven terrain with a full load. In my mid-60's and somewhat overweight with two arthritic ankles, safety has become more important than distance (especially on solo hikes). Finding the optimal boots that fit my need is not easy with wide feet and a large knob of arthritis on my left big toe joint. Lowa offers their Renegade in wide, so I tried on a pair at my local REI. It fit fairly well but there wasn't extra room in the forefoot for swelling, so I continued my search. Salomons are always too narrow, and years ago I was unhappy with the Asolo Fugitives I bought.
Then I stumbled across the wide world of hunting boots, highly regarded for durability and support but usually very heavy. As with most gear, at best you can find two of three attributes among durabilty, light weight, and price. After several hours online I was most impressed with the Crispi brand, an Italian bootmaker with an intriguing array of technologies and options. My native Chicagoland is not basecamp for high mountain hunting, so I could find no brick & mortar stores for test fitting -- but I took the plunge and ordered a pair of Crispi Thor II in 12.5 wide. Among hunting boots these are considered "ultralight" at 20 ounces per boot at size 10. I'm a natural size 12, but that's actually European size 45.5 which crosses the line slightly into 11.5 territory (the Crispi size chart doesn't show that, but Scarpa does). I decided size 46 was a safer bet, providing slightly more volume and space for toe kick. US half size increments are 1/6" so the increased length is minimal, and some reviews advised sizing up with Crispi boots.
The link below is to the Crispi website, but I made my purchase at Black Ovis which lists them for $10 less and has free shipping with 10% off for a first time purchase -- reducing the price tag to just under $300. I haven't worn them outside yet but they feel very good walking around the house. The sole is very stiff but it has a good walking gait, so no complaints there. Glad I got the wide, and the length is good. The sole is somewhat narrow for the interior width, but I suppose it makes sense for keeping your weight more centered when side-hilling. There's plenty of internal volume to cinch down with the laces, and I really like the ankle height of 8" which is about an inch taller than my other mid boots.
www.crispius.com/thor-gtx
Then I stumbled across the wide world of hunting boots, highly regarded for durability and support but usually very heavy. As with most gear, at best you can find two of three attributes among durabilty, light weight, and price. After several hours online I was most impressed with the Crispi brand, an Italian bootmaker with an intriguing array of technologies and options. My native Chicagoland is not basecamp for high mountain hunting, so I could find no brick & mortar stores for test fitting -- but I took the plunge and ordered a pair of Crispi Thor II in 12.5 wide. Among hunting boots these are considered "ultralight" at 20 ounces per boot at size 10. I'm a natural size 12, but that's actually European size 45.5 which crosses the line slightly into 11.5 territory (the Crispi size chart doesn't show that, but Scarpa does). I decided size 46 was a safer bet, providing slightly more volume and space for toe kick. US half size increments are 1/6" so the increased length is minimal, and some reviews advised sizing up with Crispi boots.
The link below is to the Crispi website, but I made my purchase at Black Ovis which lists them for $10 less and has free shipping with 10% off for a first time purchase -- reducing the price tag to just under $300. I haven't worn them outside yet but they feel very good walking around the house. The sole is very stiff but it has a good walking gait, so no complaints there. Glad I got the wide, and the length is good. The sole is somewhat narrow for the interior width, but I suppose it makes sense for keeping your weight more centered when side-hilling. There's plenty of internal volume to cinch down with the laces, and I really like the ankle height of 8" which is about an inch taller than my other mid boots.
www.crispius.com/thor-gtx