No foot, no horse, equestrians say. Liberte says new boots, no hunt. Chasing an animal through the wilderness with aching blistered feet is Hell on Earth; most hunters break-in new boots months before they set off for game. So when I received a package from Rocky Boots the day before my turkey hunt I knew . . .
not to trust that usual ahhhhh feeling, where you think your new boots are the comfiest shoes of all time — right until the angelic feet pillows turn into Satan’s soles. But for you, dear readers, I threw caution to the wind. I left for my hunt wearing Rocky ProLight Waterproof Snakeproof Hunting Boot in a men’s size 7, and didn’t bring any back-up footwear.
I was expecting the usual pre-formation of blisters, swelling-up in areas where the boots rubbed me the wrong way. Two days later, nothing. The Rocky’s fabric is completely breathable and flexible despite the height of the boot. My feet didn’t even get overly sweaty, as you’d expect with a waterproof boot.
When I first saw the Rockies I wasn’t sure I’d like them; they’re kind of tall and daunting. Less metaphorically, I usually wear regular non-laced boots. Not any more; the laces tailored the boots to my legs, increasing sure-footedness. Equally, the full-grain leather and nylon boots proved both lightweight and sturdy — a combination as rare as a snake that’ll chase you down (ask JWT about that one ). Speaking of which . . .
And now a word from rockyboots.com:
As with any wild animal, confrontations with snakes should be avoided to ensure personal safety. That’s why we’ve designed The Rocky ProLight Waterproof Snakeproof Hunting Boot. They will protect against most North American snakes; including rattlesnakes, copperheads, and coral snakes.
As much as I’d love to jump into a pile of rattlesnakes, copperheads and coral snakes to verify the manufacturer’s claim, no. Why would I? Why should I?
Truth be told, most any leather or thick neoprene boot is “snake proof.” Then again, snake country hunters may find this testimonial from the customer review section of Rocky’s website worth the price of admission . . .
I got these as a birthday present a few years ago. I was moving tree stands in a swamp and walking around in the brush not really watching where I was stepping. Next thing I know, the ground beneath my foot squishes and a cottonmouth water moccasin strikes the back side of my calf. Out of terror I jumped and ran. The 4 foot moccasin was latched onto the back of my Rocky boots for three steps before it lost its grip. These boots may be a little pricey, but they paid for themselves that day.
Yeah, wear boots when hunting. The last thing you want to scream:
Though pricey — $150 for the pair — I recommend the Rocky ProLight Waterproof Snakeproof Hunting Boot. I just hope they never “pay for themselves” like they did for trich. Oh, and to make this post “gun enough” for RF, I carried a Bond Arms Snake Slayer in .410 with me. Or should have.
RATING * * * * *
Warm, comfortable, breathable, waterproof, durable, snake-proof. Expensive but worth it.
150 bucks is not pricey for comfortable boots. The areas I hunt it’s not snakes I worry about. The boot needs to be comfortable and be waterproof.
Nothing worse than wet feet on a hunt. Snakebite may be worse. I’ve never been bitten by a snake. But I have slogged along with cold, wet feet. Sucks.
That’s about what I was thinking. My area does have rattlers, but good water proof boots can be worth $150 certainly. I like the idea of a little extra insurance though. I really hate confronting the what if I get bit by a rattlesnake question when I’m hours away from the hospital and 45 minutes from cell service and often I’m alone. Yeah rule number 1 is probably don’t go venture like that alone. Maybe rule 2 or 3 is get snake boots.
I’m of an age where these trips, hunting, fishing, gold panning, don’t get done if I don’t have a partner with me.
Sucks. But there it is.
$150 is way cheaper than a snake bite. If you are in an area that has the potential to have venomous snakes, that’s pretty cheap insurance.
I really did not believe how much a guy had to pay out of pocket for a young copperhead biting his son: $60,000. Turns out that is just the cost of the anti venom at $5k a dose for 12 doses, standard procedure. Hospital costs, etc are on top of this. One guy showed his bill on the nightly news; $153,000 plus some change due AFTER insurance. I carry a Ruger SP101 loaded with CCI 357 shot shells and use several rounds per year. Snake season starting early this year, two killed so far plus a couple that got away. Wear Rocky leather pull on boots, might consider these snake boots also.
A buck fifty is not a lot of money considering what your getting.
My summertime footwear during summer fishing trips used to be teva sandals.
That was until a little run in with a rattlesnake that took a hankering to my toes.
That would have been my second bite.
The snake bit you and after five agonizing days it died, right. 🙂
You must be on PETA’s top 10 most wanted list. Congrats.
The one that got me was a sidewinder. I had two of them as pets at the time.
