Schnee’s Granite Boot Review

Schnee’s Granite Boot Review

Editor: Cory McLaughlin

Just the Facts:

Built with serious outdoorsmen in mind, the Granite™ is the pinnacle of the Schnee’s Montana Mountain Boot™ Series. 9″ tall 2.8mm thick leather uppers provide excellent ankle support while full length heavy duty 7mm nylon insoles provide rigid torsional support for carrying heavy loads on uneven terrain. 100 % waterproof and lightly insulated with 200g of Thinsulate™. Brown. Italy.

Available in medium and wide widths.

(4.5lb/pair).

My Story:
What is better than a good pair of boots? I guess that depends on what we are talking about, so for sake of this conversation let’s focus on hunting in the wilds of the west. When you are miles from the road you need to have reliable footwear. Your feet should never been what stops you from hiking that next hill or making that long stalk for your trophy. As I have said in many other reviews, I have bad feet, so my hunt is literately dependent on good footwear, as this single item can be a make or break piece of gear for me.

While looking for the next best thing in the boot world I stumbled upon Schnee’s boots. In truth I had never heard of them until I saw a friend with a pair. I made some calls and arranged for a pair of the Schnee’s Beartooth boots to be sent to me. After a very vigorous testing period I fell in love with the boots. That review can be seen here http://staging2.ireviewgear.com/boots/schnee-schnees-beartooth-hunting-boot-review/ and as you can see I gave them very high marks. During my review of the Beartooth boots I tested the lower temperature limits if the boots. While they performed well I knew that I needed something else for the colder weather. Since I was so in love with the boots I already had I decided to try and stick with the same company. This is where the Schnee’s Granite step in. (If you’re not a reader you can skip to the video review below)

The Schnee’s Granite boot is one bad mother! These boots are made to go all day and then some. I’m talking about when you got a whole mule deer or elk down back in the big and nasties, or you’ve got miles to go over rock, snow, mud, clay, side hills, and any other manner of terrain. Well, this is the boot you want to have on your foot. Schnee’s has put in the work and it shows. I would expect nothing less from a company that’s home base in Bozeman Montana is surrounded by some of the most extreme kinds of terrain you could ask for.

The Granite boot starts with the almost indestructible Vibram sole. Schnee’s knew that this was going to be a great starting point but they wanted to one up the competition. Schnee’s worked with Vibram and developed a special type of composite that is less susceptible to wear and offers better traction than the standard material. So, you get longer life with more grip.
Moving up the boot you will find the 7mm nylon midsole. Nylon offers nearly all the strength that steal shank boots provided without the weight. It also gives a better blend of stability and flexibility. You’re going to notice that this boot provides fantastic support on uneven terrain by providing fantastic torsional stability not found in lesser quality footwear. You will also notice that this support maintains even under extremely heavy loads.

The boots is wrapped in a rubber rand which protects the 2.8mm leather that the boot is comprised of. Another great point is the ball bearing lacing system which will allow you to get a really tight fit. Tight boots help prevent blisters and injury so this is a great feature. The tongue of the boot is slightly taller than the uppers so as to protect the shin from feeling the pressure of the lace knot.
Now, diving inside the boot you will find that Schnee’s has developed their own waterproof membrane called the E-Vent Lining. This is a lining similar to Gore-Tex but is shown to offer better breathability. Moisture allows the feet to become soft and more susceptible to blisters so you can see how this is an important addition. Pair this with the 200 grams of Thinsulate thermal lining and you have a great early winter boot. All the great features that Schnee’s Granite boots offer come in at a very acceptable weight of just 4.5 pounds per pair.
I used these boots on many adventures over several months and can honestly say that they are one of the best boots that I have ever put on my feet. I like them even more than my Beartooth’s and that is saying a lot. If you are looking for a new pair of boots I would say that you would be extremely foolish not to take a look at Schnee’s Granite or any other boot offered by this great company.

Video Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjj9l1m5HJ4&sns=em

Find it Here:
http://www.schnees.com/product/Schnees-Granite-Mountain-Boot/Schnees-Montana-Mountain-Boots

What could be done better?
These boots are simply awesome! The only thing that I would like to see is a better insole. I would not change anything other than that. Find Job Schnee’s!

Yet another 5 Star boot from a great company.