Today I got the following question via email from Ryder (a reader of The Survivalist Blog) I thought I’d post it here as a question for everyone to answer. If you have any tips for selecting specific brands of footwear for survival leave your comments below. Here’s Ryder’s question:
I’m a big fan of your site and I love reading your daily articles. I know you have a few reviews of different products up, and you have one post about footwear. But I was wondering if you know of any specific models of boots that you would recommend.Also, I’ve heard a lot about the “barefoot” movement and shoes that are made to accommodate them. I was wondering what your thoughts might be on the trail running shoes from Vibram Five Fingers
might be. I thank you for your time and the knowledge you share.
Sincerely,
Ryder
Looking forward to hearing your suggestions for Ryder!
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{ 29 comments }
Hi-tec boots have carried me further and more comfortably than any other boot. I have spent a fortune on other brands that left my feet bloody and bruised, but have found the Altitude IV is a great everyday boot that can handle some serious torture at an affordable price.
Don't forget to change your socks.
They are a gimmic. Besides nothing beats a pair of steel-toed combat boots when you need to stomp a hole in someone or kick in a door.
I have a pair of hunting boots, Rocky Wolverines, that you should avoid. They seemed like great insulated (400 grams Thinsulate) boots that are very comfortable. I've worn them for a total of about 1-2 months over the last 3 years, and after my last hunting trip, the heels pulled off. I'm trying to get as much more out of them with the help of liquid nails and a clamp, but I have my doubts.
Vasque
First, figure out where you are going to live, if you are not there now. Then buy accordingly, just as if it was everyday life for you.
Sorry, but I think a "survivalist shoe" is a pretty silly notion. Do you honestly think you will scale the side of a mountain with an 80 lb pack, a couple gallons of water & a hundred round of ammo running from whomever? Doubtful.
Footwear is all about practical comfort.
BTW, I grew up living as a surfer and wore those "reef walkers" many times and for that specific task, they were adequate. However, they have no support and are totally impractical as a daily driver, if you know what I mean ~
I love my asolos for boots, they fit perfectly and there was no breaking in time.
Those five toed shoes are strange, I have tried them and there is no support for running. I have heard from my local running community to just run barefoot on grass to get the same experience vs. paying $100 for "the appearance of being barefoot." You should also increase your mileage very slowly if your going to run in those shoes. :)
While FiveFingers are nowhere near a gimmick (if any footwear is gimmick-y it's all the super padded monstrosities sold by your mega-huge sports shoe manufacturer), I'm not sure they'd be a great survival footwear.
On the plus side, they are extremely versatile — you can scale boulders in them, forge a creek, be nimble through a forest, etc. However, they aren't (typically) sturdy enough on the exterior to deal with really extreme terrain.
That said, people do run 100 mile ultramarathons on trails in them (particularly the KSO Trek version).
In 1968, an obscure Welshman named Colin Fletcher wrote a book called "The Complete Walker". In it Fletcher claimed that our feet are our foundation.
Bottom line….if ya don't take care of yer feet, you ain't gonna accomplish anything.
Over the years, I have followed Fletcher's advise, through 10 years in the Army, hiking, hunting, fishing, backpacking, all over the western US and British Columbia.
My conclusions are this, when it comes to boots….Danner. Socks….Smartwool. Make sure that the boots fit properly and take care of 'em. Get a boot dryer and put your boots on them every night. It won't dry out the leather, just take out the excessive moisture that your feet have deposited in them. Oil and grease your boots on a regular basis.
Take care of your foot gear, and it will take care of you.
Bob
III
Condider Thorogood American Heritage Boots – union made in (gasp) the USA. http://www.weinbrennerusa.com/dspNavCategory.cfm?catid=12&subcatid=15
Working Person's Store has a decent selection if you can't find locally: http://workingperson.com/search/1/thorogood+american+heritage.html
I love my 4201s for everyday use but they make waterproof boots also.
I own a pair of Vibram Five-Fingers, Love them! Wear them everyday in the summer. But I would not recommend them as a Survival Shoes. I am thinking of snake bites, and falling objects such as logs, building materials. The Five-Fingers offers very little protection against these.
I am cool with the whole barefoot thing. Sometimes I just walk around barefoot. However the idea of paying a bunch of money for some gimmick shoes to simulate being barefoot is stupid.
Oh my, I wasn't expecting my email to actually get so much attention.
I own a pair of 9in boots myself but for as little as I use them they don't look like they're aging very well. That got me thinking about dependable survivalist footwear, and I thought the best place to get information from would be Creekmore and TheSurvivalistBlog's community.
As far as the Five Fingers shoes goes: I had figured that societies from the past and some even today still go through a survivalist-like life barefoot and they generally have healthier feet than most civilized nations. Considering that I thought that they would be a good choice.
Thanks for the responses guys. I guess I'll have to look into some of these brands. Honor guide you all.
I'm kind of partial to Red Wing's safety toes with 8" uppers… good ankle and foot protection as well as waterproof.
I WEAR REDWINGS AND SWEAR BY THEM.I HAVE WORN REDWINGS FOR OVER 15 YEARS AT WORK AND AROUND THE HOME.THEY ARE A LITTLE EXPENSIVE BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.FROM JAY IN NC
Please avoid all Rocky boots. The company has been supplying soles that just break apart. The company will replace them in the first year but they have known about the problem and will not fix it. I contacted the customer service dept and was told to just buy another pair. They also make other USA brands so please look at the website and avoid everything they make. I really hate saying that about an American company but they deserve to go out of business. If you need to, the soles can be replaced for $35.00 – $70.00 depending on where you live by local shoe repair companies. I used to love the Rocky brand and bought alot of them.
