Help us better serve the visitors to this web site by submitting this short survey. The most critical piece of equipment a hunter can possess isn't a bow that's quiet as a whisper, a camouflage jacket designed by the Invisible Man or a decoy that attracts ducks from another zip code. The most important piece of equipment a hunter can own is the right footwear, and every serious sportsman knows it. Granted, most of us would rather go shopping for a new bow, rifle or shotgun than a pair of boots. But anyone who's tried to walk miles in wet grass, sit a deer stand in sub-zero temperature or negotiate a rocky hillside wearing boots with floppy soles knows why footwear is so important.
Nothing ruins a trip faster than feet that get wet or cold or swell with blisters.
Once upon a time picking the right boots was a no-brainer. The options were leather and rubber. Boots also come in a variety of colors and camouflage patterns, and some even have built-in scent eliminators. To find out, we went to Cheryl Dutton of Wisconsin-based LaCrosse, one of the more aggressive manufacturers of footwear for sportsmen and sportswomen. Most waterfowlers will recognize LaCrosse as the maker of Red Ball waders.