Which boots/shoes for a zimbabwe hunt in august-november

[Bonde]

Planning an elephanthunt next year. Looking for good boots/shoes to use.

Had a look at these two. Which would be preferred by You?

https://www.courteneyboot.com/product/the-courteney-impi-in-brown-leather/

https://www.courteneyboot.com/product-category/mens-range/mens_safari_boots/mens-courteney-tracker/

https://store.westleyrichards.com/courteney-vellie-boot-leather

These looks pretty neat, light, but are suede. Are they a bad idea..?

https://store.westleyrichards.com/courteney-vellie-boot-tan

I see quite a few wearing sandals....? How do they cope when the ground isn´t level...?!

Which heigt gaiters should one use for the mentioned boots/shoes? The shortest i e 5" height ones?

 

[gordon kings langley]

Courteney Boots ever time. They are top class.
Gordon

 

[Bonde]

But which model to choose? They´re equally good all of them for the purpose?

 

[Red Leg]

For hunting, I prefer the "selous" and the "hunter". The former is almost indestructible. I am sure the impi would be a fine field boot as well. I prefer a bit more protection than offered by the vellie styles.

 

[Amado]

I couldn't agree more. Courteney's all the way. I love my Selous. Quiet, rugged and comfortable.

 

[kesha]

I have 2 pair of the Hunters and love them I wear them everywhere .

 

[kesha]

I have 2 pair of the Hunters and love them I wear them everywhere .

Safaris sorry

 

[Bonde]

What do you reckon about the Courtenay vellie model?

 

[008]

I like the vellies and will probably get a pair at some point. For now my vote is for the tracker. I have them in all brown and they are fantastic. Very comfortable and with the tire tread, capable of series hiking. I’m a bit minimalist and don’t feel I need the bigger boots of this type. I actually want a pair of the bushvelds too.

Frankly the courteneys are ugly beautiful if you know what I mean but great at their job.

 

[Hutch01]

Ive always hunted Africa in my traditional bird hunting boots. They are softer leather, light weight, Gortex, non insulated with similar soles to the Courtney styles. LL Beans upland boots have performed well for me in RSA and Moz.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Which ever you decide on I’m sure will be fine as long as it fits your foot.
My only suggestion is to not get the tire tread (cleated) sole. They are harder, consequently a little louder, and they pick up gravel and drop it at the wrong time and wrong places (on the floor of the lodge, house, etc where it will get stepped on by bare feet, or scratch wood floors).
Also if you are hunting rough terrain, ie rocky or steep where you need ankle support, Courtney’s are not adequate. They are very flexible.
JMO

 

[johnnyblues]

Honestly unless you intend to hunt Africa multiple times and I mean multiple times then go ahead and spend the money. Otherwise a good pair of your favorite lightweight hunting boot with a vibram sole work just fine. I just hunted several mountain species in August with a pair of Underamour speed freaks. Granted there not very quite on twigs and stuff but I did pretty well.

 

[African Sporting Creations]

This is Jim from African Sporting Creations and we are the US distributor and stock over 300 pairs of them in Ohio. If you are going over there we recommend the Selous as it is an over the ankle boot that gives more support. We have it in three styles; an all brown wide with a ripple sole, and all brown regular with the tyre tread sole and a two-tone wide with a trye tread sole. Send me an email at info@africansc.com if you want a call to discuss options and if unsure of size, buy one and we will send two pairs out and you can just return the extra one.

Jim

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

Nothing beats a courtney boot.
You may need to wear arch support insoles keep that in mind when ordering. My elephant selous are over 20yrs old. I like the lighter scout better. Prices in the states may be cheaper than they are here in zim

 

[IvW]

Courtney boots are great, go for the ones that cover the ankle such as the Selous. Stay away from the low cut Vellie types as they allow small sticks and gravel to enter the boot which is very irritating.

Get boots(Sepous) which have a closed tongue, this will also prevent debris from entering the boot in that area.

You can also get over boot sock protectors(putties), they cover the socks sticking out and they also go over the boot from the top and nothing can go in the top of the boot. Canvas ones are noisy, leather ones can be hot. Nice thick material works fine.

Grass seeds that get into your socks are a nightmare, they scratch and stick you and it is a real pain to get them out.

I would also recommend you do not try the "Zim PH style" with vellies and no socks.

Whichever boot you decide on, buy them well in advance and wear them in properly.

One thing that works very well is to take extra socks, give them to one of the trackers to carry in the back pack. When you stop for a rest after a long walk, take your boots and socks off and give your feet a breather, when you start again switch to a new pair of socks.

If at any stage during the hunt you feel you are getting a blister, stop immediately and talk to the PH. This way you can sort the problem before it becomes a big one which could pretty much ruin things if left to escalate. The guide or PH has no idea you feel a problem with your feet.

Good luck on your safari.

 

[K-man]

I may buck the trend here, but I waited until my 5th safari to pick up a pair of Courtney's. I wear them everyday to work until too cold, then switch to insulated boots. They will definitely go back to Africa with me. Just make sure whatever boot you take is well broken in and comfortable.

 

[Bonde]

Thank you for all the replies!

What do you folks reckon about suede finish on the boots? Good, or stay away, for my intended use? They sure look nice though..

 

[African Sporting Creations]

The knap on the Hippo wears off pretty quickly. On the kudu hide it stays put. I wore the Gray Hippo in Namibia last year and after dusting them off and getting a pair of pliers to pull the thorns out of the sole they were as good as new. The Vellie is not a hunting boot, but is great to wear around the campfire.
One of the thing that folks do not mention is the toughness of the tyre tread sole. Courteney pours them in-house and being pure rubber it prevents all the the thorns I have encountered in Zim, SA and Namibia from penetrating through the bottom of the boot which was definitely not the case with my first pair of hand-made boots that had a thinner, blown rubber sole.