I got smart after that and donated them to the San Diego zoo.
Pets? You mixed up kids and your crazy ideas. Snakes is hat bands, not pets.
$150 is a lot of money for a pair of boots if you are a poser and not really a hunter. Heck good running shoes cost more these boots.
Alas, but if you are a one-off showboat and it’s all about “my hunt” then a benji and a half seems like a lot for something you don’t need nor understand.
Carry on.
Having owned several pairs of Rocky’s I can assure you that “waterproof” is false advertising. They are water resistant and it fades quickly as the boot ages.
If you want waterproof, buy muck boots.
Depending on where we hunt I do use muck boots. I double up the wool socks to pad them and help keep my feet warm. Seems to work.
Good boots are priceless. $150 sounds cheap if they are comfortable and do the job.
To my untrained eye, it would seem that a woman’s foot is shaped quite differently than a man’s. Higher arch, for one thing.
I’m honestly surprised a woman can be comfortable in boots made for a man.
Nice write-up, miss Austin.
One *small* suggestion, if I may – When photographing camo gear, it’s usually a good idea to not use a background that’s near identical to what you’re photographing in most of the pictures.
It makes it kinda tough to discern details on the subject of the photo…
I’ve never been a huge fan of taller boots. I have a set of Bates GX8 for work and that’s about how tall as Ill go. I prefer higher mobility, that’s why for IRL tactical use I use Merrill Moab waterproof, the shoe version.
My favorite pair of combat boots were made by Rocky. They only lasted about six months, but that’s years and civilian wear.
Since I’ve had most of the bones in my foot, ankle, and leg broken, regular boots and shoes do not fit correctly. I have most of my Footwear, and all of my boots, handmade to fit my feet. The best in the world come from Russell moccasin. I absolutely love them. They are like attaching batteries to your feet. No pain, and so much more energy. And they will last for the rest of your life, and then some. I have two pair. Their snake boots are absolute works of art. Worth every penny. But it’s a whole lot of pennies.
http://www.russellmoccasin.com/10-oz-bullhide-leather-snake-boot/
Where where they made? I only buy USA boots.
Rocky Boots first moved production down to Georgia for the right-to-work laws, then they moved production to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, and my pair says “Made in China.” They used to be made in Athens, Ohio, but now they just have their corporate offices and a store there. I still use my old black military-style Rockys for mucking around because the insides are still waterproof, even though the outsole started to come unglued a couple years ago.
Spend a bit of $$ on some custom, soft inner soles. Then any boots will fee like your own.
“As much as I’d love to jump into a pile of rattlesnakes, copperheads and coral snakes to verify the manufacturer’s claim, no. Why would I? Why should I?”
1. Because as you note, we WOULD like to have that claim verified, and this would be by a non-Rocky source to boot.
2. Because pictures of a woman, boots, and snakes would give enough clickbait for RF to replace everyone he lost by not posting IDF ladies.
3. Because you’d have an awesome story to tell.
4. Any story that involves a sure-thing pile of rattlesnakes, copperheads, and corals snakes is a story worth telling.
5. Everyone who wonders on TTAG if you really are as tough as you portray yourself will be forever silenced, your credibility instantly established.
6. Because I’d enjoy it.
Snakes…why did it have to be snakes?
I have a pair of Rocky Alpha Force waterproof zip-up boots that lasted about 5 years before the outsoles became unglued. Now in the winter I wear a pair of Field & Stream-branded insulated all-leather boots I got on sale a couple years ago. I don’t really have a use for snake boots or steel-toes. I miss the days when Rocky Boots were made in Ohio.
The last time I hunted I used a pair of Mountain Horse riding boots. I bought them a size big but with 2 pairs of sport socks they were as comfortable as sneakers and the zip backs, stretch goring, and velcro tab made them fit my legs regardless of how many layers I wore underneath (spotlighting at night can be very cold). Despite being knee high, they had no impediment to mobility, and the zip backs made them very quick and easy to put on.
I had some laughs from the others I was hunting with, but when you are in a country that has 9 of 10 of the world’s most venomous snakes and these can be put on much faster than laces, the others quickly appreciated the advantages. The only problem was the boots are no longer available because Mountain Horse decided to focus more on dressage and showing styles. If I could buy another pair I would as these ones are now about 15 years old, but still in good condition.
OMG, that customer story about snake bite in a swamp just shocked me.
What a luck that we don’t have snakes in our area.
Great, no more snakes fear Now it will be easy to hunt in the wild and water without fearing the snakes.
They fit perfectly! Grateful for EE width due to neuropathy. Put them on and took a 40-minute hike around the neighborhood without any rubbing problems. Amazing how light they are.