I’m not a fan of rubber hunting boots. There, I said it. Now before you tell me I’m crazy and they are the best thing since sliced bread, let me tell you why.
As a young hunter coming of age in the mid-90s, we didn’t have “good” rubber boots. We had black, uninsulated, heavy rubber boots that we bought for $15 at the local farm store. And my dad made me wear those boots from October through January, regardless of the conditions.
Much of my time in the woods was spent hiking up hills with 10 pounds of boot on each foot and then dealing with sweaty feet that were either too hot or freezing cold. Long story short – by the time I could afford to buy a “good” pair of boots, I was done with rubber.
That’s not to say I don’t own or hunt in rubber boots at all, because I certainly do. There is a time and place for everything and I’ve always kept a pair on standby for when I had to cross a deeper creek or perhaps walk through some dew-soaked grass on an early morning hunt.
Come Spring of 2022, my lone pair of rubber boots sprung a leak. I’m pretty sure that I caught them on a piece of brush during a shed hunt and poked a small hole about halfway up the front. And while it didn’t bother me most of the time, when crossing deeper creeks, I started taking on water and having wet feet is never good. So I began looking for a new set of rubber boots.
After talking to friends and reading reviews online, I settled on Muck as the next brand I would try. I’d never owned a pair of Muck boots but have rarely (if ever) heard anything bad about them.
Since most of my rubber-boot wearing is done in cool to colder weather, I decided that an insulated pair was in need. My feet tend to get cold easily, so warmth was my top priority. Followed by durability and comfort.
Eventually, I settled on the Muck Apex Pro 16 and I have to admit, I have been pleasantly surprised. I won’t go on record saying that they are most comfortable boot I’ve ever worn, but they have to be darn close. Even with my wide feet, the Apex Pro 16 fits really well and feels almost like I’m wearing a pair of really nice slippers. And who doesn’t like a good pair of slippers?
Unfortunately due to this fall’s unusually warm temps I haven’t been able to test the warmth much below freezing, but so far so good. A single pair of merino wool socks has been all I’ve needed to this point. Keep in mind I’m the guy who gets cold feet when it’s in the 40’s out, so the fact that I haven’t needed toe warmers or boot covers in the limited amount of 30’s we’ve had this fall is a good thing.
I’ve hunted from ground blinds, treestands, and tree saddles with the Muck Apex Pro 16 and they’ve been everything I’ve wanted in all situations. Waterproof, warm, comfortable, and as durable as they can be for a month’s worth of real use.
I haven’t been on a lot of really long hikes in the Apex Pro yet, so it’s hard to say how they will do with moisture management from my sweaty feet. However, I’ve been on a few half-mile or better hikes in moderate temps, and my feet haven’t overheated yet.
The Thermo Regulating fleece is supposed to wick moisture 33% better than standard fleece and, although I have no way to actually measure that, it certainly seems to be doing a pretty good job so far.
Although I’m not entirely sold on rubber boots being needed 100% of the time for my deer hunting situations, the Apex Pro 16 has found its way onto my feet more than any other rubber boot has in the last decade. So if you’re in the market for a new set of boots, give these a look!
