I’ve been hunting in Lacrosse rubber boots for as long as I can remember. I started out in burleys, years ago, moved to the alpha burleys when they came out. I liked the original alpha burley with the sole that was pretty close to the burley. I don’t like the thicker soles of the newer alphas and areos. I don’t feel like they flex as well, so I’ve gone back to the Lacrosse grange the past 6-7 years. I wear them a lot both deer and turkey hunting as well as scouting, filling feeders, etc.. As much as I like the boots, my feet freeze in them. I have a pair of insulated alphas for colder weather, but hate wearing them because I feel like Frankenstein walking through the woods.

This brings me to my question. I am nearing the end of life on my current granges and was looking at going to a premium boot, figuring that I’ll get more than two years out of them. I don’t mind paying for quality, but $650 is a lot to gamble with. Looking at going with a Le Chameau leather lined (whatever they call the side zip boot). I figure that this boot while pricey, might fit my needs better and be a better all around boot for my needs.

I walk a lot especially during turkey season on both red clay hills and river bottom swamps. I prefer a boot that I can feel the ground with and move as silently as possible. I want a good all around comfort level. I know if I am deer hunting in very cold weather, I need an insulated boot and that if I’m wearing it in warm weather, they will be hot, but let’s split the difference. Am I on the right track with the Le Chameau boots or is there a better option?

Bean boots use to be the standard around here. I like the tall ones that come up to your knee. Properly conditioned, and add an insert for comfort, they are hard to beat. They are not slip on. They are the best slippin around boot I’ve found.

Yeah, I’ve got a pair of those. I like them but I prefer a slip in.

I have had a pair of Le Chameau Vierizon boots for about 5 years. Great boots and a lot easier to get off than my old Lacrosses Burly boots. Extremely comfortable. As a matter of fact, I wore them today hunting in a swamp. They are a step down from their zipper boots but I have had a positive experience with them. I wear my knee high wader socks with them to keep my socks from bunching up in the bottom of the boots.

PSA - they won’t keep your feet dry if you step in water deeper than the boots are tall.

How do you like the soles and how are they to get on and off? Side zipper isn’t a dealbreaker if I can get them off easily

Soles are excellent and better than Lacrosse. Getting on and off is easy.

I have Schnees, they make several styles. Made in Bozeman, Montana.

Check out the Chene Gear zippered knee boots. They are heavier than the grange boots you are use to wearing but I still feel like I can slip around in them pretty good. They also have a liner in them that will help with warmth but not burn you out of them. My feet sweat constantly so I’ve always dealt with cold feet in colder weather. My feet don’t get near as cold in these as they have with other rubber boots. The zipper makes the on/off process so much easier. Especially if you are wearing thicker pants or multiple layers then you can just zip up half the boot instead of trying to fight it into a fixed opening. I’ll probably never go back to a rubber boot that doesn’t have a zipper.

I personally think you are asking too much out of one pair of boots. A pair of boots that are comfortable for hiking during turkey season aren’t worth a darn for a cold sit in the deer woods. I’ve never even heard of Le Chameau boots but there is only so much you can do to a rubber boot. I don’t deer hunt but here is what I do for turkey hunting.

I only hunt hills so I wear a hiking boot. If it’s going to be cold, I bring along 1 pair of artic shield boot insulators and a pair of felt wool boot liners. These are light and can be packed easily. If you’re going to be stationary for a while, take your boots off and put on a wool liner with a boot insulator and your feet will stay warm. If it’s super cold you could always throw in a hot hands. Sitting stationary doesn’t require a boot. Boots are for walking, once I realized that my feet have stayed a lot warmer.

Yes, I have insulated boots for cold weather, but I’m looking for something on those in between days. I don’t feel like I should have to wear super thick socks or insulated boots for an evening deer hunt with temperatures in the 50s. Main point is that I’m about to be in the market for a new pair of rubber boots and am looking to upgrade to something with better features than what I have now. Thanks.

X2 on the Schnees. I’ve got the Hunter II pac style and after a week in the mountains out west in harsh conditions I was very pleased. Most comfortable boot out of the box I’ve ever worn.

I have the Le Chameau Chasseur and the Chene insulated knee highs. The Le Chameau's are nice and comfortable but they have a leather insole which really caused my feet to slip around which in turn meant my socks were often around my ankles. I bought some cheap foam insoles are WalMart and they seem to fixed that issue. That is my only complaint with the Le Chameau's. The Chene's are the best quality boots in the $200 price point that you will find, in my opinion. They are good quality rubber, quality zipper and come with two different insoles. This is nice because you can put the thicker ones in if you are wearing just normal socks and your feet won't slip around or if you are putting on thicker socks you can put in the thinner insoles. If I was buying boots today I would absolutely buy the Chene's over the Le Chameau's especially if the main reason was for deer hunting due to the fact that they are insulated. In fact, you could buy the Chene insulated and non insulated and still be cheaper than the Le Chameau's.