Kenetrek Boots...good? great?

[Westside88]

I have a really old pair of Danner Elk Hunters(like 20 years old) and it's time to think about replacing them. I've only ever worn them hunting and don't always wear them, they've held up amazingly, but it's time. I'm looking at the Kenetrek Mountain Guide and Mountain Extreme as options for replacement. Anyone have any wisdom to share on these? My main question is waterproofness. Are they good? Do they last? I of course will be trying some on to make sure they feel good to me, but before I invest in them I'd like to hear what others think.
Thanks for any insight

[RB]

Bought a pair of Mountain Extreme (not-insulated) in 2016 for a Goat hunt. Put many miles on them since then and just had them resoled this year. Absolutely love them! Only complaint was the toe rubber started to come unglued a couple years ago hence the reason to resole plus they tread was wearing as well. Wore them to do the hiking merit badge with my son and that is 70 miles total with three fives, two 10's a 15 and a 20 mile hike. Never had a blister or hot spot, love these boots!

[idaho guy]

great boots

[firepin]

 Great boots and on sale at Kenetrek

[Bareback]

Great boot. Keep greased and they are very waterproof.

[RB]

Great boot. Keep greased and they are very waterproof.

 

[elkaholic123]

I have 2 pairs, Mountain extreme’s which are 1000 gram and a pair that is 400 gr.
I have never had a problem with wet feet on either pair! Probably never need to buy boots again! Love them!

[Seabass]

I have the Mountain Extremes. I’ve had them for 6 years and my feet have never been wet. The rubber over the toe box is peeling pretty bad but they have held up really well otherwise.

Personally, I don’t think they are all that comfortable. I did 2 spring bear trips into the Frank Church last spring and the only real discomfort I had was my feet. Most of the guys who recommend them to me have switched to Crispi’s. I will likely go that way myself.

[cem3434]

Great boots and on sale at Kenetrek

plus they have a huge Ebay sale going on right now too.

[HntnFsh]

I have the Mountain Extremes. I’ve had them for 6 years and my feet have never been wet. The rubber over the toe box is peeling pretty bad but they have held up really well otherwise.

Personally, I don’t think they are all that comfortable. I did 2 spring bear trips into the Frank Church last spring and the only real discomfort I had was my feet. Most of the guys who recommend them to me have switched to Crispi’s. I will likely go that way myself.

I didn't care for them. Just didn't work for me, or my feet.
I know afew people that swore by Kennetrek for years. Then lost their love for them over the last few and swit he'd. Mostly to Crispis.

[Snakeriver]

Schnees has some great boots. Ive had both. Like the Schnees better.

[highcountry_hunter]

I’ve had good luck with them, keep them well greased and your feet will stay dry. I had the toe rubber peel but resealed it with some fancy shoe goo type stuff that their customer service rep recommended.
They are stiff and fairly heavy, so if your planning some early season archery spot and stalk style hunts, I’d recommend a pair of stalking socks or something because kennetreks aren’t the sneakiest boot around haha


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[hunthard]

Just finished my 3rd year of hunting in Kenetreks, no leaks at all, super comfortable and i'm really sorry i didn't buy them earlier.

[Duckslayer89]

Crispi Guides. The soles on Kenetrek are soft and don’t last long. You’ll thank me later

[buglebuster]

I have tried a lot of boots over the years and nothing lasted more than a season. I bought a pair of mountain extremes in 2021 and have hunted hard in them for 3 seasons and they aren’t even beginning to wear out. They have been awesome! The best boot I’ve ever owned. They work for me and my feet, could be different for you. They are very waterproof. They truly do take around 50 miles to break in so don’t just get yourself a pair and go on a hunt. Be sure to bring your old boots with you just in case.

[Jonathan_S]

Crispi Guides. The soles on Kenetrek are soft and don’t last long. You’ll thank me later

That soft rubber is very grippy though, and Kenetrek has a resole service too. For about $150 their cobbler resoles, re-rands, and replaces laces.

[Westside88]

Thanks for great feedback everyone. I appreciate hearing real world experiences

[Sakko300wsm]

Mountain Extremes for the win - I have tried multiple different brands and they been the best by far and have never had wet feet

[boneaddict]

 

[str8meat]

#1 kennetreck #2 zamberland #3 whites

[adamR]

About seven years ago now, I tried a pair of Schnee's. They were ridiculously comfortable except for the heel area. I ended up sending them back.

I purchased a couple pairs of Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400 gram boots from Amazon to figure out the size I need then sent them back and waited for a sale. I've had those boots for 6 years now and they were by far the best boot I've ever owned. I can't begin to imagine how many miles I've put on them but the soles are now worn down to maybe a 1/16" of tread remaining. I will be buying another pair this spring. I've also convinced four hunting partners to purchase them as well and no one has been upset afterwards.

