Meindle confusion...

[BucknRut]

A few weeks back I tried on a pair of Meindle Perfekt Hunter's (didn't have the Alaskan's or Canadian's in stock) and they felt absolutely amazing. 8 and a half felt good except for the arch, so I took someone elses earlier advice and had them swap out the soles with a size 8...fit to be tide! Was extremely excited because it is not very often that I find a boot that fits my foot. I ordered the Alaskan's and Canadian's. Last weekend I went to try them out and I was very disappointed! The Canadian's felt on the low end of okay and the Alaskan's were far from a perfect fit. After trying them on and off, walking around and all of that, I just couldn't make them feel comfortable...they actually hurt the soles of my feet. The workers must have thought I was nutz, looking at those boots from every angle trying to figure out WHY the perfekt hunter felt so good and these felt like something I'd sell at a garage sale. AAHA...there was a cheap sole that looked as flat as a paper in the Alaskans and the Perfekt hunters had the Meindle Perfekt Footbed (a cork cushioned sole). I switched them out and they felt better, but still not happy. I figured the boot was too big and I ordered a smaller size. Today Cabelas called and said they were in so I am off tomorrow to try them on.

To those of you that have the Alaskans, did they feel like a board duck-taped to the bottom of your foot when you bought them? Or did they feel like my explanation of the Perfekt Hunter? I realize they will take a long time to break in, but they did not feel like I had hoped. I doubt the Perfekt hunters will hold up to the abuse. Any thoughts??

I am going to put an order in for the Lowe boots that AlaskaCub so kindly scoped out for us and see how they feel too, but any info on the Meindles would help for now.

 

[Daveinthebush]

Canadians

Canadians

I have had my Canadians for about two months. From the moment I first tried them on they felt comfortable. A little stiff in the ankle but I assume that it is a desireable feature to have more ankle support when side hilling. The sole feels great. Someone said to try a certain insole, I did, and could hardly walk. I am still breaking them in sort of as I wear them to walk the dog or exercise outside to accomplish that. No major hunts yet but I would feel comforatble taking them. I have tried to get my feet wet, wouldn't work. They are not a 10 degree boot as my feet feel cool at that temperature.

 

[AlaskaCub]

I have the Alaska Hunters I hope thats what your referring to (with the rubber rand) and I replaced the insoles that they come with to a Superfeet insole that feels awesome to my feet. I have been told from some guys that they ordered the Perfect cork footbed and put that in the place of the air dry foot bed (or whatever they call it) that they come with. Just so you know these are heel to toe stride (rocking motion) style boots. Meaning that they are very stiff in the midsole. They are more for the heel to toe stride of heavy backpacking and there isn't much cushioning going on, at least for me.

 

[highcountry]

if the alaska hunter does not feel like a good fit from the second you put it on, and an insole change does not cure it.....send em back, they will never break in to your foot. I had a pair for 60 days wearing them daily and they just never fit right, cabelas took em back and sent me a different size and now 3 years later I would die without them as they are my faveorite kicks!....I too bailed the lame insoles on day 1.

 

[Tag]

I bought a pair of Meindle from Cabela's that are 800gram but I can't find them in the catalog.....anyone have these?

 

[BucknRut]

800 gram Meindles

800 gram Meindles

I bought a pair of Meindle from Cabela's that are 800gram but I can't find them in the catalog.....anyone have these?

Don't know if they are in the catalog, but they are the boots I'm thinking, they are on the Cabelas website. They are the Cabelas Winter Hunting Boot by Meindle. These come with the cheap sole, but felt good on my feet with the cork insole.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...a's+Winter+800?+Hunting+Boot+by+Mei&noImage=0

 

[BucknRut]

Thanks for the info guys, I will try the smaller Meindles today, order the Lowes, then compare the two later. I'll report back about the Meindles on the other end of the weekend.
Joshua

 

[BucknRut]

Cabelas goofed again! They ended up ordering the 800 gram "winters" instead of the Alaskan Hunters. This will be the 5th trip in there after these boots! Oh well, it's NEVER a wasted trip and I can always use another excuse.
The good news is that the 800 gram boot that someone was asking about earlier felt amazing (once I got the correct size). They felt like they had a good footbed in them and a ton of ankle support. I would say that they are nearly as rigid as the Alaskan Hunters, short of the rubber band was not nearly as high up. This of course, all based on look and feel, not actual experience. I might pick these up just because they felt so good and we generally use 800gram stuff when we hunt elk in lower 48.

 

[yhc]

Why not "Perfekt"?

Why not "Perfekt"?

Good morning Joshua.

I am considering ordering a pair of "Perfekt" and I do not have the option of driving down to a Cabela's to try them on. I am not familiar with these products other than what I can read on Cabela's website.

