Crispi Hunter HTG GTX Boot Review
Editor: Wade
Where to get them:
http://www.crispiusa.com/
Just the Facts
Upper: Greased, water-repellent nubuk
Gore-tex®: Insulated Comfort Footwear Lining. This boot can be used down to Minus 20 degrees depending on the consumers activity and mobility.
A.B.S.S.: Ankle Bone Support Structure, a Crispi Orginal
MIdsole: Constructed insole with differentiated structure
Vibram®: Sole with Supergrip mixture and shock absorbing midsole
Protection: Rubber border
Height: 11″ tall
Weight: 920 grms or 2.03 lbs per boot
Story Round 2:
I have now owned the Crisip Hunter HTG GTX boot for a few months. I have been fortunate enough to use it on a long Coues Deer Hunt in Arizona, and a Deer hunt in Hawaii, yes Hawaii.
On both hunts, I found the boot to be just OUTSTANDING! It was the most comfortable boot I have worn yet. I have been hiking, hunting and packing for many years now! This is now my new favorite boot!
The ankle support is fantastic, the arch fit perfect, and the shock absorbtion is great.
This boot is quite tall, which I like. A boot this tall it is perfect for a Sheep Hunt, a tough Elk Hunt, or anything that requires going hard. This boot can be used in a variety of situation: Cold, Desert, Snow, rain, etc. It will function well in any of those situations.
Great job Crispi, I still love it.
Story:
We here at Ireviewgear.com were just given the opportunity to field/mountain test the famous Italian Boots made by Crispi. I got to wear a pair of Hunter HTG GTX®
The day after we received them I had a pheasant hunt scheduled and even though I thought they were overkill for the flat fields I wore them anyway.
Man was I impressed! They were so comfortable I didn’t want to take them off. They felt as if they were made for my foot. I have never felt a pair of boots fit so well instantly.
It was fifteen degrees when we started walking and before we were done the sun was out and it felt warm. The boots seemed to regulate the temperature of my feet. They never felt cold and they never felt hot, always just right…
The design of the boot encourages your foot to start walking. It almost feels as though you are being gently nudged or pulled forward. I guess that is why they are a hiking/trekking boot not a standing boot.
The boots provide a lot of support without a feeling of unforgiveness or rigidity. The SUPER GRIP TECHNOLOGY from the Vibram sole was softer than I expected for this type of boot therefore offering a more comfortable feel to the foot.
Based on the brief four hour trial run, these are my favorite boots ever. I have two more mountain hunts in the next three weeks that I just got more excited for because I get to wear my Crispi boots! Even though I know the answer, I will let you know how the boots perform…
What they could do better:
Get the word out and get them available in Stores
Crispi Hunter HTG GTX Boot Review
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Functionality
(5)
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Value
(5)
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Ergonomics
(5)
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Durability
(5)
Hi!
I was just trying out those boots in the story (I live in Norway) and they seemed to be super comfortable.
My question is:how waterproof they are?I mostly hike in Norway and forests in here are wet and soggy.I very often go in 3-4 inches deep water etc.
My impression after trying them on were exactly as You described above but I would like to know more details about waterproofness-if You have them of course 😉
I am hesitating between those and Meindl Dovre GTX Extreme.
Both are about the same comfortable but Crispi have softer sole which I prefer…on the other hand I know that Meindl=good quality and I don’t know much about Crispi beside they fact that they are made in Italy.They are popular here in Norway but actually You are the first person who tested that exact model that interest me and I would love to hear more about them.
Anyway I will appreciate any more info and addictional thoughts that You have/had on those boots.
Kind Regards
Maciej Kulik
Hi,
Thanks for commenting.
Crispi does a very good job of adhering Gore Tex to the boot. This is critical. If the boot does not have a good bond, you will get constant flex in the gore Tex and it will eventually wear out…so if you keep the moisture ankle bone deep or shallower it should not leak. Take good care of the boot after getting wet, dry well, and treat with the product Crispi recommends.
I would think in the conditions you described, you could get that boot to function well for 2-3 years.
Great boot!
Macciej –
The Editor is right on with that response. Crispi actually utilizes three different types of Gore, and regarding walking through 2-3 inches of water, you will be just fine. A good idea is to use their imperwass (or something similiar) on the leather before venturing out in these ultra wet conditions, just for longevity purposes – (all leather boots should have this done).
My testimonial:
I recently went on a hunting trip with my uncle and his buddies. Three weeks before I left, I ran into Joshua (he does sales or promotional work for Crisipi) at a seminar and he totally sold me on the Hunter and the Wild after trying them on and going through the features. Both my uncle and I bought a pair of Crispi Hunters before we left because the area we were hunting in was going to be very marshy, and I had never put a hunting boot on out of the box that was so darn comfortable.
