KENETREK MOUNTAIN EXTREME 400

Regarding boots, have y'all had problems with glued-on soles separating from the uppers? I've had that problem on two different pairs, and on one of those it's happened twice. (Since it happened after the shoe shop fix I guess I can't blame the boot maker -- and BTW, they were made in the USA.) Is that just something to expect after a couple of years of use?
 
aka Hunter":212i2dj4 said:
Regarding boots, have y'all had problems with glued-on soles separating from the uppers? I've had that problem on two different pairs, and on one of those it's happened twice. (Since it happened after the shoe shop fix I guess I can't blame the boot maker -- and BTW, they were made in the USA.) Is that just something to expect after a couple of years of use?
Click to expand...

My Asolo's will separate eventually, but it took my first pair about 5 years of hard use. I will post up about the Kenetreks when I get a chance to put em on!
 
I have no idea how stiff "mountain boots" are supposed to be, but I've found these Irish Setters:

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much stiffer than my old Rockys:

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The Rockys made for a great flatland and rolling hills type of boot, and I still wear them for early season work around the deer lease. But they are not as good for dropping off the bluffs or climbing in and out of the steep draws which have become some of my preferred stand sites. As you can see, the Rockys are showing their age, but for 11yr old boots they're not looking too bad, IMO. They are 600gr Thinsulate with GoreTex "Supprescent" (which didn't catch on, for whatever reason). The new Irish Setters (just got them in October of last year as a perk from my boss for three record months and the resultant record quarter) are 1000g Thinsulate, which I thought I'd never need. Turns out, my feet stay toasty and warm, and completely comfortable, whether I'm hiking or sitting, now. Only in the warmest of midday times hiking have I noticed any real excess warmth, and in reality, it dissipated within minutes of stopping to sit and glass or climbing up into a stand. I'm trying to figure out if Irish Setter makes the same boot in a 400-600g model, as I'd like to duplicate the feel with a nod to early season temps. Another thing about the Setters is they only bend a little at the toe area - notice the crease just behind the toe box. Not much flex otherwise. Just about the only complaint I have about them is a bit of slipperyness on wet, mossy, frozen rocks. I went down twice this year before I figured out how to avoid it. Managed not to get hurt either time, other than a little bruising, and I was glad to be hunting alone at the time. Both happened on the first day I wore them hunting, but after I figured them out, I managed to stay upright all year, save a few naps (on purpose) in the tall grass midday.

There is definitely a difference in stiffness and it helps on the steep stuff.
 
Those Irish Setters look pretty tough to me. They look like great boots. Heck, free boots are one of the best you can get a man! Especially all leather boots. Hard to wear em out!
 
Those look pretty stout Scotty! When I saw your thread I figured this:

1. Kenetrek is a new rifle builder that has a model 70 type action
2. Mountain Extreme is their new lightweight rifle
3. 400.... bore size based out of a 30.06 type parent case :lol:

Boy was I wrong.

This thread makes me laugh. I am still wearing a pair of Schnee's that I bought in 1998 6 months before my first trip to CO. I think they were around 250 shipped at the time. Those boots have to have at least 1000 miles of walking, hiking, deer hunting, elk hunting, pheasant hunting, coon hunting, rabbit hunting, shed hunting, etc... and they may just be starting to show some signs that they need to be resoled by Schnee's. They arent the lightest boot in the closet, but with 14 years under their soles, quite a bargain.... and still waterproof.

And my wife also laughs when I say I may need a new pair soon, then goes :shock: when I tell her a new pair of anythign worthwhile is around 2 bills... :grin:
 
I guess I could see where you would get that! :lol:

Those Schnees sound like good boots as well. Really hard to go wrong with all leather boots. I have a set of Cabelas all leather boots. I dress em up with saddle soap a few times a year and they are still doing really well, just a little heavy.
 
Well before I go any futher I will tell you all right now that the best boots I ever used to get to the top of mountain ranges in New Zealand or Alaska was always the "Huges 500" or Bell Jet Ranger. However with that said we did do quite a bit of very early morning drop offs before the sun ever touched the surface on the head of many glaciers and just walk DOWN to them as they were chewing their cuds! Ok you really dont want to hear that as this thread was really about boots wasnt it???? Yea ok back to the boots. We tryed lots of them over the years many from Germany and Austria; and of course the Danners in the 80s when the still made good boots. And I gotta tell you that the real winner for us as far as comfort and easy to break in but still really good sidehill performance in later years was an Irish Setter mountain boot[I think the same ones Dubyam posted/] that I bought about 12 or so years ago that I think was called an "Expedition" but I am not sure about that................ I will try to post a picture of them later. The boots have held up well . I wear a couple of different pairs of Russells for everything else when I am not wearing pacs and pretty much wear Schnees boots in that dept if they are rubber bottom and leather toped. I have to guide Bill Gorman who owns LL Bean in a few weeks on a Turkey hunt here in Maine and they called and wanted my sizes as they only want you in Bean clothes in any footage they shoot for their TV series . I will show up in the Schnees boots just for fun and see how long it takes em to find us a pair of "Bean Boots"
LOL
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Thanks Earle, send him my size... 14! I will take boots for field testing!
 
Just an update to these boots. I ran these boots last Fall in Idaho. Had good results with them. Well, this year in the wet/cold hunting we were doing in Oregon, they leaked, BAD!! I suffered through the hunt with them, but man, my feet were toast by the time I was done.