So my question to Joshua is if those "Perfekt" boots feel so great why don't you order them? Is there any significant advantage of "Alaskan" or "Canadian" over "Perfekt" other than better ankle support?

Regards,

yhc

 

[BucknRut]

my observations

my observations

yhc, Let me start by saying that I am not a boot expert and I have never seen Alaska or the mountains thereof. I have read, reseached and tried on several different boots. Depending on what you are planning to use the boots for will determine the type you buy. I am looking for a very rugged boot that has significant support and will hold up to the conditions I will be walking in. My experience in the mountains is limited, but have been all up and down the Rockies and it is my observation that the further North you go, the more jagged the rock and terrain. My ankles got real sore in short time and my boots took a hurting too. The jagged rock cut right through the leather. I actually wrapped the bottom portion of leather with duct tape. I am assuming, based on what I've read and seen, that the terrain is going to be no more friendly up there.
There are a few advantages of the Alaskan Hunter for the rough terrain. First is that they are extremely rigid. You can just slightly bend the sole by applying lots of pressure. The support through the ankle and upper of the boot is more flexible, but still very stiff. The other, equally important, advantage of the Alaskan Hunters is the rubber band that surrounds the leather above the sole. I don't know if it is actually rubber or a composite material, but it is supposed to keep the sharp rocks from cutting the leather and from what I've heard, it does an adequate job. They also seem to be made out of a more durable leather.
The Perfekt Hunter is an amazing boot and would purchase it if I would purchase it if I was looking for a comfortable hiking boot for use in upto medium rugged terrain. The leather is good, but not as durable as the Alaskans. I could easily bend the sole of the boot with applying little pressure. They seemed a bit lighter than the Alaskan. Felt great on my foot.
I have not owned either of these boots. I am speaking purely on observation and therefor cannot recommend either of them too you.
Hope this helps. Joshua

 

[kaboku68]

Cabelas waters down the meindels

Cabelas waters down the meindels

Meindel boots are really incredible boots. I still hunt in my denali hunters.(2 pairs) after 12 years of use.

However, if you can order Meindels from the Hoffman Boot Company or EG Edwards. You will find that the real Meindel perfekts are triple stitched mountaineering boots that are completely compatible for mountain assaults on Everest. They are NOT those sold at Cabelas. They are the best boot that Meindel makes and are truly exceptional.

Hoffman Boot company charges 300 USD for their perfekts but they add a cork sole that would be ideal for the glacier climbing that I end up doing.
It is these that I will get when my Meindels die.

 

[bizymocha]

Meindl Innersoles and Lowes

Meindl Innersoles and Lowes

I wrote more than once on this site that the Cabela's shoe salesperson first sized my feet. I wear a 9E. He brought that out in an Alaskan Hunter and they were very good. He said he wanted to try something and brought out a 9 1/2E in the same boot. He took out the standard isole and replaced it with a size 8 1/2 Perfekt Footbed. The new insole is thicker, hence you need a larger boot to put them in and fit properly. That was a fantastic improvement over the standard setup. I found there to be very little time needed to break in the two Meindl Alaskans I have.

The Lowe version of this Meindl boot might be made by Meindl FOR Lowe.
They are so close in design that I would think Meindl might take exception to being copied.

 

[AlaskaCub]

True Meindls, fake Meindls, all I know is the 2 pair I own from cabelas are awesome. The Ibex for most hunting and the Alaska hunters for the big mountains. I did break down and get a pair of the Lowa Sheephunters I tipped the guys here off on just because the price was so good. I just hope they fit and feel as good as the Meindls. Thanks for the little push on your comment bizymocha, "in your closet or in a factory whats the difference". We'll see, they havent arrived yet.

 

[Erik in AK]

BnR,
If you plan on hunting in the mountains after you move here (I assume so) then you want a boot with a stiff midsole, heel counter, and box toe.

Your assumptions about the ruggedness of Alaska's mountains are correct. There are few trails and the game always seems to live in places that requires the hunter to traverse steep, rocky terrain. Considering that the hunter is likely to be carrying 1/3 to 1/2 his body weight across this same steep, often unstable country, the right boots are IMO not just labor saving but safer. With stiff mountain boots, you are far less likely to turn an ankle or lose your footing, and if you do lose your footing your are far more likely to regain it.

All that said, my Meindl Canadian Hunters have served me well for 14 years. Yes, they are stiff and even after all the miles I have on them, not a comfortable trail boot, but coming off the mountain with 80 lbs on my back, I don't want anything else on my feet.