Living in CO.. ONly 3 pairs of shoes are necessary. sandals (walmart $5), sneakers(walmart $12)and a pair of military issue snow combat boots available at the surplus for $25.
Here in CO sandals $5, sneakers $12 and a good pair of military issue combat boots ($25 at surplus store)
Survivalists are WAY too fixated on the "if you could only have one…" philosophy. So…
Just like boats, guns and vehicles, no one shoe or boot can do it all. What works for me is to use several different pair of shoes daily. For work, it is usually, dress shoes. When I get home, relax for a bit in a pair of Crocs. Then use a pair of sneakers for exercise. For messing around the house, I have a pair of well-used engineering boots. When it is wet, I use a pair of either LL Bean Hunting Shoes (12" lace up) or a pair of rubber boots – depending on just how wet the ground is.
In my bug out bag in my car, I keep a pair of Vasque midweights lined with Gore Tex that are well used but still have life in them – bugging back home is not the time to break in shoes or boots – you need something dependable.
If I was going into combat, I would wear my pair of Browning Kangaroo leather light weight boots lined with Goretex. One pound on your foot is like 5 pounds on your back…they are capped with sharkskin for toe durability and are very comfortable as well as being completely waterproof. Expensive, yes. Worth it. Hell yes.
me I like my marine boots cold and warm weather.
They last forever and are very comfortable and protect you feet and and lower legs very well.
The only time I would use five fingers would be if I knew the terrain and had to be very quiet on the approach.
Anything with repairable soles. Most modern shoes have glued on bottoms that wear out quickly and can not be repaired. Ask a shoe repair person if the shoes you have on can be made whole again. Danner is good but expensive $$$.
On the positive side they will last a life time with proper care of the leather and repair or replacement of the soles.
I've seen a couple of comments above on steel-toed boots…I'd recommend caution. Even though they're useful, you will be extremely cold if the ground is cold AT ALL. They're as bad as plain leather gloves.
I have had my Danners for 19 years. They have been resoled twice. Well worth the cost.
I had to look to see what we were talking about.
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/
Those look like a gimmick to me.
I have to agree with most of the other folk, (depending on your climate) a good pair of boots will do most everywhere especially in a survival situation.
They have to fit well and you have to know they will work for you BEFORE you try them in a life or death situation.
A day or three walk in shoes that don't fit will guarantee a serious problem.
Place holder to be edited later.
AAAAaaaaarrrrgh!
I can't get my name to appear on my post.
I love my Vibrams. The foot has muscles in it that need exercised just like the rest of our body. When we wear those hugely padded and stiffened "running shoes" or stiff boots all the time, the muscles in our feet atrophy. A strong foot will allow for better balance, proprioception, and reduced chance of injury.
I also wear my boots from the Marine Corps, although recently I have started to love the quick-zip "SWAT style" for warmer weather.
Boots are good. But the Vibrams have their purpose too. Strengthen the feet. Yes, you can do it barefoot, but if you are like me and most Americans, your soles are very soft and sensitive. The Vibrams provide some protection from puncture wounds, hot asphalt, etc., while allowing the muscles in the foot to work and strengthen are they were intended. And yes, you must take it slow, not all at once, else you will tendonitus of the foot as I did. Of course, this just added evidence for me that my feet were woefully out of condition from years of shoes that did not allow normal movement, so now I mix it up with both. My feet are doing much better and are much stronger now.
Bret
I own a pair of 5fingers. I agree with Double Tapper and Bret.
5fingers are great for creek crossing, boating, and camp. They offer some but little protection. Let your foot strengthen gradually. I wore them out of the box for 6 hours on my feet. My arches were aching for a week and my grand toe was b&b. I own the classic model. I would recommend the velcro heel ones, while swimming the "shoe" can fall off.
I hiked the Appalachian Trail with a pair of Vasque Breeze boots, It took 3 pairs to do the 2000+ miles. They are a great lightweight boot but better for dry/warm weather and the soles had a hard time gripping wet rock. I hiked 10 miles in the 5fingers with a 40lb pack to avoid a blister. It felt great to have the extra weight off my feet but 1-2 inch rocks are rough to step on.
Tried taking the Breeze on a winter hike in Virginia and my toes went numb in less than a mile. Picked up a pair of Lowa Banff boots. They are heavy and don't breathe as well but great all around boot.
I also have a pair of Danner boots for hunting, steel toe Georgia boots for work, Justins for everyday boots, Lacrosse Rubber boots for fishing, Fox Racing boots for riding…
Its all personal preference and environment. If you plan on living on a sailboat or have your own tropical island 5 fingers all the way. I will be keeping my Lowa Banffs close by.
a Pair of lightweight boots (Garmont Kiowa Vegan XCR)
a pair of low-top canvas shoes (old style vans)
a pair of 'sports sandals' (tevas)
I can't imagine needing any other combination of shoes for daily life. Keep a bunch of synthetic socks on hand, they will eventually get shredded.
CRESTA HIKERS- available in wide sizes, Medium weight, italian made (as all the best hiking boots USED to be made) GORETEX bootie ,Vibram sole, single peice full grain leather uppers and the best break in time of any boots ever owned look great with jeans, and blazer but beat the crap out of them and cant wear them down, BEST BOOTS I’VE EVER OWNED!!!! Plus BEAN has the most liberal return policy in the world, so if hate them just send them back even after a month!
‘http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/14774?page=gore-tex-cresta-hikers-leather
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