Boots have become sort of a frustrating topic for me. It seems that I’m always looking for the right boot for my needs and am usually left scratching my head. In the past, I have always landed on a soft sole boot. These have been great in terms of comfort, but in the land of durability and being waterproof? Well, that’s another story and an area that they lack in. When I have found boots that were more durable, they just lacked in comfort. So, now I am left with a situation of give and take. Do I want my feet to be more comfortable and possibly wet or do I want dry feet and less comfort? The Crispi Wyoming GTX was a boot that stood out to me as a “tweener,” if you would. Something in between comfort and durability that didn’t lack in being waterproof.
The story of Crispi as a company is an inspiring one. This Italian based boot company has been hitting the ground running since 1975, when Alessandro Marcolin started up Crispi Sports in Veneto, Italy. From the beginning this company has been rooted in outdoor sports and hunting. By 1979 they had distribution through France, Switzerland, and Germany and by 1984 they got pushed into Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the U.S.A. As time went on the demand for “Made in Italy” boots grew larger and larger. It wasn’t until 2016 when CrispiUS took over the American distribution channel. Before that, it was incredibly difficult to get a pair of these high quality Italian boots. Today, they are distributed in 54 different countries. In my opinion, that just goes to show that one should never give up and keep grinding. For 44 years Crispi has been making boots for the outdoor community and it doesn’t look like they are stopping anytime soon.
As I laid out in the beginning of this article I looked at the Wyomings as a tweener of sorts. A boot that may have bridged the gap between comfort and durability. I wanted something flexible enough that I didn’t feel restricted, but stiff enough that I knew I’d get the support I needed. In Crispi’s Flex Rating the Wyomings come in right in the middle, which is what I wanted. They come with Gore-Tex® waterproof lining and water repellent suede with high resistance cordura. The Wyomings are going to also come equipped with Crispi’s ABSS Ankle Support system, which is supposed to ensure superior support to your ankles limiting fatigue in the long run. Having an uninsulated boot was super important to me, and is another win for the Wyoming. The sole that they use for the Wyoming GTX is Vibram® and the midsole is polyurethane. Definitely a step up from the EVA midsole that I have been accustomed to in the past. So, how did the Wyoming hold up for me?
My first impressions of the boot were off the charts. First off, they looked killer. If you are spending a good chunk of change on a pair of boots, I think you should like how they look. The Wyoming GTX did not disappoint here. I was so stoked to get these into the field and from how they felt just walking through my house, I was stunned. It felt like the boots were essentially walking for me as I traveled around my living room. They were lightweight as well, coming in at around 2 pounds for the pair. That was really important to me as I do a lot of hiking. Something that was different right off of the bat was how the floor felt to me. Well, I couldn’t really feel the floor to be honest. These were definitely harder and more stiff than what I was used to and it left me slightly concerned about how they would work for me in bear country, as I do quite a bit of rock hopping. Overall though, I was impressed right out of the box. In the field? Different story, at least at first.
Right in the beginning when I first put the Wyoming GTX boots on and started hiking on a spring turkey hunt, I’m going to be honest, I wanted to burn these things. There was only so much that I could tell from just walking around my house. When I got them into the field, I was singing a different tune. So, as sad as this is, my first experience in the field with them was awful. My foot slid left and right in them while rubbing on the stock textured insole. This gave me a burning sensation on my feet. Like they were raw almost.
Immediately, right from the mountains, I headed back down into town and decided to switch out the insole that came with the boot. I figured this would take care of the problem and ended up dropping some green superfeet in them. For the most part I was happy, but was still getting heel bite when going uphill and it felt like my feet still were sliding around. Doubling up insoles was another thing I tried, but this felt too tight for me. Heck, I even tried ordering 3 other pairs of Crispi Boots to compare them. I started to think that these boots just weren’t for me and for awhile, I didn’t use them. After a bit I ended up getting a pair of aftermarket insoles called Blue Sole. These took care of the majority of the problem as they were bigger and took up that extra space in the boot. The insoles basically saved the boots for me. Still though, I preferred not to wear them cause of the heel bite. It wasn’t until early this year when a friend of mine that was certified in fitting Crispi boots helped me crack the code.
What ended up truly saving these boots for me was as simple as a lacing technique. That’s it. By dialing this in, it stopped the heel lift and let me actually use these in the field. Since then, I have hiked a ton of miles with them in all sorts of different terrain, packed out animals, and been way happier than at the start. If it wasn’t for that, I probably would have never worn them again.
So, I figured out how to actually use them and not hate my life, but are they actually waterproof? Lots of boots out there claim to be waterproof, but end up failing miserably. The waterproofing has been impressive. They’ve been in torrential downpours, hail, snow, and small creek crossings. My feet stayed dry. I actually had to switch to them on an early season deer hunt when my other boots failed me in the rain. For just an afternoon of rain my other boots were leaking, leaving me with wet and soggy feet. Not good for a lot of hiking. Once I did switch, no more wet feet. Ended up killing a sweet velvet coues that morning as well! For being waterproof, these get an A+.
I have been messing around with these boots for 2 years now! Man, that sounds like a long time and for me it is if we’re talking about boots. Normally, I only get a year max out of a pair. Now, keep in mind, I wasn’t using these exclusively for 2 years. It was on and off, but they are still going strong. They did fantastic on a recent spring bear hunt! We encountered snow, creek crossings, and super steep terrain. I’ve gotta say thought that the durability has been awesome. I don’t have any peeling, separation, or anything really going wrong with this boot as I sit here and type this out. In the durability category, these get an A+ in my book.
If you were to ask me this question a few months after I bought these, I’d tell you Nay quicker than you could finish your question. However, after educating myself a bit more on boot fit in general I’d tell you that these are definitely worth a look. If you are used to a softer sole boot, let me say right now that these are going to take some time to get used to. At least they did for me. Sometimes, I felt like I was stumbling around, because I couldn’t feel the ground I was walking on. That actually turned into a plus once I was packing out a deer. I could step on all of the sharp rocks there were and couldn’t feel a thing. This was nice. Another thing to keep in mind is that YOU HAVE TO replace the insole in these boots. Expect to pay anywhere between $60 and $100 for an aftermarket insole. I’m not sure if Crispi didn’t put a ton of work into their insole on purpose, just because they assumed people would replace them anyways, or what. That thing can kick rocks as far as I’m concerned though. Hopefully, in the future they will revamp it and one won’t have to replace it. That would be sweet.
In the end I can sit here and confidently say I will be using the Crispi Wyoming GTX in the future for sure. Especially after taking them on a spring bear hunt where we encountered snow, creek crossings, and super steep terrain. My feet were fine and dry. No aches or pains. Heck, I might even buy a pair in the future! Will I use them exclusively? That remains to be seen, because I like messing around with new gear. I was slightly peeved that I had to figure out how to make these work. After doing so, I’m glad that I did though. Perhaps that was just my ignorance on the topic seeping out. Nonetheless, I feel like I’ve got a reliable pair of boots that I can count on. For someone that does a great deal of backpack hunting and bowhunting where I am running around a bunch, this is comforting. Arizona eats boots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. From what I can see though, Arizona is having a hard time swallowing down the Crispi Wyoming GTX. To learn more about the Crispi Wyoming GTX and more boots from Crispi, visit www.crispius.com.
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