Field testing a new pair of boots is always very tough for me because of years of poor foot care while in the military. I have a relatively standard foot size in a 10 with a standard D width. So, needless to say, most boots with good design should fit me fairly well, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Hot spots, blisters, and my high arches make for finding a comfortable boot very expensive along with days of sore feet.
Having had my feet in a pair of Kenetrek Mountain Extreme boots for the last couple of hunting seasons with great comfort had me slobbering at the opportunity to test the new Hardscrabble Lights. These boots are designed in Bozeman, Montana and built in Italy. All the Kenetrek boots are designed by true outdoorsmen who live on their feet. Jim Winjum who is the owner of Kenetrek spends countless days in the field chasing sheep, elk, and all other creatures in the most rugged country this world has to offer. He has put together a line of product that is second to none based on his own personal experience and needs of the hard core outdoor enthusiast.
The Hardscrabble light tips our scale at just less than three and a half pounds. It is a seven inch tall uninsulated boot making it ideal for all your spring time hiking through early fall hunting trips. This is a heavy duty boot with a windproof/waterproof WindTex® lining. The full rubber rand goes all around the entire book making it wear like iron over tough rocks or any other terrain you can throw out at it. The lacing system is a combination of hooks and cleats which allow you to separate and control the tightness of the upper and lower portion of the boot. The tongue is pre-creased and with the very first wearing of these boots, it tucked into the appropriate spots as if it had been worn a hundred miles already. The tread is a very aggressive K-Talon and works well on all terrain tested.
Our first test consisted of a 12 miler out of the box looking for elk sheds. I always wear top quality socks like Lorpen when I break in a new set of boots due to the great cushion and wicking ability. This setup make for a great day of shed hunting from 7,000 feet in open sagebrush flats to 9,500 feet on vertical slopes semi covered with snow. Unfortunately we didn’t get to tote back any elk sheds, but we also didn’t bring back any blisters or hot spots. A wipe off with a damp rag and they looked like they were fresh out of the box. These boots have been worn for thirty days straight now and qualify as the most comfortable day-to-day shoes I have ever worn and are well worth the money. We have four outdoor outings in extreme conditions with over 50 miles on these boots and they still look almost new.
