New pair of boots for field work

The OP of the thread is going to be working in marshy and mainly wet conditions. I looked at the boots he bought for the job. They are a nice boot. Unfortunately they are a poor choice for the task at hand. The uppers are leather which is good but it is not waterproof leather or lined with say goretex. The second problem is the tread on the sole. It it far too smooth to be effective in mud and muck. The tread should be a self cleaning lug of some kind. It is not fun slipping off a log or a rock because of poor traction. A far better choice would have been a boot designed for upland hunting that is waterproof.

Sorry if this hurts but it is something you really need to know.

^ Good advice. Along that line of thinking, I would suggest these Russell Moccasin South40 Birdshooters. They are supremely comfortable right out of the box, lightweight and tough. If you look around, you will find these for far under retail.

^^Diddy, you need to post more pics and fits. I didnt know you had Russells!

Sidney Lo has a pic of me in the Russells, not sure if he is willing to share.
If you blouse your trousers, the boots give off a very strong There Will Be Blood vibe.

Very nice boot and they would be an excellent choice for the OP's line of work.

Ah the fond memories of blasting pheasants in SD....

As someone who has done extensive botany field work in bogs I'd suggest something other than leather boots. I use Converse low tops with much success.

Leather stays wet forever and wet socks and feet increases the risk of blisters and general discomfort. Canvas sneakers (or nylon running shoes) dry quickly and greatly reduce the risk of blisters and discomfort. Ask anybody who does any long distance backpacking about what "boot" they wear. You will find that leather boots are in the very small minority; running shoes will top the list.

Goretex and similar non-proprietary linings only trap moisture inside the boot and add to the risk of blisters. They maybe OK for short uses but for all day comfort they are a bad idea. Cotton socks fall into the same category. They trap moisture inside the boot. Not good.

So, for field work in wet places get yourself something that will dry quickly. For scree slopes get a tough (non-waterproof) breathable leather boot.

This comes from someone with over thirty years of long distance backpacking and wetland field work.

Originally Posted by timw

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As someone who has done extensive botany field work in bogs I'd suggest something other than leather boots. I use Converse low tops with much success.

Leather stays wet forever and wet socks and feet increases the risk of blisters and general discomfort. Canvas sneakers (or nylon running shoes) dry quickly and greatly reduce the risk of blisters and discomfort. Ask anybody who does any long distance backpacking about what "boot" they wear. You will find that leather boots are in the very small minority; running shoes will top the list.

Goretex and similar non-proprietary linings only trap moisture inside the boot and add to the risk of blisters. They maybe OK for short uses but for all day comfort they are a bad idea. Cotton socks fall into the same category. They trap moisture inside the boot. Not good.

So, for field work in wet places get yourself something that will dry quickly. For scree slopes get a tough (non-waterproof) breathable leather boot.

This comes from someone with over thirty years of long distance backpacking and wetland field work.

Sorry, your advice is more than just poor it borders on ludicrous.

Low top gym shoes are an extremely poor choice in any kind of woods oriented activity period. There is no ankle support, there is no significant arch support for rough terrain. You can't blouse a gym shoe so the nice friendly ticks crawl up your legs and bite. Leather is the best choice of material for protection against briars. Waterproof leather is waterproof and does not get soaked. What else? The OP lives in VA. Varied terrain from mountainous to hilly to flatland. Heavily wooded. Venomous snakes are common.

As far as wet feet are concerned wear wool socks. Get a soaker, take off the boots, drain them and then wring out the socks. Put them back on and wow your feet feel dry for some reason. Oh that's an old hikers trick.

My advice comes from 45 years of nearly daily activities involving the outdoors in varied climates and terrain in North America. That includes guiding and outfitting people not to mention entirely too much time fishing and hunting.

Note to self: disregard all future posts from timw.

I've never posted before but I couldn't help myself here. I mean come on, give the guy a break - wearing sneakers in bogs is not crazy - working in those involves frequent wading. Slow-drying leather boots and heavy socks are silly in when you're up to your knees in muck - you want something that drains water and dries quickly. It's like wet-wading for smallmouth or trout in the summer. That said, for general off-trail use with a small to moderate gear load, Katadhins or many of the "upland" style boots would be fine - but I'd bring Chucks for the deep stuff.

Wet wading a river or stream is far different than muck up to your knees. A pair of gym shoes would be on your feet for about 30 seconds in muck. Been there done that. So I still recommend waterproof upland boots. An upland hunter will hunt in nearly the same environment as the OP will work. Open fields, deep woods, transitional zones and water is home to amphibians. If the OP does have to deal with real muck then a pair of muck boots should be brought along. As I said before go for a hike in deep wet woods wearing shorts and low top shoes and let me know how it works for you.