My uncle is a little thrifty, but he finally broke down and bought a pair, even though it was quite a bit more than he was used to spending on boots. Long story short – He and I were the only two out of 9 that didn’t have wet feet the whole 5 day trip!
Now, and this is no exaggeration, all 9 of us have the same boot, like some Crispi sponsored Hunting team or something. The only bad thing I can say about Crispi is that now I cannot go back to low end $200 hunting boots, but over the years I have realized with outerwear and boots – if you buy a quality product you will have a quality experience. I don’t spend money on many luxuries, but hunting is my favorite past time, so spending a little more on something that actually works is an easy decision.
Thanks Crispi! I’m devoted for life.
Happy Holidays,
Sonny
I just bought a pair of Hunter HTG guys!
You convinced me 🙂
I just wanted to ask You about one last thing:do You have any special way to take care of them?
I never used anything on my Haix Montana(same build:so goretex+leather) but I am not sure if that was good idea so know I would like to ask what You recommand to use to make those boots live longer.
Regards!!!
Mike
GREAT! Glad you got the boots.
I use the wax from Kenetrek on my boots. DO NOT USE SPRAY ON STUFF.
The wax products work great.
I want to thank you for the information on this site. I researched boots for a long time before finally committing on the Crispi Hunter boots because of the reviews found here. I had my search down to Kenetrek, Lathrop and sons, and Crispi. I tried the Kenetrek on at a hunting show and they felt pretty comfortable but felt way too stiff for my taste. Lathrop and sons won’t let you try their boots off carpet if you want to return them. I received these in the mail and instantly was pleased by the quality workmanship and lightness. They felt almost as comfortable as my Danner Pronghorns, no kidding.
I was excited to take these out on a field test. I live in Western Colorado which is very rocky, high desert, and very steep. Day 1, found us doing some pretty mild trail hiking on sandstone washes and rocky ledges. They felt slightly stiff at first and being the tallest boot I have ever owned took a couple miles to get use to the feel. Towards the end of the 5 mile loop. I was climbing up anything I could find, side hilling, and trying to find a weakness. However, I was only becoming frustrated at how well they preformed out of the box.
The next test needed to push them to a much higher level. We have a Mtn just outside of town called Mt Garfield. It’s 2 miles straight up 2,000 vertical feet of clay dirt, scrambling up rocks, and side hilling shale. The temps have been unseasonably high here this time of year. We hit the trail at 10 am, temp started at 55 degrees and reached 64 by noon, with a slight wind. It took under an hour to reach the summit. These boots ate up the trail and felt like heaven on the feet. They gripped like a goats hoof. My feet normally run a little hot but felt great all day. I didn’t even want to take them off and put by car sandals on after the hike. I have also taken these on several more trips off trail up the bookcliffs. Most of this terrain is very similar to shale fields found above tree line. They cut into the hill side with a ton of bite and equal amount of ankle support. These boots will take you anywhere you are breve enough to go.
I wear Cabelas ingenues medium weight hiking socks and upgraded the insoles to the Mendle perfect hiker insoles. I would highly recommend upgrading to a higher quality insole with cork. The socks are also wonderful with a built in liner sock and x-static.
I marked down these boots on value because if you don’t find them on sale they are super expensive. I also marked them down on durability because I believe the Kenetreks would probably outlast these. These, however, are the most comfortable out of the box boots I have ever owned. If you are on the market for this style of boot. Buy these and don’t look back.
G’day Chaps,
I have just come out of the bush in New Zealand and both my Mate and I had boot failures. Mine were not expensive ones, but I still thought they were good enough for the job, my mates were expensive and ended worse off than mine!
There is one thing 100% guaranteed when hunting in most places in New Zealand, your boots will get wet, it is nearly impossible not to at least cross a river. So generally your boots get wet at the beginning of a hunt and remain wet for the rest of the trip. Will these boots hold up to this sort of treatment?
Hey I would like to know more about the ankle support because I have extremely week ankles and don’t want a boot that will fold under pressure so far the only boot that I really enjoyed was the under armour ridge reaper can you maybe tell me how they hey might compare to this boot
I’ve been buying Danner Pronghorns for years although a great boot they don’t compare to Crispis. Out of the box these are the most comfortable boot I have tried on lightweight thin sleek design that assist you with your step. I have had these boots about 6 months now and put them through various terrain they bite into steep hill sides, keep your feet dry in snow and rain they are everything I want in a boot. The ankle support system keeps your ankle locked into place when traveling on steep slopes. The reviews bellow are spot on and you will not regret buying this boot. This is a boot that you wont want to take off even after a long day on the mountain!