Here is a link to the boots.

http://www.kenetrek.com/prodinfo.asp?number=KE-420-400

Upon returning to civilization, I called Kenetrek Customer Service. They said, send them in and they will check for any malfunction or what caused the defect. Well, I wrote a detailed letter about my experience with the boots, and how I loved how the boots fit, leaking after two hunts was unacceptable for such expensive boots.

Just received notification, they are replacing the boots, no charge. I was pretty happy about that, but looking on their site, they have a tougher looking full leather boot called the Mountain Guide. I asked if they would be willing to upgrade to those boots for the difference (25.00). They came back and said that was fine. So, I have to wait a little while for the new boots, but I think I will have a pair a little more fitting for my hunting and packing needs.

Here is a link to the Mountain Guides.

http://www.kenetrek.com/prodinfo.asp?number=KE-420-G4

So, while I was extremely unhappy with the leaking boots, they have done all they can do in order to make it right in my book.
 
I'm glad to here their customer service and guaranty was of high quality. for what you pay for these they should never wear out if you take care of them.
 
You would hope, but you can't expect boots to last forever in the mountains. It is really tough on footwear, so I don't expect miracles, but I do expect at least a few years out of them for the money.
 
I've had GI combat leather boots last that long and keep my feet dry with a pair of low cut Tingles over the top and wool or alpaca socks for warmth.

Oh have you been getting my PMs?
 
Those boots are tough, but unless they were soled with something real tough and grippy, they would be pretty slippery in the snow and muck on the side hills.

I think the last one I responded to was about the stock from Numrichs. Nothing past there.
 
Great news scotty, glad you will get them replaced. As a postscript I was rotating between my light boots (asolo) with,
Gortex lining, and my heavy boots the (La Sportiva , Glaciers ) also Gortex lined. Both bootso did well the latter being a very well made heavy boot.
 
Yeah, I am pretty pleased by their response Bill. Glad I don't have to shell out a ton of money to get new boots..
 
Scotty,
Glad to hear they did you right. Also, pretty stoked you went with the Mtn Guide and look forward to your review. I looked all over the web for a review on them, but couldn't find one. I considered these because the Vibram sole, vice the K Talon, might last a little longer in some of the scree and shale I encounter down in southern NM. I didn't pull the trigger though because the full length shank scared me off and the guys at Kenetrek left it pretty vague as to how much flex it had when I called. For me, little toe flex goes a long way. I've got a pair of Asolo Expert GVs that are completely rigid (think wooden Dutch shoes) and it slows me down a little bit when I'm trying to stride it out to catch an elk on that distant hill I just glassed. Let us know what you think buddy.

Joe
 
EOD Diver":24vt1y84 said:
Scotty,
Glad to hear they did you right. Also, pretty stoked you went with the Mtn Guide and look forward to your review. I looked all over the web for a review on them, but couldn't find one. I considered these because the Vibram sole, vice the K Talon, might last a little longer in some of the scree and shale I encounter down in southern NM. I didn't pull the trigger though because the full length shank scared me off and the guys at Kenetrek left it pretty vague as to how much flex it had when I called. For me, little toe flex goes a long way. I've got a pair of Asolo Expert GVs that are completely rigid (think wooden Dutch shoes) and it slows me down a little bit when I'm trying to stride it out to catch an elk on that distant hill I just glassed. Let us know what you think buddy.

Joe
Click to expand...

I am sorta the opposite as I would rather have no flex at the toes, so maybe these boots will work out well for me. Heavier weight just makes the less flexing better for me. We shall see. I think they said they were backordered right now, but I have some time till I need a boot like them again.
 
Size 14 :mrgreen: I am surprised they have Italian cows that big to build you a pair Scotty :grin:
That is great CS and you deserve it for sure with hunting with wet feet !! I know that was no fun, BTW they are a great looking pair of boots and I would add some extra waterproofing to them Hunting in the NW states!! I have issues as I am a 12 EEEE :roll: I know almost a mother duck foot size but I like the knee high boots a lot that look like the old gum boots but I would like them with some kinda thinsulate and maybe some Gortex involved? Especially out in the NW ? In NM you could use issued mukluks! As we have no rain ! But 400 thinsulate might be kinda lite out here during a cold winter up high on a mountain!!
 
I have been using a pair of Kenetrek Mountain Safari 420's (thought they were the mountain extreme 400, but just verified the tag) for the past 5 years, and have found them to be a very good boot. The only thing that I did not realize when I first got them was that they are only water resistant, and not water proof. I have a wide foot, with a narrower heel, that makes it difficult for me to find good fitting footwear. I did have to get them stretched for my little toe a few times when I first got them, but they have been very comfortable since. But as a big guy (6'2" and 300+) with a heavy pack in the mountains, I need the ankle support, and found that these boots gave me all that I needed. The soles have held up great. I did look at the Mountain Extreme 800 at first, but found that the taller boot was not as comfortable for the bottom of my heavy calf muscle. When I do have to replace these , I hope that they have made this same boot in a water proof version. But if they keep performing, that might be a few years away yet.
When I was younger and spent more time climbing for goats and sheep, I was using the Rocky ProHunter, and found them to be fine at the time, but they just did not last very long. I used some Merril boots when I went guiding in 2006, that were water proof and very comfortable, but had the metal eyelets popping out of them. Merril did replace the first pair under warranty, but refused the second time stating that I was abusing the boots by over-tightening the laces. The store did give me my money back though.
 
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