I spent an afternoon testing these lightweight, waterproof hunting boots hauling tree limbs in the pouring rain. If they stand up to elk country as well as they did doing yard work, I think they’re a winner.
The worst part about getting boots before hunting season is you don’t have any time to test drive them. But I do my best to beat the hell out of my gear before going into the middle of nowhere. That’s where yardwork comes in. The mission was simple. Spend an evening trimming two truckloads worth of trees and see how these boots held up. As an added bonus, the skies opened up, and my 16-year-old son refused to wait it out in the truck. I wasn’t about to let him one up me, so we trimmed and hauled for three hours in the rain. Here’s how these boots performed.
As soon as I put the boots on, I felt like they were too narrow. I have what you might call Fred Flintstone feet, but I’ve never needed a wide boot. At first, I thought they were too small. They stretched a little after about an hour. Even so, I don’t think there’s too much room left for insoles like Superfeet, which I love, but I found the boots to have enough cushion for the task.
Vibram Sole and Gore-tex Lining
As the evening wore on, I appreciated the hardy Vibram sole grip the mud. The Gore-tex kept my feet plenty dry, though my feet typically get too hot with a Gore-tex liner. Despite being breathable, I’ve always found Gore-tex to make my feet sweat. Then when I stop and wait for a shot, my feet get cold. The jury is still out on these boots and their breathability. They did, though, keep my feet dry. With quality socks, I think these boots will do fine during most of Montana’s hunting season until the snow gets too deep. When that happens, I switch over to Muck’s Apex Pro Vibram Arctic Grip Boot. Hopefully by then, I will have a couple of tags filled.
Lightweight
To me, this is really where these boots kick ass. I weighed them against my Danner hiking boots (2.17 pounds) and my Danner hunting boots (3.18 pounds). The LaCrosse boots weighed just 2.26 pounds. If you’re putting in 5-10 miles days over varied terrain, the weight of a boot matters. I like that they weigh just a smidge over my favorite hiking boots. The Ursa is built like a hunting boot, but don’t weigh you down. I liked that.
Cons
This is where I sound like a little bitch, but I wasn’t a fan on how the lacing system is supposed to work. I ended up not lacing the very top loop because there was no side-hilling or potential ankle twerking planned for yard work day. The price is another problem. These boots are made in Vietnam, so you’re not paying for the Made in the USA label like some other LaCrosse products. At around $300, these boots are expensive. In full-disclosure, these boots were sent to me for testing. By comparison, my Danner hiking boots are made in the USA and cost around $200. Danner and LaCrosse are owned by the same parent company, a Japanese company ABC-MART.
LaCrosse Ursa MS Specs
- Boot Height: 7 inches
- Tested Size: 9 (true to size, though felt narrow at first)
- Weight: 2.26 (tested)
- Waterproof Liner: GORE-TEX membrane (breathable and waterproof)
- Outsole: Vibram® MONT rubber outsole
- Non-insulated-a plus in my book
- Price: $300
