Crispi Kenai Boot Review
With hunting season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make sure you have all the gear you need for a successful hunt. One of the most important pieces of gear, in my opinion, is picking the right boot for your specific hunt. With years of experimentation on dozens of different brands and types of boots, I had settled on the Uninsulated Crispi Nevada as my go-to boot for hunting Elk here in the West. However, this year, Crispi introduced a new boot in their line-up which is basically an exclusive BlackOvis version of the Nevada with a few improvements, in my opinion. It is called the Kenai GTX. I’ve been testing this boot for a couple months now and wanted to share my initial impressions.
Features:
Similar to the Nevada, the Kenai is non-insulated and features a Gore-Tex Liner along with the Ankle Bone Support System (ABSS) and a 3 Flex Rating. What is different is the Kenai has a Premium Full Grain Leather, similar to the Wild Rock, instead of the Nubuck Leather found on many of the Crispi models. Another notable difference is the softer EFX dual density polyurethane shock absorbing mid-sole (Similar to the Idaho and Wyoming) vs the stiffer CCF midsole on the Nevada. This softer midsole allows you to “feel” the ground a bit more which will come in handy as I stock in on game.
Testing:
Right out of the box, the Kenai’s felt great. Similar feel to the Nevada, but maybe a slightly bigger toe box. My maiden voyage on this boot was a 7-mile (1200 vertical) round trip hike up a rocky trail in the mountains near my house. There was no break-in period with this boot. I did replace the Crispi insert with my tried-and-true Superfeet Trailblazer comfort carbon fiber orthotic support insoles, but the boots felt like a glove and I didn’t get any hotspots or blisters. And the full-grain leather seemed to breathe a little better than my Nevada’s.
Since my initial voyage, I have put about 50 miles on these boots with similar positive results. In summary, these are basically the tried-and-true Nevada’s with a full-grain leather and a softer midsole. So, if you are looking for a high-quality full leather boot for hunting this fall, I highly recommend the Crispi Kenai boot. These are the boots I will be wearing on my mid-September Elk hunt in Idaho!