 

[Kay9Cop]

I wore the Perfekts my first two hunting seasons and I finally ended up having to replace them after some cuts to the leather looked like they might rip all the way through. I replaced them this year with the Alaska Hunters. Just like Alaska Cub mentioned, they fit differently because the Alaska Hunter is designed for a heel to toe rocking motion that you use when backpacking up steep hills or leaning forward under weight. The Perfekts were more set up for moderate climbing and backpacking. I wore the Perfekts when climbing mountains for sheep but they took a beating and weren't as stiff as the Hunters I now wear. For any hunting that doesn't involve a lot of mountian climbing I would recommend the Perfekts as they were more comfortable. If you're going to do a lot of climbing the Hunters are stiffer and provide better support but aren't as comfortable.

FWIW, my hunting partner and I both wear the Alaska Hunters now and at the end of the day our feet feel like we've been caned with a reed stick. But, the next morning they feel fine again and we're ready to do. I think this is because of the thin insole which is necessary to limit foot movement insided the boot when climbing. The bottoms of my feet got sore after 10-12 miles a day in the Perfekts but didn't feel as bad as they do in the Hunters. Neither were unbearable to wear after a long day of climbing but if the Perfekts had a rubber rand they'd be the only boot I'd wear.

 

[northway]

meindls

meindls

I have bought a "few" pair of boots from Cabelas and none of them lasted for more than 2 years. There are "QUALITY" meindls and they are not sold by Cabelas. My partner and I both wear the same size (13) and we ordered the same exact boot and they were both different. The tounges on mine were alot lower and the boot really sucked. My partner got blisters and his boots were broken in. My left boot sucked climbing as it totally pinched my foot right where it flexes at the toes. To say the least, my boots were sent back with pictures of the differences in both sets of the same boots. No comment made, but got my money back and bought a cheaper pair of boots that Cabelas no longer makes. Those boots have served me well for 5 years now. I have friends that have the "QUALITY" meindls and they say they are awesome. I know we all have different feet, so one boot may feel great to someone else. My feet are picky so I have to have a boot that fits well. I agree, if your boot doesn't feel good the first time, it won't feel good anytime after that.

 

[BucknRut]

Meindl says...

Meindl says...

Appreciate all of the info guys. I got to wondering what the deal was with Cabela's and Meindl and "quality" of boot. The ones I looked at seemed to be well-made, but who can tell when they are on a shelf. I contacted Meindl yesterday (I should have learned how to speak German before calling!), emailing was the better option. They promtly replied today (my italics):

Dear Mr. Brege, thank you kindly for your e-mail and interest in the Meindl boots. At this time we do not have any dealers in the US of our inline production, however we can easily serve you from our outlet in Vancouver BC Canada. Please visit our web site www.ajbrooks.com where you will see the most popular models. Please feel free to use our told free no if you wish to talk to us. If you need a catalogue please let us know.
Looking forward to hear from you.
For Meindl
B.Rgds. Poul Sylvest
A.J.Brooks Inc.
www.ajbrooks.com
[email protected]

Nice enough chap, I thought. Have a look at their website, they have ton of boots. They are a bit more expensive and maybe that says something about the Cabela's Meindle, speculation...whose to know? Any of you fellas that bought Meindl (before Cabela's carried them) recognize any in their lineup?

For good measure, I ordered a few pair of the Lowa's at the discounted rate, maybe all of this hype about Meindl is wasted words...I guess we'll see.
Joshua

 

[cold zero]

meindls, cabelas v. the real ones

meindls, cabelas v. the real ones

I bought a pair of canada pro, the equal to what cabelas sells, from a.j. brooks in 2002. prices have gone up dramatically b.t.w. since then.

the biggest diff' between the 2 is that the cabelas boots have 200 grams of insulation and the real ones have none.

i would like to think that you get what you pay for, as the originals are substanially more money. however, this is subhective as i have not bought the cabelas ones. i did however own a pair of cabelas mtn. hunters which they told me were their best boots and they did not last. this was right before they started selling the meindls. a.j. brooks has excellent c.s. and they are a pleasure to deal with. they know how to fit a boot. i mailed them an outline of my feet with my chosen sock set up on to get the proper fit.

a.j. brooks will also resole the boots for about $100. i am about to have this done, so anyone who is curious drop me a line and i will let you know.

on my last 14c sheep hunt we covered over 100 miles in 20 days inside the park and they have now gone their last mile and need work. i have used these boots hard and besides the soles the rest of the boots are still in good shape. they required no break in.

hope this helps.

 

[Erik in AK]

Gents,
Meindl has a custom shop of sorts...they're called Hanwag. www.hanwag.co.uk

These are top of the line mountain boots and you can get them customized to your feet as I understand.
When you order them custom, they send you a kit if you can't come in to a dealer for a fitting--you take several measurements of your feet and Hanwag builds a last of your feet (a last is a mold)

The boots are steep (ha ha) $350.00 and up.

I got my Canadians soaking wet and they shrank--I screwed up by not walking them dry. Its been 14 years time to upgrade.

If I draw a sheep tag I am absolutely getting a pair