Bug out shoes

reply to post by ohyouknow


I don't believe in shoes in a SHTF or bail out situation. The ankle support and protection provided by boots are well worth the the slight extra weight of boots. With the right boot they can be just as light, breathable, and comfort as the best tennis shoes yet be much more durable and protective.

Ranker makes some great boots for any given need and situations. The Fowler, Pronghorn, and Acadia are great boots for the money. I wear Melee's and Desert GFX and love them. They cost around $170 and are extremely light and comfortable.

They last for ever too, my Melee's are 2 years old and I'm rough on boots, hiking a lot in the prairie, wading in slough's and walking through stubble fields when bird hunting. Ill probable have them resoled before the uppers wear out.

For bail out situations you want 1) comfort, 2) durability, 3) breathability. If you must have steel toe go with Kevlar Safety toe. As someone who works in the elements in ND and have worn Steel toe boots in ice and snow, the steel holds the cold and they are cold. The safety toe eleminates this and makes the boots much lighter.

I was in a hurry earlier and it won't let me edit my prior post.

More info:

White's boot's are expensive but they are custom made to your foot and leg. They just fit like a glove and offer a ton of support. They are tough as nails and will last forever.
If you can afford them they can't be beat. I guess you have to ask yourself how much your feet & possibly your life are worth....

The ones in the picture are about $400 but I have had them for 11 years. that's just under $40 a year. I used to spend $100 - $200 a year for work boots. A high quality pair will pay for themselves over the years.

When these wear out I just get them re-soled and their good for another 2-3 years.

For me steel toed boots are no good in cold climates as when the toe gets cold it stays cold and keeps my toes frozen... just my findings.

reply to post by getreadyalready


I'm going to second on Dr Martens. I have three pairs. Let me say that the Docs I got at 15, which was 15 years ago, are still in excellent condition with some sole wear. I fully expect if it was the last pair of shoes to my name I'd be fine. How do I know this? Because from the age of 15 to 22 that was the the only pair of shoes I owned. That's 7 years of daily wear there, plus the next 8 of moderate wear. The shoes are great.

Anyone wanting to buy these needs to make sure they get some UK made, not China made. Husband bought some China boots two winters ago and they disintegrated the first time it rained, the first month he had them. But our UK made boots from years ago are still perfect.

Make sure you have extra laces and wool socks. Even if it's hot out, wool is the way to go. My go bag has an extra pair of laces. You can also carry paracord in place of laces which might even be better.

A good pair of comfortable hiking boots, lightweight, waterproof but breathable.


A good tip (if not already mentioned): Take out the laces and add paracord! Versatile and extremely useful!

I even have a pair of sneakers with paracord laces in there...

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