I am somewhat of a nostalgic, the type of person that loves to recall a memory while looking at a picture or thinking about what places a piece of gear has traveled with me. Recently I was asked to review the Crispi Valdres boots and that brought back memories from one of my favorite pairs of boots from year’s past – the Crispi Hunters.
It took over 1000 miles on the trail for the Vibram soles of the Hunters to need resoling and they maintained their comfort level throughout one of the worst pack outs I have ever been a part of (and there have been a few). Brandon Mason and I decided that some unseasonably warm weather dictated a VERY heavy packout was in order to get the entirety of my 2014 bull out of the six mile deep ridge where I killed him. The boots bear the scars of that trip on the sole and the 1” rubber rand.
The new GORE-TEX lined 8 “ Valdres aren’t as tall as the Hunters and are my choice for early season hunts and the Crispi Crossbow Frame is a welcome feature on summer scouting trips. Trekking comfortably between high country basins can be the difference between finding the buck of a lifetime or going home empty handed.
With 100+ miles of use on the Valdres so far, the Anatomic Fit and Flex 3 features are positives in the world of mountain boot break in. Like most upper end, minimum stitching boots with 1” rubber rands, breaking them in takes time and sometimes brutal effort. The Crispi Valdres were stiff enough for me to trust their ankle support but flexible enough for a comfortable break in period.
All in all, I look forward to putting a 1000 miles on these new boots and seeing what memories I can attach to their soles in the form of sights seen, miles trekked and heavy packs full of meat!