While wearing gaiters, I've crossed streams that were knee high and never had wet feet. While hunting idaho in 2018, I forgot my gaiters at home; it rained for seven days and I was the only one in camp without wet feet. (This is when the other guys started buying them.)

Two cons for me -

- The soles are very slick. If you are stepping on wet logs, you better be paying attention to where your going to slide to. Not a huge problem if you are expecting it.

- I wear my boots year round; hunting, hiking, camping, etc. This year, I didn't get a chance to put them on from around December 2022 through July 2023. When I went to oil them up and remove the laces, there were huge cracks in the folds of the boot. The leather was still very pliable as I had oiled them when I put them away; not sure what happened but they are definitely not water proof anymore.

Prior to these, I was the buying buying $2 - $300 boots from Cabelas, what seemed like, every year. They were all junk. I got 6 years out of a $500 pair of boots. At $85 a year, I will happily buy another pair this spring.

[Timberstalker]

I’ve worn Kenetreks since the early 2000’s. I’ve tried other brands and they have been good.
The Kenetreks just work. They offer far superior support and when I’m hunting steep, rocky country, they just feel way better. They are built well and I’m on my 3rd pair. I’ve yet to find a better boot. I bought the Guide Ultra for my last set and they have been fantastic.

[hollymaster]

Didn’t work for my feet. Crispi’s are my go to.

[Dansk]

Kenetrek Mtn Extremes work great for me.  I have EEE width and high arch- they come in 'wide' which fit me well.  Used them for 1 year after 50 mile break-in.  No blisters but still just 'ok'... until I went to pediatrist and had custom orthodics - total game changer... the orthodics helped my hip and knee issues as well and 2 pair were covered by medical insurance.  I had superfeet before, but no comparison to custom from foot doc.

[Naches Sportsman]

I’ve been rocking the fire boots for both work when not in mop up and playing the last 5 years and love em.

Don’t get em hot or they’ll melt like all other hikers. Learned that again in Hells Canyon in 2022.

[Westside88]

I appreciate everyone’s thoughts. I’m having some trouble deciding whether the mountain extreme or the mountain guide boots are a better option. Any thoughts on that? They are on sale about $100 of both on the Kenetrek website and Cabela’s. Is that about as low as I should expect to see them or are they known for sales?

[KFhunter]

I took a pair of kenetrek mt extremes directly out of the box and went elk hunting, no blisters,  and we went hard too, for me anyways

My bro got crispis and we were stopping for blister tape which I mercilessly videod and razzed him about his new crispis


They either work for your feet, or they don’t, or you compromise and do a lengthy break in to “get them” to work for your feet.  I got lucky and didn’t have to buy different brands to find the pair that work.  I think they’re all fine boots if they fit right and you tie them right

[Westside88]

Can anyone speak to the Mountain Extremes vs the Kenetrek Mountain Guides? I watched a video in which the founder of Kenetrek explained the differences and I'm still torn. I'm thinking the Mountain Extremes may be a little more comfortable and a little lighter. I guess either way they'll be a good boot

[kentrek]

Can anyone speak to the Mountain Extremes vs the Kenetrek Mountain Guides? I watched a video in which the founder of Kenetrek explained the differences and I'm still torn. I'm thinking the Mountain Extremes may be a little more comfortable and a little lighter. I guess either way they'll be a good boot

I've ran both extensively and the mountain guides are just a step above the Extremes..I feel like the Extremes got popular so they made them less rigid to fit a broader variety of people, the guides are a better boot for the nasty stuff.... if your questioning if you should hunt there then the guides are the boot

I dislike the rubber rand on the Extremes so for moderate terrain I typically use a simple crispy mid type boot and then I have the guides for very rough hunts where support is very important

These boots are not designed for stalking, and you need to account for that depending on the hunt

[JWBINX]

I've had great success with my Kenetrek boots, they have never leaked
and always gave great support and comfort. I will say, I think they need about
50 miles to break in. I have a pair of Mtn Extreme 400s and a pair of Hardscrabble hikers.
Unless their is really cold weather I use my Hardscrabble hikers with gaiters 100 percent of the time.
They are great boots, and everyone has there opinion!
Everybody's feet are different.
I do use Sole insoles which work better than Superfeet for me.

[Westside88]

Thanks everyone who shared insight. I decided on the mountain extreme uninsulated for my needs. Of course I’ll have to verify the fit is right. I went ahead and ordered some to take advantage of the sale.

[jackelope]

They’re great quality boots if they work for your feet. That’s the important part. Not every boot works for everyone’s feet. Width, toe box, etc different strokes for different folks.

[chukarchaser]

Jackelope nailed it